Herbal Therapy
Herbal Therapy
In the past several years, there has been an increase in public interest in the use of herbs for the treatment of both depression and anxiety. The extract from St. Johns wort (Hypericum perforatum), a wild growing plant with yellow flowers, has been used extensively in Europe as a treatment for mild to moderate depression, and it now ranks among the top selling botanical products in the United States. Because of the increase in Americans use of St. Johns wort and the need to answer important remaining questions about the herbs efficacy for long term treatment of depression, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted a clinical trial to determine whether a well standardized extract of St. Johns wort is effective in the treatment of adults suffering from major depression of moderate severity. The trial found that St. Johns wort was no more effective for treating major depression of moderate severity than an inert pill (placebo). Another study is underway looking at St. Johns wort for the treatment of minor depression.
Research from NIH has shown that St. Johns wort interacts with some drugs including certain drugs used to control HIV infection. The Food and Drug Administration issued a Public Health Advisory on February 10, 2000, which stated that the herb appears to affect an important metabolic pathway that many prescription drugs use to treat conditions such as heart disease, depression, seizures, certain cancers, and rejection of organ transplants. The same pathway is also responsible for the effectiveness of oral contraceptives to prevent pregnancy. Using the herb may limit the effectiveness of these medications. People taking HIV medications should be especially careful since St. Johns wort may reduce the HIV medication levels in the bloodstream and could allow the AIDS virus to rebound, perhaps in a drug resistant form. Health care providers should alert their patients about these potential drug interactions, and patients should always consult their health care provider before taking any herbal supplement.
It is important to keep taking medication until it has a chance to work, though side effects may appear before antidepressant activity does.
Depressive disorders make one feel exhausted, worthless, helpless, and hopeless and it is important to realize that these negative views are part of the depression and typically do not accurately reflect the actual circumstances.
Welcome to Depression.com
Facts about depression, including how to manage it and how to live with this medical condition.
NIMH: Depression
Reducing the burden of mental illness and behavioral disorders through research on mind, brain, and behavior
Clinical depression - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Clinical depression (also called severe depressive disorder, major depressive disorder) is a state of intense sadness, melancholia or despair that has advanced to the point of being disruptive to an ...
Clinical and Manic Depression Causes, Diagnosis, Symptoms, and ...
Learn depression signs, treatment, symptoms, diagnosis, medications, causes, statistics, facts and ... Depression. Medical Author: Peter J. Panzarino Jr., MD, FAPA Previous Medical Editor: Leslie J.
Other Depression Article Snippets:
Causes Of Depression
"Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is useful, particularly for individuals whose depression is severe or life threatening or who cannot take antidepressant medication."
Antidepressant Medications
"Research has enabled many men, women, and young people with cancer to survive and to lead fuller, more productive lives, both while they are undergoing treatment, and afterwards."
Treatment For Minor Depression
"Depression can strike anyone regardless of age, ethnic background, socioeconomic status, or gender; however, large scale research studies have found that depression is about twice as common in women as in men."
Men And Depression
"It is important to keep taking medication until it has a chance to work, though side effects (see section on Side Effects, pages 19 20) may appear before antidepressant activity does."