St John’s Wort

This plant is named after St John the Baptist whose feast day is 24th June, which happens to be the longest day and when the plant is in full bloom. The plant has fine yellow petals resembling a halo and red sap which represents the blood of the martyr. The plant is also known as hypericum and has been used widely in Europe to treat depression, seasonally affective disorder or SAD syndrome and the emotional aspects of the menopause. The results from several scientific trials have shown it to be as effective as some of the antidepressants commonly prescribed to treat the above disorders but without many of the side effects associated with these drugs.

What dose is required?
The recommended dose is 900µgm of hypericum which is the active ingredient per day. This dose of hypericum is usually sold as once a day St John’s Wort extract. However, in some cases the dose of hypericum may need to be increased to 1800 to 2700 µgm ( the concentration of hypericum should be shown on the packaging and should be looked for before purchasing )to achieve a satisfactory response but should only be increased in consultation with a doctor.

Recently it has been shown that St John’s Wort can interact with other drugs taken by patients. If you are taking the following drugs, advice from your doctor should be sought before taking St John’s Wort: anti-aids drugs, anticoagulants namely Warfarin, Digoxin, and anti-rejection drug such as Cyclosporin.

St John’s Wort can be obtained from most pharmacies and reputable health food stores.

Update - 2005

A recent trial has just been completed which confirms the effect of St Johns Wort in mild to moderate depression.

In this study St Johns Wort was just as effective as paroxetine (seroxat) in improving depression but had fewer side effects. The dose required to achieve thiseffect was up to 1800ugms of hypericum which is usually equivalent to 1or 2 one-a-day doses of St Johns Wort. This allows a more natural remedy with less side effects to be given to patients with depression. 

Gingko Biloba

Glucosamine Sulphate

Much as been written about this sugar based substance. It is believed to act as a building block for the production of cartilage of joints. Glucosamine helps to assist repair of cartilage which has been worn away by arthritis.

Scientific evidence from trials held has shown that glucosamine is of benefit to patients with osteoarthritis. A comparison between Glucosamine Sulphate and Ibuprofen/Brufen showed that it was just as effective in reducing the pain and tenderness associated with osteoarthritis, but had less side effects. The minimum dose required is 1500 mg/day or 3 x 500 mg tablets per day.

More recently a study on the progression of arthritis of the knees showed that in the patients taking glucoamine the joint damage appeared to be prevented over a 3 year period. In those not taking glucosamine the joint damage worsened. This is the first study to show joint damage by arthritis can be prevented by any drug or herb.

It is essential to maintain this dose for approximately six weeks before considering any reduction in the dose. Once improvement has been achieved the dose of glucosamine can then be reduced but usually 500mg or 1000mg will be required to maintain this improved state. Smaller doses can be purchased from Health Food Shops but is would appear that treatment with smaller doses is not successful.

There are no known interactions with other drugs so they may be taken with other medications for other conditions.

Cranberry juice and Urine Infections

Several studies appear to show that cranberry juice can prevent urine infections in women. However it cannot be used to treat an established infection which is quite important. It is believed that substances in the cranberry juice prevent bacteria sticking to the wall of the bladder but it may also prevent infection by changing the acidity of the urine thus preventing bacterial growth.

The dose required to prevent infection recurring is one tablet of concentrated cranberry juice extract twice a day or 250mls of unsweetened cranberry juice three times a day.

This treatment does not work in patients with bladder problems as a result of multiple sclerosis or spinal cord paralysis.

There is now overwhelming scientific evidence that acupuncture / acupressure can have an effect in reducing vomiting induced by chemotherapy, after operations, and pregnancy, to name a few. The acupuncture point, specific for this effect, lies centrally approximately two thumbs widths from the skin crease at the wrist on the undersurface of the forearm. This point is already well known by some because it coincides with the position where wrist bands are positioned to prevent travel sickness. It is termed PC6 or pericardium 6 as it lies on the pericardium meridian or energy line which the Chinese believe stretches from the tip of the hand to the heart.

To have an effect either a needle or the pressure stud of the wrist band should be placed over this point and stimulated intermittently by either gently turning the needle or pressing gently on the pressure stud of the band. The stimulation should be continued for varying lengths of time and is dependent on the condition being treated, but in the case of operations and chemotherapy should continue for at least twenty-four hours after the event.

This treatment is safe and without any known side effects and can safely be used in children and pregnant women. This is particularly beneficial as it avoids any untoward side effects of the anti-vomiting drugs which include drowsiness and in some cases abnormal muscle spasms which can result in contortions of the face and limbs.

So next time you may be undergoing surgery ask about PC6 stimulation to prevent vomiting. It works and is particularly useful in children with diarrhoea and vomiting as it allows you to get fluid into them to avoid dehydration.

Melatonin and sleep problems

Melatonin is a hormone which is released by a small organ in the brain called the pineal gland at night in response to the lack of daylight. In the morning as soon as the eyes see natural daylight the brain ceases to release melatonin. This day / night fluctuation in melatonin secretion is believed to be the mechanism for controlling our sleep pattern. Melatonin helps to induce sleep but without any of the side effects of sedatives and hypnotics and has been used to treat jet lag, insomnia / sleeplessness in people with visual problems and also the elderly.

Use in the elderly:
The reason for sleep disturbance in the elderly is that as one grows older melatonin levels fall in the blood stream due to the fact that the pineal gland shrivels with age. Visual problems such as cataract and age related macular degeneration, very often found in the elderly, compound the problem as the diminished light entry to the eye interferes with the day / night fluctuations in melatonin secretion outlined above and disturbs sleep pattern. This may be one reason the elderly tend to sleep in the day and have disturbed sleep at night. In this situation melatonin needs to be taken before retiring to bed.

Jet lag
The reason for using melatonin in cases of people with jet lag and shift workers is to try to trick the body into believing that it is night time when trying to sleep in the daytime. In this situation melatonin needs to be taken prior to going to sleep in the morning but also ensuring that as much daylight is excluded from your room so that your own brain maintains the level of melatonin in the blood stream after going to sleep.

Dosage
The dose required is 1 to 9mg melatonin when needed.

How to obtain Melatonin
Melatonin is freely available in the USA but can only be obtained in the UK through a doctor’s private prescription. If you would like to obtain a supply of Melatonin this can be purchased from The Abbey Practice.

The cost of Melatonin, from The Abbey Practice, is £9 / 30 (3mg tablets) or £18.00/ 60 (3mg tablets) to include postage and packing. This is because Government legislation and interference has caused more paperwork to be completed and as a result raised the cost of this product.

Saw Palmetto and the Prostate

This herbal product has recently been shown to be very beneficial to men with prostate symptoms such as difficulty in passing urine and frequency of urination.  This fruit was also shown to shrink the size of the prostate gland explaining the reason why the fruit improves prostate symptoms.

The dose required to achieve this was 320mgs of Saw Palmetto per day. There appear to be very few side effects from this fruit unlike its drug counterparts. However, before embarking on this treatment it is important that you consult with Dr. Stellon so that a full examination is undertaken, along with a blood test, to exclude the possible presence of cancer of the prostate gland, as this presents with similar symptoms, as outlined above.