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Treating Anxiety and Stress
St. John's Wort (extract)
Citation:   Midnight. "Treating Anxiety and Stress: An Experience with St. John's Wort (extract) (exp68431)". Erowid.org. Jan 27, 2012. erowid.org/exp/68431

 
DOSE:
900 mg oral St. John's Wort (daily)
BODY WEIGHT: 70 kg
Having suffered from light to moderate (occasionally severe) anxiety and stress for nearly two years I ordered St. John's Wort 90 tablets online which I used daily (1-3 tablets) for about 5 weeks. Starting with 2 tablets the first week I didnt notice any effects so I upped the dose to 3 tablets (900mg, recommended maxdose) spread out under the day. This is when I started noticing a significant positive change in mood.

First of all my anxiety was totally gone and I felt free for the first time in a long while. Second I felt extremely relaxed and I was able to take my time when doing things, something my chronic stress made impossible before. Because of my stress and anxiety I had been bothered by heart palpitations (feeling my heart beating strongly), these also disappeared and my pulse became calmer, so calm in fact that I sometimes worried my heart had stopped. I no longer felt my heart pounding like a hammer in my chest. (Blood pressure remained unchanged and normal as well as heartrate.) Another positive effect which I suspect was due to absence of stress and anxiety - a very noticeable increase in my ability to concentrate on one thing at a time.

After about 2-3 weeks taking 3 tablets (300mg each) daily of St. John's Wort it was time to decrease dosage and stop taking it. Today it has been about 2 weeks since taking any and my anxiety/stress has returned, but not as strong as before. For me, this herb really had a positive effect reducing stress and anxiety as well as inducing a calm state of mind and general serenity. I think it worked for me because my anxiety/stress-problems were not severe to begin with. I highly recommend St. John's Wort.

Exp Year: 2006ExpID: 68431
Gender: Male 
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Jan 27, 2012Views: 17,594
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St. John's Wort (142) : Health Benefits (32), Retrospective / Summary (11), Alone (16)

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