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It is often thought that herbal supplements are
safe because they are derived from natural sources
and have been used for thousands of years. However,
many herbal medications contain active ingredients
that can interact with other medications you may
be taking. Just as prescription medications can
interact with one another, herbal supplements
may also mimic, increase, or decrease the effect
of your medications, possibly causing serious
harm.
Which
medications interact with herbal supplements?
If you are currently taking any of the following
types of medications, speak to your doctor or
Shoppers Drug Mart Pharmacist before starting any
herbal supplements:
- antidepressants (e.g., monoamine oxidase inhibitors
such as phenelzine or tranylcypromine)
- blood pressure medications
- blood thinners (e.g., aspirin, warfarin)
- diabetes medications
- medications that affect the liver (check with
your pharmacist to see if your medications could
affect your liver)
- heart medications
- HIV medications
- transplant medications
Which
supplements should be avoided if you are taking
medications?
Most herbal supplements have the potential to
interact with your medications, especially the
following, which can produce harmful side effects:
- black cohosh
- cayenne
- dong quai
- ephedra (ma huang)
- feverfew
- garlic
- ginger
- ginkgo
- ginseng
- goldenseal
- kava
- licorice root
- milk thistle
- Scotch broom
- St. John's wort
- valerian
Other herbal medications not listed here may
also interact with your medications. Check with
your Shoppers Drug Mart Pharmacist before starting a
new herbal supplement.
Popular
herbal supplements and interactions
St. John's wort is marketed as a treatment
for mild to moderate depression. It is a popular
alternative to traditional antidepressants because
it lacks many of their side effects, but this
good quality is offset by many potentially serious
medication interactions. It can increase the activity
of liver enzymes involved in breaking down and
eliminating medications from your body, leading
to less beneficial effects from those medications.
Women taking oral contraceptives with St. John's
wort have reported breakthrough and irregular
menstrual bleeding. In such cases, another method
of birth control should also be used. It has also
been implicated in cases of dangerously low levels
of medications in transplant patients, leading
to organ rejection.
Ginkgo biloba may increase the risk of
internal bleeding if you also taking warfarin
at the same time, because it stops warfarin from
breaking down. This prolongs the action of warfarin.
Ginkgo also has its own effect by inhibiting blood
clotting. Interactions have also been reported
by people taking other blood thinners, such as
aspirin.
Ginseng (most varieties) is used to improve
well-being, enhance the immune system, and boost
energy, among many other uses. It has been shown
to decrease blood sugar levels in people with
diabetes (type 2). If it is taken together with
insulin or oral diabetes medications, ginseng
may, without careful monitoring, cause low blood
sugar levels.
The above herbal supplement-medication interactions
are simply a few examples, and these supplements
could interact with other medications not indicated
above.
Always
consult a health care professional
It is a good idea to talk to your doctor or Shoppers Drug Mart Pharmacist about any herbal supplements you wish
to take, no matter what medications you're using
or the condition for which you're being treated,
especially if you're pregnant, breast-feeding,
or planning to have surgery.
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