Are There Herb / Drug Interactions That Can Be Dangerous?
With the increasing popularity and use of herbs,it is important to know what herbs can react, either positively or negatively with the various prescription drugs in use today that people are taking while also considering the use of herbal medicines. Certainly there are those who are considering using herbal remedies due to an interest in pursuing more natural solutions in treating their conditions, while at the same time feeling reluctant to discontinue using their prescription medications. While the use of herbal medicine can certainly be helpful for a wide variety of physical conditions and disorders, they do have their limitations in cases of advanced stages of a disease or in treating certain very specialized diseases.
The sudden discontinuance of a prescription medication can be not only inadvisable but potentially dangerous, depending on the drug and the condition it is treating.Equally important is to know the herb drug interactions that may take place that may effect the medication in several different ways.For instance, St. John's Wort has been found in certain studies to reduce the therapuetic effectiveness of certain medications,by as much as 50%. There are also herbs that, when paired with a prescription medication that have similar physiological effects, can increase the therapuetic effect of these medications. For example, when a herb with blood-thinning properties is paired with blood-thinning medication, such as warfarin, a condition can form where excessive bleeding may take place in certain individuals.
The information provided here is intended to give some general guidelines regarding herb drug interactions so thatnegative or potentially dangerous interaction can be avoided. This information, however, is certainly not completely comprehensive in scope and it is therefore advised that you always seek professional medical advice in learning to use herbal preparations safely. Many physicians now are becoming trained in herbs and in drug herb interactions. Others arewilling to work with herbal practioners in finding a balanced approach between conventional and herbal medicines.
Below is an alphabetical Herbs list. Click on the particular herb you are interested in finding out information regarding how it may react with any medications you may be taking: