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Apr 28, 2018
Research Papers / St. John's Wort's Effectiveness in Treating Postpartum Depression [3]
English 102
Introduction
St John's Wort at this time known as Hypericum Perforatum is a naturally occurring herb which in various parts of the world is used for medical purposes either as an antidepressant or as an herbal supplement. It is administered orally as a dried plant in the form of a capsule, applied on the skin in oil form, liquid tincture and lastly taken as tea. St John's wort is considered by many as an herbal alternative to pharmaceutical antidepressants. By far, it is the most widely used herb for remedying postpartum depression which is a mood disorder brought about by child birth that can affect women and even men. It is also by far the most studied and researched form of herbal medication in the United States. Use of the herbal medication to treat postnatal depression does more good than harm, since the drug has little known adverse side effects and has been proved in cases to be more efficient than pharmaceutical antidepressants. Therefore, it should be used to treat mild to moderate cases of postpartum depression.
Postpartum depression also referred to as postnatal depression is a form of temperament ailment that is generally associated or occurs after giving birth. Both men and women can be victims of postnatal depression, however most common cases are often associated with nurturing women. Roughly 7% to 13 % of first time mothers experience a minor or major incident of postnatal depression during the first year following child birth. Signs associated with postnatal depression comprise of; high levels of irritability, extreme gloominess, episodes of crying, feeling exhausted even when there has been no physical exercise, and finally, insomnia or lack of sleep (Murray et al, 253-260). Genuine causes of postpartum depression are indefinite but mainly vary from emotional, physical and psychological aspects. Women who experience postnatal depression tend to be uninterested and are usually distant with the child, these women really struggle trying to establish a connection with their child, something that happens naturally with other women. The effects of postpartum depression then have a major effect on the mother and child relationship which in the long run affects the development of the child. Acknowledging the fact that women who suffer from postnatal depression have higher chances of experiencing depression later in their life, there is a serious need to address cases of postpartum depression. St. John's wort plays a major role addressing this peril by providing a safer solution to curb postpartum depression.
With increasing cases of postpartum depression mostly in women, comes the query whether the herbal medication is effective in treatment. Experts in the field, have questioned the effectiveness of St. John's wort in treating postpartum depression with some even terming the herb as a useless herb. Studies have been conducted to try and determine the undesirable effects of using the drug both in the long term and in the short run. These studies have revealed that the use of the herb to treat postpartum depression is accompanied by short-term side effects like vomiting, anxiety and dizziness. There is however, little knowledge of the long-term effects of the use of St. John's wort. Nevertheless, various case studies comparing the effect antidepressant drugs to St, John's wort reveals that individuals who use pharmaceutical anti- depressants experience far worse side effects compared to those who seek the herbal alternative. In fact, the number of reports for ill side effects due to the use of pharmaceutical antidepressants by far surpasses adverse reports for patients who use St. John's wort to treat depression. This reveals that using the natural occurring herb to treat depression is much safer than the use of antidepressant drugs (Laakman et al, 54-59). The main question however, is whether use of St. John's wort is safe for treating postnatal depression especially for the mother and the nursing infant. Well, St. John's wort is particularly one of, if not the safest medication for depression used by nursing mothers. There are no documented accounts of negative consequences of using the herbal medication on breastfeeding toddlers. A majority of mothers have hailed the herbal medication as a solution to postpartum depression, claiming that St. John's wort has helped drastically by improving their moods when they were gloomy and depressed, making it more important why it should be used to tackle cases of mild to moderate postpartum depression.
St. John's wort is ideal since it is an inexpensive solution for postpartum depression for mothers who are not able to seek other solutions. A majority of women who experience depression end up seeking psychotherapy. However, for some mothers especially in developing and underdeveloped nations this does not come easy due to financial constraints and also depends on the availability of qualified psychotherapists. With increasing numbers of new mothers in these nations requiring solutions to depression, St. John's wort would come in handy as a cheaper solution. Baring in mind that the herbal drugs can be acquired online and from local drug stores. St. John's wort is therefore a life saver to poor mothers who are fighting with slight and moderate postpartum depression.
Studies conducted comparing women who use medical antidepressants and those who seek out the herbal alternative, St. John's wort, reveals that the latter is more effective in treating postpartum depression compared to the former (De Smet et al,575-576). Another group of mothers who experience postnatal depression seek out consolation and support by attending rehabilitation sessions and reaching out to support groups either on a daily or weekly basis. This can be very time consuming. New mothers might find juggling tasks at home, nurturing their kids and attending these therapy sessions very difficult. In some cases, it may be very stressful. St. John's wort would then be a perfect answer to this menace. Nursing mothers can then be administered with this herbal drug at the convenience of their homes, this will enable them to carry out their child fostering responsibilities at the comfort of their homes without worrying about attending meetings with support groups.
A lot of breastfeeding mothers are unenthusiastic about taking pharmaceutical antidepressants while nursing, due to the fact that they are worried about the hostile effects the medications will have on their new-borns. Many experts insist that it is safe to administer most antidepressants while breastfeeding, nevertheless, most mothers naturally being over protective of their kids are not willing to take this risk. A great dilemma is experienced by new mothers on what measure to take in the cases where they experience postnatal mood swings. Once again, St. John's wort should then be given to these mothers. Since there are no known effects of the herbal drug to nursing babies (De Smet et al,575-576). It may come as a relief to most mothers who will now be more comfortable in taking St. John's wort as an antidepressant compared to them taking pharmaceutical anti-depressants. Moreover, cases have shown that the taking of antidepressants by nursing women has been accompanied by serious side effects like reduced levels of libido (De Smet et al,575-576). A majority of women find this unpleasant since they anticipate to re-establish and maintain an intimate relationship with their partners. Therefore, St. John's wort would be the best possible alternative to mothers since it has no such known negative outcomes. This makes it even more imperative why the herbal antidepressant should be used for minor to moderate postpartum depression.
Use of St. John's wort diminishes levels of nervousness. Anxiety being one of the major signs of depression, then it is evident that the herbal alternative plays a major role in coping with depression. Restlessness and anxiety are often experienced by new mothers. If this is not controlled then it can lead to a more serious form of clinical depression. This herbal relief should then be administered to new mothers who experience growing levels of anxiety enabling them to carry out their nurturing tasks. In this way, St, John's wort is then used to treat mild and moderate postpartum depression stages. The component of St. John's wort has also proved dependable in the reduction of mood swings (Laakman et al, 54-59). Mood swings also being a vital indicator of depression. Not surprisingly a number of new mothers experience mood swings due to hormonal changes. St. John's wort has proved effective in the control of mood swings and should thereby be used as a remedy to adverse mood swings by nurturing mothers. This way it is used as a way of controlling slight and moderate postnatal depression phases. The active constituents of the herbal medication also have a strong influence in maintaining the right level of hormonal balance in the body. A majority of pregnant women experience varied levels of hormonal imbalances. Some mothers possess the natural ability to regain an optimal level of hormonal balance after giving birth. However, this is not the case for all mothers, those who still experience hormonal disparity after giving birth tend to suffer from postpartum depression. These mothers should be administered with the herbal medication which will aid in restoring the ideal level of hormonal parity. In this way St. John's wort will be used to curb postnatal depression.
Postpartum depression is associated with lack of sleep also referred to as insomnia. One way of treating depression is by curing of the symptoms experienced during depression. Insomnia being one of the signs associated with depression, then it should be directly addressed. Research has proven that St. John's wort helps in treating insomnia (Laakman et al, 54-59). New mothers require enough sleep, in order for them to tend to their babies efficiently especially in order for their bodies to generate enough milk for the babies. The majority of mothers who are unable to generate enough milk for their babies also tend to develop postpartum depression. St. John's wort should also be administered in order to address the issue of lack of sleep experienced by new mothers. By doing this, breastfeeding mothers are able to get enough sleep thus enabling their bodies to generate adequate milk for the nurturing children. This also improves the bonding between the mother and the young baby. In this way it is used to control postnatal depression in its earlier stages.
Despite the numerous benefits of using St. John's wort as a solution to the kind of depression that is associated with child birth, there are various mild effects that come with resorting to its use. First, some of the active components in the St. John's wort affect how the body metabolises other prescription drugs, that is it reduces the effectiveness of prescription medication (Moore et al, 7500-7502). Meaning that a nursing mother who is on prescription drugs should first consult with a health expert before seeking out the herbal medication as a remedy for postpartum depression. The other problem is that St. John's Wort has only proven reliable in curing mild to moderate cases of postpartum depression. Most health experts do not recommend use of the herb for medication purposes in cases of severe depression since the drug has yet to prove its efficiency in this type of cases. Another issue accompanied with St. John's wort is the fact that the drug is yet to be approved as a drug, rather it is recognised by the FDA (Food and Drug Association) as a food supplement, this means that there is no standard measure of which the herbal drug is processed and manufactured. This further implies that doses vary and it is therefore difficult to establish the right amount that should be taken depending on an individual. Doses often are done through trying out what works for an individual and might vary from person to person (Moore et al, 7500-7502). There is also the issue of self-medication, due to the fact that St. John's wort can be purchased over the counter from any pharmacy or drugstore without any prescription many mothers who suffer from postnatal depression tend to self- medicate. This can turn out to be a major problem since mothers who self-medicate may substitute this herbal medication for professional help, leading to severe cases of depression in cases where mild levels of depression are not directly addressed by the herbal alternative. Lastly some mothers develop allergic reactions because of the use of St. John's wort. This implies that out of ten mothers who seek out this for of herbal medication, chances are that one will react negatively to its use
Conclusively, it is important to note that the benefits accompanied with the use of St. John's wort as a form of remedy for treating the type of depression associated with child birth by far out way the shortcomings. Seeking out the herbal alternative to deal with postnatal depression is accompanied by numerous benefits. Furthermore, the ill repercussions associated by the use of the herbal medication are minor and do not have any serious long-term repercussions compared to medical antidepressants which have been known to cause various adverse side effects to the breastfeeding mothers. Therefore, St. John's wort has proven to be a reliable remedy for mild and moderate cases of depression and should thus be administered to mothers who are coping with mild and moderate cases of depression (Laakman et al, 54-59). However better alternatives should be employed to individuals with extreme cases of depression.
References
De Smet, Peter AGM, and Daan J. Touw. "Safety of St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum)." The Lancet 355.9203 (2008): 575-576.
Laakmann, G., et al. "St. John's wort in mild to moderate depression: the relevance of hyperforin for the clinical efficacy." Pharmacopsychiatry 31.S 1 (1998): 54-59.
Moore, Linda B., et al. "St. John's wort induces hepatic drug metabolism through activation of the pregnane X receptor." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 97.13 (2000): 7500-7502.
Murray, Lynne, and Peter J. Cooper. "Postpartum depression and child development." Psychological medicine 27.2 (1997): 253-260.
Research Essay - St. John's Wort Effectiveness in Treating Postpartum Depression
English 102
Introduction
St John's Wort at this time known as Hypericum Perforatum is a naturally occurring herb which in various parts of the world is used for medical purposes either as an antidepressant or as an herbal supplement. It is administered orally as a dried plant in the form of a capsule, applied on the skin in oil form, liquid tincture and lastly taken as tea. St John's wort is considered by many as an herbal alternative to pharmaceutical antidepressants. By far, it is the most widely used herb for remedying postpartum depression which is a mood disorder brought about by child birth that can affect women and even men. It is also by far the most studied and researched form of herbal medication in the United States. Use of the herbal medication to treat postnatal depression does more good than harm, since the drug has little known adverse side effects and has been proved in cases to be more efficient than pharmaceutical antidepressants. Therefore, it should be used to treat mild to moderate cases of postpartum depression.
Postpartum depression also referred to as postnatal depression is a form of temperament ailment that is generally associated or occurs after giving birth. Both men and women can be victims of postnatal depression, however most common cases are often associated with nurturing women. Roughly 7% to 13 % of first time mothers experience a minor or major incident of postnatal depression during the first year following child birth. Signs associated with postnatal depression comprise of; high levels of irritability, extreme gloominess, episodes of crying, feeling exhausted even when there has been no physical exercise, and finally, insomnia or lack of sleep (Murray et al, 253-260). Genuine causes of postpartum depression are indefinite but mainly vary from emotional, physical and psychological aspects. Women who experience postnatal depression tend to be uninterested and are usually distant with the child, these women really struggle trying to establish a connection with their child, something that happens naturally with other women. The effects of postpartum depression then have a major effect on the mother and child relationship which in the long run affects the development of the child. Acknowledging the fact that women who suffer from postnatal depression have higher chances of experiencing depression later in their life, there is a serious need to address cases of postpartum depression. St. John's wort plays a major role addressing this peril by providing a safer solution to curb postpartum depression.
With increasing cases of postpartum depression mostly in women, comes the query whether the herbal medication is effective in treatment. Experts in the field, have questioned the effectiveness of St. John's wort in treating postpartum depression with some even terming the herb as a useless herb. Studies have been conducted to try and determine the undesirable effects of using the drug both in the long term and in the short run. These studies have revealed that the use of the herb to treat postpartum depression is accompanied by short-term side effects like vomiting, anxiety and dizziness. There is however, little knowledge of the long-term effects of the use of St. John's wort. Nevertheless, various case studies comparing the effect antidepressant drugs to St, John's wort reveals that individuals who use pharmaceutical anti- depressants experience far worse side effects compared to those who seek the herbal alternative. In fact, the number of reports for ill side effects due to the use of pharmaceutical antidepressants by far surpasses adverse reports for patients who use St. John's wort to treat depression. This reveals that using the natural occurring herb to treat depression is much safer than the use of antidepressant drugs (Laakman et al, 54-59). The main question however, is whether use of St. John's wort is safe for treating postnatal depression especially for the mother and the nursing infant. Well, St. John's wort is particularly one of, if not the safest medication for depression used by nursing mothers. There are no documented accounts of negative consequences of using the herbal medication on breastfeeding toddlers. A majority of mothers have hailed the herbal medication as a solution to postpartum depression, claiming that St. John's wort has helped drastically by improving their moods when they were gloomy and depressed, making it more important why it should be used to tackle cases of mild to moderate postpartum depression.
St. John's wort is ideal since it is an inexpensive solution for postpartum depression for mothers who are not able to seek other solutions. A majority of women who experience depression end up seeking psychotherapy. However, for some mothers especially in developing and underdeveloped nations this does not come easy due to financial constraints and also depends on the availability of qualified psychotherapists. With increasing numbers of new mothers in these nations requiring solutions to depression, St. John's wort would come in handy as a cheaper solution. Baring in mind that the herbal drugs can be acquired online and from local drug stores. St. John's wort is therefore a life saver to poor mothers who are fighting with slight and moderate postpartum depression.
Studies conducted comparing women who use medical antidepressants and those who seek out the herbal alternative, St. John's wort, reveals that the latter is more effective in treating postpartum depression compared to the former (De Smet et al,575-576). Another group of mothers who experience postnatal depression seek out consolation and support by attending rehabilitation sessions and reaching out to support groups either on a daily or weekly basis. This can be very time consuming. New mothers might find juggling tasks at home, nurturing their kids and attending these therapy sessions very difficult. In some cases, it may be very stressful. St. John's wort would then be a perfect answer to this menace. Nursing mothers can then be administered with this herbal drug at the convenience of their homes, this will enable them to carry out their child fostering responsibilities at the comfort of their homes without worrying about attending meetings with support groups.
A lot of breastfeeding mothers are unenthusiastic about taking pharmaceutical antidepressants while nursing, due to the fact that they are worried about the hostile effects the medications will have on their new-borns. Many experts insist that it is safe to administer most antidepressants while breastfeeding, nevertheless, most mothers naturally being over protective of their kids are not willing to take this risk. A great dilemma is experienced by new mothers on what measure to take in the cases where they experience postnatal mood swings. Once again, St. John's wort should then be given to these mothers. Since there are no known effects of the herbal drug to nursing babies (De Smet et al,575-576). It may come as a relief to most mothers who will now be more comfortable in taking St. John's wort as an antidepressant compared to them taking pharmaceutical anti-depressants. Moreover, cases have shown that the taking of antidepressants by nursing women has been accompanied by serious side effects like reduced levels of libido (De Smet et al,575-576). A majority of women find this unpleasant since they anticipate to re-establish and maintain an intimate relationship with their partners. Therefore, St. John's wort would be the best possible alternative to mothers since it has no such known negative outcomes. This makes it even more imperative why the herbal antidepressant should be used for minor to moderate postpartum depression.
Use of St. John's wort diminishes levels of nervousness. Anxiety being one of the major signs of depression, then it is evident that the herbal alternative plays a major role in coping with depression. Restlessness and anxiety are often experienced by new mothers. If this is not controlled then it can lead to a more serious form of clinical depression. This herbal relief should then be administered to new mothers who experience growing levels of anxiety enabling them to carry out their nurturing tasks. In this way, St, John's wort is then used to treat mild and moderate postpartum depression stages. The component of St. John's wort has also proved dependable in the reduction of mood swings (Laakman et al, 54-59). Mood swings also being a vital indicator of depression. Not surprisingly a number of new mothers experience mood swings due to hormonal changes. St. John's wort has proved effective in the control of mood swings and should thereby be used as a remedy to adverse mood swings by nurturing mothers. This way it is used as a way of controlling slight and moderate postnatal depression phases. The active constituents of the herbal medication also have a strong influence in maintaining the right level of hormonal balance in the body. A majority of pregnant women experience varied levels of hormonal imbalances. Some mothers possess the natural ability to regain an optimal level of hormonal balance after giving birth. However, this is not the case for all mothers, those who still experience hormonal disparity after giving birth tend to suffer from postpartum depression. These mothers should be administered with the herbal medication which will aid in restoring the ideal level of hormonal parity. In this way St. John's wort will be used to curb postnatal depression.
Postpartum depression is associated with lack of sleep also referred to as insomnia. One way of treating depression is by curing of the symptoms experienced during depression. Insomnia being one of the signs associated with depression, then it should be directly addressed. Research has proven that St. John's wort helps in treating insomnia (Laakman et al, 54-59). New mothers require enough sleep, in order for them to tend to their babies efficiently especially in order for their bodies to generate enough milk for the babies. The majority of mothers who are unable to generate enough milk for their babies also tend to develop postpartum depression. St. John's wort should also be administered in order to address the issue of lack of sleep experienced by new mothers. By doing this, breastfeeding mothers are able to get enough sleep thus enabling their bodies to generate adequate milk for the nurturing children. This also improves the bonding between the mother and the young baby. In this way it is used to control postnatal depression in its earlier stages.
Shortcomings of using St. John's wort as a remedy to postnatal depression.
Despite the numerous benefits of using St. John's wort as a solution to the kind of depression that is associated with child birth, there are various mild effects that come with resorting to its use. First, some of the active components in the St. John's wort affect how the body metabolises other prescription drugs, that is it reduces the effectiveness of prescription medication (Moore et al, 7500-7502). Meaning that a nursing mother who is on prescription drugs should first consult with a health expert before seeking out the herbal medication as a remedy for postpartum depression. The other problem is that St. John's Wort has only proven reliable in curing mild to moderate cases of postpartum depression. Most health experts do not recommend use of the herb for medication purposes in cases of severe depression since the drug has yet to prove its efficiency in this type of cases. Another issue accompanied with St. John's wort is the fact that the drug is yet to be approved as a drug, rather it is recognised by the FDA (Food and Drug Association) as a food supplement, this means that there is no standard measure of which the herbal drug is processed and manufactured. This further implies that doses vary and it is therefore difficult to establish the right amount that should be taken depending on an individual. Doses often are done through trying out what works for an individual and might vary from person to person (Moore et al, 7500-7502). There is also the issue of self-medication, due to the fact that St. John's wort can be purchased over the counter from any pharmacy or drugstore without any prescription many mothers who suffer from postnatal depression tend to self- medicate. This can turn out to be a major problem since mothers who self-medicate may substitute this herbal medication for professional help, leading to severe cases of depression in cases where mild levels of depression are not directly addressed by the herbal alternative. Lastly some mothers develop allergic reactions because of the use of St. John's wort. This implies that out of ten mothers who seek out this for of herbal medication, chances are that one will react negatively to its use
Conclusively, it is important to note that the benefits accompanied with the use of St. John's wort as a form of remedy for treating the type of depression associated with child birth by far out way the shortcomings. Seeking out the herbal alternative to deal with postnatal depression is accompanied by numerous benefits. Furthermore, the ill repercussions associated by the use of the herbal medication are minor and do not have any serious long-term repercussions compared to medical antidepressants which have been known to cause various adverse side effects to the breastfeeding mothers. Therefore, St. John's wort has proven to be a reliable remedy for mild and moderate cases of depression and should thus be administered to mothers who are coping with mild and moderate cases of depression (Laakman et al, 54-59). However better alternatives should be employed to individuals with extreme cases of depression.
References
De Smet, Peter AGM, and Daan J. Touw. "Safety of St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum)." The Lancet 355.9203 (2008): 575-576.
Laakmann, G., et al. "St. John's wort in mild to moderate depression: the relevance of hyperforin for the clinical efficacy." Pharmacopsychiatry 31.S 1 (1998): 54-59.
Moore, Linda B., et al. "St. John's wort induces hepatic drug metabolism through activation of the pregnane X receptor." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 97.13 (2000): 7500-7502.
Murray, Lynne, and Peter J. Cooper. "Postpartum depression and child development." Psychological medicine 27.2 (1997): 253-260.