Doctor Warns Against St. John’s Wort for Anxiety

	Tweet

In a broad-based review of studies focused on drugs that treat anxiety, a Saint Louis University doctor found no evidence supporting the use of so-called “natural” treatments in combating the effects of anxiety.

St. John’s wort, kava extract and valerian, herbal remedies touted on the Internet, have not been proven to be effective in treating anxiety wrote Kimberly Zoberi, M.D., associate professor of family and community medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. Additionally, she raised concerns about the safety of valerian, particularly lacking any long-term studies of the herb.

“Patients should be extremely cautious about garnering medical advice from the Internet,” says Zoberi. “There is no evidence that those medications are effective. If a patient wishes to avoid drug therapy, her doctor can suggest alternatives such as cognitive behavioral therapy.”

In addition to the findings regarding “natural” treatments, Zoberi compared the differing prescription drug regimens available on the market for patients suffering from anxiety. According to Zoberi, most physicians recommend selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) as a first-line treatment because they were safe, effective and less expensive. However, some patients suffer sexual or gastrointestinal side effects.

Zoberi found that medications from the anticonvulsant class of drugs are among the quickest and most effective ways to provide relief to patients in distress without the side effects of other first-line treatments. The downside is that these prescriptions are fairly expensive compared to other treatments.

Ultimately, Zoberi strongly recommends consulting with a health care professional before beginning any drug regimen for anxiety.

The review article was published in last month’s issue of the Journal of Family Practice.

Established in 1836, Saint Louis University School of Medicine has the distinction of awarding the first medical degree west of the Mississippi River. The school educates physicians and biomedical scientists, conducts medical research, and provides health care on a local, national and international level. Research at the school seeks new cures and treatments in five key areas: cancer, infectious disease, liver disease, aging and brain disease and heart/lung disease.

Source:  Saint Louis University Medical Center

RELATED STORIES:
Younger Smokers on Fast Track to Behavior Problems Later   National positive thinking trial aims to prevent childhood depression   Gene mutation linked with obsessive behavior   Depression, acute stress and behavioral risk factors in violently injured adolescents   Mental deficiency: Researchers identify gene mutations that affect learning, memory in children   Program Assists Brothers and Sisters of Kids with Autism   Hippocampal myo-inositol and cognitive ability in adults with Down Syndrome   Suicide risk increased in sexually abused teens   Crisis on the Campus   Magnet therapy useful for hard-to-treat depression   New data hint at oncoming cocaine epidemic   Depressed parents’ children prone to mental woes   Mass violence and mental health: Attachment and trauma   Depression linked to Alzheimer’s   Depression in the Elderly

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

It is very difficult to specifically define massage therapy because there are over two-hundred variations of the process. At the broadest points of understanding, the process can be categorized into massage, bodywork, and somatic divisions.

posted by therapy4help on 04/11/2010 at 7:17 pm -08:00