Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


    
      
        Clusterheadaches.com Message Board
        (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi)
      

        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> Anyone tried St. John's Wort?
        
(Message started by: Darlyc on Sep 3^rd, 2004, 9:19pm)

Title: Anyone tried St. John's Wort?
Post by Darlyc on Sep 3^rd, 2004, 9:19pm

It is September, my time for clusters. I am presently depressed,stressed, and started smoking again. With this combination it's coming. Anyone tried St. John's Wort?

All I have through searching half the night is that it is not recommended. That is brings the attacks on. Any input would be appreciated. I am not going on anti-depressants.

Thanks. :)

Title: Re: Anyone tried St. John's Wort?
Post by vig on Sep 3^rd, 2004, 9:42pm

It helped with depression (placebo effect? maybe)
The headaches stayed on course.

Title: Re: Anyone tried St. John's Wort?
Post by Darlyc on Sep 3^rd, 2004, 9:51pm

Thanks for your reply vig.

There not here yet but they are coming. :(

I read that Prozac worked for some, so I thought St. John's Wort would be of benefit.

I also read that St. John's Wort would bring on the attacks. So, who knows.

Title: Re: Anyone tried St. John's Wort?
Post by vig on Sep 3^rd, 2004, 10:09pm

mine has started and I'm working to stop it.
I don't recall St. John's Wort having any impact, negative or positive on the headaches...
Anyone else?

Title: Re: Anyone tried St. John's Wort?
Post by don on Sep 3^rd, 2004, 10:43pm

Quote:

All I have through searching half the night is that it is not recommended.

Then there you have it.

Title: Re: Anyone tried St. John's Wort?
Post by BobG on Sep 4^th, 2004, 7:28am

Hi Darlyc, Welcome.
I answered your St John Wort question over in the Getting To Know Ya section so I won't again.

Please do us all a favor and ask the questions on only one section of the board. It keeps the confusion down and will get all the answers in the same place.

Thanks

Title: Re: Anyone tried St. John's Wort?
Post by miapet on Sep 4^th, 2004, 9:56am

DarylC,
St. John's Wort has had bad press on more than the CH front . . .I'm not going on with that, as you've already read the stuff for CH,and that's the part that counts for you right now.
There are a couple of other herbs tha may help a little for the stress and anxiety though. Skullcap or Valerian (called nature's valium *g*) are both pretty good, and they don't interfere with the receptors that are needed when fighting the beast.
*positive light and energy*
miapet

Title: Re: Anyone tried St. John's Wort?
Post by floridian on Sep 4^th, 2004, 11:38pm

In 2000, I took a double dose of SJW everday starting in early January and continuing for 14 months. My annual summer clusters failed to appear, and I didn't have a cold or flu for two years, either.

SJW has atleast 2 modes of action. One, from hypericin, is similiar to amitryptiline and the tricyclic anti-depressants. The other known activity is from hyperforin, and that is a GABA agonist like scullcap and other valium like meds.

SJW can increase serotonin in the hypothalamus, though it takes several weeks of steady dosing to work.

Quote:

Brain Res. 2002 Mar 15;930(1-2):21-9.

Long-term effects of St. John's wort and hypericin on monoamine levels in rat hypothalamus and hippocampus.

Butterweck V, Bockers T, Korte B, Wittkowski W, Winterhoff H.

Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John's wort) is one of the leading psychotherapeutic phytomedicines and, because of this, great effort has been devoted to clarifying its mechanism of action. Chronic effects of St. John's wort and hypericin, one of its major active compounds, on regional brain amine metabolism have not been reported yet. We used a high-performance liquid chromatography system to examine the effects of short-term (2 weeks) and long-term (8 weeks) administration of imipramine, Hypericum extract or hypericin on regional levels of serotonin (5-HT), norepinephrine, dopamine and their metabolites in the rat brain. We focused our interest on the hypothalamus and hippocampus, as these brain regions are thought to be involved in antidepressant drug action. Imipramine (15 mg/kg, p.o.), Hypericum extract (500 mg/kg, p.o.), and hypericin (0.2 mg/kg, p.o.) given daily for 8 weeks significantly increased 5-HT levels in the hypothalamus (P<0.05). The 5-HT turnover was significantly lowered in both brain regions after 8 weeks of daily treatment with the Hypericum extract (both P<0.05). Consistent changes in catecholamine levels were only detected in hypothalamic tissues after long-term treatment. Comparable to imipramine, Hypericum extract as well as hypericin significantly decreased 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid levels in the hypothalamus (P<0.01). Our data clearly show that long-term, but not short-term administration of St. John's wort and its active constituent hypericin modify levels of neurotransmitters in brain regions involved in the pathophysiology of depression.