St. John's Wort

The FDA has recently approved antidepressents such as Sarafem and Zoloft to treat a severe form of PMS known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder or PMDD. Sarafem is not new, however, it is just a new brand name for fluoxetine hydrochloride or Prozac. Some opponents of antidepressents claim that they can trigger suicide in succeptible individuals. Because the risk is unknown, many women prefer to opt for lifestyle changes and herbal products.

John's Wort is the common name for the herb Hypericum perforatum. It has been used for quite awhile in Germany as an antidepressant, and its use in the United States for both women and men has increased substantially during the past few years.

St John's Wort has been widely evaluated for its use in depression. A recent review of eight randomized controlled trials concluded that, when compared with placebo, the herb demonstrated significantly better performance than placebo for common markers for depression. In the four studies in which St John's Wort was compared with tricyclic antidepressants, there was no significant difference in the antidepressant effects of any drugs studied vs. the herb.

The University of Exeter in England has conducted a preliminary study which indicates that St. John's Wort may also be an effective treatment for the moods associated with PMS. For two menstrual cycles, each woman took one 300 milligram tablet of St. John's Wort daily and maintained a diary of her symptoms. The symptom ratings among the women who completed the study improved by about 50%. Scores on tests of anxiety and depression also dropped significantly after the first month on St. John's Wort.