Herbal Remedies for Arthritis Can Be Risky

[Guest guest]

Saw this on another list and thought you might be interested.

Nina

Herbal Remedies for Arthritis Can Be RiskyNEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with arthritis are more likely than others to be using herbal remedies, and this increases the chances of serious interactions with prescribed medications, a British study shows. Echinacea, gingko biloba, devil's claw, ginger and garlic are the most dangerous, Dr. Holden told Reuters Health. Echinacea poses a risk of liver damage when used with the more potent anti-arthritis medications known as 'disease modifying antirheumatic drugs.' The other herbal remedies could aggravate stomach bleeding risks when taken along with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, or with steroids. To examine the extent of the problem, Holden, at Nuffield Orthopaedic Center in Oxford, and her colleagues sent anonymous questionnaires to 238 patients being treated by rheumatologists. A total of 105 subjects (44 percent) had used herbal or over-the-counter remedies in the previous 6 months, the authors report in the ls of the Rheumatic Diseases. "This is much higher than the general population," Holden told Reuters Health. "These patients have a condition that will last for life, and they're keen to seek alternatives rather than conventional medications sometimes." Twenty-six subjects (11 percent) were taking remedies that put them at risk for serious interactions with conventional drugs. Their responses showed that almost all of them were unaware of the risk, although ten of them had sought advice from a health professional before starting. "Physicians have to be super cautious to make sure they ask what medications the patients are taking," Holden advised. "And patients should be asking their doctors - if they're already on herbal remedies - if they're safe to take with arthritis drugs." SOURCE: ls of the Rheumatic Diseases, May 2005. http://story.news./news?tmpl=story & cid=594 & e=4 & u=/nm/20050414/hl_nm/arthritis_herbal_dc

[Guest guest]

I use a site to check drug interactions and it includes many herbal remedies as well.

http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/Home

We can't be too careful to avoid bad medication interactions and often the doctors are not as up to speed as we would expect on drug side effects and interactions. We need to read instructions carefully and check with a pharmacist in case of doubt. God bless.

----- Original Message -----

From: Nina

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2005 2:33 PM

Subject: Herbal Remedies for Arthritis Can Be Risky

Saw this on another list and thought you might be interested.

Nina

Herbal Remedies for Arthritis Can Be RiskyNEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with arthritis are more likely than others to be using herbal remedies, and this increases the chances of serious interactions with prescribed medications, a British study shows. Echinacea, gingko biloba, devil's claw, ginger and garlic are the most dangerous, Dr. Holden told Reuters Health. Echinacea poses a risk of liver damage when used with the more potent anti-arthritis medications known as 'disease modifying antirheumatic drugs.' The other herbal remedies could aggravate stomach bleeding risks when taken along with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, or with steroids. To examine the extent of the problem, Holden, at Nuffield Orthopaedic Center in Oxford, and her colleagues sent anonymous questionnaires to 238 patients being treated by rheumatologists. A total of 105 subjects (44 percent) had used herbal or over-the-counter remedies in the previous 6 months, the authors report in the ls of the Rheumatic Diseases. "This is much higher than the general population," Holden told Reuters Health. "These patients have a condition that will last for life, and they're keen to seek alternatives rather than conventional medications sometimes." Twenty-six subjects (11 percent) were taking remedies that put them at risk for serious interactions with conventional drugs. Their responses showed that almost all of them were unaware of the risk, although ten of them had sought advice from a health professional before starting. "Physicians have to be super cautious to make sure they ask what medications the patients are taking," Holden advised. "And patients should be asking their doctors - if they're already on herbal remedies - if they're safe to take with arthritis drugs." SOURCE: ls of the Rheumatic Diseases, May 2005. http://story.news./news?tmpl=story & cid=594 & e=4 & u=/nm/20050414/hl_nm/arthritis_herbal_dc

[Guest guest]

Guess I better lay off of the ginger pills ...I knew echinacea was bad with MTX, but thought ginger would be ok.

Thanks for showing us that!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maggie

http://www.4HockeyFans.com

http://www.4FloridaHockey.com

MSN: Maggies1429

AOL: Maggies85

-----Original Message-----From: Rheumatoid Arthritis [mailto:Rheumatoid Arthritis ]On Behalf Of Nina Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2005 5:34 PMRheumatoid ArthritisSubject: Herbal Remedies for Arthritis Can Be Risky

Saw this on another list and thought you might be interested.

Nina

Herbal Remedies for Arthritis Can Be Risky

[Guest guest]

Was there an attachment to Nina's message that I don't see?

Dorey

> Guess I better lay off of the ginger pills ...I knew echinacea was

bad with

> MTX, but thought ginger would be ok.

>

> Thanks for showing us that!

>

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> Maggie

> http://www.4HockeyFans.com

> http://www.4FloridaHockey.com

> MSN: Maggies1429

> AOL: Maggies85

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Rheumatoid Arthritis

> [mailto:Rheumatoid Arthritis ]On Behalf Of Nina

> Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2005 5:34 PM

> Rheumatoid Arthritis

> Subject: Herbal Remedies for Arthritis

Can Be Risky

>

>

> Saw this on another list and thought you might be interested.

>

> Nina

>

>

>

> Herbal Remedies for Arthritis Can Be Risky

[Guest guest]

----- Original Message -----

From:

> Was there an attachment to Nina's message that I don't see?

I don't remember if it was the whole article or just a link. I think it was the whole article. You might check the archives. I'd do it for you, but I'm on the way to the vet with a sick dog.

Nina

[Guest guest]

I found it Nina.......it was interesting, just basic info on good diet, nutrition and again a reference to the same book I mentioned, that you took offence to.

Dorey

----- Original Message -----

From: Nina

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Friday, April 15, 2005 10:33 AM

Subject: Re: Re: Herbal Remedies for Arthritis Can Be Risky

----- Original Message -----

From:

> Was there an attachment to Nina's message that I don't see?

I don't remember if it was the whole article or just a link. I think it was the whole article. You might check the archives. I'd do it for you, but I'm on the way to the vet with a sick dog.

Nina

[Guest guest]

----- Original Message -----

From: Dorey

> I found it Nina.......it was interesting, just basic info on good diet, nutrition and again a reference to the same book I mentioned, that you took offence to.

Please don't put words in my mouth. I never took offense to any book.

Nina