Since St. John's Wort has been used extensively in Europe in the last 15 years, studies have shown it to be both safe and well tolerated when high quality brands are used in the dosages commonly prescribed.
Dr. Helmut Woelk in Germany monitored 3,250 mildly or moderately depressed patients being treated by 663 practitioners. Of all the patients monitored, only 2.4 percent reported side effects and only 1.5% stopped theri treatment because of side effects.
The most common side effects were:
- allergic reacions
- gastrointestinal irritations
- restlessness
Each of these side effects occurred with a frequency of less than 1 percent.
To alleviate the side effects, it is advised to "build up" to the full dose of the drug -- that is, do not take the full dose of the drug when you first start taking it, instead, gradually increase the amount of St. John's Wort until you are taking the full doseage. If, for example, your doseage is 900 mg, start at 300 mg for a few days, then increase to 600 mg and then to 900 mg.
Another special side-effect concern that has been raised is whether St. John's Wort increases the sensitivity of the skin to sunlight in a harmful way. This side effect has been shown in skin reactions in cattle, but has not been shown to a troublesome degree in normal dosages in humans. It is advised, however, that if you are on St. John's Wort, you should realize you are likely to redden or tan a bit more. You should consider wearing sunscreen when you are going to be exposed to sunlight.
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