Have any of you tried St Johns wort alongside your abx treatment, I am on 3000mg of amox at the moment and I am finding the depression quite tought to deal with. My pharmacist is quite good with herbal treatments and she suggested taking St Johns wort both for the depression and apparently it is good and nerve repair. I have alot of burning and numbness in the limbs and also tinnitus( cranial nerve). I wonder could this kill 2 birds. Let me know your thoughts and experiences??? Cheers
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
I take it, but I keep forgetting to ask my LLMD if it's okay. I had stopped taking it for a while when I started on the meds ... hubby noticed a difference and told me to start taking it again.
Did your pharmacist know you were taking amoxy? If so, I would think he would have said something if they interacted.
Posted by Health (Member # 6034) on :
I took it while on antibiotics and stopped it because I felt it was making Doxycycline less effective.
I stopped it and within one week I was on the jogger for 1 minute. Then worked up to 5 minutes.
While I was ON St Johns wort and Doxycxcline, I was not getting better I felt.
I read this report I posted below, and choose to STOP St Johns Wort, even though I was in a depression. I was able to fight the depression with Bach flower remedies, so I was lucky,the bach flower remedies did not cure the depression,
but it helped, and the fact that I was starting to get better, made my depression better.
NOW though, I am not on the jogger, I have gotten worse, because of stopping antibiotics for months, and a really bad relapse.
SO, if you are on St Johns Worst, watch that you ARE getting better. I also spoke to a few Pharmisits that said to not take St Johns Wort while on the antibiotics because they did not know
enough about it and its interactions. I think one pharmacist said NO dont take it while on antibitoics.
This was 2 years ago, maybe you are ok with it, but I found the Doxy worked better without me taking st Johns Wort.
I also had some kind of reaction, with it while on the Azithromycin and Flagyl, and I also I think? had taken some diflucan, not sure, I am going to look it up in my journal, this was 2 years ago.
Trish
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
Thanks for the input Trish. I AM getting better, but maybe I'll try easing off it again. I don't think it will be a good idea to stop it cold turkey.
My hubby noticed last time I stopped and told me to start taking it again, so apparently it's doing something.
Sorry about your relapse. Can you get back on abx?
Posted by pattilynn (Member # 8065) on :
I saw my llmd today and he recommended St. John's wort.
Posted by tailz (Member # 10014) on :
I started taking St. John's Wort during an episode of what I call Larium psychosis, and I noticed a difference within 20 minutes, though I have had to take it througout the day to maintain the effect.
I am also taking Ceftin again right now. The Larium apparently reactivated my Lyme.
Specifically, I felt less agitated and anxious, though I did start to perspire almost immediately. My stomach also started gurgling within minutes - I've found that I am usually less anxious though when my stomach is gurgling, more so than when it is quiet.
I read somewhere that St. John's Wort is comparable to tetracyline-type antibiotics - it may have been erythromycin-like antibiotics - one of these two, but I forget which now.
It does help, though I agree it must be avoided with certain antibiotic cominations.
Posted by tailz (Member # 10014) on :
Thanks for the link, cave.
I'm glad I never started my Synthroid while taking this one!
I don't know - why do they limit it to 3 months?
I really think it is helping some. Plus, I've been taking tea tree oil, though that one makes me smell sort of medicinal.
I took ginger today, too, along with the St. John's Wort. I had severe acid reflux and espophageal burning - BUT now I feel better than I have in a long time.
I would imagine if it can increase levels of certain other herbs - fenugreek, for example, was one noted - perhaps that could be a good thing?
I don't think I'd ever let a doc put me on another medication - other than antibiotics - so I don't think I have to worry about that one.
I want to stay on this one forever. It could just be the Ceftin finally kicked in or the Larium die-off finally cleared, too. Details.
But this is the best I've felt in months. I think I do have babs - that Larium killed something through all the psychosis it caused. I'm still scared to restart it though - like 4 days of herxing.
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
If I remember right St Johns Wort can inactivate AIDS drugs/ anti-virals- when I was working in the last inpatient rehab place we weren't allowed to give St Johns Wort tea to a client we had who was on anti-virals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
p.s. Yup just checked that in Caveys link above- don't take if on protease inhibitors!!!
Posted by 5dana8 (Member # 7935) on :
I took it for years with no problems & did help in a slight way. Can't take it now because it upsets my stomach.
you should definetly ask your LLMD about abx interactions.
Hope your feeling better soon Posted by NMN (Member # 11007) on :
Thanks guys, My LLMD emailed me and said he has no problems with me taking it so I have some in the mail. I am back over to him Aug 13th. I really need to change my abx I think. I am up at 5 Grams of Amox now. Eyes getting worse rather than better and my neuro stuff is up and down. I need to get back to work in the next 3 months or I'm fired. Hey that would not usually bother me but the thoughts of trying to find another job in this condition is not worth thinking about. I need results. I need my life back. All the best to you all. x
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