St. John's Wort Side Effects: What You Need to Know Before Taking It

When people look for natural ways to feel better, St. John's Wort, a herbal supplement often used for mild depression and mood support. Also known as Hypericum perforatum, it’s one of the most studied herbal remedies for low mood—but it’s not harmless. Unlike prescription antidepressants, you don’t need a script to buy it, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe to take with everything else in your medicine cabinet.

One of the biggest dangers isn’t just the supplement itself—it’s what it does to other drugs. St. John's Wort, can speed up how your liver breaks down medications, which means pills like birth control, blood thinners, or even HIV meds might not work right. That’s not a small risk. A woman on birth control who starts taking St. John’s Wort might get pregnant without knowing why. Someone on warfarin could bleed internally because the drug stopped working. And if you’re on an SSRI antidepressant? Combining it with St. John’s Wort can trigger serotonin syndrome, a rare but life-threatening reaction caused by too much serotonin in the brain. Symptoms? Shaking, confusion, fast heart rate, high fever. It’s an emergency.

Even without drug interactions, St. John’s Wort has its own side effects. People report dry mouth, dizziness, stomach upset, and increased sensitivity to sunlight. That last one isn’t just a nuisance—you can get sunburned faster, even through windows. Some users also feel more anxious or restless instead of calmer. And if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or treating a serious mental health condition, skipping professional care for this herb could cost you more than money.

What you’ll find below isn’t just a list of warnings. These are real stories from people who learned the hard way, guides from pharmacists on how to check for dangerous combos, and evidence-backed advice on when this herb might actually help—and when it’s a bad idea. You’ll see how people manage anxiety about side effects, how to talk to your doctor without sounding like you’re dismissing science, and what to do if you’ve already mixed it with your meds. This isn’t about scare tactics. It’s about giving you the facts so you don’t have to guess what’s safe.

St. John’s Wort and Prescription Drugs: What You Need to Know About Dangerous Interactions

St. John’s Wort and Prescription Drugs: What You Need to Know About Dangerous Interactions

  • Dec, 4 2025
  • 8

St. John's Wort may help with mild depression, but it can dangerously reduce the effectiveness of birth control, antidepressants, transplant drugs, and more. Learn which medications it interacts with and what to do if you're taking both.

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