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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by DonnaT on August 12, 2007, at 12:24:48
I've recently heard STW interferes with statin drugs, is this true? If so, is there anything else like SJW I can take that doesn't. SJW has really helped and I would hate to discontinue it. Thanks.
Posted by Phillipa on August 12, 2007, at 12:58:30
In reply to St. John's Wart vs. Statins, posted by DonnaT on August 12, 2007, at 12:24:48
Gee I don't know about the statins but what does St John's wort do for you if I might ask compared to antidepressants. I know a babber who is on statins will probably show up later and answer that part of the question. Love Phillipa
Posted by FredPotter on August 12, 2007, at 21:46:42
In reply to Re: St. John's Wart vs. Statins » DonnaT, posted by Phillipa on August 12, 2007, at 12:58:30
Here comes that babbler . . . speaking for myself I'd just stop the statin. Which one is it and how much do you take? Have a word with your Doc, but they've been said to cause depression amongst other ghastly things like muscle pain, heart failure, global amnesia, cancer, muscle wasting and death (rare).
It's interesting . In our part of the world (NZ and US) we don't take St John's Wort seriously, but they certainly do in Germany where it's the first line of defence. BTW it's WORT pronounced WURT
Posted by Phillipa on August 12, 2007, at 22:13:22
In reply to Re: St. John's Wart vs. Statins » DonnaT, posted by Phillipa on August 12, 2007, at 12:58:30
Fred yup the babbler is here. I knew you'd know the answer thanks Love Phillipa
Posted by FredPotter on August 12, 2007, at 23:46:00
In reply to Re: St. John's Wart vs. Statins » Phillipa, posted by Phillipa on August 12, 2007, at 22:13:22
Well it may not be the answer. This statin, cholesterol thing is contentious and slowly becoming highly contentious. Like there's never any need for statins to be taken by women, or older men without previous heart disease. Don't believe me, google it
Posted by DonnaT on August 13, 2007, at 7:42:53
In reply to Re: St. John's Wart vs. Statins » Phillipa, posted by FredPotter on August 12, 2007, at 21:46:42
Fred, I know, this has been my thorn in the side for years. My cholesterol unattended gets very high (close to 450); I had a triple by-pass four years ago due to clogged arteries. I have also been on supplements, vitamins and herbs (including Red Yeast Rice) for about as long, refusing to take prescription medicine, but could only get my cholesterol down to about 280. Dr. said I really should take a statin to get it lower and to ensure against a heart attack.
I finally agreed to try a low-dose Vytorin (10/20) and did get it down lower, about 225. A few months later I decided to go on St. John's Wort (thanks for the correction) for moodiness, etc. Still no success in getting cholesterol lowered, in fact it went up again to 260, Doc put me on 10/40 Vytorin (haven't been tested since), but then learned about the possible clash with St. John's Wort.
My Dr., although patient with my "all-natural-no-prescribed-medicine" approach to my health, is still from the school of thought that statins prevent cardiovascular accidents.
Any help out here in babbleland would be greatly appreciated. FYI, my body manufacturers cholesterol, even if I don't eat anything.
I really don't want to stop SJW because the benefits have been terrific, but I'm also afraid of my cholesterol going up again. I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place.
Posted by Phillipa on August 13, 2007, at 19:26:37
In reply to Re: St. John's Wart vs. Statins, posted by DonnaT on August 13, 2007, at 7:42:53
Donna what you say is true as the liver produces the cholesterol to the best of my knowledge. A med can only lower it so much but more important is the HDL on the high end that would be very good and I'd go by that as high HDL's are heart preventative. Love Phillipa
Posted by FredPotter on August 13, 2007, at 20:01:47
In reply to Re: St. John's Wart vs. Statins » DonnaT, posted by Phillipa on August 13, 2007, at 19:26:37
A heart preventative - hmm sounds serious. It seems diet doesn't do much for cholesterol levels as the liver will mostly compensate for it. only statins do anything. Yes HDL high and LDL low although some people think the whole thing is bollocks. Pertinent to this board though is the fact that statins can cause depression. It's thought coenzyme Q-10 depletion is the cause of many side effects so supplementing with this has been suggested
Posted by Phillipa on August 13, 2007, at 21:34:50
In reply to Re: St. John's Wart vs. Statins, posted by FredPotter on August 13, 2007, at 20:01:47
Fred I think your country is more into nutritional alternatives than here probably cause the drug companies for profit are here. Love Phillipa
Posted by DonnaT on August 14, 2007, at 10:10:16
In reply to Re: St. John's Wart vs. Statins, posted by FredPotter on August 13, 2007, at 20:01:47
Believe me, I've run the gamut for years over cholesterol . My HDL hovers around 54-60, but that's not enough to carry out the 200+ LDL. I have been on a hydrosoluable CoQ10 (60mg/day) for a long time, knowing about the depletion of CoQ10 from the statins. I've tried Policosonol, high amounts of garlic, plant sterols, high fibers and steel cut oatmeal; just can't get it below 200.
What I'm asking is . . . IS SJW contraindicative to statins to the point that they absolutely SHOULD NOT be taken together? And, IS THERE any other supplement, vitamin, or herb that provides the same benefits as St. John's Wort???
Posted by Larry Hoover on August 14, 2007, at 10:47:48
In reply to Re: St. John's Wart vs. Statins, posted by DonnaT on August 14, 2007, at 10:10:16
> What I'm asking is . . . IS SJW contraindicative to statins to the point that they absolutely SHOULD NOT be taken together? And, IS THERE any other supplement, vitamin, or herb that provides the same benefits as St. John's Wort???
Simvastatin, the statin found in this combination med, is a substrate of the cytochrome 3A4 enzyme. Drugs that inhibit this enzyme can lead to toxic elevation of simvastatin. Grapefruit juice, as an example. SJW, in contrast, increases the function of 3A4. The interaction is in the opposite direction. If you take SJW with simvastatin, the result is decreased effectiveness of the statin. You might have to increase the dose, and/or the frequency of dosing, to maintain full efficacy. The only unknown is how strong the effect is, in your body. If your cholesterol numbers are good, right now, then IMHO you have nothing whatsoever to worry about.
Lar
Posted by FredPotter on August 14, 2007, at 15:40:47
In reply to Re: St. John's Wart vs. Statins, posted by DonnaT on August 14, 2007, at 10:10:16
Sorry back to your question. I would think SJW is a pretty mild antidepressant. I've heard the active ingredient is an MAOI but I don't think they're sure. I've been prescribed statins with MAOIs and other ADs so I can't see they'd be any problem. The trouble is, SJW being a herb, no-one's quite sure what's in it
Fred
This is the end of the thread.
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