St. John's wort
St. John's Wort in MemoPryl
St. John's wort is a named MemoPryl ingredient with no published amount. It is studied for mild to moderate depression, not memory, and it interacts with many medicines, including birth control pills, antidepressants and warfarin. Show the bottle to your pharmacist first.
Prepared by the MemoPryl label deskUpdated
Background01
What is St. John's wort doing in a memory capsule?
St. John's wort is a yellow-flowered herb, and in MemoPryl it is one of six named ingredients. It is the odd one out. Almost all the research on it is about low mood, not memory.
The brief for this product lists it fourth, after N-acetyl L-carnitine. Sponsored coverage of the vendor names it too, and warns about its drug interactions (Sponsored coverage of the vendor). No milligram amount is published anywhere we looked.
So we cannot say how much of the herb is in a capsule, or which kind of extract it is. That matters, because St. John's wort products vary widely (Cochrane, St. John's wort).
| Name on the label | St. John's wort |
|---|---|
| What it is | Hypericum perforatum |
| Group on the panel | Herbal extracts |
| Amount per serving (label) | Not published |
| % Daily Value | Not known |
| Amount used in research | Depression trials used standardized extracts for 4 to 12 weeks; not studied for memory |
| Strength of evidence | Researched for mild to moderate depression rather than memory |
| Marketed or traditional use | Traditionally taken for mood |
| Main caution | Interacts with many medicines, including birth control pills, antidepressants and warfarin; sun sensitivity. |
The research02
Is St. John's wort good for memory?
No memory benefit from St. John's wort has been shown in the sources we read. The studies ask a different question: does it help with depression?
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says studies suggest it may help mild to moderate depression, and that evidence for most other uses does not clearly show benefit (NCCIH, St. John's wort). A Cochrane review of 29 trials looked at depression only, not memory (Cochrane, St. John's wort).
The same center adds that it is not consistently effective for depression and should not replace regular care (NCCIH, St. John's wort in depth). If low mood is behind your worry about focus, a doctor is the right first stop.
| Question | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Mild to moderate depression | May help, studied for about 4 to 12 weeks (NCCIH, St. John's wort) (Cochrane, St. John's wort) |
| Memory or focus | No trial found in our sources |
| Dementia or Alzheimer's | No evidence of benefit found |
| Amount in MemoPryl | Not published |
Research amounts for St. John's wort come from depression trials with standardized extracts. They say nothing about the MemoPryl amount.
Medicine check03
What medicines does St. John's wort interact with?
St. John's wort interacts with a long list of medicines, which is the main reason it gets its own page. The herb speeds up how fast the body clears many drugs, so they can stop working as planned.
Reviewers call it a potent inducer of liver enzymes with an overall high risk of drug interaction (NCCIH, herb-drug interactions). The list includes birth control pills, warfarin, cyclosporine, some HIV drugs, digoxin, oxycodone and some cancer drugs (NCCIH, St. John's wort in depth).
It can also add to some antidepressants and raise serotonin too far. Signs include agitation, diarrhea, a fast heartbeat and fever (NCCIH, St. John's wort in depth).
Keep taking your prescribed medicine exactly as directed. Do not stop one to make room for a supplement.
Birth control pills
The herb can weaken them. Ask about a backup method before you start.
Blood thinners
Warfarin is on the list. Changes may be hard to notice until a blood test.
Antidepressants
Combining them may push serotonin too high. This can be serious.
MemoPryl also names ginkgo, which has its own blood thinner caution. See ginkgo in MemoPryl and the guide to supplements and medicines.
Other cautions04
What are the side effects of St. John's wort?
Reported side effects of St. John's wort include diarrhea, dizziness, trouble sleeping, restlessness and skin tingling. Most are mild (NCCIH, St. John's wort).
The herb can also make skin sensitive to sunlight, and large oral doses may cause severe reactions after sun exposure (NCCIH, St. John's wort). It may worsen anxiety. Worse psychosis has been reported in people with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia (NCCIH, St. John's wort in depth).
We found no safety data on the MemoPryl capsules themselves, because the amount is not published.
Reasons it may be fine for some people
- You take no regular prescription medicine
- Your pharmacist has seen the full ingredient list
- You are an adult who is not pregnant or nursing
Reasons to stop and ask first
- You use birth control, warfarin or an antidepressant
- You have bipolar disorder or schizophrenia
- Surgery is planned, or a transplant drug is in your routine
Pregnant, nursing or under 18? Talk to a doctor before any supplement (NCCIH, supplements wisely).
Before you order05
How do you check St. John's wort on a MemoPryl bottle?
Read the Supplement Facts panel on your bottle and look for St. John's wort by name. This site found no panel, so the amount, the extract type and the other ingredients are unknown.
Other listings with similar names sell different formulas. If your bottle lists rhodiola or ginseng instead, it is not the formula described here.
A law requires supplement labels to list each ingredient and its amount (21 CFR 101.36, supplement labels). Take a photo of the panel and show it with your medicine list.
Find the name
Look for St. John's wort or Hypericum perforatum on the panel.
Write down the amount
Note the number on the label. This site has none to compare.
Show your pharmacist
Ask if it clashes with anything you take, including over-the-counter products.
The supplement facts page sets out what is published and what is not.
Keep reading06
What should you read next about MemoPryl ingredients?
Read the other five ingredient pages and the safety guide, then decide. Each page keeps the research and the label facts apart.
Memory worries deserve a real check-up. A supplement is not a substitute for a doctor's visit when forgetting grows (CDC, dementia signs).
FAQ07
MemoPryl questions people ask
Does St. John's wort help memory?
No memory benefit has been shown in the sources we read. The research is about mild to moderate depression (NCCIH, St. John's wort). Whether the MemoPryl amount helps anything is unknown, because the amount is not published.
What drugs should not be mixed with St. John's wort?
Birth control pills, warfarin, cyclosporine, some HIV drugs, digoxin, oxycodone and some antidepressants are on the list (NCCIH, St. John's wort in depth). Before you start, show a pharmacist the bottle and your medicine list.
Can St. John's wort weaken birth control?
Yes, it can. NCCIH lists birth control pills among the medicines it may weaken (NCCIH, St. John's wort). If you use them and plan to try MemoPryl, ask a pharmacist about a backup method first.
Is St. John's wort safe with antidepressants?
Not without a doctor's say. Combining it with certain antidepressants can raise serotonin too far, a risk that can be serious (NCCIH, St. John's wort in depth). Do not stop your own medicine to try a supplement.
Does St. John's wort make your skin sensitive to the sun?
It can. After sun exposure, large oral doses may cause severe skin reactions (NCCIH, St. John's wort). If you take a capsule that contains it, use sun protection and ask your pharmacist what to watch for.
How much St. John's wort is in MemoPryl?
The amount is not published. No Supplement Facts panel was found. Research on the herb used standardized extracts in depression trials, which cannot be applied to MemoPryl. Read the panel on your bottle.
Why would a memory capsule include St. John's wort?
We found no source that explains the choice. The herb is traditionally taken for mood. Sponsored coverage lists it with the other five names but gives no reason (Sponsored coverage of the vendor).
Should I stop St. John's wort before surgery?
Ask your surgeon. Many care teams want a full list of herbs ahead of an operation, because some change how drugs act (NCCIH, herb-drug interactions). Bring the MemoPryl bottle to the pre-surgery visit.
Who wrote this08
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the official site, the sales page and linked NIH, FDA, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Find our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by a U.S. order-link partner, not by the maker of MemoPryl. This site earns a commission when you buy through our order links.
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