Medical disclaimer: CalmVerdict summarizes what people say about supplements on Reddit. It is not medical advice, and nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting a supplement, especially if you take an antidepressant or other medicine, are pregnant, or have a medical condition. Do not stop or change prescribed medicine on your own. If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 (US) or your local emergency number. Full disclaimer.

Calming herbs · capsules

St John's wort: What People With Stress, Anxiety or Low Mood Report on Reddit

Illustration, not a product photo.

Hypericum perforatum, an herb sold for mood.

2.8 CalmVerdict score

13 owner comments (9 with a clear rating) from r/Anxiety, r/Supplements, May 2026 to October 2026. Top 100% of the 24 ranked supplements.

Owner sentiment2.5

Recommendations1.0

Tolerability4.3

ValueNot rated

Value: Not rated. The example products differ too much in dose to compare cost fairly. How we score.

The short version

St John's wort is rated below most supplements we track: 2.8/5. Of 9 rated owner comments, 1 were positive, 3 mixed and 5 negative; 2 mention an unwanted effect. People talk most about calming effect and side effects.

Reddit comments are self-reported and unverified. They tell you what people noticed, not whether a supplement works or is safe for you.

Our guide to 5-HTP, SAMe and St. John's wort safety cites NIH sources. Reddit owners also rank supplements by mood reports. Compare the top-rated options for anxiety by concern.

What it is

St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) is most widely promoted for symptoms of depression. NCCIH says studies suggest it may help mild to moderate depression, while results for severe depression or beyond 12 weeks are uncertain.^[NCCIH]^[PubMed]

Safety and interactions

St. John's wort weakens many medicines, including birth control pills, warfarin, digoxin, cyclosporine, some HIV and cancer drugs, some seizure medicines and some antidepressants.^[NCCIH]
Taken with SSRIs or other drugs that affect serotonin it can cause serious serotonin-related side effects. Never combine it with an antidepressant; ask a pharmacist before starting.^[NCCIH]^{[MedlinePlus]}
Large doses can cause severe skin reactions after sun exposure.^[NCCIH]

Supplements can interact with medicines. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist first, especially if you are pregnant, take prescription medicine, or have red-flag symptoms. See supplement safety and interactions and serotonin supplements and antidepressants.

Reports by concern

Context	Rated owner comments	Positive	Negative	Unwanted effects
Low mood	6	0	3	1
Anxiety & worry	5	0	3	1

What Reddit owners say

Commonly praised

Calming effect: 1 owner comment

Common complaints

Side effects: 2 owner comments
Calming effect: 1 owner comment

4/5 Calming effect
“John's Wort just seemed like the right thing to try.”

owner comment via r/Supplements · 2026-09-05 · 1 upvotes

2/5 Calming effect
“I'm recovering from Serotonin Syndrome caused by 1000mg St John's Wort tablets and cough medicine.”

owner comment via r/Anxiety · 2026-07-02 · 2 upvotes

1/5 Side effects
“St Johns Wort 1000mg made it worse for me, gave me Serotonin Syndrome.”

owner comment via r/Anxiety · 2026-07-02 · 1 upvotes

+4 more owner comments

1/5
“Out of the blue I got Serotonin Syndrome from taking cough medicine on top of St Johns Wort tablets.”

owner comment via r/Anxiety · 2026-07-02 · 1 upvotes

3/5
“I also take St Johns wort which helps with depression, but doesn't help anxiety unfortunately.”

owner comment via r/Anxiety · 2026-09-14 · 1 upvotes

3/5 Mood
“St John's Wort worked great for my mood.”

owner comment via r/Supplements · 2026-09-05 · 1 upvotes

2/5
“I take St Johns Wort for depression and that is wonderful for that.”

owner comment via r/Anxiety · 2026-09-04 · -2 upvotes

Example products

These are examples of St John's wort products sold on Amazon. They are not ranked by Reddit and the score above is for the ingredient, not a specific product. Check the label for dose and other ingredients.

Example product · not Reddit-scored

Nature's Way St. John’s Wort Capsules, 700 mg per Serving, 100 ct

$8.81 on Amazon (price as of 2026-11-03). Prices change; check Amazon for the current price.

Check Price on Amazon

Example product · not Reddit-scored

Gaia Herbs St. John's Wort, 60 Vegan Capsules

Price varies; check Amazon for the current price.

Check Price on Amazon

Research to read

Published studies (we list them so you can read the evidence yourself; inclusion is not an endorsement):

FAQ

What do people say about St John's wort for stress, anxiety or mood on Reddit?

Across 13 Reddit comments from people who say they have used it, 1 of 9 rated comments were positive and 5 negative, for a CalmVerdict score of 2.8/5. These are self-reported experiences, not clinical evidence.

Do people report side effects with St John's wort?

2 of 9 rated owner comments (22%) describe an unwanted effect such as drowsiness, headache, stomach upset or feeling flat. Check the safety notes on this page and ask a doctor or pharmacist before starting.

Who talks about St John's wort most?

Most rated owner comments come from people who describe low mood or depression (6 comments, 0 positive).

Is St John's wort scored on clinical evidence?

No. The score summarizes Reddit owner comments only. Factual statements on this page link to NIH or PubMed sources, and nothing here is medical advice.