The dosage will be somewhat variable, both because patients differ and because products differ. If you decide that St. John's Wort is something to try, and you're buying it as capsules or tablets, the dosage suggested on the bottle will probably be a good starting point.

Note that St. John's Wort will not be the perfect solution for everyone. It has a few side effects that sometimes crop up, like making one sensitive to sunlight. It is a mild monoamine oxidase inhibitor, which means that it can interact with some medications (including most synthetic antidepressants) and foods to cause a temporary increase in blood pressure, which could be a bad thing if the patient already had a blood pressure problem. It has done pretty well in a number of trials when used to treat mild depression, but evidence that it does as well for moderate to severe depression are lacking.

Another natural, over-the-health-food-store-counter approach is SAM-e (S-adenosylmethionine). It has done well in studies where it was combined with the current generation of synthetic antidepressants (SSRIs), and many people have found it to work on its own, including people who did not respond to St. John's Wort. It has no side effects at any reasonable dosage.

Exercise is good at shaking depression too, although getting a depressed person to stick to an exercise regimen may not be easy.

Note that none of the above will work overnight, just like synthetic antidepressants they take a little time. Also like synthetic antidepressants, some treatments will work a lot better on a given individual than others. Some treatments which are considered effective simply will not work on some people, but they'll respond nicely to something different. So, if one approach has been tried for a few weeks and doesn't seem to be going anywhere, don't be afraid to try another! Or a combination.

one thing that made me feel on top of the world was red clover. it is a blood cleanser and not specifically for depression. but it really did make me feel alot better.

It's worth mentioning for anyone on birth control pills that St. John's Wort has been shown to decrease their effectiveness. You can find several palatable articles about the how and whys at WebMD.com

dont take st. johns wort in capusles or tablets. take a tincture of the fresh plant. st johns wort is a fresh plant only kind of herb, and capsules of it are typically "standardized extracts" which basically means that someone decided that certain chemicals or a certain group of chemicals are what makes it work and has made sure that you are getting very high levels of those constituents. and the side effects with perscription drugs came from using the standardized extracts, not the whole plant. this herb works best as a whole plant, where all the constituents can work together. the dose is typically 1-3 dropperfuls 1-3 times a day. i would also suggest using mugwort for your depression.