I developed severe insomnia within 3-4 days of being off the medication, and I was thrown into a manic episode that lasted for about 5 days until I started back on the prescription. I'm currently being weaned off the Zoloft slowly and replacing it slowly with a natural alternative called Luminex (St. John's Wort Extract, Griffonia Seed Extract, Folate, Vitamin B12). It will be a few weeks before I should feel the results.

The suggested use for Luminex is 1 capsule three times daily, so 1 every 8 hours. Each capsule contains 300mg St. John's Wort Extract, 15mg Griffonia Seed Extract, 133mcg Folate, 2mcg Vitamin B12. That's a daily dosage of 900mg of St. John's Wort spread out over a 24hr. period. A 1000mg dosage all at once sounds like an overdose to me. I'd suggest reducing your dose of what your taking to 1/2 capsule 4 times a day , so 250mg each dose, spreading out the 1000mg over the course of the day. Or start at a lower total dosage and work your way up until you notice the beginning of the headaches.

While taking an SSRI (and for several weeks after stopping taking one of this class of drugs) it is probably best to avoid St. John's Wort, 5-HTP (Griffonia seed), melatonin and tryptophan. All have similar effects. At the very least, discuss this issue with your pharmacist, your primary care physician and/or psychiatrist. If you wish to continue taking your anti-depressant medication along with nutritional support, try taking B complex vitamins, lecithin or L-glutamine, which will probably not interfere with these drugs. Remember that herbs and vitamins, although natural and very useful, often have a pharmacological effect and do produce side effects and can be cross reactive. Almost all literature on SSRIs and quite a lot of literature on H. perforatum state that these two substances will probably do you more harm than good if taken together.

Also, if you experience photosensitivity, be aware that St. john's Wort and yarrow both have been reported to increase sensitivity to light in some people. Be extra careful to cover up, use sunscreen and protect your eyes. If a sun-related rash develops on your skin while taking these herbs, discontinue their use immediately.

As someone who has studied Galenical Herbalism for most of his life, and who also has struggled with depression, I want you to know that a nutritional and herbal approach has been quite satisfying for me. Just be informed about what you are putting into your body. I would hate to see you harm yourself in the attempt to heal. Be patient and don't over do it.