# St. John's Wort for Depression - Does it Work? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 5, 2007, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-johns-wort-for-depression-does-it-work/421649 "2007-10-05T16:40:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mlerose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@mlerose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlerose)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-johns-wort-for-depression-does-it-work/421649/21 "2007-10-05T22:02:01Z")
Hi **Roboto** , The Superhero takes a brand he gets at Target in a larger bottle (because it’s more economical that way). I don’t know if it’s a Target-specific brand or if it’s just a brand that Target carries. The extract is standardized and he gets a kind that has higher mg per pill so he doesn’t have to take as many pills. That’s all I know! mle ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-johns-wort-for-depression-does-it-work/421649/22 "2007-10-05T23:36:55Z")
I’ve got the stuff growing in my yard, and it’s a pain to eradicate. (I don’t mind a little, but before we moved in, it had travelled and colonised much of the property.) I keep joking that instead of alleviating depression, it only made me more depressed. However, thanks to WhyNot’s recipe, maybe next summer I’ll harvest instead of weed. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-johns-wort-for-depression-does-it-work/421649/23 "2007-10-06T02:12:10Z")
I tried SJW for a while. It had no effect on me at all. I did not notice any side effects though. **Roboto** Just what’s wrong with a manufactured drug? I’m on a bunch (Concerta, Paxil, Abilify) and they work wonders. I’d be a sobbing mess in the fetal position having panic attacks without them. There IS better living through chemistry. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-johns-wort-for-depression-does-it-work/421649/24 "2007-10-06T03:17:44Z")
[QUOTE=DocCathode] **Roboto** Just what’s wrong with a manufactured drug? [/QUOTE] He already explained that, in detail in Post #11 > [@](#): > > I’m on a bunch (Concerta, Paxil, Abilify) and they work wonders. I’d be a sobbing mess in the fetal position having panic attacks without them. There IS better living through chemistry. I’m really glad you found what works for you. I am, there’s nothing sarcastic or snarky in that. I wouldn’t bash pharmaceutical drugs for the world - they saved my daughter’s life, and mine, and my son’s as well, for that matter. But they aren’t the answer for everyone for every situation. Neither are herbs. Everyone has to find what works for him (or her.) ---
**Author:** ![mlerose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@mlerose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlerose)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-johns-wort-for-depression-does-it-work/421649/25 "2007-10-06T03:30:02Z")
**Roboto** I checked and it’s the Target brand - it’s got a light green label with green lettering and it says St. John’s Wort 0.3% Hypericin 300 mg on the bottle. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-johns-wort-for-depression-does-it-work/421649/26 "2007-10-06T04:00:47Z")
_Please_ call your doctor and ask her/his advice on the matter and if it will interfere with any other medications you are taking. Also take note that, since it isn’t regulated, you have no way of really knowing the potency of the product you buy. Since I would consider this a request for medical advice, I’m going to close this thread. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-johns-wort-for-depression-does-it-work/421649.md?page=1)