Interesting article...

16 years ago

This was in the Toronto Star this morning and I thought it might interest you:-

"Apr 01, 2008 04:30 Am

Study: Canadian researchers looked at how often children who arrive in a hospital ER department have been taking pharmaceutical medications alongside natural health products and the potential interactions. The natural products included vitamins, ginger, echinacea and St. John's wort. The study's lead author, Dr. Ran Goldman, is now head of the ER at British Columbia's Children's Hospital.

Method: With Drs. Sunita Vohra and Alex Rogovik, Goldman interviewed 1,804 families Â parents and children up to 18 years old Â over an eight-month period at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, where he then worked.

Background: A number of investigations have been done on the combining of various pharmaceuticals and the potential for bad reactions. But little research has been done on the interaction of natural products and conventional medications. Goldman says parents often don't mention that their children have been given natural remedies when they arrive at hospital.

Claim: Goldman and his colleagues found that 355 children Â nearly one in five Â who arrived at Sick Kids' ER had been given both medication and a natural product, while 269 patients (15 per cent) of those taking natural products were taking more than one. Possible interactions, either with a drug or between two natural products, were identified in 285 (16 per cent).

Caveat: The harmful interactions Â modified absorption of medication, increased risk of bleeding Â the study identified are theoretical and not proven to have occurred."

Source: The Journal of Pediatrics

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Comments (6)

cacye
16 years ago
There is indeed a problem with drug/herb interactions that needs more awareness. There is of course, a need of awareness of drug/drug interactions that needs to be more prevalent as well. Also, there is a need of doctors to find the actual cause of a problem.My own personal experience: I was told the herbs I took AFTER I started having symptoms caused my symptoms. Amazing. I wonder how often THAT happens.I was told of a case against a Chinese herbalist who treated a heart patient. The doctors tried to take him to court and blame the death on him; but in China, unlike here, herbalists study both fields of medicine and also work in hospitals. So this man could point out what the doctors did before he even saw the patient that caused the problem to be as bad as it was. This, to physicians, by the way, is anecdotal evidence-they do not use it to indicate they may need to be better at what they do-but I digress. The suit was dropped. Look up the prevalence these days of illness caused by doctors and you will find that they probably NEED to find as many scapegoats as they can before we all start insisting that they take more time to look at their patients. Not that I am bitter. But I resent getting seen for 7 minutes, not listened to, given an antibiotic, and sent on my way. Did any of these kind doctors think to ask on their patient histories what herb the patient was taking? I was told we didn't need to do that when I do heart monitor testing lab here. Some of these interactions are known-maybe not by doctors, who often don't even ask people in other medical specialties what they know-but known to herbalists worldwide. I would be interested to know how many of these problems could have been prevented with a simple question:what herbs do you take? Statistics here in the US say some 75% of us use herbs. People need to ask questions to learn, and I have seen far too many doctors who don't listen, don't ask, and don't follow up.
rusty_blackhaw
16 years ago
Actually, there's quite a lot in the medical literature now regarding the need to ask patients what herbs and supplements they are taking (standard questions until recently revolved around what drugs a patient was on, and many patients don't regard herbs/supplements as drugs - or even deny they're taking them under the impression the physician will disapprove).

"I was told of a case against a Chinese herbalist who treated a heart patient. The doctors tried to take him to court and blame the death on him"

The doctors tried to take him to court? Somehow I doubt that.
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cacye
16 years ago
Doctors read articles on questions to ask their patients? Somehow I doubt THAT. In the Cherry Creek neighborhood of Denver near where I live you could tell where the doctors lived. All you had to do was look at the pile of pristinely wrapped never opened copies of the Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA) and New England Journal of Medicine(NEJM)sitting next to their trash on the recycle bin.
rusty_blackhaw
16 years ago
Speaking of unprovable anecdotes, where's a link regarding the doctors who supposedly tried to take the Chinese herbalist to court?
eibren
15 years ago
There is at least one book out which lists the interactions, but it is rather expensive (and I don't remember the name, unfortunately). Anyone into long-term use of herbs should probably seek out a copy, though. I've seen it for sale at Wild Oats.

I don't think the interactions would be as much of an issue in cases where the herbs were used homeopathically, because in that case the dosages would be extremely low.
rusty_blackhaw
15 years ago
"I don't think the interactions would be as much of an issue in cases where the herbs were used homeopathically, because in that case the dosages would be extremely low."

Seeing that typical homeopathic "medications" don't even contain one molecule of the substances listed on the label, you wouldn't have to worry about interactions.

The only real issue would be why you spent good money for water. :)

Interesting article...

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cacye

rusty_blackhaw

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