Herbal remedy checklist
Herbal products may have side effects or adverse interactions with over-the-counter or prescription drugs. This checklist will help health care providers and patients can determine the best strategy for HIV treatment.
Herb that the Food and Drug Administration specifically recommends not be used by HIV patients who are taking protease inhibitors or nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors:
St. John’s Wort
Herbs with known adverse effects or drug interactions:
Asian ginseng: may interact with digoxin, increasing levels of digoxin in blood
Black cohosh: may cause hypotension, weight gain, nausea, and may interact poorly with antihypertensives and interfere with hormonal medications
Blue cohosh: may increase blood pressure and provoke angina
Cayenne: may cause stomach upset, diarrhea; should be monitored when a person is on antiplatelet drugs
Chamomile tea: people with ragweed allergies may be allergic to this
Chaparral: believed to be carcinogenic
Chaste tree berry: also called chasteberry and monk’s pepper, the herb may cause gastrointestinal and lower abdominal complaints, headache, allergic reactions, and increased menstrual flow
Comfrey: potentially causes liver damage
Echinacea (Purple cone flower): cross-sensitivity in patients allergic to sunflower seeds and daisy pollen; not recommended to people using immunosuppressants
Evening primrose oil: not recommended for use when a person is taking drugs that lower seizure threshold; should be monitored when a person is on antiplatelet drugs
Feverfew: when leaves are chewed, they may cause aphthous ulcers; should be monitored when a person is on antiplatelet drugs
Garlic: may cause gastrointestinal (GI) irritation and may not be recommended when a person is taking antihypertensives; should be monitored when a person is on antiplatelet drugs
Ginger: high doses cause GI discomfort; should be monitored when a person is on antiplatelet drugs
Ginkgo biloba: may cause GI discomfort and headache; should be monitored when a person is taking antiplatelet drugs
Ginseng: may cause breast tenderness, nervousness, excitation; should be monitored when a person is taking anticoagulant drugs
Grapeseed extract: should be monitored in patients on antiplatelet drugs
Guarana: possibly carcinogenic with long-term use; also may cause same symptoms as caused by caffeine, which it contains: restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, diuresis, GI disturbances, cardiac arrhythmias, fibrocystic breast disease, and tachycardia; may render benzodiazepines less effective, may lower lithium levels, and may increase blood pressure if used with decongestants
Kava kava: may cause GI discomfort, allergic reactions; may not be recommended when person is taking sedatives, antianxiety drugs, and antidepressants
Milk thistle: may cause allergic reaction
Peppermint: may cause skin rash, heart burn, muscle tremor
Saw palmetto: may cause headache, mild abdominal pain, nausea, dizziness
Soy: may interfere with absorption of supplemental thyroid hormones
Valerian: may cause drowsiness, headache, excitability, dizziness, cardiac disturbances; could have additive effect with other central nervous system depressants and should be monitored when a person is taking blood pressure medications
Additional herbs used as remedies:
Absinthe
Agrimony
Aloe vera
Angelica
Anise
Balm
Balm of Gilead
Basil
Bearberry
Betony
Bistort
Black elderberry
Black haw
Black poplar
Burdock
Centaury
Cloves
Dandelion
Elderberry (black)
Eucalyptus
Fennel
Gentian
Hawthorne
Hibiscus
Hops
Ivy
Juniper
Lady’s mantle
Lavender
Lovage
Mallow
Marigold
Mexican tea
Milk thistle
Nettle
Orrisroot
Parsley
Peppermint
Poppy
Prickly lettuce
Rosemary
Sage
Senna
Thyme
Uva Ursa
Willow
Yarrow
These herbs are believed to be toxic and potentially fatal, and therefore should be avoided:
American bittersweet, American holly, American yew, Baneberry, Belladonna, Black locust, Bloodroot, Blue flag, Bracken fern, Buckeye, Buttercup, Canada moonseed, Cedar (Northern white), Celandine, Chokecherry, Common nightshade, Corn cockle, Dogbane, Fern (Bracken), Flag (Blue), Foxglove, Heart-leaved four o’clock, Hellebore, Horsechestnut, Horse nettle, Jessamine (Yellow), Jimsonweed, Lambkill, Leatherwood, Lily of the Valley, Locust (Black), Lupine (Wild), Mayapple, Mistletoe, Moonseed (Canada), Mountain Laurel, Pasqueflower, Pink-root, Poison Hemlock, Pokeweed, Rhododendron, Skunk cabbage, Staggerbush, Strawberry bush, Tansy, Virgin’s bower, Virginia creeper, Wahoo, Wormseed
Sources: Pharmacy Today, August 1999; Klepser T, Nisly N. Chaste tree berry for premenstrual syndrome. Alternative Medicine Alert 1999; 2:64-66; Doug Murray, PharmD, Director of Pharmacy and Clinical Services, Kershaw County Medical Center, Camden, SC; Medicinal Herbs Online (www.egregore.com/herb/herbindx.htm).
You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content