St John's Wort

[mg80]

Hi all,

I'm new here, been lurking a while but not posted until today.

I stopped taking the Pill (Logynon) in August 2010 and haven't had a proper period yet apart from spotting. It comes on time, roughly every 28-30 day cycle but just hardly any blood. I always had much heavier flow whilst on the Pill and before I ever took the Pill.

Anyway, my question is this. In the first few months after TTC I got kind of depressed and very anxious and so decided to try taking the herb St John's Wort.

Might be a bit of a silly logic, but I always read that St John's Wort shouldn't be taken whilst on the Pill because it stops it working & can result in pregnancy (oh if only!). So...I thought I would take it now that I am trying to get my body back to normal after coming off the Pill, in the hopes that the St John's Wort would help my body to break down any chemicals from the Pill left in my body.

I only took it for a few weeks and that month when my period was due, I did have a bleed, with 1 day of medium (red) flow followed by 1 day of spotting (sorry TMI!). So I thought it seemed to have brought on my first proper period albeit it only lasted for 2 days (my periods were always 5 days while I was on the pill). But then someone told me SJW has lasting detrimental effects on the nervous system and therefore I shouldn't be taking it if I am trying for a baby.

What are all your thoughts? Has anyone tried it since coming off the pill and found it helped get their body back to normal? Would it be worth a shot? I guess I'm just worried that if I did get pregnant then it might cause foetal defects so I stopped it right away after that but now I'm not so sure. This lady that told me about it having harmful effects is somewhat of a scaremonger and "know it all" type and she's constantly fishing to see if I am trying to get pregnant any time soon - nosy work colleague! So maybe she said it just to get a reaction out of me.

Thanks guys and look forward to sharing info with you all on here,

Mrs G xx

 

[Elhaym]

Hi there!

It really isn't necessary to take something to break down the hormones left from the Pill, as they are eliminated easily within a couple of days - some women's cycles do take some time to regulate, but that is not due to left over hormones. If you have not had a true period for 6 months after taking the pill it is recommended to see a doctor. Remember, St Johns Wort and other herbal remedies are not subject to regulation/testing, and there is no clear evidence of their efficacy- see a medical professional instead. Good luck!

 

[Carreg]

Just thought I would comment here - I was taking St Johns Wort when I got pregnant with Felix. I was also on the Pill, but I had been taking both for at least 2 years so how responsible the SJW was for the Pill not working I don't know. I stopped taking it once I found out I was pg and Felix is perfectly fine, no effects from it at all. It did work for low level depression though so which is good. I had no idea about the nervous system side effects. Elhaym is right though, herbal remedies aren;t subject to testing so you should be careful, and best to consult your Dr if you are worried about your periods. Good luck and FX'd all is sorted for you soon!

xxx

 

[mg80]

Hi girls,

Just wanted to thank you both for your replies. For now I might just take 'Kalms' tablets instead and see if they help me to feel less stressed, as I think they're milder and not as controversial as SJW. I think I need something as I'm a natural worrier and I'm really feeling stressed about TTC - it's been 6 months and I'm still not having regular periods

Carreg I'm glad to hear your son was totally fine and there were no effects from the SJW

Thanks again girls.

xxx