St. John’s Wort Study Creates Confusion

Q. I have been taking St. John’s wort for the past three years for mild depression. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that I am doing better than I used to. My mood and outlook improved without the side effects I experienced on antidepressant medication.
I just saw a report on the news that St. John’s wort is ineffective against depression. I do not believe my improvement is imaginary, but now I am beginning to question its benefit. Should I stop St. John’s wort cold turkey to see what happens?
A. The research on St. John’s wort published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (April 10, 2002) is somewhat confusing. The investigators chose to study “major depression” rather than the more mild disorder you describe. The study based at Duke University compared a standardized extract of St. John’s wort to the antidepressant Zoloft (sertraline) and an inactive placebo. Neither St. Johns wort nor Zoloft proved more effective than placebo on the primary outcome measure of depression.
St. John’s wort is not recommended for serious psychological problems, so it is not surprising that this herb was ineffective in the study. More puzzling, however, is the finding that Zoloft also proved ineffective, which makes this study difficult to interpret. If you are doing well on St. John’s wort, we see no reason for you to discontinue…..