St John's wort used alone refers to the
species "Hypericum perforatum", also known
as Tipton's Weed or Klamath weed, but,
with qualifiers, is used to refer to any
species of the genus Hypericum. Therefore,
H. perforatum is sometimes called Common
St John's wort to differentiate it from
the others.
In modern medicine, standardized Hypericum
extract (obtained from H. perforatum) is
commonly used as a treatment for
depression and anxiety disorders. Several
studies have found it to be effective in
the treatment of mild to moderate
depression, with fewer side effects than
many conventional antidepressants.
St John's wort may interact with birth
control pills and may reduce the
effectiveness of oral contraceptives.
However this is not clinically proved
because no cases of pregnancy due to
contraceptive/St John's wort interactions
have been found in the literature despite
over 20 years of widespread prescription
in Germany. If you use birth control
pills for treating acne there is nothing
to be worried about. You can continue
taking both drugs at the same time.
DISCLAIMER:
"Ask a Doctor" Questions are answered by Dr. Nikola Gjuzelov, General Practitioner. Dr. Gjuzelov practices medicine for the general public and is affiliated with the Republic of Macedonia Public Health Institution. For more information about Dr. Gjuzelov or other eHealthForum.com medical experts, please visit our About Us page. You may also visit our Birth Control Forum, for moderated patient to patient support and information.
The material presented in the eHealth Forum Discussion Forums and Ask A Doctor is in no way intended to replace professional medical care or attention by a qualified licensed medical professional. eHealth Forum and eHealth Forum's Ask A Doctor advises all users with health problems and concerns to consult their personal doctors. Furthermore, if you have any questions or concerns about your condition, you must consult your qualified licenseced medical professional before starting any treatment.
The materials in the eHealth Forum Discussion Forums and Ask A Doctor cannot and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or choice of treatment. To the fullest extent possible, eHealth Forum and eHealth Forum's Ask A Doctor expressly excludes all liability in respect of the information and opinions contained in the Discussion Forums and Ask A Doctor, this Web site, or any sites linked to this Web site.