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Originally Posted by InfiniteSadness
Can st johns wort work as well as prescription antidpressant?? i know many people say no, but im curious... since its 'natural'. its a big decision for me.
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I actually did some research on this several years ago. From what I learned, the research indicates that St. John's Wort is as good as an antidepressant for mild to moderate depression.
Here's what the NIH says (my bolding):
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/stjohnswort/ataglance.htm
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Although some studies of St. John’s wort have reported benefits for depression, others have not. For example, a large study sponsored by NCCAM found that the herb was no more effective than placebo in treating major depression of moderate severity, and a study co-funded by NCCAM and the National Institute of Mental Health found that neither St. John’s wort nor a standard antidepressant medication relieved symptoms of minor depression better than a placebo.
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I tried St. John's Wort for a while and found it to be just as good as the antidepressant. I've never had major depression, though. Just minor. I see that the NIH is saying that neither St. John's Wort nor an AP is better than placebo for minor depression. No wonder I found them equally useful - and I stopped using both and turned to other methods which helped more.
One thing to keep in mind if your depression is minor: withdrawing from antidepressants can be difficult. Personally I had a rages and anxiety (which I'd never had before). Quitting the St. John's Wort was trouble-free, and it had no side effects.