“the three most common reasons patients don’t disclose their use of these products was, one, that their doctor will view it negatively; two, that physicians don’t deal in this area so they don’t understand what the indications or uses are; and three, it wasn’t relevant, that these are natural products and natural products can’t be harmful,” says dr. jason busse, researcher and associate professor at mcmaster, and senior author of the survey.
st. john’s wort, ginkgo biloba two examples of supplements with serious interactions
but these products can indeed be harmful, in some cases seriously, if used in conjunction with some prescription medications. as examples, busse points to st. john’s wort, a common herbal supplement used to treat symptoms of depression. taken alongside cardiovascular medications such as digoxin, he says, can increase the risk of stroke or heart attack.
“there’s also evidence to suggest that st. john’s wort might decrease the effectiveness of antidepressant medication because the two can be processed through similar metabolic pathways,” he says.
busse also cites ginkgo biloba, a popular supplement that claims to reduce inflammation and boost brain function. but used jointly with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, it can increase risk of bleeding. another example is evening primrose oil — sold as a treatment for symptoms of eczema, pms or diabetic neuropathy — which can cause seizures if taken with certain antipsychotic medications.
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