John - Even those that recommend St. Johns Wort (SJW), say that it should only be used for "mild to moderate" depression. This is the kind of depression that can be treated by talking out your problems with a good friend (and that is far cheaper than buying the herb).

Remember, anything that you take to elicit an effect in the body is considered a drug. Just because it is called an "herb" does not make it any safer than any other antidepressant. A common fallacy is that "natural = safe". This is not true. At equivalent doses (ie. doses that give similar medicinal effects) SSRIs are just as safe as SJW.

Also, the studies that have shown SJW to have any antidepressant effect use a concentrated extract with a standardized amount of active ingredients. What this means is "an expensive product". I have found that the cost of treatment with an effective SJW product is approximately the same price as a generic SSRI. The problem is that the SSRIs have been proven to have much better antidepressant activity.

As for 5-HTP, I haven't seen any controlled studies showing that it is much better than placebo, although, theoretically, it should boost the activity of an antidepressant. Unfortunately, in this case, "should" and the reality of 5-HTP efficacy don't seem to match.

As with any herbal product, there is the problem of getting the amount of active ingredient that the label on the bottle says that you are getting. Herbal products are not regulated like medications are, so one can't be sure that the product does contain what the label states. There are reputable companies, but their product's price reflects their guarantee.

Again, if your are using an herb to treat a medical condition, then that herb must be considered a "drug" or "medication", complete with side effects, toxic effects, and potential for allergic reactions. The main reason that side effects of herbals are usually lower is that the medicinal effect is proportionally low.

I hope that this is of some help. - Cam