Herbal/Prescription Interaction Awareness Month
07/17/2013
Need to Know - Herbal/Prescription Interaction
Herbal/Prescription Interaction Awareness Month educates health professionals, patients, and seniors about dietary supplements, herbs, and nutritionals. It also brings awareness to the possible dangers of mixing those products with prescription drugs. According to a recent study at Harvard University, the use of herbal supplements has increased 50%. Not too surprising, since herbal remedies claim to treat every illness from simple headache to prostate ailment, libido issues, emotional distress and memory deficits. While these over-the-counter supplements may indeed have a positive impact on common ailments, they should be treated with the same seriousness as prescription medicines. Mixing these remedies with prescription drugs can be outright dangerous. You could have a Herbal/Prescription Interaction. Commonly used dietary supplements, herbs, and nutritionals include:- Echinacea: strengthens the body’s immune system
- Evening Primrose Oil: reduces symptoms of arthritis
- Feverfew: alleviates migraine headaches
- Garlic: for cardiovascular conditions and high cholesterol
- Ginger: for cardiovascular conditions and arthritic ailments
- Ginkgo: for poor circulation and memory
- Ginseng: for elevating energy levels
- Goldenseal: for healing, antiseptic and germ-stopping
- Hawthorne: for several heart-related conditions
- Milk Thistle: for cirrhosis, hepatitis, necroses
- Valerian: for insomnia and anxiety reduction
- Ginkgo may interact with aspirin, anticonvulsants, diuretics, antidepressants and blood thinners
- Echinacea may interact with certain chemotherapy agents
- Saw Palmetto may interact with birth control medication, estrogens, and anticoagulant/antiplatelet medications
- Fish Oils may interact with birth control pills, medication for hypertension, Xenical, Alli, and some anticoagulant/antiplatelet medications