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Case report, 2003

Does St. John's wort help treat PMDD?

In this one case, yes. A woman with PMDD who couldn't tolerate a common antidepressant improved significantly on St. John's wort over at least five months.

Early or limited evidence 1 woman with PMDD who had stomach side effects from SSRI antidepressants

What they did

Doctors described a woman with PMDD who was initially treated with an SSRI (a type of antidepressant). Due to intolerable stomach and digestive side effects, she switched to St. John's wort 900 mg per day.

What they found

The woman had much improvement in her PMDD symptoms, continuing for at least five months.

What it means for you

St. John's wort may be an option for PMDD patients who cannot tolerate SSRIs because of side effects. This is one case, so we don't know how well it works more broadly or how it compares to other treatments.

900

mg per day of St. John's wort

at least 5

months of improvement

About the study

Original title
St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) as a treatment for premenstrual dysphoric disorder: case report
Authors
Huang KL, Tsai SJ
Journal
International journal of psychiatry in medicine
Year
2003
Study design
Case report
What was tested
St. John's wort 900 mg per day

Topics