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| MrPepper11 |
 Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 2:47 pm |
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Guest
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WebMD / February 10, 2005
Study: St. John's Wort Useful for Depression
New research shows the herbal supplement St. John's Wort to be as
effective as one of the most popular prescription antidepressants for
treating both moderate and severe depression.
The study is among the first to compare the supplement with a
prescription antidepressant. It was funded by the German company that
markets the St. John's Wort product used in the research, and was
carried out by the company's researchers.
Some studies have shown that St. John's Wort might be useful in
treating mild to moderate degrees of depression. However, prior studies
have not shown it to be useful in the treatment of major depression.
The researchers treated 251 patients with major depression with either
a standard dose of the St. John's Wort extract (900 milligrams a day)
or the antidepressant Paxil (20 milligrams a day). Dosages of their
treatment were increased in patients who did not show improvements.
Neither the patients nor their physicians knew which treatment was
being given.
At the end of six weeks, 71 percent of the patients taking St. John's
Wort and 60 percent of those taking Paxil had responded to treatment.
Half of the St. John's Wort-treated patients and 35 percent of the
Paxil-treated patients were free of depression symptoms.
The findings are published in the latest online edition of the British
Medical Journal.
Earlier Research
Millions of people take St. John's Wort to treat depression and related
disorders. Until now studies have been lacking showing evidence of its
effect in the treatment of major depression.
One of the most rigorous trials on the effects of the herbal supplement
showed St. John's Wort to be no more effective for the treatment of
major depression than a placebo. But the same was true for the
prescription antidepressant Zoloft. That U.S. National Institutes of
Health-sponsored trial was reported in the spring of 2002.
St. John's Wort researcher Kenneth Kobak, PhD, says the clinical
evidence now seems to favor a role for the supplement in the treatment
of moderate and even severe depression.
"I would like to see more evidence from rigorously designed trials
before I am firmly convinced, though," he tells WebMD.
While St. John's Wort is generally considered safe when taken alone,
many concerns have been raised in recent years about interactions with
other medications. It has been shown to decrease the effectiveness of
some lifesaving drugs, including those that fight cancer and AIDS, and
drugs, such as cyclosporine, that prevent organ rejection after a
transplant.
A study published in the fall of 2003 showed that taking the herbal
supplement reduces the effectiveness of as many as half of all
prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
Angelika Dienel, MD, who was a principal researcher for the German
study, says the interaction concerns are valid. But she says St. John's
Wort has a better overall safety profile than prescription
antidepressants.
Drug-related adverse events were reported in 55 percent of the patients
in her study taking St. John's Wort and in 76% of the patients taking
Paxil. The most common side effects seen in people taking St. John's
Wort were dry mouth, headache, and fatigue.
Dienel says St. John's Wort should be considered an initial treatment
for patients with mild to moderate depression. But she adds that people
with chronic depression should look to other treatments.
Kobak says anyone who does decide to try the supplement should
definitely tell their doctor.
"I don't think there is a big risk to trying it, unless someone is
severely depressed and they need immediate treatment that is more
certain to be effective," he says.
----
By Salynn Boyles, reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD
SOURCES: Szegedi et al. British Journal of Medicine, online edition.
Angelika Dienel, MD, head, clinical trials department, Willmar Schwabe
Pharmaceuticals, Karlsruhe, Germany. Kenneth Kobak, PhD, Dean
Foundation for Health Research Education. WebMD Medical News: "Popular
Supplements Scrutinized." WebMD Medical News: "St. John's Wort Affects
Other Drugs." |
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| Mark Thorson |
| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 3:19 pm |
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MrPepper11 wrote:
[quote:8980011926]WebMD / February 10, 2005
Study: St. John's Wort Useful for Depression
New research shows the herbal supplement St. John's Wort to be
as effective as one of the most popular prescription antidepressants
for treating both moderate and severe depression.
[/quote:8980011926]
Not quite true. It's not St. John's Wort the herb which was
tested -- it was the proprietary WS 5570 extract made from
the herb.
The case for St. John's Wort or its extracts is still unproven.
Many other studies have found no effect. Part of the problem
is developing a standardized material to test, considering that
there is uncertainty over the active components in SJW,
and the possibility that there are essential cofactors (which
seems to have been demonstrated in an animal study).
Another problem is that antidepressants are difficult to
evaluate quantitatively -- perhaps more so that any other
kind of drug. Oddly enough, there is a bizarre (and somewhat
cruel) animal model for depression which has provided
some of the best data supporting the antidepressant activity
of SJW and identifying its active component. |
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| Mark Probert |
| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 4:22 pm |
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Guest
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"Mark Thorson" <nospam@sonic.net> wrote in message
news:420D1368.6319D331@sonic.net...
[quote:80a62ad8d0]MrPepper11 wrote:
WebMD / February 10, 2005
Study: St. John's Wort Useful for Depression
New research shows the herbal supplement St. John's Wort to be
as effective as one of the most popular prescription antidepressants
for treating both moderate and severe depression.
Not quite true. It's not St. John's Wort the herb which was
tested -- it was the proprietary WS 5570 extract made from
the herb.
[/quote:80a62ad8d0]
What is the significance of an extract of an all natural plant being
"proprietary?" |
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| Jason |
| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 7:52 pm |
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Guest
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There are various types of DEPRESSION. St. John's Wart might be helpful to
those people that have minor problems related to depression--most everyone
has that problem from time to time.
However, some people suffer from what is know as clinical depression which
is a major medical problem. I advise anyone that has clinical depression
to visit their doctors and discuss the medications such as Prozac that can
help treat the problem.
In article <1108151240.480139.168570@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>,
"MrPepper11" <MrPepper11@go.com> wrote:
[quote:18b2aca9c5]WebMD / February 10, 2005
Study: St. John's Wort Useful for Depression
New research shows the herbal supplement St. John's Wort to be as
effective as one of the most popular prescription antidepressants for
treating both moderate and severe depression.
The study is among the first to compare the supplement with a
prescription antidepressant. It was funded by the German company that
markets the St. John's Wort product used in the research, and was
carried out by the company's researchers.
Some studies have shown that St. John's Wort might be useful in
treating mild to moderate degrees of depression. However, prior studies
have not shown it to be useful in the treatment of major depression.
The researchers treated 251 patients with major depression with either
a standard dose of the St. John's Wort extract (900 milligrams a day)
or the antidepressant Paxil (20 milligrams a day). Dosages of their
treatment were increased in patients who did not show improvements.
Neither the patients nor their physicians knew which treatment was
being given.
At the end of six weeks, 71 percent of the patients taking St. John's
Wort and 60 percent of those taking Paxil had responded to treatment.
Half of the St. John's Wort-treated patients and 35 percent of the
Paxil-treated patients were free of depression symptoms.
The findings are published in the latest online edition of the British
Medical Journal.
Earlier Research
Millions of people take St. John's Wort to treat depression and related
disorders. Until now studies have been lacking showing evidence of its
effect in the treatment of major depression.
One of the most rigorous trials on the effects of the herbal supplement
showed St. John's Wort to be no more effective for the treatment of
major depression than a placebo. But the same was true for the
prescription antidepressant Zoloft. That U.S. National Institutes of
Health-sponsored trial was reported in the spring of 2002.
St. John's Wort researcher Kenneth Kobak, PhD, says the clinical
evidence now seems to favor a role for the supplement in the treatment
of moderate and even severe depression.
"I would like to see more evidence from rigorously designed trials
before I am firmly convinced, though," he tells WebMD.
While St. John's Wort is generally considered safe when taken alone,
many concerns have been raised in recent years about interactions with
other medications. It has been shown to decrease the effectiveness of
some lifesaving drugs, including those that fight cancer and AIDS, and
drugs, such as cyclosporine, that prevent organ rejection after a
transplant.
A study published in the fall of 2003 showed that taking the herbal
supplement reduces the effectiveness of as many as half of all
prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
Angelika Dienel, MD, who was a principal researcher for the German
study, says the interaction concerns are valid. But she says St. John's
Wort has a better overall safety profile than prescription
antidepressants.
Drug-related adverse events were reported in 55 percent of the patients
in her study taking St. John's Wort and in 76% of the patients taking
Paxil. The most common side effects seen in people taking St. John's
Wort were dry mouth, headache, and fatigue.
Dienel says St. John's Wort should be considered an initial treatment
for patients with mild to moderate depression. But she adds that people
with chronic depression should look to other treatments.
Kobak says anyone who does decide to try the supplement should
definitely tell their doctor.
"I don't think there is a big risk to trying it, unless someone is
severely depressed and they need immediate treatment that is more
certain to be effective," he says.
----
By Salynn Boyles, reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD
SOURCES: Szegedi et al. British Journal of Medicine, online edition.
Angelika Dienel, MD, head, clinical trials department, Willmar Schwabe
Pharmaceuticals, Karlsruhe, Germany. Kenneth Kobak, PhD, Dean
Foundation for Health Research Education. WebMD Medical News: "Popular
Supplements Scrutinized." WebMD Medical News: "St. John's Wort Affects
Other Drugs."
[/quote:18b2aca9c5]
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| coben |
| Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2005 6:29 am |
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Joined: 07 Dec 2004
Posts: 302
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Wow,
what a coincidence! Herbalists have used St. J for depression and then it turns out that St. J. doesn't really work, but an extract from St. J. does! Amazing. Amazing how the pharmaceutical companies investigate herbalists methods find useful things and then promote the idea that the herbalists methods do not really work.
You may be able to patent a certain preparation of St. J. but you cannot stop people from producing their own extracts, infusions, decoctions etc. HOwever if you invent some chemical you damn well can stop other people from marketing it. And that is the difference.
It is also rather amazing how much newsprint goes to the 'raising the public awareness of problems and shortcoming of herbals remedies' compared to the overwhelmingly greater problems faced by clients who use both over the counter and prescription drugs. Gee is the corporate money influencing that.
If the pharmcompanies are not worried about competition why are they, in EU and elsewhere funding PR campaigns aimed at limiting public acess to these remedies?
One of the reasons here are so many side effects of pharmcompany extracts is because they pull out certain chemicals and take away the rest. This can be good. It can also weaken the body's resources - antibiotics are one example of products that are damaging individual people but also threatening the human biomass in general. Does this mean antiobiotics are not useful? Hardly. But in a great many instances herbals remedies, gentler, slower (or what is being called above, less effective) could be used. These tend to improve the immune system which creates less dependence.
They are also cheaper. |
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