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Glossary |
St John's Wort 'Better Than Drugs For Depression'
By Jeremy Laurance
Health Editor
The Independent - UK
2-10-5
- A specially prepared extract of the herb St John's wort is at
least as effective in treating depression as the powerful
antidepressant drug Seroxat [Paxil] and has fewer side-effects, a
study has indicated.
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- St John's wort has long been known as an effective herbal
treatment for mild depression but the latest study is the first to
suggest that it may have equal effectiveness with one of the
biggest-selling pharmaceutical treatments for moderate to severe
depression.
-
- Researchers who asked 301 people with depression to take part in
the trial found that half of those given St John's wort for six
weeks reported an improvement in their symptoms, compared with only
one third given Seroxat.
-
- Neither group knew which drug they were taking, but those given
Seroxat also reported more side-effects.
-
- Seroxat has been at the centre of allegations that in some
patients it causes agitation at the start of treatment and
withdrawal effects in those trying to come off it. An investigation
by the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority concluded last
year that it should be avoided in mild depression, because of the
side-effects. The authority ordered a ban on its use in patients
under 18.
-
- The study is published in the online version of the British
Medical Journal. The researchers from Germany say: "Our results
support the use of [St John's wort extract] as an alternative to
standard antidepressants in moderate to severe depression,
especially as it is well tolerated." They add that the drug should
be assessed for long-term treatment, because many patients suffer
chronic depression and the "favourable ratio between efficacy and
tolerability" of St John's wort makes it an "interesting option" in
these patients.
-
- In 2004, about 19 million prescriptions for antidepressants were
issued to about 3.5 million patients at a total cost of £400m in the
UK.
-
- In recommendations issued in December, the National Institute
for Clinical Excellence (Nice) said that given the well-known
side-effects of such drugs, including anxiety, insomnia, headaches
and stomach complaints, alternative treatments should be considered
for people with mild depression.
-
- Nice recommended that counselling including cognitive
behavioural therapy should be considered. But the Royal College of
GPs said the shortage of counsellors and psychotherapists meant this
was impractical. "GPs often feel they have little choice but to
prescribe antidepressants," a spokesman said.
-
- In Germany, where St John's wort is a prescription drug, it
outsells Prozac by four to one.
-
- One drawback is that St John's wort interacts with several
prescription medicines to reduce their effectiveness.
-
- ©2005 Independent News & Media (UK) Ltd.
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http://news.independent.co.uk/
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