Is it okay to take diphenhydramine hci (OTC sleep aid) with st john's wort?

I don't think that there are any known interactions, but most drugs have not been tested with St. John's Wort. To be safest, start with a relatively low dose and increase the amount slowly.

Wow, I just looked up and saw an eagle fly by. I should spend more time looking out windows and less staring at a computer screen.

I would ask the pharmacist where you bought the diphenhydramine. Pharmacists have access to resources where they can check all possible drug/herb interactions.

Cheers,

Rosebud

like Rosebud said you could check with the pharmacy. I use to work at one and they would answer questions like this over the phone all the time

Don't use with 5-HTP. (which is like Paxil) without physician approval.

I prefer 5-HTP, have taken for 2 years, have not needed any prescription anti depressant in the whole time. I'm a big fan!

I know when I take tylenol pm...I am very depressed the next day. That sleep aid in it somehow puts me over the edge. I found no reaction w/ the st. johns wort - but it would undo any help w/ depression that the st. johns was working on...make sense? I did better with valerian a sleep aid herb.

Be wary of St. John's Wort if using birth control pills. There are studies that indicate that it may reduce effectiveness.

St John's wort has an effect on the P-405 enzyme in your liver (think that's the name, could just as easily be P-504 and I don't have a reference to hand) and that's the enzyme that adjusts how fast MANY MANY MANY drugs are metabolized. Off the top of my head, I don't recall if SJW increases or decreases the activity of this enzyme, so I don't know which way it goes.

Bottom line: DO NOT MIX SJW with ANYTHING without validating first.

Stay out of tanning booths, too. You can get a kick-butt burn on SJW, and any scratches you have will scar much darker and take forever to fade.