St John’s Wort Can Be As Dangerous As Prescription Antidepressants

Australian researchers who studied adverse drug reactions have found that taking the herbal depression remedy St John's Wort with a commercial antidepressant can lead to serious side effects. The researchers also found that adverse reactions were the same for people who took St John's Wort as for those who took the antidepressant fluoxetine. St John's Wort can cause dangerous increases in body temperature and blood pressure, as well as anxiety, panic attacks, dizziness, vomiting, amnesia and aggression. The researchers said their findings suggest that bottles of St John’s Wort should have improved warnings about potential adverse reactions.