There is little doubt that the use of herbal medicines is growing. It is estimated that over 40% of all people use complementary/herbal therapies and about 20% of all prescription drug users also take herbal medicines or high-dose vitamins. In some cases, herbs can interact with prescription medicines or their use may conflict with certain diseases. A doctor may not be aware that their patient is using some form of complimentary therapy. In one survey, only one-third of patients told their physicians that they were using complementary therapies. The majority of herbal products are purchased in a drugstore. This means that your Peoples Drug Mart Pharmacist is nearby if you have any questions or concerns. You can ask your Pharmacist about these new therapies and if they will conflict with the medications you are already taking.
.....How can herbs and vitamins interfere with how a drug acts? This is a good question. In some cases, an herb can interfere with the way your body absorbs or eliminates the drug. Sometimes an herb can enhance the effect of a particular drug, or it can counteract that drug's action in the body. An herb can even worsen a condition that the drug is being used to treat. This is why it is important to tell your Doctor or Pharmacist if you are taking any herbs or vitamins. This will help give them a better understanding of your health.
.....Many herbal products can interfere with the absorption of medications. Many products that are considered to be herbal laxatives can be at fault here. Herbal products, like senna, cascara, aloe latex, psyllium, and others, can cause problems in three ways. First, they can bind to the drug and prevent it from being absorbed into the body. Secondly, they can speed up your bowel movements so your body doesn't have enough time to absorb the drugs. Lastly, laxatives can over time deplete your body of potassium. Potassium is needed by some heart drugs to work properly.

herbal
interactions
with heart
medicines

by Ian Lloyd

Beware of herbal products that are used for "detoxification" or weight loss, in many cases these products may contain herbal laxatives.
.....Some herbal products can raise your blood pressure. This may be a problem if your Doctor feels it is already too high. Watch for products that claim to give you lots of "energy". Many of these products contain ginseng. All types of ginseng, Siberian, Korean and American/Canadian, have the potential to raise your blood pressure. So it might be a safe idea to avoid these herbs. There are some herbal products that contain caffeine and ephedra. These two chemicals can both raise your blood pressure and speed up your heart rate and should be avoided, especially ephedra. Caffeine can be found in coffee, tea, kola nut, guarana and maté. Ephedra is primarily found in Ma Huang.
.....Another natural product that can raise your blood pressure is licorice. Natural licorice can cause fluid retention, high blood pressure, and potassium loss when taken at higher doses for longer periods of time. This is not a concern if you occasionally eat licorice-flavoured candies. Most licorice candies are flavoured with anise and are not likely to raise blood pressure. It is mostly a concern for those who eat real licorice products daily. There is a processed licorice product called DGL or deglycyrrhizinated licorice. This product is not likely to raise your blood pressure, but you should be careful and talk to your Doctor or Pharmacist before taking licorice.
..... Hawthorne is another herbal

product that might interfere with heart medications. Hawthorne can strengthen the contractions of the

heart and lower blood pressure. Two other natural products that can affect blood pressure, by possibly raising it, are goldenseal and yohimbe. These products should only be taken upon recommendation from a Doctor or Naturopathic Physician.
.....Another herb that can cause problems with prescription drug use is St. John's Wort. St. John's Wort has been shown to decrease the amount of digoxin in the body. There have also been reports that this herb can reduce the effectiveness of the drug Cyclosporin�. Cyclosporin� is a drug that is used to prevent the body from rejecting transplanted tissues. This might be a big concern if someone has had a heart transplant. St. John's Wort can also interfere with other prescription drugs like Warfarin�, Theophylline�, birth control pills and anti-depressants. If someone is currently taking, or thinking about trying St. John's Wort, it is best to talk to you Doctor or Pharmacist. They can advise you on a safe course of action.
.....Another drug interaction problem can be found on the breakfast table. Grapefruit juice can interact with many drugs. It is thought that a component of grapefruit juice, naringenin, can increase the amount of the drug that enters the body. This could lead to higher drug levels and more side effects.

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