Lemectal and St. John's Wort Interactions

[MEL8813]

My psychiatrist just prescribed Lemectal to me for major depression. She chose this med because I have experienced debilitating side effects with most SSRI and SSNI meds, and she said Lemectal has few reported side effects. I have taken St. John's Wort for 18 years to treat my chronic, low-grade depression, and when I stop taking it, I slide into a real funk and become easily angered and irritated by ordinary situations. Thus, I would like to continue taking the SJW along with the Lemectal, but I can't find any information on possible interactions between the two drugs. I asked my psychiatrist if the two drugs were okay to take together, and she told me to ask my pharmacist! Does anyone within the  medhelp network have any first-hand experience taking the two drugs?

[Paxiled]

The problem with St. John's Wort is that nobody knows exactly how it works for depression -- different active ingredients have been claimed to be the reason, so that shows nobody knows.  It has also been erroneously called an MAO inhibitor, etc.  It's generally advised not to use it with serotonin affecting drugs, which is why the Effexor as noted above, but Lamictal isn't one of those, but Lamictal does seem to interact adversely with a whole lot of medications because of the way it enters the body.  (Because this drug is approved for seizures, we don't really know why this drug works exactly for depression either).  So I don't think anyone can tell you for certain whether or not you can take St. John's Wort with it or not.  I'd guess yes, but I wouldn't want to be guessing in these situations, and if it works the St. John's Wort would be redundant.  Don't know if you'll find a definitive answer to your question, but you might try contacting the American Herbal Products Association and see if they can direct you to an answer -- what I can guarantee is your doctor or pharmacist won't be able to help.  If you choose to use it, using yourself as a guinea pig, you'll basically be doing what most people have to do when mixing medications with a very short history of use relatively speaking with plants that have been used for centuries but without mixing them with medications.

[Cricketk92]

Hi!
I dont know for sure the answer to your question.  But I am on effexor and my Doc told me to NOT take St Johns Wort with it!!!  Its a shame your Dr couldnt answer your question...did you try asking the pharmacist?  They might be able to give you a definite answer!!!  Good luck!!!

[MEL8813]

I should have written, "...its owner..." and NOT "...it's owner..." Dumbphone strikes again.

[MEL8813]

The drug is Lamictal, NOT Lemectal. My Smartphone is sometimes a Dumbphone--or maybe it's owner is the dummy.