Lantz M S, Buchalter E, Giambanco V
Department of Psychiatry, The Jewish Home and Hospital, New York, New York 10025-3757, USA.
J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 1999 Spring;12(1):7-10. doi: 10.1177/089198879901200103.
There is increasing interest in and use of the herbal preparation St. John's wort. Hypericin, the major active ingredient, has many psychoactive properties. The agent is sold in the US as a nutritional supplement and is recommended for numerous conditions, including depression, anxiety, insomnia, and inflammation. We report a series of five cases of clinically diagnosed central serotonergic syndrome among elderly patients who combined prescription antidepressants with St. John's wort. Older adults are large consumers of both over-the-counter and prescription medications. They are particularly vulnerable to interactions between medications and products sold as nutritional or herbal supplements. St. John's wort requires further evaluation due to potential for drug interactions with central nervous system agents and for more definitive therapeutic indications.
对草药制剂圣约翰草的兴趣和使用正在增加。金丝桃素是其主要活性成分，具有多种精神活性特性。该制剂在美国作为营养补充剂出售，并被推荐用于多种病症，包括抑郁症、焦虑症、失眠和炎症。我们报告了一系列五例老年患者临床诊断为中枢5-羟色胺能综合征的病例，这些患者同时服用了处方抗抑郁药和圣约翰草。老年人是非处方药物和处方药物的大量消费者。他们特别容易受到药物与作为营养或草药补充剂出售的产品之间相互作用的影响。由于圣约翰草与中枢神经系统药物存在潜在的药物相互作用以及需要更明确的治疗指征，因此需要进一步评估。
