St. John's Wort & Ecstacy

[shugabooga]

Do these two substances interact in any way? The St. John's Wort also has Ginkgo Biloba, Siberian Ginseng and Ginger in it.

[BillDaThrill]

Well I think St johns wort is suppose to raise seratonin levels while ectasy just deplenishes it.

[e-tarded]

St Johns, is an anti-depressant.. You dont say whether you are taking it on a regular basis or not. Also the other ones will have no cross interaction.

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~*P*L*U*R*~

Four Simple Words To Live By....

[knightcrawler]

here's the real 411 from a chemist:

st. john's wort is an anti-depressant which functions in a similar way as mdma, in that they both act to stimulate the release of serotonin levels in the brain, therefore elevating your mood. the ginko, ginseng, and ginger help increase blood flow to the brain to help the entire process along.

some are under the assumption that using st. john's wort will help the "down cycle" after using mdma. this is on the contrary, as it will act to deplete the stores of serotonin that your body is so desperately trying to replenish after your trip, as well as leaving you with less serotonin for your next hit (the replenishing process takes between 1-2 WEEKS to return to max levels).

if you are interested in something to aid the re-building process, then try 5-HTP (a "building block" of serotonin) available at any supplement store.

hope this helps~

[e-tarded]

Ok heres the real 411 on St. Johns Wort

Originally it was thought that the action of St. John's wort extract as an antidepressant was due to hypericin acting as an inhibitor of the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO) - thereby resulting in the increase of CNS monoamines such as serotonin and dopamine. However, newer information indicates that St. John's wort possesses no in vivo inhibition of MAO.3,4

At least two other mechanisms have been proposed: modulation of interleukin-6 activity and inhibition of the re-uptake of serotonin. The modulating effects of St. John's wort extract on interleukin-6 (IL-6) is the most interesting as it proposes a mechanism by which St. John's wort interacts with the link between the immune system and mood. The immune system and the nervous system share many common biochemical features and regulatory interactions. In regards to IL-6, this cytokine is heavily involved in the communication between cells within and outside the immune system. In relationship to the nervous system, IL-6 is known to modulate hypothalamic-pituitary-end organ axes, especially the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The hypothesis is that an elevation in IL-6 results in activation of the HPA axis leading to elevations in CRH and other adrenal regulatory hormones - hallmark features in depression. St. John's wort extract has shown an ability to reduce IL-6 levels, hence this action may explain the clinical effectiveness of St. John's wort extract.5

St. John's wort extract has also been shown to inhibit the re-uptake of serotonin similar in fashion to drugs like fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft). The study demonstrating a 50% serotonin re-uptake inhibition utilized the 0.3% hypericin content standardized extract at a concentration of 6.2 mcg/ml and did not attempt to identify the active inhibitors.6 Even though the authors of the study concluded "that the antidepressant activity of Hypericum extract is due to inhibition of serotonin uptake by postsynaptic receptors."

An important point must be made - until pharmacokinetic studies demonstrate that St. John's wort components pass across the blood-brain barrier a primary site of action outside the central nervous system cannot be ruled out.

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~*P*L*U*R*~

Four Simple Words To Live By....

[rabidpanda]

Im not sure about the chemical mechanisms involved, but I know I took a ST. Johns Wort about an hour before hitting a bean, and I got the worst fucking headache imaginable. It was like someone was trying to inflate a blimp in my head, oh god... I feel sick just thinking about it.

[knightcrawler]

very well stated, e-tarted. are you in the trade by profession, for enjoyment, or both?

however, aside from yourself & me, i'm not sure if shugabooga or the rest can translate your thourough dissertation of the subject~

[knightcrawler]

very admirable, e-tarded. your attitude is one that should be shared by more users. as for myself, it's a side benefit to make a career & get paid for the research that you perform.

just like fatboy said: "BETTER LIVING THROUGH CHEMISTRY"

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"You take the blue pill:

The story ends, you wake up in your bed, and believe whatever you want to believe.

You take the red pill:

You stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes..."

-Morpheus[i/]

[e-tarded]

I was actually thinking bout going back to school and finishing my degree in chemistry, but I dont know if I really want to spend the money on it. I am still paying off my college loans from the first time.

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~*P*L*U*R*~

Four Simple Words To Live By....

[e-tarded]

I am in it from for research. I decided when I started doing drugs, I wanted to learn all I could about everything I was putting into my body, and ways to negate the side effects if possible.

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~*P*L*U*R*~

Four Simple Words To Live By....

[knightcrawler]

it sounds like you are somewhat knowledgeable about the subject, and show serious interest. many on the boards here look towards you for information on very serious topics. just use it as incentive that you have the possibility to make your hobby into a lucrative career. keep up the good work~

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"You take the blue pill:

The story ends, you wake up in your bed, and believe whatever you want to believe.

You take the red pill:

You stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes..."

-Morpheus