Herbal remedies are natural...so they should be safe?

More and more patients are turning to natural alternative remedies for solutions to their ailments. But how safe are these remedies? In an article from MedPage Today,

Many such products, including aloe vera, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, and green tea, can interact with conventional cardiovascular drugs and lead to serious adverse reactions, according to Arshad Jahangir, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., and two other Mayo physicians.

Our responsibility as a medical provider is to not only become more familiar with these potential harmful drug interactions but to make sure we become aware of all the medications or supplements our patients are ingesting. Too often, most patients will not list their herbal supplements in the medication list because they are not viewed as a typical prescription medication.

My tip to the providers (i.e. doctors, nurses, medical assistants) is to please ask for this specific information or on a form to include another section in addition to the medication list for vitamins and/or herbal supplements.

To all patients, everything and anything that you put into your body affects your health for better or worse. So as a reminder, please do tell your medical provider about everything.

Hat-Tip to KevinMD.com

Herbal remedies are natural...so they should be safe?