St John's Wort Withdrawal symptoms

Hi Jamski,

I belong to a list where people go to get help with coming off their antidepressants safely.

What you have been experiencing are typical withdrawal symptoms. They mean that you are coming off your drug too quickly.

You can ease this by going back up to your original dosage and waiting a little while until you feel OK again. Then make a cut of no more than 10%. Wait 2 weeks or longer, until you feel OK again, and then make another cut of 10% or less of the previous (not the original) dose. Continue to do this, letting your body be your guide. You will probably experience some mild withdrawal effects. If they become too troublesome, then go back up to your last dosage and stabilise, then make your next cut smaller. You can get a pill splitter at a chemist's, or you can dissolve your pill in liquid (water, club soda, alcohol, whatever works) and use a syringe, which you can also get at a chemist's, to take the amount you need, and discard the rest.

It's particularly important to come off a drug slowly if you have been taking it for a long period of time. It is quite a shock to your system. Good nutrition is also very important while you are withdrawing.

I was only on my antidepressant for 6 months, then came off cold turkey. It is now almost a year on and I am still experiencing some significant problems due to withdrawal. I know other people who are having worse trouble than me, i.e. neurological damage. These drugs are serious business, as is withdrawing from them, and SJW is an antidepressant and should be treated as such.

I hope this helps Jamski. I've had trouble with jobs/employment because of the lingering effects of cold turkey withdrawal. Tapering too quickly, or not at all, just isn't worth the risk.

Kindest regards,
Linda.

i am having general anesthetic next week and the nurse told me i need to stop my sjw straight away and go cold turkey till after the op, i take a low dosage but am very worried, i am very sensitive to tablets as i also have M.E. please could someone suggest either something else or if i should ignore the nurse? Linda G

I was taking Effoxor for 2 yrs then felt I was handling life so my dr weaned me off it and I did ok after awhile but what I think helped right when I stopped after 2 wks or so I took St Johns Wort - which I have now been taking for 2 yrs. I thought maybe I was being dependent on it so stopped cold turkey. Mistake - I have been off it for 1 1/2 wks - edgey, nervous feeling, etc. So I was reading on it and thought why did i stop (especially when I have stuff going on in my life again) - I realized that it did take the edge off taking SJW. And it doesnt mean I am weak because i take it. I take vitamins everyday etc. So I started back on it today......