Norman
Allan
Norman
Allan | ||||
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M.G. writes, "Currently I am taking Prozac.
I would like to switch to St. Johnswort, but I have heard that St. Johnswort is
a MAO Inhibitor. While I don't really know what that term means, I was told that
if I take St. Johnswort and need to take some over the counter medicine such as
Nyquil, it would kill me. The label on Nyquil supposedly says not to take with
an MAO Inhibitor. What is your advice on this? Thank
you for any help you can give me."
St. Johnswort, as a herbal, is composed of dozens or even hundreds
of active ingredients, and they work ensemble, together... This is why herbals
tend to act in a balanced and (with mild herbs like Hypericum) gentle manner.
Now, while there is a suspicion that some of these many ingredient might act as
a MAOI - mono amine oxidase inhibitors - [ adrenaline is (one of many) mono amines
- MAOIs block its degradation. Therefore if you are on MAOIs, like Parnate and
some other heavy antidepressants, it can be dangerous, for instance, to eat foods
containing the amino acid, Tyrosine (the precursor of adrenaline), foods such
as cheese, red wine). However!!! in practice, St. Johnswort, as a herbal, does
not act 9to any great extent) like an MAOI - there is just this scary suspicion
that maybe it might, but in practice it does not. I would not myself fear cross
reactions with Tyrosine. (I would not however take it, or anything else, with
an MAOI like Parnate etc.) No one knows for sure whether there is any active
MAOI like behaviour in St, Johnswort. If you are scared, don't take it, but I,
as far as I know, do not think that there is any great potential for harm. As
for St. Johnswort and Nyquil, again, I do not think that there is any great
potential for harm, but can you find a safer drug as a substitute for Nyquil?
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