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Juliana said:
I had a side effect from St. John's Wort -- I got pregnant while I was taking birth control pills. I took my pill at the same time everyday and never missed a day, so I was shocked when I got pregnant. It turns out St. John's Wort interferes with the efficacy of birth control pills. I didn't know that until AFTER I got pregnant. So, ever since then I have made sure that I check for any documented interactions with prescriptions meds I'm taking before I try any herbal supplements.

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I'm sorry you learned the hard way. SJW induces, or increases the activity of, liver enzyme 3A4. That's the same enzyme inhibited by grapefruit juice, so a simple rule of thumb is that if the grapefruit warning applies to any of your meds, it applies to SJW also.

In the case of birth control pills, SJW speeds up the clearance from the blood of the synthetic hormone that blocks ovulation. In some cases, the concentration falls low enough to no longer inhibit the ovaries.

It is indeed wise to check for interactions when taking any substance. Medicinal herbs are drugs, too.

Lar