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CHRISTIAN
SINGLES
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CHRISTIAN
DATING ADVICE
CHRISTIAN SINGLES : GUIDE TO
ENDING LONELINESS AND DEPRESSION Cont.
Herbal Therapy
In the past few years, much interest has risen in the use of herbs in
the treatment of both depression and anxiety. St. John's wort (Hypericum
perforatum), an herb used extensively in the treatment of mild to
moderate depression in Europe, has recently aroused interest in the
United States. St. John's wort, an attractive bushy, low-growing plant
covered with yellow flowers in summer, has been used for centuries in
many folk and herbal remedies. Today in Germany, Hypericum is used in
the treatment of depression more than any other antidepressant. However,
the scientific studies that have been conducted on its use have been
short-term and have used several different doses.
Because of the widespread interest in St. John's wort, the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted a 3-year study, sponsored by three
NIH components—the National Institute of Mental Health, the National
Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and the Office of
Dietary Supplements. The study was designed to include 336 patients with
major depression of moderate severity, randomly assigned to an 8-week
trial with one-third of patients receiving a uniform dose of St. John's
wort, another third sertraline, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
(SSRI) commonly prescribed for depression, and the final third a placebo
(a pill that looks exactly like the SSRI and the St. John's wort, but
has no active ingredients). The study participants who responded
positively were followed for an additional 18 weeks. At the end of the
first phase of the study, participants were measured on two scales, one
for depression and one for overall functioning. There was no significant
difference in rate of response for depression, but the scale for overall
functioning was better for the antidepressant than for either St. John's
wort or placebo. While this study did not support the use of St. John's
wort in the treatment of major depression, ongoing NIH-supported
research is examining a possible role for St. John's wort in the
treatment of milder forms of depression.
The Food and Drug Administration issued a Public Health Advisory on
February 10, 2000. It stated that St. John's wort appears to affect an
important metabolic pathway that is used by many drugs prescribed to
treat conditions such as AIDS, heart disease, depression, seizures,
certain cancers, and rejection of transplants. Therefore, health care
providers should alert their patients about these potential drug
interactions.
Some other herbal supplements frequently used that have not been
evaluated in large-scale clinical trials are ephedra, gingko biloba,
echinacea, and ginseng. Any herbal supplement should be taken only after
consultation with the doctor or other health care provider.
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