Herbal suppliments

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Adult M/S.

The use of herbal remidies has become pretty common place in the last few years. I wonder, what has been your experience with patients who may be using herbal preparations? Have they had any reactions with prescribed meds? Are all patients asked if they're on any herbal meds before treatment?

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Specializes in Cardiac/Vascular & Healing Touch.

one of my favorite subjects! We do ask each client about suppliments on our admission medication intake as well as OTC's. I ask people why they are taking what they are taking. I also have a herbal PDR. For instance, St John's Wort (for mood) can make Birth control pills INEFFECTIVE! whoops....hate that happened! I know ephedra (ma huang) has taken a bad rap in the media, & American Heart Assn. has come out against it. But in most cases people were abusing the herb & not getting proper nutrition & hydration & taking too much of the herb. Small doses of ephedra are great with seasonal allergies, with good hydration. I know that most of our local pharmacists & doctors know little about herbs. Sad since this is Alabama with a large native population (I am part Creek Indian), & our natives use herbs in their culture for so many reasons. oh I could go on all day. but I won't:chuckle

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

My husband's urologist has told him to take saw palmetto. He actually wrote an Rx for it. He said he has great confidence in it.

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A :)

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Specializes in Cardiac/Vascular & Healing Touch.

you are so right! So many people think "it's just herbs, or it's just OTC's" & boy can they cause trouble if we don't know! :p

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Hello, I am new to this board.

I am beginning my Nursing classes/program, soon, and the information on this site is amazing- thank goodness! It is good to see how the "real world" of Nursing vents, and what concerns come up, etc.

Recently, my honey had surgery, and his doctor told him to stop taking any and all suppliments. Ginko something or other was the number one item he warned against. And, of course, honey had just bought himself a new bottle of it a few days before his first appointment with the surgeon. Thank goodness the medical community is hip to "alternative" remedies, and knows to ask about home suppliments!

I don't think suppliments, in moderation, are a bad thing- I really have not seen much of a change in behaviors or symptoms based on "self-mediation of home remedies and herbal suppliments" but, then again, some people do believe in it- whatever floats your boat. But, I do believe it is crucial to know what a person ingests, in order to better treat that patient.

God Bless!

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One of the major problems with using herbs is quality control. You really don't know what's in that bottle you bought. There few if any regulations concerning herbal remedies.

I had to do a group project on this once. The research we did showed that most OTC herbals did not contain the amounts that were printed on the labels, and the amounts could vary from one bottle to the next.

NIH now has a division that is studying the effectiveness of herbals and other alternative remedies.

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