Has anyone had any success with St. John's Wort for depression? Do you think I could use it if I have had bad problems w/ regular antidepressants? I have had good luck w/ SJW a long time ago before peri/meno hit, but now my body chemistry is so messed up, I wonder if I can take it again or not. I am almost scared to try it because anything for depression makes me so much more anxious now. This type of depression during meno is absolutely the worst of my life. Thanks for any and all replies.

mood_swinger

Haven't tried the stuff myself. But, with anything, you don't know until you try. Maybe try googleing it and see what you find out or go to PubMed and see if there is any info there? Maybe they have some type of comparison study between regular ad's effectiveness and SJW. But, if you did try the SJW you could start with a small dose (maybe even cut the supplement in 1/2). Plus it might not need a taper to come off of either like the AD's. Hope someone with experience comes along with more advice. Hope you feel better soon. Oh, and in the meantime, try walking 1/2 hour per day, every day. Sometimes that can help alleviate some of the depression. Best wishes for you, JZZ

So sorry mood swinger, I know how you feel. I tried a couple of ADs first and they either had me doing jumping jacks at 2AM or just waking up REALLY, REALLY happy in the middle of the night. NOt so good. Then I found HBC St John's Wort. Check out the website HBCProtocols and read. If you want to try St. Johns Wort, this is a very high quality brand. I've now taken them for about 3 years. I noticed they help hubby too. I don't know if St Johns Wort works for everyone and you'd need to check with your doctor for any concerns with other meds.

The other key to feeling better was exercise. If I get 20 min of vigorous exercise in every day, I feel much better. When I don't, the anxiety and depression can get worse.

Hope you feel better soon!

Indeed, when I took oral HRT I was warned by the GP not to take St. John's Wort at the same time.