Why isn't it working for me?
St. John's Wort works for most people. Millions take it every day, and its long-term benefits are becoming well known too. But what if it doesn't work for you? Rather than try to give you all sorts of advice, I will write this page in a series of questions that you can ask yourself.
How long has it been?
You need to give it at least six weeks for it to fully take effect. If it's only been a week or two, please give it more time. You've probably suffered from depression for a long time. Don't expect to take a pill and have all your problems solved overnight.
If you've given it six weeks and still nothing, keep asking yourself more questions...
Is the brand you chose a good one?
If you bought the cheapest crap from Wal-Mart because it's 39 cents cheaper than a good quality brand, did you get what you paid for? Not all brands are created equal. Some of the cheapest ones are ineffective, or have been sitting on the shelf for a year, or have misleading labels, or a myriad of other things. Before you give up, you need to have convinced yourself that you've tried a good quality brand. There are lots of good ones out there, and two of the most popular ones in North America and Europe are Perika and Kira. These are just brand names, and there are other good ones too that are lesser known. If you can't find either of these locally and don't want to try a lesser-known brand that might work just as well, you can buy one of these mail-order or though the Internet for not a lot of money. Most mail-order companies ship worldwide, too.
Are you taking the right amount?
Just because the bottle says "take one a day" doesn't mean that amount is going to be effective for depression. Trust the scientific studies. Make sure you're taking 900mg standardized to contain 0.3% hypericin, or the equivallent (see the FAQ area in the discussion forum for more information about how to calculate the correct dosage). If the brand you're buying doesn't state the medicinal ingredients in those terms, you may have to do a little math to figure out how to get the equivalent. And if the brand you're taking doesn't indicate any hypericin/hyperforin amounts at all, you should really switch to a better quality brand that will work for you.
You can't take one-third the recommended dose and expect perfect results. You also can't double the recommended dose and expect immediate, or continued results. I can't control what you do or don't do, of course, but trust the scientific studies and the wealth of experience on this website from thousands of people and millions of visitors. Take the right dose, give it at least six weeks, and then decide from there.
Have you been taking SJW for a long time?
If you've been taking SJW for a long time already, and it was working fine but then stopped working for you, maybe you need to visit the next page - what to do if it stops working for you.
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