Across 314 first-hand reports, people mentioned a side effect 24 times (about 8 per 100 reports). The most common: photosensitivity, serotonin syndrome, eye problems. User reports show what people notice — they can't tell you whether St. John's Wort is safe for you.
“even the nootropics that some communities swear by did nothing for me (some that come to mind - racetams, tyrosine/NALT, NAC, methylated B vitamins...”
“I dabbled with 5-HTP ... and St. John's Wort ... and found them to have some nice anti-anxiety / sedating effects.”
“Didn't see any results with regular doses, so I took double the amount, and still nothing.”
“It worked after 3 weeks of supplementing but the feeling I got from it wasn't very pleasant. I felt very emotionally numbed from it and apathetic.”
“I have tried Adderall, ritalin, and st johns wort, none of which are effective although I definitely feel an effect just not the desired one.”
“I tried St John's Wort, Tryptofan and 5-htp. None worked, it even made the problem subtly worse.”
Conclusion: Our research supports the use of SJW as it reduced the number of depressive patients and their HAMD scores while having fewer risks and side effects than conventional medications.
Conclusion: While most food, herbs and supplements can be safely taken in moderation, healthcare professionals should be aware of the increased risk of bleeding when taking several food and herbs. These include Chinese wolfberry, chamomile tea, cannabis, cranberry, chitosan, green tea, Ginkgo biloba, ginger, spinach, St. John's Wort, sushi and smoking tobacco. Patients should be counselled to continue to seek advice from their healthcare professionals when starting any new herbs, food or supplement.
Conclusion: The available evidence suggests that the hypericum extracts tested in the included trials a) are superior to placebo in patients with major depression; b) are similarly effective as standard antidepressants; c) and have fewer side effects than standard antidepressants. The association of country of origin and precision with effects sizes complicates the interpretation.