Hypericum Extract

Hypericum Extract (St. John’s Wort) is an anti-depressant herb.

Contents

Uses

  • Commonly used for its neurological effects

Benefits

  • Hypericum Extract has long been used in herbalism. It was known to have medical properties in Classical Antiquity and was a standard component of theriacs, from the Mithridate of Aulus Cornelius Celsus’ De Medicina (ca. 30 CE) to the Venice treacle of d’Amsterdammer Apotheek in 1686. Folk usages included oily extract (“St. John’s oil”) and Hypericum snaps.
  • Hypericum  is the most potent species and it is today grown commercially for use in herbalism and medicine.
  • Two main compounds of interest have been studied in more detail: hyperforin and hypericin. As psychiatric medication, it is usually taken as pills, or as tea. Standardised preparations are available, and research has mainly studied alcoholic extracts and isolated compounds.
  • What research data exists supports a noticeable effect in many cases of light and medium depression,but no significant improvement of severe depression and OCD.

Cautions

  • St. John’s wort is LIKELY SAFE when taken by mouth for up to 12 weeks. Some evidence suggests it can be used safely for over one year. It can cause some side effects such as trouble sleeping, vivid dreams, restlessness, anxiety, irritability, stomach upset, fatigue, dry mouth, dizziness, headache, skin rash, diarrhea, and tingling. Take St. John’s wort in the morning or lower the dose if it seems to be causing sleep problems.
  • St. John’s wort is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when taken by mouth in large doses. When taken by mouth in large doses, it might cause severe reactions to sun exposure. Wear sun block outside, especially if you are light-skinned.

Interactions

  • Alprazolam (Xanax) interacts with ST. JOHN’S WORT
    Alprazolam (Xanax) is commonly used for anxiety. The body breaks down alprazolam (Xanax) to get rid of it. St. John’s wort can increase how fast the body gets rid of alprazolam (Xanax). Taking St. John’s wort along with alprazolam (Xanax) might decrease the effectiveness of alprazolam (Xanax).
  • Aminolevulinic acid interacts with ST. JOHN’S WORT
    Aminolevulinic acid can make your skin sensitive to the sunlight. St. John’s wort might also increase your sensitivity to sunlight. Taking St. John’s wort along with aminolevulinic acid might increase the chances of sunburn, blistering or rashes on areas of skin exposed to sunlight. Be sure to wear sunblock and protective clothing when spending time in the sun.
  • Amitriptyline (Elavil) interacts with ST. JOHN’S WORT
    The body breaks down amitriptyline (Elavil) to get rid of it. St. John’s wort can increase how quickly the body gets rid of some medications. St. John’s wort might decrease the effectiveness of amitriptyline (Elavil) by increasing how quickly the body breaks down amitriptyline (Elavil).
  • Birth control pills (Contraceptive drugs) interacts with ST. JOHN’S WORT
    Some birth control pills contain estrogen. The body breaks down the estrogen in birth control pills to get rid of it. St. John’s wort might increase the break down of estrogen. Taking St. John’s wort along with birth control pills might decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills. If you take birth control pills along with St. John’s wort, use an additional form of birth control such as a condom.
  • Cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune) interacts with ST. JOHN’S WORT
    The body breaks down cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune) to get rid of it. St. John’s wort might increase how quickly the body breaks down cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune). By increasing the breakdown of cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune) St. John’s wort might decrease the effectiveness of cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune). Do not take St. John’s wort if you are taking cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune).
  • Digoxin (Lanoxin) interacts with ST. JOHN’S WORT
    Digoxin (Lanoxin) helps the heart beat more strongly. St. John’s wort might decrease how much digoxin (Lanoxin) the body absorbs. By decreasing how much digoxin (Lanoxin) the body absorbs St. John’s wort might decrease the effects of digoxin (Lanoxin).
  • Fenfluramine (Pondimin) interacts with ST. JOHN’S WORT
    Fenfluramine (Pondimin) increases a chemical in the brain. This chemical is called serotonin. St. John’s wort also increases serotonin. Taking fenfluramine with St. John’s wort might cause there to be too much serotonin. This could cause serious side effects including heart problems, shivering, nausea, headache, and anxiety.
  • Imatinib (Gleevec) interacts with ST. JOHN’S WORT
    The body breaks down imatinib to get rid of it. St. John’s wort might increase how quickly the body gets rid of imatinib (Gleevec). Taking St. John’s wort along with imatinib (Gleevec) might decrease the effectiveness of imatinib (Gleevec). Do not take St. John’s wort if you are taking imatinib (Gleevec).
  • Irinotecan (Camptosar) interacts with ST. JOHN’S WORT
    Irinotecan (Camptosar) is used to treat cancer. The body breaks down irinotecan (Camptosar) to get rid of it. St. John’s wort might increase how fast the body breaks down irinotecan (Camptosar) and decrease the effectiveness of irinotecan (Camptosar).
  • Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) substrates) interacts with ST. JOHN’S WORT
    Some medications are changed and broken down by the liver. St. John’s wort might increase how quickly the liver breaks down some medications. Taking St. John’s wort along with some medications that are broken down by the liver can decrease the effectiveness of some medications. Before taking St. John’s wort talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking any medications that are changed by the liver.Some medications changed by the liver include lovastatin (Mevacor), ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), fexofenadine (Allegra), triazolam (Halcion), and many others.
  • Medications for depression (Antidepressant drugs) interacts with ST. JOHN’S WORT
    St. John’s wort increases a brain chemical called serotonin. Some medications for depression also increase the brain chemical serotonin. Taking St. John’s wort along with these medications for depression might increase serotonin too much and cause serious side effects including heart problems, shivering, and anxiety. Do not take St. John’s wort if you are taking medications for depression.Some of these medications for depression include fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), amitriptyline (Elavil), clomipramine (Anafranil), imipramine (Tofranil), and others.
  • Medications for HIV/AIDS (Nonnucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs)) interacts with ST. JOHN’S WORT
    The body breaks down medications used for HIV/AIDS. St. John’s wort can increase how quickly the body breaks down these medications. Taking St. John’s wort might decrease how well some medications used for HIV/AIDS work.Some of these medications used for HIV/AIDS include nevirapine (Viramune), delavirdine (Rescriptor), and efavirenz (Sustiva).
  • Medications for HIV/AIDS (Protease Inhibitors) interacts with ST. JOHN’S WORT
    The body breaks down medications used for HIV/AIDS to get rid of them. Taking St. John’s wort might increase how quickly the body breaks down these medications. This could decrease the effectiveness of some medications used for HIV/AIDS.
  • Medications for pain (Narcotic drugs) interacts with ST. JOHN’S WORT
    The body breaks down some medications for pain to get rid of them. St. John’s Wort might decrease how fast the body gets rid of some medications for pain. By decreasing how fast the body gets rid of some medications for pain, St. John’s wort might increase the effects and side effects of some medications for pain.Some medications for pain include meperidine (Demerol), hydrocodone, morphine, OxyContin, and many others.
  • Medications moved by pumps in cells (P-Glycoprotein Substrates) interacts with ST. JOHN’S WORT
    Some medications are moved by pumps in cells. St. John’s wort can make these pumps more active and decrease how much of some medications get absorbed by the body. This might decrease the effectiveness of some medications.Some medications that are moved by these pumps include etoposide, paclitaxel, vinblastine, vincristine, vindesine, ketoconazole, itraconazole, amprenavir, indinavir, nelfinavir, saquinavir, cimetidine, ranitidine, diltiazem, verapamil, corticosteroids, erythromycin, cisapride (Propulsid), fexofenadine (Allegra), cyclosporine, loperamide (Imodium), quinidine, and others.
  • Medications that increase sensitivity to sunlight (Photosensitizing drugs) interacts with ST. JOHN’S WORT
    Some medications can increase sensitivity to sunlight. St. John’s Wort might also increase your sensitivity to sunlight. Taking St. John’s wort along with medications that increase sensitivity to sunlight could increase the chances of sunburn, blistering or rashes on areas of skin exposed to sunlight. Be sure to wear sunblock and protective clothing when spending time in the sun.

Other names

Other Names:

Amber, Amber Touch-and-Heal, Barbe de Saint-Jean, Chasse-diable, Demon Chaser, Fuga Daemonum, Goatweed, Hardhay, Herbe à la Brûlure, Herbe à Mille Trous, Herbe Aux Fées, Herbe Aux Mille Vertus, Herbe Aux Piqûres, Herbe de Saint Éloi, Herbe de la Saint-Jean, Herbe du Charpentier, Herbe Percée, Hierba de San Juan, Hypereikon, Hyperici Herba, Hypericum perforatum, Klamath Weed, Millepertuis, Millepertuis Perforé, Rosin Rose, Saynt Johannes Wort, SJW, Tipton Weed

References

Source: WebMD, http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-329-ST+JOHN%27S+WORT.aspx

Examine.com, https://examine.com/supplements/hypericum-perforatum/

Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypericum

Image source: By Karelj – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12258672

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