Hi MoonTurtle,

I've been taking St. John's Wort for two years now and have found it helpful for treating my own depression and anxiety (along with therapy).
I was diagnosed with moderate depression.
The two brands I have used (at different times) are Kira and New Chapter. I have now settled on 4 pills of Kira Brand St. John's Wort daily (1,200 mg per day). I space them out and pretty much take them with meals.
I like this brand because it has been used in clinical studies. I do think it has taken me a while to work up to using this dose without the occasional minimal side-effects that I had at the beginning, which were jumpiness and headaches in the evening. I now have no side-effects and feel that this stuff really helps to keep me from falling too low. As far as St. John's Wort goes I think its efficacy is similar to other antidepressants; it really helps some people, for some it does nothing, and some experience too many side-effects. Because it falls into the category of "alternative medicine" it is kind of a do-it-yourself or trial-and-error sort of thing. This can be both liberating and frustrating and sometimes even dangerous. You must be sure never to take St. John's Wort woth any other antidepressants. There are a few other warnings and contraindications, as you probably are aware. Best to read up on a website like drugs.com or even talk to a pdoc. Good luck.

E