Pflanzenmedizin & TCM · Evidenz und Sicherheit

NCCIH

St. John’s Wort

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Hypericum perforatum

HOS-368716nccih:st-johns-wort

Verwendung & Hintergrund · Background

St. John’s wort is a plant with yellow flowers that has been widely used in various systems of traditional medicine, including Greek, Islamic, and Chinese medicine. The name St. John’s wort apparently refers to John the Baptist, as the plant blooms around the time of the feast of St. John the Baptist in late June. Historically, St. John’s wort has been used for a variety of conditions, including depression, stomach ulcers, and colds, and to aid wound healing. Currently, St. John’s wort is most widely promoted for symptoms of depression. It is also promoted for menopause symptoms and other conditions. Topical use (application to the skin) of St. John’s wort is promoted for wounds and other skin conditions.

Medizinische Studienlage · How Much Do We Know?

Many studies have been done on the usefulness of St. John’s wort for depression, and their results indicate that it may be helpful for mild or moderate depression. For other conditions, the evidence is insufficient to allow definite conclusions about the usefulness of St. John’s wort to be reached. It has been clearly shown that St. John’s wort can interact in dangerous, sometimes life-threatening ways with a variety of medicines.

Medizinische Studienlage · What Have We Learned?

St. John’s wort appears to be more effective than a placebo (an inactive substance) and as effective as standard antidepressant medications for mild or moderate depression. It’s uncertain whether this is true for severe depression or for time periods longer than 12 weeks. Small numbers of studies suggest that St. John’s wort may be helpful for hot flashes associated with menopause and for somatic symptom disorder (a condition involving intense anxiety about physical symptoms). St. John’s wort has also been studied as a treatment for a variety of other conditions, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), irritable bowel syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder, and premenstrual syndrome; as a possible aid to smoking cessation; and as an ingredient in topical preparations for wound healing. However, only a small amount of research has been done on the use of St. John’s wort for each of these purposes, and the evidence hasn’t clearly shown it to be helpful for any of them.

Sicherheit, Toxizität & Arzneimittel · What Do We Know About Safety?

For most adults who are not taking any kind of medicine, St. John’s wort appears to be safe when used for up to 12 weeks, and some studies indicate that it can be used safely for a year or more. If taken orally in large doses or applied to the skin, St. John’s wort might cause severe skin reactions after sun exposure. Other side effects can include diarrhea, dizziness, trouble sleeping, restlessness, and skin tingling. If you take any type of medicine, talk with your health care provider before using St. John’s wort or other herbal products; some herbs and medicines interact in harmful ways. For example, St. John’s wort can weaken the effects of many medicines, including crucially important medicines such as: Some antidepressants, including amitriptyline and bupropion Birth control pills Cyclosporine, which prevents the body from rejecting transplanted organs Some drugs used to prevent seizures, including phenytoin and carbamazepine Some heart medications, including digoxin and ivabradine Some HIV drugs, including indinavir and nevirapine Some cancer medications, including irinotecan, imatinib, and docetaxel Warfarin, an anticoagulant (blood thinner) Certain statins, including simvastatin In addition, taking St. John’s wort with certain antidepressants or other drugs that affect serotonin (a substance produced by some nerve cells) may lead to increased serotonin-related side effects, which can be serious. It may be unsafe to use St. John’s wort during pregnancy because it may increase the risk of birth defects. Breastfeeding infants of mothers who take St. John’s wort can experience colic, drowsiness, and lethargy.

Benannte Arzneimittel in den Sicherheitshinweisen · 18

Automatisch verknüpfte Quellenstellen. Jede Nennung behält ihren Kontext; klinischer Schweregrad, Gegenanzeige und Richtung der Wechselwirkung werden daraus nicht pauschal abgeleitet.

NCCIH-Fachüberblick · St. John's Wort

Eigener Quellenstand, abgerufen am 27.10.2026. Die Zuordnung zum Pflanzenprofil beruht auf der übereinstimmenden Überschrift und Abschnittskennung des Herausgebers.

St. John’s wort has an overall high risk of drug interaction because it is a potent inducer of both cytochrome P-450 enzymes and intestinal P-glycoprotein. Clinically significant interactions between St. John’s wort and the immunosuppressant drug cyclosporine, the antiretroviral agent indinavir, oral contraceptives, warfarin, digoxin, and benzodiazepines, among others, have been documented. Taking St. John’s wort with certain antidepressants may lead to increased serotonin-related side effects, which may be potentially serious.

Abschnitt im NCCIH-Fachüberblick ↗

Dokument SHA-256: 80a7c442dbd3644dc6a54b986a8cfed8061d02d7653f7f03616f63f2c74f9190

amitriptyline · Pflanzenmerkblatt

For most adults who are not taking any kind of medicine, St. John’s wort appears to be safe when used for up to 12 weeks, and some studies indicate that it can be used safely for a year or more. If taken orally in large doses or applied to the skin, St. John’s wort might cause severe skin reactions after sun exposure. Other side effects can include diarrhea, dizziness, trouble sleeping, restlessness, and skin tingling. If you take any type of medicine, talk with your health care provider before using St. John’s wort or other herbal products; some herbs and medicines interact in harmful ways. For example, St. John’s wort can weaken the effects of many medicines, including crucially important medicines such as: Some antidepressants, including amitriptyline and bupropion Birth control pills Cyclosporine, which prevents the body from rejecting transplanted organs Some drugs used to prevent seizures, including phenytoin and carbamazepine Some heart medications, including digoxin and ivabradine Some HIV drugs, including indinavir and nevirapine Some cancer medications, including irinotecan, imatinib, and docetaxel Warfarin, an anticoagulant (blood thinner) Certain statins, including simvastatin In addition, taking St. John’s wort with certain antidepressants or other drugs that affect serotonin (a substance produced by some nerve cells) may lead to increased serotonin-related side effects, which can be serious. It may be unsafe to use St. John’s wort during pregnancy because it may increase the risk of birth defects. Breastfeeding infants of mothers who take St. John’s wort can experience colic, drowsiness, and lethargy.

amitriptyline · HOS-085911 · Beziehung HOS-368717 · Originalquelle ↗