Study Examines Adverse Reactions To Popular Herbal Therapy For Depression.

HealthDay (7/30, Norton) reports that a study published in the July issue of the journal Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology found that “adverse reactions to St. John’s wort,” which is “a popular herbal therapy for depression,” appear to be “similar to those reported for the antidepressant fluoxetine,” commonly known as Prozac.

After examining physicians’ “reports to Australia’s national agency” on medication safety, researchers found that side effects included “anxiety, panic attacks, dizziness, nausea and spikes in blood pressure.” In addition, St. John’s wort can react with antidepressants and can “dampen the effectiveness” of oral contraceptives, anticoagulants, “and heart disease drugs, along with some HIV and cancer drugs, according to the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.”

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— “Taking St. John’s Wort for Depression Carries Risks: Study,” Amy Norton, HealthDay, July 29, 2015.

Posted in In The News.