From: sbharris@ix.netcom.com(Steven B. Harris)
Subject: Re: ? Why not take St. Johnswort w/antidepressants? Sci  reason?
Date: Sat, 09 Aug 1997
Newsgroups: misc.health.alternative

In <19970809182301.OAA06827@ladder02.news.aol.com> jakemcip@aol.com
(Jakemcip) writes:

>Also St. John's Wort is an MAOI which means it has potentially dangerous
>(fatal in fact) interactions with some medications and foods.  Too bad the
>companies in the US are not responsible enough to adequately label.



  Well, the truth is that none of these reactions have ever been seen,
and there have surely been a LOT of people on this stuff who haven't
bothered to avoid the bad foods.  The MAO problems are
semi-theoretical.  I say "semi" because recently, somebody or other has
decided that hypericin is NOT an MAO inhibitor.  I think all of this
stuff at present is up in the air.   Anyway, until somebody has an aged
cheese reaction on St. John's Wort, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

                                    Steve Harris, M.D.