Herbal Remedies Should Be Used With Caution
(from the April 99, Newsletter)
An increasing number of people are using herbal remedies for a variety of medical problems such as arthritis, depression, diabetes and menstrual irregularity. They do so without informing their family doctors or other health care providers, because they assume that these products are safe since they are promoted by the suppliers as being "natural" and are commonly referred to as "health food". In actual fact, many of these herbal remedies can interact with drugs that were prescribed by the family physician or other health care provider, resulting in very serious health consequences. For example. feverfew, garlic, Ginkgo, ginger and ginseng may alter an individual's ability to stop bleeding when cut and they should therefore not be used at the same time that a person is taking an anticlotting drug like coumadin. As well, Kava can result in coma when used together with a sedative like alprazolam. A summary of drug-herb interactions of commonly used herbal remedies is provided in the table below.
Another concern about the use of herbal remedies is the fact that one is often unsure of just how much of the herb one is actually taking. Many herbs are sold as teas, foods and food supplements. Since they are not sold as drugs, no proof of efficacy or warning about possible side effects is required. When a drug is prescribed, its dosage and quality are usually assured, because there is a mechanism in place at the federal level to regulate the introduction of new drugs in the marketplace. Unfortunately, there is no such standardization or quality control in place for herbal preparations. Patients must therefore exercise caution when they decide to use a herbal remedy.
The purpose of this article is not to discourage you from using herbal remedies. Instead, it is intended to increase your awareness of the fact that herbal remedies can be harmful if used inappropriately and if they interact with prescription drugs. Given the fact that the potential exists for serious drug-herb interactions to occur, it is very important that you inform your family physician of any herbal remedies that you are currently taking. This will enable your health care provider to examine the possibility of an interaction occurring between the herb that you are taking and the medications that were prescribed for your medical condition(e.g., diabetes). If you are not currently using a herbal remedy but intend to do so in the near future, you should discuss this with your family doctor before you actually begin to use the herb. Remember that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Dr. Roger Johnson Community Medical Officer of Health