Welcome to the redesigned epilepsy.com
It is now easier and faster than ever to access news, articles and community content. With less clutter and an improved navigation system, your favorite content is now only a click away.
The new features include:
Take control of your epilepsy and seizures. Seizure management has never been easier.
TAKE CONTROL TODAYEvidence indicates that St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) may be as effective as the well-known medications Prozac (fluoxetine) and Zoloft (sertraline) in treating mild to moderate depression. It has not been successful against major depression, however.
If you or a family member appears to have symptoms of depression (such as persistent sadness or hopelessness, loss of interest in daily activities, fatigue, or changes in patterns of eating or sleeping), seek the care of a doctor or mental health professional. Do not rely on self-diagnosis and St. John's wortget medical advice.
By itself, St. John's wort does not appear to affect the occurrence of seizures. It does affect certain liver enzymes, however, changing the way the body processes many other medications. These may include some seizure medicines such as Dilantin and Phenytek (phenytoin), Tegretol and Carbatrol (carbamazepine), and phenobarbital. Some research has found that carbamazepine levels in the body are not affected, but in general not enough research has been done to know the exact effects. Talk to your neurologist before using St. John's wort.
Read more about St. John's wort in the "About Herbs" section of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center website. (If you have not visited the site before, the information on St. John's wort will be preceded by a Disclaimer.)
Much of the information in this article is based on Spinella M: Herbal medicines and epilepsy: The potential for benefit and adverse effects. Epilepsy Behav 2001; 2(6):524-532. (PMID 12609386)
Topic Editor: Steven C. Schachter, M.D.
Last Reviewed:12/15/06
Welcome to the Wiki. This space is created for epilepsy.com members to share their own experiences and expertise to help refine and expand the discussion around important topics.
No members have yet contributed to this topic. If you are not yet an epilepsy.com member, register today to get started on this Wiki topic and the many other advantages of being a member. If you are a member and wish to be the first to edit this Wiki topic, please make sure to login, then click on the orange "Start Wiki" button at the top of this page. Or, learn more about Wikis.
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| I Have Epilepsy and I Hate My Life... | Aug 17, 2009 | |
| 1nevermore | ||
| who am i? | Aug 9, 2009 | |
| Daniella | ||
| Medication Side Effects | Sep 14, 2009 | |
| Dragool | ||
| Keppra and depression | Jul 27, 2009 | |
| jennysomers | ||
| Kepprage | Aug 12, 2009 | |
| lareinep | ||
| Epilim and depression? | Sep 25, 2009 | |
| MustafaR | ||
| This Is How I Feel ? | Jul 26, 2009 | |
| ROC-D | ||
| Hot flashes, herbs & seizure medication | Jul 29, 2009 | |
| sprtgrl99 | ||
| Hi, I'm new | Aug 18, 2009 | |
| natty0408 | ||
| Microgynon 30 birth control pills and Topamax | Aug 22, 2009 | |
| Black.Pearl | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Epileptic Seizure Monitor Alarm System | Feb 9, 2012 | |
| onemarvy | ||
| Are these normal migraine symptoms or is there something more to it? | Feb 8, 2012 | |
| xtheotherside | ||
| 5 year old worsening seizures. Pls help??? | Feb 8, 2012 | |
| TIM_C28 | ||
| Trileptal dosage | Feb 8, 2012 | |
| myejk | ||
| SEN and epilepsy | Feb 8, 2012 | |
| Kim Norris | ||
| possible non convulsive epilepticus? | Feb 7, 2012 | |
| rayraykay | ||
| Fight with the sidewalk | Feb 7, 2012 | |
| jasssmit | ||
| Focal activity followed by generalized activity but no epilepsy | Feb 7, 2012 | |
| BendyPianist | ||
| Self-Management of Medication | Feb 7, 2012 | |
| columbia.epilepsy.study | ||
| Feeling Like a Human Guinea Pig | Feb 7, 2012 | |
| christopherpaul | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| my.epilepsy.com Updates | 20,610 | |
| epi_help | ||
| topamax and weight loss | 19,311 | |
| alexia mom | ||
| kepra | 19,197 | |
| brian mattingly | ||
| Possible cure for absence seizures | 16,342 | |
| pdl1 | ||
| How exactly do aura's feel | 13,990 | |
| WendyBendy | ||
| Sexual Side Effects | 13,513 | |
| George R | ||
| MEDICAL ALERT I.D.'s | 12,427 | |
| picnupthepcs | ||
| Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures - Revised | 10,405 | |
| spiz | ||
| electrical shock in head? | 10,072 | |
| Maggie | ||
| Weight Gain and Depakote | 9,005 | |
| galinda | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Conversion Disorder aka I am crazy, right? | Aug 25, 2009 | |
| momofapom | ||
| i cant give up | Aug 25, 2009 | |
| cvargas | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Epilepsy Pipeline Update Conference | Feb 8, 2012 | |
| bryan_farley | ||
| my partial complex seizures | Feb 8, 2012 | |
| Zanna1211 | ||
| The Sunday Dreads | Feb 8, 2012 | |
| johnverling | ||
| Giant Stuffed Animals For The Toddlers | Feb 8, 2012 | |
| zacharysmith | ||
| Frederick's of Hollywood Announces the "Hollywood Love Story Contest" Valentine's Day | Feb 7, 2012 | |
| cn-lightings | ||
| Seizures and medical marijuana | Feb 7, 2012 | |
| seizureprone134 | ||
| From muscle problems to seizures in 6 weeks or less | Feb 7, 2012 | |
| ArizonaAbby | ||
| Speech at Epilepsy Pipeline Update Conference -2012 | Feb 7, 2012 | |
| dayna | ||
| The Doors. | Feb 7, 2012 | |
| BowlofMush | ||
| marijuana | Feb 7, 2012 | |
| ccraven | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| my partial complex seizures | 4,402 | |
| Zanna1211 | ||
| Topomax... The Dreaded......... | 3,780 | |
| Dr Jason | ||
| Brain Zaps, tics & twitches | 3,579 | |
| JudiS | ||
| How can you tell if a sleep seizure happens? | 3,537 | |
| epl_controller | ||
| Feeling Sick | 3,308 | |
| JBJ1984 | ||
| side effects of phenobarb. | 3,211 | |
| pksmom | ||
| Tegretol XR and ANXIETY meds | 2,903 | |
| Butterflygrl | ||
| TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES | 2,831 | |
| cmscribbles | ||
| Nonepileptic "Events" vs. "Seizures" | 2,710 | |
| teft | ||
| newborn seizure | 2,254 | |
| Sunny_80 | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Had the worse seizure of my life last night! Complex Partial | Feb 8, 2012 | |
| jlamont | ||
| Self-Management of Medication | Feb 7, 2012 | |
| columbia.epilepsy.study | ||
| Dravet Spectrum Disorder | Feb 4, 2012 | |
| mytboy | ||
| Diving with eplilepsy | Feb 1, 2012 | |
| p59 | ||
| Moms of epileptic toddlers | Jan 24, 2012 | |
| Xaviersmom2 | ||
| Autism | Jan 15, 2012 | |
| Aaron Chan | ||
| brain surgery | Dec 26, 2011 | |
| jen020309 | ||
| People in their 20's with epilepsy | Dec 7, 2011 | |
| Mandy911 | ||
| TEAM ETP | Nov 28, 2011 | |
| krisj | ||
| 24yr old male | Sep 21, 2011 | |
| Dave24 | ||
| View all Groups | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| giving humans another try ;) | Oct 27, 2009 | |
| bookworm03 | ||
| View all Stories | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| My Story - Still Don't Know What it Means | Feb 8, 2012 | |
| arobertshaw85 | ||
| Help me plz. I can't go on like this | Feb 6, 2012 | |
| Lindsea | ||
| For my daughter | Feb 6, 2012 | |
| britni1780 | ||
| Why can't I find out what is going on with me? | Feb 5, 2012 | |
| dgreer27 | ||
| nightime seizure | Feb 5, 2012 | |
| ishaq | ||
| my grandchild with possible panayiotopolous syndrome | Feb 5, 2012 | |
| krys | ||
| Please Read and Help | Feb 4, 2012 | |
| WALLIGAT0R | ||
| Hello. I'm new to the forum | Feb 3, 2012 | |
| Tom S. | ||
| Maxx | Feb 3, 2012 | |
| MDS2006 | ||
| Lyme Disease as a cause for seizures | Feb 1, 2012 | |
| ssidah | ||
| View all Stories | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Jessica Roiz | 2,412 | |
| kroiz | ||
| my story | 553 | |
| snoby | ||
| Temporal Lobe Epilepsy | 536 | |
| Always Have On Clean Underwear | 499 | |
| crashllama | ||
| my brain has died a thousand deaths........... | 470 | |
| banffgirl | ||
| Kelly's Life With Epilepsy | 467 | |
| kjcanada1979 | ||
| What My Seizures Are Like...... | 418 | |
| javaman | ||
| Nocturnal grand mal seizures (primary generalized epilepsy) | 389 | |
| karalyeva | ||
| Life......... | 371 | |
| dizzygal | ||
| My Daily Philosophy..... | 364 | |
| KatieFerguson88 | ||
| View all Stories | ||
