St john's wort pil

Patient Information Leaflet
Nature’s Best St John’s Wort tablets
have bought without a prescription. Therefore it Please read this information carefully before you is important that you do not take St John’s Wort start taking these tablets. It contains some important if you are using any of the medicines listed below.
information about this product. Keep this leaflet with All hormonal contraceptives: The birth control
the tablets. You may want to read it again or show ‘Pil ’, emergency contraception, hormonal implants, it to your doctor, pharmacist or qualified healthcare creams, patches, intra-uterine devices with hormones.
All medicines for depression/anxiety: Amitriptyline,
1. WHAT THIS PRODUCT IS AND WHAT IT
IS USED FOR
escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, This product is a traditional herbal medicinal product All hormonal replacement therapy (HRT)
Nature’s Best
treatments: HRT tablets, patches, gels, vaginal rings
® St John’s Wort is a traditional herbal
medicinal product used to relieve the symptoms of
All medicines for thinning the blood
slightly low mood and mild anxiety. This is based
(anticoagulants): Warfarin, acenocoumarol
on traditional use only.
All medicines for epilepsy: Carbamazepine,
phenobarbitone, phenytoin, primidone, sodium 2. BEFORE YOU TAKE THIS PRODUCT
All immunosuppressant medicines: Ciclosporin,
• Your skin is exceptionally sensitive to sunlight
All medicines for HIV infections: Amprenavir,
• You are having light treatment (phototherapy)
atazanavir, darunavir, fosamprenavir, indinavir, lopinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir, tipranavir, • You are suffering from depression (see below)
• You are pregnant or breastfeeding
Some medicines for cholesterol: Simvastatin,
• You are allergic to any of the ingredients Some medicines for cancer: Irinotecan, dasatinib,
erlotinib, imatinib, sorafenib, sunitinib, etoposide, Suffering from depression?
Some medicines for heart disease: Digoxin,
Symptoms of depression include feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, loss of interest in daily activities, appetite or weight changes, changes Some medicines for migraines: Almotriptan,
in sleep pattern, loss of energy and difficulty eletriptan, frovatriptan, naratriptan, rizatriptan, concentrating. If your doctor has told you that
you are suffering from depression do not use this
Some medicines for high blood pressure:
product. If you think that you may be suffering
Amlodipine, nifedipine, felodipine, verapamil from depression you should tell your doctor before
A medicine for regulating mood: Lithium
taking this product.
A thyroid hormone: Thyroxine
St John’s Wort may also affect the following medicines.
• avoid excessive sunbathing or the use of
Therefore do not take this product with these sunbeds/solariums
medicines unless a doctor has said it is safe to do so: • stop using it at least 10 days prior to undergoing
• fentanyl, propofol, sevoflurane, and midazolam
any surgery
Driving and operating machinery
• tramadol (an analgesic)
In rare cases St John’s Wort may make you feel • erythromycin, clarithromycin and telithromycin
dizzy or sleepy. If affected do not drive or use • itraconazole and voriconazole (antifungals)
TAKING THIS PRODUCT WITH OTHER
• artemether and lumefantrine (antimalarials)
MEDICINES
• rasagiline (an anti-Parkinson’s medicine)
St John’s Wort can affect the way some medicines work and reduce their effectiveness. Medicines • aripiprazole (an antipsychotic medicine)
that can be affected by St John’s Wort include • buspirone (an anxiolytic)
prescription medicines, and those that you may • aprepitant (used to treat post-operative vomiting)
• butobarbital and phenobarbital (barbiturates)
5. HOW TO STORE THIS PRODUCT
• methyl phenidate (a central nervous system or
Do not store above 25°C. Store in the original • exemestane (a hormone antagonist)
Keep the tablets out of the reach and sight of children.
• eplerenone (a diuretic)
Keep your tablets in the blister pack until it is time • lansoprazole and omeprazole (proton pump
Do not use Nature’s Best St John’s Wort tablets after the expiry date which is stated on the box and blister • theophylline (a bronchodilator)
pack. The expiry date refers to the last day of that • gliclazide (an antidiabetic medicine)
month. Return any out-of-date tablets to your 3. HOW TO TAKE THIS PRODUCT
For oral use only
6. FURTHER INFORMATION
Adults and the elderly
Active Ingredient - Each film-coated tablet contains Take 1 tablet daily. Swallow the tablets whole with 370mg of extract (as dry extract) from St John’s some water or other liquid. Do not chew the tablets.
Wort aerial parts (Hypericum perforatum L.) (5-7:1) (equivalent to 1850mg - 2590mg of St John’s Wort).
Do not exceed the stated dose.
If you take too much of this product (overdose)
This product also contains the following ingredients: If you take more than the recommended dose, speak Excipients in the extract - Maltodextrin, Silica to a doctor, pharmacist or qualified healthcare practitioner and take this leaflet with you.
Tablet Core - Maltodextrin, Microcrystalline If you forget to take this product
Cellulose, Croscarmellose Sodium, Stearic Acid, Continue to take your usual dose at the usual time, Magnesium Stearate, Silica Colloidal Anhydrous. it does not matter if you have missed a dose.
Tablet Coating - Hypromellose, Glycerol.
If you have any questions, or are unsure about
The tablets are clear coated, brown speckled and anything, please ask your doctor, pharmacist or
qualified healthcare practitioner.
Each pack contains 30, 60 or 90 coated tablets.
AFTER TAKING THIS PRODUCT
If your symptoms worsen, if they do not improve
Traditional Herbal Registration Holder for this after 6 weeks, if side effects become serious or if
product: Lamberts Healthcare Ltd. 1 Lamberts Road, you experience side effects not mentioned in this
leaflet, you must consult your doctor, pharmacist
or qualified healthcare practitioner.
Thompson & Capper Ltd. Hardwick Road, Astmoor, 4. POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS
Like all medicines, this product can have side effects.
The following side effects have been reported: • gastrointestinal disorders such as indigestion, loss If you would like further information about this of appetite, nausea, diarrhoea and constipation.
product or would like a large print, Braille or audio version of this leaflet please contact: • allergic skin reactions such as rash, hives or itching of the skin. If you experience allergic skin reactions, stop taking the product and consult your doctor.
You can help to make medicines safer by reporting any side effects to the Yellow Card Scheme at Also sunburn-like reactions on skin exposed to www.yellowcard.gov.uk. Alternatively you can get strong sunlight or strong ultra-violet (UV) irradiation a paper Yellow Card form from your GP’s surgery e.g. solarium have been reported, particularly in or pharmacy, or call free phone 0808 100 3352 fair skinned individuals. Other side effects that have (available 10am – 2pm Monday – Friday).
been reported include headaches, nerve pain or tingling, anxiety, dizziness and mania.
You must speak to a doctor or qualified healthcare practitioner if your symptoms worsen, if they do not improve after six weeks, or if any of the side effects become serious or if you notice any side effects not This leaflet was revised in October 2011.

Source: http://www.naturesbest.co.uk/images/articles/stjohns_wort_pil.pdf