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This page/column contains information which may be of interest to consumers. The information is based on articles which appear in Australian Prescriber. As Australian Prescriber is written for health professionals, you should discuss any issues raised by this page/column with your doctor or pharmacist. They will be able to give a more detailed answer to your questions by reading the main article.

Australian Prescriber is unable to comment on individual cases or give second opinions.

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Australian Prescriber Vol. 22 No. 5 1999

St. John's wort - quack medicine or novel antidepressant treatment?

Extracts of the plant, St. John's wort, may have medicinal properties. Some people with depression may improve by taking these extracts. Nobody is sure which chemical in the plant causes this effect or how it works. Research is being done to find out how effective the extracts are for depression.

Although little is known about the plant, the extracts appear to have few side effects. They may interact with other medicines, so it is very important to tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking these plant extracts.