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Side Effects of Hypericin

Hypericin (St. John's Wort) is an herbal remedy shown to have a significant anti-depressant effect. Studies have shown hypericin to have few other side effects or interactions with other treatments.

  1. Known Side Effects

    • There are only two known side effects of hypericin. One is a skin rash, and the other is light sensitivity. These effects are only observed in patients being treated with very high dosages or St. John's Wort or a purified hypericin extract.

    Menstruation Effect

    • Hypericin is sometimes used to increase women's menstrual flow although this has not been shown to be a consistent effect.

    Fertility

    • Some studies have shown a negative effect on fertility in both men and women and hypericin isn't recommended for women who are pregnant or may become pregnant.

    Interaction With Other Therapies

    • Hypericin can have a slight antiviral effect when given in high doses and is being tested as a way to reduce an AIDS patient's HIV viral load.

    Indinavir Interaction

    • Used with Indinavir, an anti-retroviral drug, however, Hypericin has been shown to cause a large drop in the blood levels of the drug. Hypericin is not recommended for use with Indinavir.

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