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Is John's Wort a safe drug for depression?

Dr Chandra M Gulhati
Editor, MIMS,
New Delhi

Q: Is John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) good drug for mild depression? Is it safe for a person with liver disfunction as compared with other antidepression drugs? Under what brand name is it available in India?

A:Derived from herbal source, John's Wort is not treated as a medicine in many countries. It is found to be useful in mild to moderate hypertension. We do not answer commercial questions.