Drug interactions between prescription medication + herbal supplements dangerous

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Drug interactions between prescription medication and herbal supplements

can be extremely dangerous

Wednesday, 11-Aug-2004 News-Medical.Net

Herbal supplements may be natural, but that doesn’t necessarily mean

that they are safe.

“Drug interactions between prescription medication and herbal

supplements can be extremely dangerous,” said Dr. ,

Pharmacist, UCSD Healthcare.

“Before taking supplements patients should talk to their physician or

pharmacists to see if there might be a potential interaction with the

medicines they might be taking,”

Herbal remedies and dietary supplements can have a range of negative

effects on treatment outcomes, interfering with everything from

birth-control pills to antibiotics to heart medications.

“St. ’s Wort, which is used for depression, is one of the riskiest

herbs to mix with drugs. It appears to speed up the pace at which the

body metabolizes drugs, diluting their effects,” said Dr. .

Commonly prescribed blood thinners and HIV medications can interact with

St. ’s Wort.

“If a patient takes St. ’s Wort in combination with birth control

pills, the birth control pills may not be as effective,” said Dr. .

“The patient thinks ‘what could be wrong with something natural?’ but

they don't realize that just putting a natural label on something

doesn't guarantee safety, " said .

“The take home message is keep a list of all your medications and herbal

medications and bring it with you when you visit your doctor or

pharmacists, tell him or her what you are taking,” said .

A lack of standardization in supplement labeling means that ingredients

and dosages can vary greatly, making herbs difficult to study.

One FDA-funded study to be published soon explores whether Echinacea, a

herb commonly taken for colds, interferes with birth-control pills.

While most drugs are equally effective for women and men, women

experience more adverse reactions to medications and those reported for

women are frequently more serious.

“Combining herbal supplements with medications may be riskier for women,

said Hermann, M.D., Cardiologist. “Women have a greater risk of

developing heart problems.”

As doctors and pharmacists seek reliable information, companies are

launching databases that allow health care practitioners to crosscheck

prescription drugs with supplements.

http://health.ucsd.edu