Drug/Herb Interactions

With today's increase in the use of natural medicines to treat ailments, more and more potentially dangerous herb-drug interactions are occurring. Certain herbs or vitamins are well known to affect the rate at which the liver breaks down toxins (which ALL pharmaceutical drugs are to some degree).

A perfect example is coumidin and grapefruit. Grapefruit contains narengin, a substance well known to slow down cytochrome p450, the route that the body uses to break down coumidin. As a result, blood levels of coumidin rise and can make the blood dangerously thin.

On the other hand, herbs and vitamins are held to a higher standard. If one person has a reaction between ginko and blood thinners, than a red flag is thrown up against the rest of the world using the same combination. And yet, patients die every day from lethal interactions between pharmaceutical drugs (i.e. Viagra and heart medications).

With this info in mind, here are some important links to give you the information you need to make an informed choice....

These sites can help you better understand the drugs you are taking...

HealthAnswers.com: drug finder

These sites help identify known drug-herb interactions...

Interactions: IBIS Guide to Drug-Herb and Drug-Nutrient Interactions

The Natural Pharmacist

Dr. James Bogash, D.C.
1830 S. Alma School Rd, Bldg 7, Ste 135, Mesa, AZ 85210
(Alma School Road, just south of the Superstition Freeway/Highway 60)
Chiropractic Health Care for Chandler, Mesa and Tempe Arizona
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