Observe: The U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t approve dietary supplements for security or effectiveness. Speak to a healthcare skilled about whether or not a complement is the appropriate match on your particular person well being and about any potential drug interactions or security issues.
It’s possible you’ll be a devotee of sure dietary supplements in pursuit of wellness. However if you happen to’re additionally taking sure medicines — possibly for a power well being situation and even only for on a regular basis aches and pains — it’s essential to know that some combos of dietary supplements and medicines might spell hassle.
Learn on to study seven supplement-and-medication combos to keep away from. And bear in mind: Speak to your healthcare practitioner about any complement it’s possible you’ll wish to attempt to make sure that it doesn’t work together with medicines you’re taking.
1. Saint-John’s-Wort and Antidepressant Medicine
Practitioners of people medication have lengthy turned to Saint-John’s-wort, a wild plant, as a remedy for psychological well being circumstances. However in line with the Nationwide Heart for Complementary and Integrative Well being (NCCIH), mixing Saint-John’s-wort with sure prescription antidepressants can result in a dramatic and probably life-threatening enhance in serotonin, a chemical produced by nerve cells.
- Contraceptive drugs
- Digoxin, a drug used to deal with numerous coronary heart circumstances
- Oxycodone, an opioid ache treatment
- Cyclosporine, an immunosuppressant used to deal with organ rejection post-transplant
- Sure most cancers medicines, together with irinotecan
- Some HIV medicines, together with indinavir
- Warfarin, a blood thinner
“Saint-John’s-wort might also intervene with a number of medication which can be used previous to and through surgical procedure, so be sure to inform your surgeon or anesthesiologist that you’re taking this complement,” says Jodie Pepin, PharmD, the scientific pharmacy program director of Harbor Well being and a scientific assistant professor of pharmacy on the College of Texas at Austin. “They are going to doubtless instruct you to cease taking it 5 to seven days previous to your operation.”
2. Goldenseal and Metformin
3. Vitamin D and Blood Stress Medicines
“Typically talking, most individuals must complement their vitamin D, and their blood ranges ought to be monitored carefully to optimum goal ranges,” says Lara Zakaria, PharmD, a registered pharmacist and licensed vitamin specialist primarily based in New York. “It’s unusual that we inform sufferers to not use vitamin D due to medicines. However that stated, there are some concerns.”
Probably the most important interactions, she says, are with sure blood strain medicines, together with verapamil, diltiazem, and thiazide diuretics.
4. Omega-3 and Blood Thinners
So far as drug interactions, omega-3 dietary supplements can work together with medicines that have an effect on blood clotting, equivalent to blood thinners (anticoagulants) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication (NSAIDS), making it take longer for cuts to cease bleeding.
Anybody prepping for surgical procedure ought to discuss to their healthcare supplier about discontinuing their complement use previous to the process, Dr. Zakaria advises.
5. Vitamin C and Kidney Medicines
Whereas vitamin C supplementation is taken into account typically secure, there are a couple of potential interactions to pay attention to. First, dietary supplements might enhance the absorption of aluminum from medicines like phosphate binders, which assist take away phosphate from the blood. That is typically a remedy for folks with kidney illness, so folks taking this treatment might wish to keep away from vitamin C dietary supplements.
6. Turmeric and Over-the-Counter Ache Medication
However you’ll wish to skip turmeric or curcumin capsules if you happen to’re additionally utilizing over-the-counter ache medicines like aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen, because the complement makes these medication much less efficient. Turmeric might also cut back the impact of different medicines, together with sure varieties of chemotherapy medication and indomethacin (a drug used to deal with signs of arthritis), and should enhance the danger of bleeding if taken with anticoagulants.
7. Kava and Anti-Nervousness Medicines
Kava can enhance the consequences of any medicines that depress the central nervous system, Zakaria says. These embody alcohol, opioid ache treatment, and anti-anxiety medicines like benzodiazepines.
It’s additionally value noting that there’s no proof displaying the plant is secure for kids, so dad and mom ought to take heed. People who find themselves pregnant or breastfeeding shouldn’t use kava, and anybody who needs to do this complement ought to accomplish that solely underneath the steering of their healthcare supplier.
The Takeaway
- Some dietary supplements could be helpful, however they aren’t regulated in the identical manner that over-the-counter medicines are.
- Dietary supplements can work together with pharmaceuticals or are harmful when used alongside sure illnesses.
- Saint-John’s-wort, goldenseal, vitamin D, omega-3, vitamin C, turmeric, and kava can pose dangers when taken with sure medicines, so all the time seek the advice of a healthcare practitioner earlier than making an attempt.
