St. john's wort and Anxiety: What Users Say

• ImO...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 20, 2019

For Depression "I’ve been suffering from some severe depression for around 3 years now. Gained 120 pounds, couple of the “s” attempts, bad anxiety. I would sleep the day away from sadness, or have crazy insomnia where I would just lay in bed crying with horrible thoughts. I started taking St. John's wort (SJW) about 2 weeks ago. One 325mg capsule 3 times a day. I get great sleep at night, easily. Crazy vivid dreams but after about three days, wow. I would wake up at a “normal” time (9 am vs 2 pm) so highly motivated. I did more in 3 days than in the last 2 months. I had my period towards the end of last week, felt very sluggish physically, but I wasn’t mentally unwell which is huge for me. I had a couple of nights of anxiety and panic falling asleep, but it didn’t linger the next day which is also huge for me. It’s definitely been a big help for me, and trust me when I say it’s been a very rough three years."

• MCa...
• October 4, 2018

For Depression "I've been dealing with severe depression due to a divorce. So far I've tried Trintellix, Abilify, Rexulti, others and even Pramipexole and Wellbutrin. Although some of these seemed to help a little, it did nothing to really bring me out of the depression. I had no zest for life, didn't care about much at all, and didn't look forward to anything. Wellbutrin seemed to help the most at getting some motivation, but after a while, it seemed to wane and caused a little anxiety. I was at my wit's end, so I tried St. John's wort. I've been taking 600mg 3x daily for 2 weeks. You want a standardized dose of hyperforin in it. My mood has greatly increased, and I find myself starting to think more positive thoughts about the future and look forward to things. It really takes 4-6 weeks to really work. I'll update this after two months. I recommend this. Read up on it as it can have severe interactions with other meds. Do your research and talk to your doc."

• ros...
• March 1, 2017

For Depression "I suffer with dysthymia, which is a chronic low-grade depression. I have to say, I have definitely seen an improvement since I've started taking it. It's been about 2-3 weeks now, and I'm already noticing some changes. I don't feel as 'low' all the time, and I find it easier to think positively so I can pull myself out of a negative mood. I also have much more motivation to do things; I can't think of the last time I've actually felt motivated enough to jump out of bed and get ready for the day the moment I wake up in the morning! I used to struggle to even wake up. It hasn't helped my OCD, anxiety, or BPD too much yet, but it's also only been a few weeks, so we'll see what happens ;)"

• MDa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 20, 2019

For Depression "I took SJW twice daily for three+ months after my doctor recommended it as an alternative to anti-depressants (I have mood instability and SAD). After a couple of months taking it regularly, I became gradually more anxious. I thought it was other stressors at the time, but eventually the anxiety was worse than it has ever been in my life, and I eventually began experiencing panic attacks and developing panic disorder and mild agoraphobia. It was very disturbing and affected me for about six months afterward. I was told by my doctor that sometimes people respond this way to SSRIs (that it ends up increasing rather than decreasing their anxiety.) Please be careful! It’s herbal, but it certainly affected me."

• hap...
• February 8, 2018

For Depression "I suddenly started thinking about life and death and about the meaning of this world, etc. I suffered from panic attacks and a bunch of phobias showed up. I started realizing that I might be suffering from moderate to borderline severe depression. I didn’t want to see the psychiatrist because I didn’t want to talk about my feelings. I didn’t recognize myself and couldn’t enjoy anything in life. So, I started taking it out on binge eating and gained 30 lbs in two months. I started with holy basil tea, and that seemed to help me with the panic attacks. However, the sadness and pessimism were still in me. Then I started taking valerian every late afternoon to tranquilize myself from anxiety. Then I found out about St. John's wort. I started drinking three cups a day of the St. John's wort tea because I read that tea gives almost immediate results compared to capsules. On the third day, I noticed that I was able to sleep through the night without the valerian, and in the morning, I was waking up happy."

• Sue...
• April 28, 2021

For Depression "I took St. John's wort 10 years ago when I was going through the menopause, then came off them after about 1 year, felt great. Then, due to COVID, I got very depressed and had really bad anxiety. My doctor suggested antidepressants. I said no, I didn't want to go on them. I said I was going to try St. John's wort again. He does blood tests every 6 months to see if they are interfering with my other meds. Up to now, everything's fine, and I can honestly say they are a godsend. It took about 4 to 5 weeks before they kicked in, but now they have. But please check with your doctor before you start them if you are on other medications."

• Tes...
• November 13, 2017

For Depression "Back in 2004, a friend who I worked with told me about St. John's Wort and that she swears by it. I started out on it and stayed on it for a few years and then got off it. I realized that my mood swings came back along with anxiety. I felt restless, bored, mad, and on edge most of the time. I now have gone back to SJW with the 375's and can't be happier. My husband has trouble sleeping, and he takes them and sleeps soundly. We all have something to share, and SJW is by far the best out there."

• Tes...
• November 13, 2017

For Depression "Back in 2004, a friend who I worked with told me about St. John's Wort and that she swears by it. I started out on it and stayed on it for a few years and then got off it. I realized that my mood swings came back along with anxiety. I felt restless, bored, mad, and on edge most of the time. I now have gone back to SJW with the 375's and can't be happier. My husband has trouble sleeping, and he takes them and sleeps soundly. We all have something to share, and SJW is by far the best out there."

• Bad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 12, 2018

For Depression "I wanted to try this as an alternative to SSRIs. I have been taking it for a little over a month, and it's causing me severe stomach upset, nausea, and vomiting. I can barely eat. I have to stop taking it altogether. It's also made my anxiety worse. I'm disappointed because I wanted it to work."

• Ban...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 9, 2020

For Depression "It is 4 in the morning, and I can't fall asleep because of it. Been taking St. John's Wort for only four days. I had more energy throughout the day, but every night I have these mini anxiety attacks"

• D88...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 4, 2022

For Depression "I overcame complex PTSD with EMDR treatment and finally got off my prescription meds in the last year that I’d relied on for a decade. So, when seasonal affective disorder hit me hard this year, I was reluctant to take any prescribed medication. I find SSRI side effects of having no emotions and low sex drive too much to face again. My GP suggested St. John's Wort. I was scared to try because I read it can make you anxious and very cynical, as I’ve never found herbal remedies helpful whatsoever. However, from the 2nd day, I noticed a significant improvement in my mood, and the heavy brain fog (which was affecting my ability to work) was gone. Even a colleague commented that I seemed back to myself. It’s been about 8/9 days, and my mood has remained stable. I feel normal again. It really does work - I NEVER thought I’d say that! I've noticed it can make you a little jittery sometimes, but it’s better than feeling depressed, anxious, and suicidal."

• D88...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 4, 2022

For Depression "I overcame complex PTSD with EMDR treatment and finally got off my prescription meds in the last year that I’d relied on for a decade. So, when seasonal affective disorder hit me hard this year, I was reluctant to take any prescribed medication. I find SSRI side effects of having no emotions and low sex drive too much to face again. My GP suggested St. John's Wort. I was scared to try because I read it can make you anxious and very cynical, as I’ve never found herbal remedies helpful whatsoever. However, from the 2nd day, I noticed a significant improvement in my mood, and the heavy brain fog (which was affecting my ability to work) was gone. Even a colleague commented that I seemed back to myself. It’s been about 8/9 days, and my mood has remained stable. I feel normal again. It really does work - I NEVER thought I’d say that! I've noticed it can make you a little jittery sometimes, but it’s better than feeling depressed, anxious, and suicidal."

• Lis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 11, 2022

For Depression "I'm in my mid 20s and have recently started suffering from terrible depression. After reading the reviews on St. John's Wort, I thought I would give it a try, as most were positive. Unfortunately, this only made me feel worse. Since starting to take these, I have had severe anxiety, constant sickness, and a bad stomach. I wanted to give them a chance, as I know some medications can make you worse before you get better. After two weeks of persevering, the anxiety has become unbearable and made me unable to function, so I have decided to cease taking them today. I'm really upset this didn't work for me, especially as it's a herbal remedy. Please be cautious when taking this medication."

• Irf...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 6, 2024

For Depression "I had been on Desvenlafaxine and anti-anxiety medications for some time, mainly because of my tendency to overthink, especially about my relationship. This habit would send my anxiety skyrocketing, leaving me feeling physically unwell, unable to sleep, and losing my appetite for a long time. It doesn't help that my partner has to be overseas for months at a time. With my pharmacy background, I knew the precautions. While there’s no stigma against these medications where I’m from, our lecturers always emphasized using them with care. For a long time, I avoided them. But eventually, I decided to give them a try—and I’m glad I did. In less than a week, I felt a significant change. The constant unease disappeared. Perhaps “euphoric” would be too strong a word, but I felt balanced and genuinely myself again. I regained my motivation and passion and, most importantly, my anxiety no longer fueled unnecessary tension with my partner. Would I continue taking it? Absolutely."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 21, 2022

For Depression "I used a good brand from Holland and Barrett on offer, and after reading the reviews, I was excited as SSRIs (citalopram, sertraline) and even SNRIs (venlafaxine) had not helped. I felt like a placebo effect at first, and within two weeks, I realized they weren’t helping, but I kept trying overall for six weeks. I felt constantly tired, more anxious, and had extreme sensitivity to sunlight. Without sunglasses in the sun, I could barely open my eyes. After a week of not taking them, I feel normal function anxiety again, so they weren’t for me. I did feel a slight bit more optimistic and also fell asleep more easily, but I felt more tired in the mornings and more anxious."

• Fee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 28, 2017

For Depression "I had intense panic attacks with heart palpitations and vomiting because I was under a lot of stress. Went to several doctors, and all they did was prescribe me meds for schizophrenia, which I refused to take (because I have an anxiety disorder and not schizophrenia). Instead, I tried St. John's Wort, but unfortunately, I haven't noticed that it helped me much. I am still very anxious and tense and think negatively about everything. At times, I feel relaxed for a short period, but that's probably more due to my body naturally calming down on its own. In fact, 2-3 hours after taking a large dose (400 mg), I would feel slightly more anxious than usual. So I stopped taking it."

• Fee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 28, 2017

For Depression "I had intense panic attacks with heart palpitations and vomiting because I was under a lot of stress. Went to several doctors, and all they did was prescribe me meds for schizophrenia, which I refused to take (because I have an anxiety disorder and not schizophrenia). Instead, I tried St. John's Wort, but unfortunately, I haven't noticed that it helped me much. I am still very anxious and tense and think negatively about everything. At times, I feel relaxed for a short period, but that's probably more due to my body naturally calming down on its own. In fact, 2-3 hours after taking a large dose (400 mg), I would feel slightly more anxious than usual. So I stopped taking it."

• Ash...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 13, 2017

For Depression "I am a 27 y/o female, have been battling depression and anxiety for a few years now. As I transition into a nurse, I decided that enough is enough, I can't keep living my life with this anxiety and unhappiness. St. John's Wort works okay. I didn't notice a huge change in my mood. I was a little happier, but not much. The anxiety was still the same. The biggest change I noticed was that it made it easier for me to talk to people. I have social anxiety really bad. The reason I decided to stop taking it is because one night I had super bad anxiety, so I took a Xanax, and it COMPLETELY CANCELED OUT the effect of my Xanax. I went into a full-blown panic attack and had to call into work. This drug has a lot of interactions with other meds. I will be going on an SSRI."

• SJW...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 14, 2021

For Depression "I have been using St. John's Wort (SJW) for years to help me with PMS symptoms that have become challenging as the years go by. My symptoms right around the ovulation period are more emotional in nature and include irritability, uncharacteristic emotional responses, anger, and other disruptive emotional symptoms. Up to 3 pills per day are allowed, but I am fine with one capsule taken in the AM. I take SJW all of the time, but really only need it for the time just before my menstrual cycle. When my anger, irritability, or my overly emotional responses are more intense, I have taken 2 pills (AM/PM before bed). I tried taking SAM-e as recommended by my gynecologist, but that was absolutely no help whatsoever. I would recommend SJW to anyone who is safe to use it (if you take antidepressants, you can't take it; also, understanding the nature of your symptoms helps, too. I recommended it to someone with a lot of anxiety, and it made her anxiety worse.)"