Herbal remedies can be toxic in combination with medicines

Researchers are investigating the interaction between herbal remedies and normal drugs

Herbal remedies such as St. John's wort, ginseng and ginkgo can cause harmful interactions with conventional medicines. The herbal remedies in combination with conventional medicines may also interfere with antiretroviral treatment and even have toxic effects.

Researchers at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, have found in their recent research that a combination of herbal remedies used with conventional medicines can cause unwanted effects. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology".

Herbal remedies, along with conventional medicines, can have undesirable and sometimes dangerous effects. (Image: behewa / fotolia.com)

What did the researchers find out??

In the in-depth investigation, the team has unearthed dozens of cases where alternative treatments are changing the effects of prescription drugs. The effects include, for example, a weakening of the effect, increasing the potency of the drugs or even causing dangerous side effects.

Experts found several examples of dangerous side effects

In their study, doctors found several examples of serious problems after taking herbal medicines along with antidepressants and medicines for HIV, epilepsy and heart disease. "In South Africa, up to eight out of ten people infected with HIV will eventually use traditional medicines," explains study author Dr. Charles Awewwe of the University of Stellenbosch in a press release. Because of the widespread use of herbal medicines along with prescription drugs, the research team Awortwe asked to investigate the possible effects.

Herbal medicines played an important role in nearly 60 percent of the cases studied

The researchers looked at existing medical literature to find earlier cases of patients with obvious side effects. Current research included 49 case reports and two previous observational studies describing 15 cases of adverse drug reactions. The researchers analyzed these cases to find out if the problems are caused by an interaction based on the pharmacological properties of the drugs. The experts came to the conclusion that herbal medicines probably played a role in almost 60 percent of the cases.

Active ingredients in herbal medicines affect drug metabolism

Recent studies have already shown that some active substances in herbal medicines can affect the so-called drug metabolism, which then speeds up the rate at which other medicines in the liver are broken down. This reduces the effectiveness of these medications. For example, St. John's wort, an over-the-counter herbal remedy for depression, can interact with a large number of medications. St. John's wort is believed to increase the side effects of antidepressants. There is also evidence that St. John's Wort can reduce the effectiveness of medications such as warfarin, statins, antihistamines and HIV medications.

Interaction with herbal remedies can have toxic effects

Moringa oleifera (also known as horseradish tree, beech tree, walnut tree, clarifier tree, drumstick tree) is a popular herbal remedy. However, it appears to affect antiretroviral treatment and even have toxic effects when used concomitantly with antiretroviral treatment and other conventional medicines.

Interactions of normal medications with Moringa oleifera

The research found that taking Moringa oleifera as a herbal supplement worsens the health of patients undergoing drug treatment. Rich in protein, calcium, iron and vitamin C, Moringa oleifera is used to treat HIV, cancer, arthritis, asthma, high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) and high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia), say the experts. It is also used as an aphrodisiac or to prevent pregnancy, but none of these applications are currently supported by scientific evidence.

When people take herbal remedies, they should inform their doctor

"The use of herbal medicines is increasing worldwide and many consumers believe that these products are herbal or natural and also completely safe, but that's not true," explains study author Dr. Charles Awewwe. When people take herbal remedies, they should tell their doctor. Potential interactions and their consequences can be very detrimental to the patient's health, the expert adds.

Herbal products interfere with the chemical breakdown of drugs in the body

One of the main concerns of the study was to investigate the concomitant use of herbal medicines alongside conventional drug treatment, Awenwe says. "It's well known that herbal products can disrupt the enzymes that are responsible for the chemical breakdown of drugs in the body, so they affect the clinical efficacy of a drug or its toxicity," Dr. Charles Awewwe in the press release. The study author estimates that one third of the cases of acute renal failure in Africa are caused by traditional drugs. (As)