You seemingly already know that sure medicines do not combine, and also you in all probability know that dietary supplements can have medicinal-adjacent properties. So it is sensible that mixing medicines with nutritional vitamins and dietary supplements ought to be dealt with with care.
The truth is, the FDA specifically warns against not double-checking earlier than you are taking dietary supplements with medicine due to potential drug interactions, which “may have harmful and even life-threatening results.”
All informed, for those who’re taking medicine, do not assume you may add any nutritional vitamins and dietary supplements you need on high. As a substitute, discuss together with your physician and do your homework. When you do not, you may find yourself with some nasty unwanted side effects — and even endangering your personal life.
Drugs and dietary dietary supplements
At first look, mixing medicines with nutritional vitamins and dietary supplements can seem to be a constructive factor. You are giving your physique extra sources to do the work it wants, proper?
Theoretically, certain. However it’s not all the time straightforward for the layperson to know precisely how particular nutritional vitamins and dietary supplements work within the physique. Past that, you nearly undoubtedly aren’t accustomed to the way in which that complement may change when interacting with medicine.
This will get trickier on a regular basis as complement use will increase. Because it stands now, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention say that roughly 57% of People over 20 have taken a complement within the final 30 days. And the issue is that a lot of them assume that as a result of one thing’s pure, it is protected.
Really, although, dietary dietary supplements can change how your physique absorbs, metabolizes, or excretes any medicine you are taking. Meaning it may make the medicine much less efficient or trigger drug interactions resulting in unwelcome — and probably harmful — unwanted side effects.
Finally, for those who’re taking medicine, it’s best to examine together with your physician earlier than including any nutritional vitamins and dietary supplements.
4 varieties of medicines to be careful for

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You must all the time discuss over the whole lot you are taking together with your physician, even when it is pure or looks as if it is not a giant deal. Let us take a look at just a few classes of medicine to present you a tough thought of among the extra frequent drug interactions.
On the high, we’ll say be further cautious with St. John’s wort. It has a wide range of drug interactions with the whole lot from most cancers medicines to contraception.
Blood thinners
When you’re on a prescription blood thinner like Warfarin or perhaps a each day aspirin, be further cautious in regards to the nutritional vitamins and dietary supplements you are taking.
The difficulty is that sure dietary supplements and nutritional vitamins may skinny your blood, resulting in too few platelets in it, contributing to bleeding and bruising. When you’re taking any form of blood thinner, avoid:
- St. John’s wort
- Echinacea (examine any immune-boosting nutritional vitamins for this ingredient)
- Vitamin E
- Turmeric (it is OK to cook dinner with it, although)
- Ginkgo biloba
- Danshen
- Licorice root
All the above pure dietary supplements can additional skinny your blood, which you don’t need for those who’re already on an anticoagulant.
Coronary heart medicines
Odds are, for those who’re on coronary heart medicines, your physician has talked to you about particular drug interactions. Nonetheless, although, you may not assume that nutritional vitamins and dietary supplements rely as probably harmful additions. However they’ll.
The next can improve your danger of bleeding for those who’re on coronary heart medicine:
- Ginkgo biloba
- Night primrose
- Garlic
When you take digoxin (Lanoxin), do not take the herbs danshen, licorice root or St. John’s wort as a result of all three can change how the digoxin works.
When you’re taking one thing for hypertension, keep away from coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) until it is really helpful by your physician. This antioxidant can reduce how properly your hypertension medicine works. Grapefruit juice and sure blood stress medicines may work together and dangerously decrease blood stress.
That is simply an summary. For a deeper dive into coronary heart medicines and dietary supplements, dig into this resource from the Mayo Clinic.
Diabetes medicines
When you’ve got a diabetes analysis, your physician might have prescribed medicine to decrease your blood sugar ranges, for instance, biguanides like metformin (Glucophage) or sulfonylureas like glipizide (Glucotrol). You may swing too far the opposite course, although, for those who take nutritional vitamins or dietary supplements that additionally decrease your glucose ranges.
Particularly, you are in danger for hypoglycemia — low blood sugar — for those who pair your antidiabetic medicine with:
- Ashwagandha
- Magnesium
- Milk thistle
- Aloe vera
- Ginseng
- Ginger
St. John’s wort may additionally make your anti-diabetic medicine much less efficient.
Conversely, do not take chromium, niacin (vitamin B3), or gingko biloba as a result of they’ll increase your blood sugar ranges, counteracting your diabetes medicine.
And in case your physician places you on a blood thinner to your diabetes, examine the blood thinner part above for probably dangerous nutritional vitamins and dietary supplements.
HIV medicines
At this level, you may not be stunned to study that St. John’s wort can intervene with some HIV medicines, together with indinavir or atazanavir (Reyataz). It is not the one probably problematic complement, although. Equally, echinacea — even when taken in immune-boosting nutritional vitamins — can have an effect on medication like indinavir or ritonavir (Norvir).
Moreover, for those who’re taking any antiretroviral medicine, all of those nutritional vitamins and dietary supplements may cause unwelcome drug interactions, making your medicine much less efficient:
- Ginkgo
- Garlic
- Milk thistle
- Vitamin C
- Zing sulfate
- Calcium carbonate
- Ferrous fumarate (iron complement)
Even some multivitamins can reduce your medicine’s effectiveness, so discuss to your physician.
Backside line
Mixing medicines with nutritional vitamins and dietary supplements should not be taken calmly. Do not assume that simply because one thing is pure it is protected to make use of with no matter your physician has really helpful. As a substitute, earlier than you add something to your each day routine, analysis drug interactions. Most significantly, discuss together with your physician.
The knowledge contained on this article is for instructional and informational functions solely and isn’t meant as well being or medical recommendation. At all times seek the advice of a doctor or different certified well being supplier relating to any questions you could have a couple of medical situation or well being goals.