St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) as a treatment for premenstrual dysphoric disorder: case report.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a menstruous dysfunction, is characterized by profoundly depressed mood, and studies have shown that antidepressants are effective for PMDD. The authors describe a case of PMDD who was initially treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Due to intolerable gastrointestinal side effects with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, St. John's wort (900 mg/day) was substituted and much improvement in PMDD symptoms was noted for at least five-month follow-up. The authors propose that St. John's wort could be an alternative medication for PMDD, especially for patients experiencing intolerable side effects with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
Huang
Kai-Lin
KL
Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Tsai
Shih-Jen
SJ
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020902:Hypericum; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*