FDA Petitioned to Warn About Problems with St John’s Wort Side Effects

A non-profit watchdog group says consumers should be warned that side effects of St. John’s wort could interfere with other drugs, including antidepressants, birth control and blood thinners. 

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has petitioned the FDA to require new warnings about the potential St. John’s wort problems for all products that contain the herbal remedy.

CPSI is recommending that a black box label be placed on all St. John’s wort products that reads as follows:

CAUTION: St. John’s wort interacts with some commonly used prescription and over-the-counter drugs. DO NOT USE this supplement if you are taking contraceptives, antidepressants, immunosuppressants (such as cyclosporine), anticoagulants, Digoxin, HIV medicine, blood thinners, seizure-control medicine, cancer medicine, or any other medications.

The group indicates current label warnings on herbal supplements and remedies containing St. John’s wort are inconsistent and incomplete. They often do not mention the possibility of drug interactions and many simply recommend that potential users “consult a physician” before taking it.

“Companies have taken a minimalist approach designed to protect themselves from litigation, rather than actually protecting consumers’ health,” CPSI litigation director Stephen Gardner said in the group’s press release. ” FDA should mandate a standard warning label for St. John’s wort to protect consumers based on the research outlined in this petition.”

St. John’s wort is a European weed whose extracts are used as an herbal treatment for depression. It is usually taken either as a tablet or as an herbal tea.

The herbal treatment has also been linked with the development of cataracts in humans. An active ingredient in St. John’s wort, hypericin, has been connected with crystallization of the eye’s lens.