St. John's wort dangerous when taking certain drugs

 

 

Researchers at the medical center of Wake forest said that St. John's wort, often prescribed for the treatment of depression, can be dangerous when taken with other drugs.

Scientists reported that the herbal Supplement can reduce the concentration of numerous substances in the body, including oral contraceptives, drugs for blood thinners, cancer chemotherapy drugs blood pressure, which leads to disruption of treatment efficiency.

Dr. Sarah Taylor, an author of the study says: "Patients may have a false sense of security with the so-called natural cure, like St. John's wort. And it is very important for physicians to know about the dangers of "natural" methods of treatment". To determine how the herbal Supplement St. John's wort is prescribed along with other medications, the team conducted a retrospective analysis of nationally representative data from 1993 to 2010. The research team found potentially harmful combinations in 28 percent of cases.





Taylor says possible drug interactions can include serotonin syndrome, a potentially fatal condition that occurs when the accumulation of high levels of serotonin in the body, heart disease due to impaired efficacy of medicines from blood pressure or unplanned pregnancy due to contraceptive failure.

According to the researcher: "Doctors should be aware, always ask if the patient is taking any supplements, vitamins, minerals or herbs, especially before prescribing any of the common drugs that can interact with St. John's wort".

 

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Source: nauka24news.ru/