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Herbs & Supplements
Hardhay
Scientific Name: St. John's Wort
Other Names: Amber Touch-and-Heal, Hypericum, Hypericum perforatum, Klamath Weed, Millepertuis, Rosin Rose, SJW, Tipton Weed
When should I be careful taking it?
In animal studies, oral doses of St. John's wort have caused the muscles of the uterus to tighten, possibly causing a miscarriage. Whether enough of topically applied products are absorbed to cause a similar effect is not known. Although no human miscarriages have been attributed to taking or using St. John's wort, pregnant women should avoid it.
Individuals who have received a transplanted heart, kidney, liver, lungs or other organ should not take or use St. John's wort because it has been shown to interfere with the medications needed by transplant recipients.
St. John's wort may cause or worsen mental conditions for individuals with Alzheimer's disease, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. Cases of psychosis (not being able to tell what is real from what is imagined) or mania (excessive happiness) have been reported after patients with a previously diagnosed mental illness took St. John's wort.
Precautions
Even though small amounts of St. John's wort have been found in the breast milk of new mothers who take it, very little of the active ingredients were detected in the blood of their infants. Those babies may have a slightly higher risk of fatigue or colic, however.
High doses of oral St. John's wort appeared to impair fertility among female study animals and affect sperm activity among males. No similar results have been reported from humans who take St. John's wort, but one case has been documented of sexual malfunction in a man who took St. John's wort for 9 months. Couples who are trying to conceive a child are advised to avoid taking St. John's wort.
In study animals, St. John's wort has extended the time that food and other substances stay in the stomach. While not usually serious, delayed stomach emptying may interfere with treatment for diabetes and it may result in bloating, heartburn, nausea, or weight loss.
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Note: The above information is not intended to replace the advice of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not meant to indicate that the use of the product is safe, appropriate, or effective for you.
In general, herbal products are not subject to review or approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They are not required to be standardized, meaning that the amounts of active ingredients or contaminants they contain may vary between brands or between different batches of the same brand. Not all of the risks, side effects, or interactions associated with the use of herbal products are known because few reliable studies of their use in humans have been done.
This information is provided for your education only. Please share this information with your healthcare provider and be sure that you talk to your doctor and pharmacist about all the prescription and non-prescription medicines you take before you begin to use any herbal product.
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When should I be careful taking it? 
