St John's Wort
St.
John's Wort (Hyperisum
perforatum) has been used in Europe for centuries in the
treatment of depression. It is reported to act through a variety of
ways to help in depression, particularly by increasing serotonin.
It is often found in weight loss products, but there is no
data that it helps in losing weight.
Side effects
include uncontrolled extremely high blood pressure (hypertensive
crisis) and mania. It should not be used by
pregnant women or in people with bipolar disorder. It can have interactions
with medicines including: antidepressants, HIV medicines, antirejection
medicines, birth control pills and several others.
It is important you
discuss any weight loss or exercise plan with your doctor. Only you and
your physician can decide what is best for you. Some people have
certain conditions that prevent them from doing all exercises, and goal
body weights may be different for different people. You need to discuss
all these things with your physician before starting any weight loss or
exercise program.
This
article was written by
John
Vickery, MD.
References
Am
Fam Physician. 2004 Nov 1;70(9):1731-8.
Lexi-Comp database
accessed on 5/1/08.
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