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Herbal supplements: which herbal supplements have potential drug
interactions?
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A brief article mentioning some of the potential drug interactions
with herbal supplements.
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Just because an herbal product is labeled 'natural' or 'safe' does not
mean it cannot hurt you. Many herbal supplements contain active
ingredients that do not need to mix with prescription or
over-the-counter drugs. If your doctor does not ask if you are taking
any herbal products, be sure to tell him. Herbal products can also
have harmful effects on some medical conditions such as: high blood
pressure, diabetes, pregnancy, breastfeeding, heart disease, thyroid
problems or glaucoma to name a few. Herbal products are not subjected
to the same testing as prescription medications. This can lead to
varying strengths, purities and potencies within the herbal product.

Garlic is an herbal product that needs to be avoided if taken with
blood-thinning medications such as ticlopidine, dipyridamole and
warfarin. Garlic can cause excessive bleeding because it may increase
the effect of any anticoagulant. This effect can also decrease
immunosuppressant effectiveness.

The herb ginger has similar effects as garlic. It too can cause extra
bleeding. Ginger can increase stomach acid production making the
effect of antacid medicines limited. It can lower the blood pressure,
which could affect how much of your medication you are taking. Ginger
might lower your blood sugar levels and that could affect the amount
of insulin proscribed.

St. John's wort is a popular herbal supplement for mild depression.
This herb can widely affect the body's metabolism. It should not be
taken with any antidepressants, heart medications and chemotherapy
among others. St. John's wort might reduce the effectiveness of birth
control pills, so use an alternate form. In large amounts, it can
cause heightened sun sensitivity and can interfere with the absorption
of iron and other minerals.

Echinacea is an herb that is used to help with the common cold and
other infectious illnesses. If the over-the-counter or prescription
drug has the potential to cause liver damage, echinacea needs be
avoided. If you are taking medications to treat irregular heartbeat,
rheumatoid arthritis, immunosuppressants or calcium channel blockers,
skip on the echinacea.

Feverfew needs to be avoided if taking blood-thinning medications or
aspirin. Medicines such as clopidogrel and dipyridamole reduce blood
clot formation and feverfew can increase the effect. It is also a
uterine stimulate and should be avoided during pregnancy.

A popular herbal product that people take for memory improvement is
ginkgo. Patients taking medications for anticoagulants could have the
effect increased, leading to spontaneous bleeding. In addition, it can
increase the amount of antidepressant medicine in the bloodstream.
Combining ginkgo with antipsychotic medications can lead to seizures.

Kava is an herbal supplement that is taken to enhance physical and
mental relaxation. Because this herb can cause drowsiness, it should
not be combined with sedatives, sleeping pills or alcohol. Some
reports are showing problems with the liver after taking kava. This
product needs to be avoided by people with liver problems or those who
may develop them.

Melatonin is used to help with sleep problems and as an antioxidant.
Because of this use, it should not be combined with fluvoxamine
(Luvox), an antidepressant. It can interfere with the blood pressure
lowering medication nifedipine. This might cause an increased heart
rate and blood pressure.

Written by Traci Pederson - © 2002 Pagewise

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