Has anyone tried it and had success?

Success with what?

Read the thread title.

Sorry, I should have been more specific, I guess with mood alteration, I am trying to get off of meds, and I was wondering if this was a good supplement for me to help me out.

I've read articles about it that it works, but I don't really have any need to try it myself.

Rather than st. John's wart, go read up about 5htp. You take it with a b-6 vitamin and your good to go. U CANNOT take it while taking MAO drugs or antidepressents. I give it to my adhd son and have given to family friends with depression and anxiety issues. They remarked about how good they felt and how much better they sleep. Plus there are no side affects and you can take it with most meds. Just not the few listed on the web page including those I listed above

I tried St John's Wort. I wanted to safeguard myself against depression, because I was living in extremely difficult and stressful circumstances. I think it worked for me. I had to start on 1/2 tablet every other day and build up to one per day. When I decided to stop taking it, I just stopped cold and had no side-effects or adverse effects. It was good, natural and herbal and didn't feel like chemical drugs.

If you are suffering from bad depression, with altered thinking, I'd like to recommend a book called "Coping With Depression" by Ivy Blackburn. It's out of print, but available on Amazon, and I wrote a review of it here:

http://www.amazon.com/Coping-Depres...n/dp/0550205179

It helps people to cope and recover from depression by explaining how depression is affecting your thinking and outlook, and teaching techniques to break the cycle.

That 5htp sounds good too - I'll try to remember that one.

I haven't been able to use it myself because it has a negative interaction with a prescription that I take, so I can't comment on its effectiveness, but I caution you to check with your doctor or do your research first if you are taking any other medications.

Here is a link that lists some of drug interactions: http://www.rxlist.com/st_johns_wort...supplements.htm

I did try it for a while. I didn't notice any benefit. But, perhaps, there are other brands, types, etc. that might help. I just got it otc.

thanks everyone for your input, I knew I'd get some good advice here, looks like I have some reading to do...

St. John's Wort definately works...plus vitamin b-6...it takes awhile for it to be in your system regularly so it may be a week or so to notice the effects. Make sure you buy a pure grade of it...there are alot of imposter supplements out there and the person could take it and feel it didn't work but becuz this segment of supplements isn't regulated...they can say its SJW and just put a little in there and then the rest fillers and things. It helped my daughter immensely~so I know first hand it works. Try to get it at Whole Foods, Jimbos or from a natural health practitioner around where you live. wishing the best for you!

After I weaned off of SNRI medication 5 years ago, I used the 5-HTP for a few months. It worked great for me, but as noted, you need to be off the medications first. I used it for 30 days, then stopped. A few months later, I felt I needed a boost, so I did another 30 day round, which was very helpful. I haven't used anything since and have been fine. I didn't work with a doctor during that time (I guess when you decide to go off medications, some of them just don't want to work with you,) but of course, I'd say that you should work with your doc if you can :-) The B-6 was part of the supplement I took.

So, there are a couple of options for you to consider.

It's worked for me, and sometimes even small amounts are a help.

You can't always be sure of quality or potency of dried powder in capsules, I recommend a good-quality tincture (HerbPharm sold at many health food stores is fine) or even tea made from the herb.

I get St. John's wort herb from a small herb company (check Local Harvest for sources if you want to try ordering online) and make a tea mixed with red rose petals. Always helps lift the mood and effects seem to last, I don't need to take it every day.

Flower Essence Services makes a St. John's wort massage oil that's very nice and can be used in bath too. St. John's wort oil is a traditional remedy for muscle soreness. You can find it on amazon and various other places.

Extract below from the Flower Essence Services website http://www.fesflowers.com/seasons.htm:

***
St. John's Shield 2-oz

In recent years, St. John's Wort has exploded into prominence, noted primarily for its natural ability to treat symptoms of depression. The essential quality of St. John's Shield is its capacity to carry light into the dark well of the soul, providing a source of inner emotional radiance.

This marvelous herb has a wide panorama of therapeutic possibilities. In addition to obvious depression and feelings of immobilization, it is very beneficial for "Seasonal Affective Disorder" from which many people suffer during winter, when outer light is reduced. St. John's Shield can be equally helpful during summer, especially for fair-skinned persons who become easily disoriented and out-of-focus when exposed to harsh light conditions. St. John's Shield should also be considered for insomnia, and other related disturbances in the sleep rhythm of the body, such as bedwetting in young children, or bodily upset from travel.

The strong light-bearing qualities of St. John's Wort give it many excellent anti-viral and neuralgic qualities. . . . St. John's Wort has been used for centuries in the treatment of wounds and for a myriad of neuralgic complaints such as sciatica, shingles and, more recently, carpal tunnel syndrome.

Please note: St. John's Wort has been proven to have many powerful photosensitive properties, and caution should be exercised in applying the oil to the skin before prolonged exposure to the sun, especially for fair-skinned individuals. However, St. John's Shield can be very helpful for treating sunburned skin.
***

Thank you for taking the time, sounds perfect, will be looking into this soon, thanks again!!