Do we overhype drug-supplement interactions?

Real and hypothetical concerns exist.

Dr. Mark Moyad (photo), who is Director of Preventive and Alternative Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, puts it into perspective.

Here’s what we know.

• Potential for adverse medication interactions
  • Kava
  • St. John’s Wort
• Where adverse potential may have been embellished
  • Fish oil
    • Kidney stones
    • Heart arrhythmia
  • Garlic
  • Ginkgo
  • Pygeum
  • Saw palmetto
    • Pancreatitis
• Potential for current or future toxicity
  • Vitamin D enjoys an impressive amount of attention and consumption.
  • It’s potential for current or future toxicity seems considerable and concerning, especially for patients seeing multiple non-communicating practitioners.

The bottom line?

The author concludes, “Regardless, it is important to continue to monitor dietary supplements (not just herbal products) that may have interaction and toxicity issues, and to also educate patients and clinicians on other supplements that do not have these issues despite an earlier concern and avoidance based on a minimal number of laboratory studies or case reports.”

Here’s a summary of the risk of herbals in people with heart disease. And another broad overview of interactions.

3/13/11 20:36 JR