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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Drew on October 19, 1998, at 11:21:53
Just wondering about the effectiveness of each on depression.
Posted by Doug on May 7, 1999, at 11:03:37
In reply to effectiveness of St. John's Wort versus celexa, posted by Drew on October 19, 1998, at 11:21:53
> WATCH OUT!!!
St. John's Wort has a natural MAOI in it. There has already been one St. John's Wort related death in my area. A woman took Her St. John's Wort and about 5 hours later had two glasses of wine with dinner. alcohol is a MAO no-no. She had a massive heart attack.
Posted by saintjames on May 8, 1999, at 22:32:52
In reply to Re: effectiveness of St. John's Wort versus celexa, posted by Doug on May 7, 1999, at 11:03:37
> > WATCH OUT!!!
> St. John's Wort has a natural MAOI in it. There has already been one St. John's Wort related death in my area. A woman took Her St. John's Wort and about 5 hours later had two glasses of wine with dinner. alcohol is a MAO no-no. She had a massive heart attack.James here...
There are studies afoot to answer the question in the subject. At best SJW is a weak MAOI and the germans have been perscribing it for some time w/o events (at least in what I have read) IS this
event written up anywhere ?james
Posted by saintjames on May 10, 1999, at 23:25:35
In reply to effectiveness of St. John's Wort versus celexa, posted by Drew on October 19, 1998, at 11:21:53
> Just wondering about the effectiveness of each on depression.
James here.....
Again, in Germany docs perscribe STW often. I've looked at some translated info but the real intresting stuff is in German (which I can read, slowly) but is is taking me some time...being a classical singer you don't find leider that uses German medical terms !
The gist I get from the German info is that SJW
is used for minor depressions and mood problems
and the SSRI, ect are more effective for real major depression. This is good news because there are many out there who function a little less than well; don't need a big gun AD nor are they willing the go thru trial and error to find one that agrees with them.The animal studies indicate SJW is a weak MAOI and I am looking into any German reports of problems with food reactions.
james
Posted by JD on May 16, 1999, at 8:13:30
In reply to Re: effectiveness of St. John's Wort versus celexa, posted by Doug on May 7, 1999, at 11:03:37
From what I've read, the MAO inhibition
effects of St. John's Wort are not extremely
high, though it IS a major no-no to combine
it with serious MAOI's like Nardil and
Parnate (and, to a slightly lesser extent,
even SSRIs like Prozac).From my personal experience with SJW, I
can say that it DID cause a noticeable rise
in my heart-rate (perhaps even blood pressure)
during the first days I used it, until I
lowered the dose. So if there's any causal
connection at all with purported cardiac
side-effects (one anecdote hardly being
enough to conclude anything!), it may well
have nothing to do with MAO inhibition at
all... Whatever the underlying truth is,
I agree that SJW should be not be taken
"casually" just because it's available
over the counter in the US: it's basically
a med like any other, with not all that
much known about how it works to boot!
--JD
This is the end of the thread.
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