Mixing herbs, drugs could be lethal, study reveals

A sample of herbal medicine. A study has revealed that mixing herbs and drugs can cause adverse reactions in the body. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Alternating traditional herbs with prescribed drugs can interfere with their working and even cause adverse reactions in the body.
  • Intake of herbal medicines and prescribed medications is a common practice especially in patients with hypertension, diabetes, cancer, seizures and depression.
  • Millions of Kenyans out of desperation turn to herbal medicines in a heal-quick desire.

If you frequently take medicinal herbs in between prescribed drugs, you risk contracting life-threatening conditions, a medical body has warned.

South African Medical Research Council warns that alternating traditional herbs with prescribed drugs can interfere with their working and even cause adverse reactions in the body.

The research council says it analysed the effects of herbal medicines on people taking medication for heart diseases, cancer or kidney problems.

Publishing in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology on January 24, the researchers say herbs such as St John’s-wort, sage, flaxseed, chamomile, cranberry and green tea often used around the world including Kenya, and seen as health boosters can actually compromise prescription drugs such as statins and antidepressants.

The researchers said the dangers “were grossly under reported” because people often did not realise that the herbal remedies were to blame.

DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECTS

“Such common drugs such as statins, warfarin and others can interact with health supplements, leading to dangerous side effects or reducing the drugs’ effectiveness powers,” the council said in the report published on Wednesday.

Statins works to lower the level of cholesterol in blood and can reduce cardiovascular disease. Warfarin helps to keep blood flowing smoothly in one’s body by decreasing the amount of certain substances (clotting proteins) in the blood.

Intake of herbal medicines and prescribed medications is a common practice especially in patients with hypertension, diabetes, cancer, seizures and depression.

Millions of Kenyans out of desperation turn to herbal medicines in a heal-quick desire.

The University of Nairobi has in the past publicly endorsed herbal medicine as an important arm of health care in the country, but with the new findings, caution is needed.

HERBAL MEDICINE

According to UoN, the leaning towards herbal medicine, is no longer just a rural activity. Its influence is more significant in urban Kenya.

The new research now suggests that doctors should make it clear to patients that they should not be taking herbal remedies alongside drugs.

Also, the notion that the use of herbal medicine is a sign of poverty and ignorance is not right.

In 2011, thousands of Kenyans rushed to Loliondo in Tanzania for a dose of an alleged wonder drug.

Patients suffering from terminal illnesses abandoned prescribed drugs for a cup of herbal concoction administered by Mr Ambilikile Masapila or Babu wa Loliondo.

But with time, the Babu wa Loliondo craze died.

PATIENTS LIED

The new research now suggests that doctors should make it clear to patients that they should not be taking herbal remedies alongside drugs.

“Assessment and subsequent mechanistic studies of herbs with clinically relevant herbal drug interactions must be publicised to alert both clinicians and patients about the need to avoid co-usage of certain herbal medicines with specific prescribed medications,” advised the scholars.

They also found out that many patients lied about their use of herbal medicines to the doctors, leaving specialists in the dark about potential drug interactions.