A summary of recent research into St. John's Wort can be found in Herbalgram
#40 Summer 1997 ( available as back issue from American Botanical Council
www.herbalgram.org - a non-profit educational organization).  The therapeutics
section of this monograph was written by Jerry Cott, an NIH pharmacologist
doing research on SJW.

While the earlier German Commission E monograph states that SJW should be
avoided in lactation ( at the time the herb was thought to be a MAOI,
otherwise reasons for contraindication for lactation unclear),  the current
monograph does not list lactation as a contraindication.  It notes "Slight in
vitro uterotonic effects have been reported in animal models", the author
suggesting caution in pregnancy.  Based on work done in the mid-90's as well
as clinical experience, this monograph suggests that SJW is not much of an
MAOI and that a wide range of neurotransmitters are affected by a number of
chemical constituents in the herb ( hypericin's role now considered unclear).

So, no documented evidence of adverse effects with lactation though previous
post by a Lactnetter described how she developed a strong letdown after a few
days of taking a standard dose of SJW ( 300 mg. of 0.3% hypericin 3X/day).
Baby colicky/restless ( hope I recall correctly).  Sounded a bit like the
adverse rx with Prozac noted for the mom with newborn (see Tom Hale's book).
Question is - is the baby reacting to the medicine or to an alteration in the
lactation brought on in the mother by the medicine?

Has anyone seen this or any other lactation-related effect in SJW?

Sheila Humphrey  B.Sc(Botany)  RN  IBCLC