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Post by gabrielsmom on Apr 20, 2004 13:23:14 GMT -5
Does anyone know if St. John's Wort is safe for children?....My son is almost 9 yrs old and suffers from depression. I would like to address this issue by using St. John's Wort. I take it and it works really well for me and was wondering is I could give it to my son. Does anyone have experience using this with thier child. Also, how much would I give a child my son's age?...He will be nine in nine days and weighs 80 lbs.
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Post by DenverSarah on Apr 21, 2004 12:14:56 GMT -5
I don't really have any experience with using it for kids. I used it after I quit smoking and it helped with that. I would suggest contacting the manufacturer and seeing what they have to say.
If I had a kid who needed help with depression I would certainly rather use St. John's Wort than the medications that are currently being prescribed. Safer in my opinion. Hope he feels better!
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Post by ohmama on Apr 22, 2004 13:21:16 GMT -5
Start slow with a low dose (1 a day). It will increase the serotonin level in his brain and should help with depression. I commented on this in the other post to you. I'm sure you will find it rewarding. Be patient, it doesn't work fast. After a few days you can use 2 a day. Wait to see how he reacts after the first week. As long as there are no bipolar issues you can use this.
Oh, by the way, my son is going through puberty too. He's 10 and already has *private* hair. It seems very early for this to happen? I wonder if it has any connection with the adhd?
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Post by gabrielsmom on Apr 22, 2004 19:30:10 GMT -5
Thank you OhMama!!
I don't know if you remember, but you were always very helpful to me in our other website.
I have discussed the possibility of Bipolar several times with my son's psych. doc and he has assured me that Gabriel is not bipolar. He does not fit the criteria for diagnosis, since he does not exhibit any other symptom other than the tantrums and sometimes rages which can also be part of his depression. When I had him re-evaluated back in January they diagnosed him with ADHD/Depression (mild). He has been treating gabriel on a weekly basis since January and he is pretty confident that Gabriel is not Bipolar. So that is where we stand in regards to gabriel possibly being bipolar.
Now when you say give him only 1 capsule to begin with, do you mean 1 capsule of the St. John's that I would buy for me?....or do they come in a child's dosage?...
In regards to the puberty....LOL....I have no idea if it's related to ADHD or not...I don't think so....but you never know....Maybe we can poll all the parents here and see what the responses are?.... All I know is that I thought I had a few years before I had to deal with hormones and teenage stuff... Not looking forward to this at all..As a matter a fact....I'M SCARED!!!! LOL
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Post by ohmama on Apr 22, 2004 21:35:12 GMT -5
Yes, I do remember you. Glad to hear I was of some help to you before.
You can give him the same St. John's Wort you are taking. If you notice he is having more tantrums or is getting angry/rages because of it then stop. This means it's not going to work. Instead I would then look at something that helps with the increase of other neurotransmitters, including norepinephrine or dopamine.
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Post by gabrielsmom on Apr 25, 2004 8:50:17 GMT -5
Thank you Oh Mama I will try that.....I am also telling the doc to switch him to concerta..... We had another tantrum on friday.....I can't take much more of this....  |
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Post by AnneM on Apr 26, 2004 11:35:02 GMT -5
Hi Gabrielsmom ... my son (who is almost 16) has been taking Concerta and St Johns Wort for 1.5 years now ... and the combination has been amazing! ... but as Oh Mama says DO WATCH OUT because it really doesn't (so I understand) work for everyone ... I guess it really depends upon the "type" of adhd/add that your son has ...
I have no idea if this is significant but I will mention it anyway.... My son is way more ADD than ADHD .... and had 'adolescent-onset' depression ... (which came on at age 13). Prior to that there was no depression.
Re: Puberty ... the first 'signs' tend to start around 10-11 ... but the real hormonal kick-in (in our case anyway and I have read it is fairly typical) is around age 13 ... i.e. the commencement of adolescence .... but everyone is different so I know these ages (although a rough guideline) are NOT set in stone! ...
GOOD LUCK!! ... I am keeping everything crossed that St Johns Wort/Concerta will give you the same benefits as it has for my son ....
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Post by gabrielsmom on Apr 26, 2004 20:44:28 GMT -5
Thank you AnneM for your response and your prayers. I sure could use them. Can I keep my son from turning 13?...  aww shucks!!!! I didn't think so..... Doc!!! I'm ready for my valium now.....LOL |
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