A report published in the March issue of Geriatric Nursing found that older women mixing herbal and prescribed medication could be risking their health. The study, at the University of Florida College of Nursing, looked at 58 women over the age of 65 who were taking both herbal and over-the-counter prescription medication. Seventy-four percent of the study's 58 participants were found to have a moderate or high-risk drug interaction.
Controversy over drug-herb interactions has come hand-in-hand with the growing popularity of herbal medicines and related nutraceuticals. The US retail market for dietary supplements was worth $8.3bn in 2005, a growth of six percent over 2004. What makes critics wary is that such supplements do not require pre-market approval in the US.
It is up to companies to report adverse reactions to nutraceutical products. Many have expressed concern that this is inadequate and that may well be the case. However, those same people tend to point to the adverse reaction reporting systems operated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for pharmaceuticals as though it represents a gold standard of reporting and monitoring problems. It isn't. The FDA's MedWatch program may well operate adequately, in administrative terms, internally but the fact remains that only a portion of the real data is ever reported. I cannot give exact figures, but I would say that the majority of adverse reactions are never reported to the system. Further, as I have said elsewhere, the adverse reaction reporting system has a flawed design and provides a false safety net, with error built-in [1].
Meanwhile, the debate continues between those who say the public does not carelessly combine medical and traditional remedies, and those who say they do and that resulting damage is not known. My position is well documented and demonstrated, for example, in the Herb Health Guide. I encourage the use of herbs and am strongly against the over regulation of alternative medicine. However, I am in favor of product quality standards and I highly recommend that would-be consumers of alternative medicines learn more about them and become competent in their use, including knowing when it is appropriate to consult health professionals, including medical doctors.
Perception that herbal remedies are not as powerful as pharmaceutical medications does lead some people to disregard potential adverse reactions and interactions. For some, this raises questions about how so-called alternative medicine products should be regulated, labeled and sold.
Indeed “Many of these older women do not consider over-the-counter and herbal medications 'real drugs' and therefore don't report them,” said the Florida study leader, Dr. Saunjoo Yoon,“ However, it is clear that many health-care providers are not following through to learn their patients' complete medication history.” This point has been made here before.
So it comes down to this. Learn about the alternative treatments you consider using from a reliable source of information, follow manufacturer's and health professionals' directions and guidelines when available, and avoid taking nultiple medicines of any type unless you are certain of the safety. Always consume as little 'medicine' of any type as possible. Instead, as Hipocrates said, let food be your medicine. Follow a healthy lifestyle and you'll discover you have very little, if any, need for medicines and a marked capacity to enjoy life.