Boots Max Strength St John’s Wort Mood Lift Tablets
St John’s Wort extract 425mg
This medicine is a traditional herbal medicinal product available without prescription to treat minor conditions. However, you still need to take it carefully to get the best results from it.
- Keep this leaflet, you may need to read it again
- Ask your pharmacist if you need more information or advice
- You must contact a pharmacist or doctor if your symptoms worsen or do not improve after 6 weeks
This traditional herbal medicinal product contains St John’s Wort extract which has traditionally been used to relieve the symptoms of slightly low mood and mild anxiety. This medicine is recommended for these conditions based on traditional use only.
This medicine can be taken by adults aged 18 years and over. However, some people should not take this medicine or should seek the advice of their pharmacist or doctor first.
- If you are under 18 years
- If you are allergic to any of the ingredients (see “What is in this medicine”)
- If you have been diagnosed with depression or think you may be depressed (see “Other important information”)
- If your skin is very sensitive to sunlight
- If you are having light treatment
- If you are about to have an operation (see “Other important information”)
- If you have an intolerance to some sugars, unless your doctor tells you to (this medicine contains glucose and sucrose)
- If you are pregnant or breast-feeding
Symptoms of depression include feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, loss of interest in daily activities, changes in appetite or weight, changes in sleeping patterns or habits, loss of energy and difficulty in concentrating. If your doctor has told you that you have depression, do not take this medicine. It does not relieve the symptoms of depression. If you think you have depression talk to your doctor before taking this medicine.
If you need to go into hospital for an operation, tell the doctor that you are taking this medicine. Stop taking this medicine at least 10 days before your operation so that it does not affect the anaesthetic or pain medicines that you need.
Avoid excessive sunbathing or the use of sunbeds/solariums while you are taking this medicine.
Driving and using machines: This medicine may cause you to feel dizzy or sleepy. If you are affected do not drive or use machines.
You should not take this medicine if you taking certain medicines (see below).
If you are not sure about your medicine is on this list, or you are unsure about interactions with any other medicines, talk to your pharmacist. This includes medicines prescribed by your doctor or medicine you have bought for yourself.
Do not take this medicine if you are taking any of the following medicines:
- All hormonal contraceptives - the birth control ‘Pill’, emergency contraception (also known as “the morning after pill”), hormonal implant, creams, patches, intra-uterine devices with hormones
- All medicines for depression/anxiety - amitriptyline, clomipramine, moclobemide, citalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, duloxetine, venlafaxine
- All hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) treatments - HRT tablets, patches, gels, vaginal rings
- All medicines for thinning the blood (anticoagulants) - warfarin, acenocoumarol
- All medicines for epilepsy - carbamazepine, phenobarbitone, phenytoin, primidone, sodium valproate
- All immunosuppressant medicines - ciclosporin, tacrolimus
- All medicines for HIV infections - amprenavir, atazanavir, darunavir, fosamprenavir, indinavir, lopinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir, tipranavir, efavirenz, nevirapine, delavirdine
- Some medicines for cholesterol - simvastatin, atorvastatin
- Some medicines for cancer - irinotecan, dasatinib, erlotinib, imatinib, sorafenib, sunitinib, etoposide, mitotane
- Some medicines for heart disease - digoxin, ivabradine, amiodarone
- Some medicines for migraine - almotriptan, eletriptan, frovatriptan, naratriptan, rizatriptan, sumatriptan, zolmitriptan
- Some medicines for high blood pressure - amlodipine, nifedipine, felodipine, verapamil
- A medicine for regulating mood - lithium.
- A thyroid hormone - thyroxine.
St John’s Wort may also affect the following medicines. Therefore do not take this medicine at the same time, unless a doctor has said it is safe to do so:
- Fentanyl, propofol, sevoflurane, midazolam (anaesthetics/pre-operative medicines)
- Tramadol (an analgesic)
- Erythromycin, clarithromycin and telithromycin (antibiotics)
- Itraconazole and voriconazole (antifungals)
- Artemether and lumefantrine (antimalarials)
- Rasagiline (for Parkinson’s medicine)
- Aripiprazole (an antipsychotic medicine)
- Buspirone (an anxiolytic)
- Aprepitant (used to treat post-operative vomiting)
- Butobarbital and phenobarbital (barbiturates)
- Methyl phenidate (a central nervous system stimulant)
- Exemestane (a hormonal antagonist for breast cancer)
- Eplerenone (a diuretic or water tablet)
- Lansoprazole and omeprazole (proton pump inhibitors for heartburn)
- Theophylline (a bronchodilator for breathing problems)
- Gliclazide (for diabetes)
Check the foil is not broken before use. If it is, do not take that tablet.
Adults aged 18 years and over: take one tablet once daily
Swallow the tablet whole with water or other liquid. Do not chew the tablet.
Do not give to children or adolescents under 18 years.
Do not take more than the amount recommended above.
If symptoms worsen or do not improve within 6 weeks talk to your doctor.
If you take too many tablets: Talk to a pharmacist or doctor.
Most people will not have problems, but some may get some.
See a doctor:
- Allergic reactions (skin rash, hives, red itchy skin)
- Stomach problems, e.g. indigestion, loss of appetite, feeling sick (nausea), diarrhoea, constipation
- Fatigue, restlessness
- Sunburn-like reactions in skin exposed to strong sunlight or strong ultra-violet (UV) irradiation e.g. solarium, particularly in fair skinned individuals
- Headaches, nerve pain or tingling, dizziness, mania (raised excitability), anxiety
If any side effect becomes severe, lasts more than a few days, or you notice any side effect not listed here, please tell your pharmacist or doctor.
If you get any side-effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or qualified healthcare practitioner. This includes any possible side effect snot listed in the package leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple app Store. By reporting side-effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
Do not store above 25°C.
Keep this medicine in a safe place out of the sight and reach of children, preferably in a locked cupboard.
Use by the date on the base of the carton. After this date return any unused product to your nearest pharmacy for safe disposal.
Each coated tablet of this product contains 425 mg of extract (as dry extract) from St John’s Wort aerial parts (Hypericum perforatum L.) (3.5-6:1). This is equivalent to 1490-2550 mg of St John’s Wort. The extraction solvent is ethanol 60 % v/v.
As well as the active ingredient, the tablets also contain maltodextrin, colloidal anhydrous silica, microcrystalline cellulose, croscarmellose sodium, sodium starch glycolate (type A), magnesium stearate.
The tablet coating contains hypromellose, sucrose, talc, calcium carbonate (E170), tragacanth, acacia, glucose, beeswax white, carnauba wax, shellac, titanium dioxide (E171), yellow iron oxide (E172), vanillin.
The pack contains 30 or 90 coated tablets.
Manufactured for
The Boots Company PLC
Nottingham
NG2 3AA
by
Wiewelhove GmbH
Gildestrasse 39
49477 Ibbenbűren
Germany
Traditional Herbal Registration held by
Schwabe Pharma (UK) Ltd
Alexander House
Mere Park Dedmere Road
Marlow
Bucks
SL7 1FX
Leaflet prepared April 2021
If you would like any further information about this medicine, please contact
The Boots Company PLC
Nottingham
NG2 3AA
Other formats
To request a copy of this leaflet in Braille, large print or audio please call, free of charge:
0800 198 5000 (UK only)
Please be ready to give the following information:
Product name: Boots Max Strength St John’s Wort Mood Lift Tablets
Reference number: THR 23056/0007
This is a service provided by the Royal National Institute of Blind People.
Artwork Ref: WBA-1100-R3