If you have any additional questions or for more information regarding OTIS , contact the Teratology Information Service in your area. With every pregnancy, any woman has a 3 to 5 percent chance to have a baby with a birth defect. I am taking St. John's Wort, but I would like to stop taking it before becoming pregnant. St. John's Wort is an herbal medication obtained from the flowering tops of the perennial plant Hypericum perforatum. St. John's Wort has many components including anthracene derivatives, flavonoids, xanthones, caffeic acid derivatives, tannins, and volatile oils.
Composition is altered by the harvesting, drying process, and storage of plant material.
The herbal medication is taken orally or applied topically depending on the reason for use. The composition and amount of active ingredients may also vary widely. Unlike a prescription medication, it is not regulated by the Federal Drug Administration and does not have set standards for preparation, safety, or degree of effectiveness. St. John's Wort is most commonly used to treat mild or moderate depression. However, it has also been used to treat other conditions such as sleep disorders, viral infections, cancer, burns and wounds, and insect bites.