Drug info - St. John's Wort / Acts As An Antidepressant?

[Chrispy]

SWIM read online in a bunch of places that St. John's Wort actually acts as an antidepressant. Does anyone know if it's true? SWIM loves to steal her sister's antidepressants to push herself into a manic episode (SWIM's bipolar), but since her sister doesn't take them anymore, SWIM's been trying to find alteranives.

[tryptamaster]

it is a mild maoi or ssri...swim cant remmber, prolly not worht trying to abuse.

[wespawloski]

SWIM had a extreme hypertension fun fun almost death time today with SJ wort and MAOI :P

3000mg plus shot of Syrian Rue = Amphetamine overdose.

SWIM did some reading, St. John wort supposedly inhibits some dopamine enzymes, thus increasing dopamine and norepinephrine levels (The latter being linked to mood).

"Some believe that hyperforin is the major constituent responsible for antidepressant activity, and it has been shown to inhibit the uptake of 5-HTP, dopamine, noradrenaline, Gaba and Glutamate."

BUT it has been proven to NOT be of any significant help towords major depression. As a mood lifter (and from someone who is fighting consistent major 'depresaxienty') Swim would definitely say its a very handy tool in his arsenal :P

Some people swear by its use and it is actively PRESCRIBED in Germany. There are some mixed reports on erowid, and one user who uses it daily (SWIM does also...). Its a very very nice mood lifter. Really calm, but definitely a boost. SWIM also recommends a little 5-HTP from a drugstore to go alongside for a good 3 hour hyper time :P not mania to any extent, but the pair are a nice couple for an outing :P

[fiveleggedrat]

Do not combine St Johns with a MAOI inhibitor. This includes Syrian Rue.

The exact mechanism by which St John's wort — and even conventional antidepressants — functions is unclear and subject to conjecture. The St John's wort mechanism is believed to involve inhibition of serotonin (5-HT) reuptake, much like the conventional selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants.[22] The major active antidepressive constituents in St John's wort are thought to be hyperforin and hypericin, although other biologically active constituents present, for example, flavonoids and tannins, may also be involved.[23][24][25]
Some believe that hyperforin is the major constituent responsible for antidepressant activity, and it has been shown to inhibit the uptake of 5-HT, dopamine, noradrenaline, GABA and glutamate. [24] On the other hand, a hyperforin free extract of St John's wort (Ze 117 - Remotiv) has been shown to still have significant antidepressive effects.[11][12]

Two seconds on wikipedia.

Drugs which may contribute to serotonin syndrome with St John's wort Class Drugs antidepressants MAOIs, TCAs, SSRIs, mirtazapine, venlafaxine opioids tramadol, pethidine CNS stimulants phentermine, diethylpropion, amphetamines, sibutramine 5-HT1 agonists triptans illicit drugs methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), cocaine others selegiline, tryptophan, buspirone, lithium, linezolid, dextromethorphan, 5-HTP

Reputation Comments on this post:

Thanks for trying, but the troll just doesn't get it!

[0utrider]

maybe one wants to take a look at this
http://www.drugs-forum.co.uk/forum/s...ght=johns+wort

im prescribed SJW and can say it works well for depressed episodes, like winter depression or hard time at work and stuff

[wespawloski]

Originally Posted by fiveleggedrat

Do not combine St Johns with a MAOI inhibitor. This includes Syrian Rue.
Two seconds on wikipedia.

Or combine with a MAOI to have a fucking blast. Learn the science, read up on syrian. Syrian is a small MAOI and evades the system quick.

Keep dissing SS syndrome, everything in overdose can be dangerous. SWIM knows himself and feels like having a good time and experiencing new things.

MAOIs are a godsend for psychedelics and SWIM pops a few 10 seeds whenever he feels like it.

If I die, i'll post it here. Otherwise, I will continue my catharsis through knowing my brain and exploiting my conscious

[fiveleggedrat]

Originally Posted by wespawloski

Or combine with a MAOI to have a fucking blast. Learn the science, read up on syrian. Syrian is a small MAOI and evades the system quick.

Keep dissing SS syndrome, everything in overdose can be dangerous. SWIM knows himself and feels like having a good time and experiencing new things.

MAOIs are a godsend for psychedelics and SWIM pops a few 10 seeds whenever he feels like it.

If I die, i'll post it here. Otherwise, I will continue my catharsis through knowing my brain and exploiting my conscious

SS syndrome is not fun nor recreational; there is a reason so many things with MAOIs are contraindicated. If you ever experienced a real OD, you would not be "trying new things", as you put it.

[FrankenChrist]

Just a warning for the ladies: St-John's wort can interfere with birth control medication.

Edit: I was asked for more information. None of the google sources show exactly how St-John's wort affects birth control, just that it does.

thispage gives a good description of the herb and its effects in general though:



I also found this bit on this page:

Use St. John's wort cautiously if you are taking birth control pills, because of reports of altered menstrual flow, bleeding and unwanted pregnancies.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Interesting snippet, thanks. Care to post more info?

[0utrider]

yes, i can and it will (if taken regulary in high doses).. i myself nknow some friends whose doctor prescribed SJW without mentioning this and the pill didnt work most-likely because of this (cause it happend 3 times in that family, although the children were wanted anyway somehow..)