Herbal medicines a major health hazard, experts warn
28 May 2010
Herbal medicines need to be treated with the same level of scrutiny as conventional medicines, experts warn, and can pose a serious threat to a person’s health.
Despite the potential for dangerous interactions, researchers say herbal medicines are still flying under the radar when people are asked what medicines they are taking.
They are also often overlooked as a possible cause of death, and forensic pathologists say their contribution to mortality remains unclear.
St John’s wort, for example, can reduce the efficacy of warfarin (an anti-clotting medicine), interfere with chemotherapy agents and cause bleeding between periods in women taking the oral contraceptive pill, according to Roger Byard, professor of pathology at the University of Adelaide.
Gingko biloba has been shown to increase bleeding risk with anticoagulants (anti-clotting medicines), while garlic can increase the liver-related side effects of paracetamol.
“A lot of people are taking herbal medicines and often don’t tell their doctor, either because they think it’s natural so it doesn’t matter, or they feel a bit embarrassed about it,” said Professor Byard, who recently published a review calling for greater recognition of herbal medicines in forensic pathology ( J Forensic Sci 2010; 55: 89-92).
“I don’t think people are warned that these substances can contain nasty materials and can have nasty side-effects,” he said.
University of Queensland researcher Dr Jon Wardle (PhD) noted that there was also potential for “double-dosing” with herbal medicines such as St John’s wort, which can mimic the effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) — a type of antidepressant medicine.
He said that there was wide variation between herbal products, and suggested doctors ask their patients to bring in the bottles or labels to be sure exactly what they are taking.
Last Reviewed: 28 May 2010
- 1. Byard RW. A review of the potential forensic significance of traditional herbal medicines. J Forensic Sci 2010; 55: 89-92. Article available at: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/123232466/HTMLSTART
