Herbal Supplements Don't Mix with Surgery

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Herbal Supplements Don't Mix with Surgery 23 Jan 2005 Medical News Today

Los Angeles - Many Americans take herbal supplements to boost their health, but

they may not realize that continuing to do so prior to surgery could have

life-threatening results.

D. , Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology at the USC School of

Pharmacy, says that a great number of commonly used herbal supplements interact

with anesthetics and other drugs used during surgery. Those interactions can

trigger potentially disastrous surgical complications, including excessive

bleeding, an inability to breathe and racing pulse rates.

“For example, people use garlic capsules to control blood pressure and

cholesterol, but taking them before surgery can cause serious bleeding, and even

deaths have been reported,” says.

Other herbal supplements that can cause bleeding problems include ginkgo biloba,

ginseng and ipriflavone.

The herbal sedatives valerian and kava can both interact with anesthetics and

interfere with breathing.

also urges caution with St. 's wort, commonly used to treat mild

depression.

“St. 's wort has a huge number of interactions and problems. It can render

birth control pills ineffective and, if taken with serotonin reuptake

inhibitors, it can cause death. In surgery, it can interact with certain drugs

to promote blood clots,” he says.

stresses a special note of warning for anyone still using ephedra, also

called ma huang, an herbal stimulant used for weight loss that increases the

heart rate and blood pressure. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned

ephedra in early 2004 because it was linked to significant adverse health

effects, including heart attack and stroke.

says that to be safe, the key is for patients to stop taking all herbal

supplements at least a week before surgery. He says, “Patients should always

discuss with their doctors which herbal supplement they are using, especially

before surgery or when adding any new drug to their regimen.”

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