Herbal Supplement News

 Herbal supplements make me nervous.  It is so hard to know what is really in a bottle.  The American College of Physicians is the national organization for Internal Medicine docs.  They publish a paper called “ACP Internist”.  Last week this paper had a great article about herbal supplements, warning Internal Medicine Physicians to be alert.  Here is a summary.

Bitter Orange

This a weight loss supplement linked to heart attacks and strokes.  It also interacts with heart medication.

Black Cohosh

It is used for menopausal symptoms. It has been shown to make chemotherapy less effective.  It should not be used in women that have had breast cancer.

Feverfew

This is used for headaches, but if it is used with migraine medications it can cause dangerous elevations in heart rate and blood pressure.

Garlic, Gingko, Ginseng and Goldenseal

All of these can increase the bleeding risk of blood thinner medicine.

Gingko should not be used in people that have seizures.

Concentrated garlic pills can decrease the effectiveness of HIV medicine.

Kava Kava

Used for relaxation.   It can cause liver damage.   This has been shown to have dangerous interactions with Parkinson medicine, alcohol and antidepressants.

Red Clover

Used for hot flashes, but it can interfere with the breast cancer drug tamoxifen.

St. John’s Wort

This is used to decrease depression.  This medication interferes with the liver metabolism of many medications including birth control pills, antidepressants and many other medications that may pass through the liver.    Sounds like more trouble than this licensed prescription writer needs.  

Remember herbal supplements are considered food and don’t have to meet any standards.  They also aren’t tested since they don’t have to be.  That means unproven results and unproven safety.  Even with the information above, it is difficult to know what is in a bottle of herbal medicine.