Herbal Precautions

The use of herbal products is skyrocketing. From vitamins - to weight loss products - to pills and supplements to help your memory, your eyesight and your mood - more and more people are taking herbal supplements. (Read about "Complementary and Alternative Medicine")

Interactions

But there are concerns you need to be aware of. For one thing, if you are taking any prescription drugs, herbal supplements can cause problems. And that's a risk that could affect many people.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) reports that 18 percent of people who take prescription drugs are also taking herbal supplements and/or high dose vitamins. (Read about "Vitamins & Minerals") They estimate that's 15 million people in danger of dangerous interactions. NCCAM also says that over 60 percent of those they talked with had never told their doctors about taking the supplements.

Other concerns

Herbal products are also not regulated by the government. NCCAM says that means they aren't tested to see if they do what's claimed. There also isn't any oversight on purity, in other words, if the product actually contains what it says it does. And because of the lack of testing, the way herbal products will interact with other drugs is still largely unknown as well.

Some studies that have been done have shown serious interaction problems. (Read about "Clinical Studies") For example, NCCAM reports that St. John's Wort has been shown to lessen the effect of certain AIDS drugs (Read about "HIV / AIDS") and lower the effectiveness of certain transplant drugs. (Read about "Transplants")

Interactions and effects

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Cooperative Extension Service and the Food and Drug Administration, here are some warnings about popular supplements:

• St. John's Wort can affect the way drugs such as antidepressants and sleeping pills work. It may also make people more sensitive to the sun. (Read about "Sunscreen") Some other side effects include upset stomach, dizziness, confusion and dry mouth.
• Ginkgo biloba should not be taken with any type of blood thinner. That means if someone is taking any drugs for high blood pressure (Read about "Hypertension") or heart disease (Read about "Coronary Heart Disease"), even aspirin, Ginkgo biloba could be dangerous.
• Ephedra, also known ma huang, used to be found in many weight loss products. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now bans the sale of dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids. There have been thousands of reports to the FDA of ephedra as the cause of reactions ranging from insomnia and headache to seizure, heart arrhythmia, stroke, heart attack and even death. (Read about insomnia in "Sleep" also read about "Headaches" "Seizures" "Arrhythmia" "Stroke" "Heart Attack")
• Kava can add to the affects of sedatives and therefore should never be used with things like alcohol, sedatives and sleeping pills. You should also not take it if you are on anti-Parkinson or antipsychotic drugs because it may increase tremors or muscle spasms. (Read about "Parkinson's Disease") In March of 2002 the FDA issued a warning about the use of dietary supplements containing kava (also known as kava kava or Piper methysticum) being associated with the potential risk of severe liver damage. FDA cited reports from other countries of liver related injuries and at least one report in the United States that required a liver transplant.
• Dietary supplements containing comfrey are also considered by the FDA to be dangerous to your liver. (Read about "The Liver")

Herbal supplements should never be taken before surgery; in fact, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) recommends stopping supplements at least two weeks before surgery. If you have been taking supplements regularly, ASA suggests asking your doctor how to wean yourself off them prior to any surgery. (Read about "Anesthesia")

Talk to your doctor

If you do decide to take supplements, you should talk to your doctor before taking them and keep him or her informed if there are any reactions. Also, remember that supplements don't just interact with prescription medicines; they also interact with over-the-counter drugs so be sure to discuss this with your doctor as well.

Related Information:

    Medication and Digestion

    Taking Medicine