Saturday, March 11, 2006
Study finds St John's Wort more effective than Paxil
A study published online in the British Medical Journal (www.bmj.com) found that the herb St John's Wort (hypericum) is at least as effective as the commonly prescribed drug paroxetine (sold as Paxil) in treating depression.
In a randomized, double-blind trial, German researchers gave 251 men and women with acute major depression 300 milligrams of a St John's wort extract three times per day or 20 millligrams paroxetine per day for six weeks. If the participants failed to obtain a response after two weeks of treatment, the dose of St John's Wort Extract was increased to 1800 milligrams per day and paroxetine was increased to 40 milligrams. The patients' depressive symptoms were assessed via standardized tests at the beginning of the study, and at the end of the first, second, fourth and sixth weeks.
At the study's conclusion, half of the participants who took St John's wort had experienced a reduction in depressive symptoms, while one-third of those who received paroxetine improved. Two hundred sixity-nine adverse effects were reported by 96 patients who received paroxetine, compared to 172 side effects reported by 69 patients who received St John's wort. The most common side effect experienced by both groups was stomach disorders. Participants who were switched to the higher dose of either treatment experienced slightly more improvement than those who remained on the lower dose, without experiencing greater adverse events.
The authors conclude that their results "support the use of hypericum extract WS 5770 as an alternative to standard antidepressants in moderate to severe depression, especially as it is well tolerated. As in any effective antidepressant, potential interactions with other drugs deserve clinical attention."
St John's Wort Extract, along with other vitamins and supplements, can be found at Vitamin Depot Online.com
In a randomized, double-blind trial, German researchers gave 251 men and women with acute major depression 300 milligrams of a St John's wort extract three times per day or 20 millligrams paroxetine per day for six weeks. If the participants failed to obtain a response after two weeks of treatment, the dose of St John's Wort Extract was increased to 1800 milligrams per day and paroxetine was increased to 40 milligrams. The patients' depressive symptoms were assessed via standardized tests at the beginning of the study, and at the end of the first, second, fourth and sixth weeks.
At the study's conclusion, half of the participants who took St John's wort had experienced a reduction in depressive symptoms, while one-third of those who received paroxetine improved. Two hundred sixity-nine adverse effects were reported by 96 patients who received paroxetine, compared to 172 side effects reported by 69 patients who received St John's wort. The most common side effect experienced by both groups was stomach disorders. Participants who were switched to the higher dose of either treatment experienced slightly more improvement than those who remained on the lower dose, without experiencing greater adverse events.
The authors conclude that their results "support the use of hypericum extract WS 5770 as an alternative to standard antidepressants in moderate to severe depression, especially as it is well tolerated. As in any effective antidepressant, potential interactions with other drugs deserve clinical attention."
St John's Wort Extract, along with other vitamins and supplements, can be found at Vitamin Depot Online.com
