Guest guest Posted March 11, 1999 Report Share Posted March 11, 1999 I happened upon these warnings today for anyone who might be interested: Therese Zink, MD, MPH Herbs Herb Herbs People don't tell their doctors that they're taking natural herbal reme- dies. And doctors rarely ask. Such a lack of communication can lead to health complications---and some can be serious. Here are some of the dangerous herb-drug interactions.. Echinacea Echinacea comes from the purple coneflower and boosts your immune system to ward off colds and flu. A recent study, however, showed that echinacea worked no better than a placebo. Echinacea may not work for you ... but if you take it ,it should do no harm. While it has no known drug interactions, side effects or toxicity... *Don't take echinacea for longer than eight weeks at a time because it may weaken the immune system. *People with AIDS, tuberculosis or an autoimmune disease, such as lupus or multiple sclerosis, should not take it. FEVERF'EW Feverfew, a member of the chrysan- themum family, is used to prevent migraines. Interaction dangers... *Avoid taking feverfew if you're taking prescription blood thinners, such as Coumadin, or aspirin regularly be- cause it can cause internal bleeding. *Avoid feverfew if you're taking serotonin-specifte antidepressants, such as Prozac and Zoloft. Feverfew and this family of antidepressants work on the same system in the brain and can cause increased anxiety. Caution: Suddenly stopping fever- few can cause headaches GINKO BILOBA This herb is extracted from ginkgo trees-and is used in traditional Chinese medicine to improve mental alertness. Interaction dangers... *When ginkgo biloba is combined with blood thinners, internal bleeding can result. So use caution if you are taking prescription blood-thinner medi- cations ... or aspirin ... or other over-the- counter painkillers. Watch all bleeding. GINSENG Ginseng is a root often used to boost mental and physical resistance to stress. Use with caution... *Ginseng can cause vaginal bleed- ing, high blood pressure, low blood sugar--diabetics should be careful-and interacts with blood thinners. KAVA This Polynesian pepper derivative can relieve anxiety. Interaction danger... a Never take kava with alcohol... or with antianxiety medications, such as Ativan, Valium, Xanax ... or with sleep- ing pills Saint s-WORT This natural herb is used to treat mild-to-moderate depression. Interac- tion dangers... *Don't use Saint-'s-wort in combination with any prescription antidepressantr,-Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft etc. It could cause serotonin syndrome -too much activity in the brain chemicals you're trying to affect. BEFORE TRYING ANY HERB Talk with your doctor about the use of herbs and other remedies before you try them. In general, avoid herbs if you are someone, such as a senior, who takes many medications or if you are preg- nant or breast-feeding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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