# Remeron vs St. Johns Wort



## scout2001 (Nov 26, 2001)

My doc mentioned Remeron as a prescription for my ileitis and mind-gut nerve trouble. I understand this regulates serotonin in the gut. Would St. JOhns Wort do something similar?----or does the Remeron have some time-release to make sure that the effect reaches the intestine?Thank you.


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## Heather Van Vorous (Oct 2, 2001)

Hi - I would absolutely ask your doctor about substituting St. John's Wort for the Remeron. I honestly don't know if it would have the same effect on your gut, and this is a question for an expert in the field of pharmacology for ileitis. You might ask your pharmacist, as well.Do make sure that your doc is familiar with using anti-depressants specifically for GI problems, as the different classes of anti-depressants have very different side effects. The dosage is also usually much, much lower than that used for depression.If you have a clinic in your area with both practicing MDs and holistic health practitioners (sometimes they're called "integrative medicine" clinics) you should be able to get a balanced and informed opinion about St. John's Wort versus a prescription drug for your symptoms.Best,Heather


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## Guest (Feb 26, 2002)

I know that for chronic pain (IBS is not the only thing that antidepressants get prescribed for) it appears that St. John's Wort may not be as effective. (From the People's Pharmacy Radio Show a few months back).The results from people who have reported on using SJW with IBS on various boards tends to support the idea that while it may elevate mood in the mildly to moderately depressed it doesn't seem to have the same effects that antidepressants have on the body type of symptoms they are used to treat.Remeron is in the same class of drugs as Lotronex, and some doctors are substituting it with fairly good success in people that found that Lotronex was the only thing that worked.K.


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