Do not use St. John’s wort with other medicines
Do you suffer from depressive feelings? Then there are herbal remedies without a prescription with St. John’s wort for sale. These products seem harmless but are not, because they can cause side effects and interactions with other medicines. In the section ‘Side effect’ you can read everything about side effects of medicines. This time: St. John’s wort.
What is St John’s Wort?
St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum, the Latin name) is quite common in the Netherlands as a native plant. The plant is characterized by leaves with translucent tips, which also gave it its name (perforatum is Latin for ‘pierced’). The herb blooms with yellow flowers around St. John’s Day on 24 June. The main active substances in St. John’s wort are hypericin and hyperiforin. People use herbal preparations containing St. John’s wort as a ‘natural’ antidepressant.
Products with St. John’s wort
There are two officially registered medicines containing St. John’s wort: Hyperiforce and Laif 900. Other medicines, herbal supplements containing the herb, are not registered. These can be purchased without a prescription at pharmacies, drugstores and webshops.
What are the side effects of St. John’s wort?
Known side effects of St. John’s wort, which are also listed in the package inserts, include:
- (allergic) skin reactions
- gastrointestinal complaints
- fatigue
- feeling restless
People who have sensitive skin can sometimes develop hypersensitivity reactions under the influence of sunlight. Then you can suffer from itching or red skin.
What drugs interact with St. John’s wort?
There is a long list of medicines that you should not take at the same time as St. John’s wort. This is because the drug can reduce or enhance the effect of other medicines. These interactions can have serious consequences for your health.
If you use herbal preparations with St. John’s wort, medicines that are prescribed for fungal or viral infections and cancer may not work as well. But the contraceptive pill can also become unreliable. Certain consciousness-lowering drugs actually have a stronger effect, such as tranquilizers, but also antidepressants, for example. You can then get the dangerous serotonin syndrome due to an excess of serotonin in your blood. This causes damage to the nervous system. And there are many more medicines that you should not take at the same time as St. John’s wort.
Is St John’s Wort Safe?
It is important that you as a consumer are made aware of the risks of products containing St. John’s wort and that you do not use these products together with other medicines. That is why RIVM – on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport – has carried out a risk assessment of St. John’s wort. The minister then decided to make a warning text about the health risks legally mandatory for products containing St. John’s wort. In addition, it is being examined whether there should be a (limited) ban on the use of the herb in supplements. So St. John’s wort isn’t as harmless as you might have thought…
This article was produced in collaboration with Lareb . Side Effects Center. This is the Dutch reporting and knowledge center for side effects of medicines, including vaccines, and the use of medicines during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Lareb identifies risks of the use of medicines in daily practice and generates and disseminates knowledge about this.
