Question
Is it safe to take St. John's wort while on antiretrovirals?
6 May 2008. Related: All topics, Drug interactions, Resistance, Side effects, Supplements and herbs.
I am on Kivexa and Atanazavir. I would like to know if it is safe to take St. John’s wort with my antiretrovirals?
Answer
Thank you for your question. St. John’s wort is effective in treating mild to moderate depression with little or no side effects. But a very small percentage of people experience side-effects such as fatigue, restlessness, sensitivity to heat or cold, a rash and nausea.
St. John’s wort is not recommended when you are taking non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) or protease inhibitors (PIs). It reduces the levels of these drugs which may put someone on these drugs at risk of resistance and eventually treatment failure.
Comment