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Don';t Take Herbal Supplements Before Surgery

Tue, 10/24/2000 - 11:00pm — Karen Stevenson
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The American Society of Anesthesiology has issued an alert to patients that they should stop taking herbal medicines at least two weeks before surgery to prevent potentially dangerous interactions with drugs administered during surgery. This will allow time for the herbal medications to completely clear the body. They say that recent findings disclose that seven out of 10 herbal medicine users never tell their physicians about the herbal products they are taking. Most believe that since the products are "natural," they must be safe, but many of these products are quite potent and can be dangerous, especially if the patient's anesthesiologist or surgeon does not know that the patient is taking them, he said.

For example, St. John's wort, which is taken by more than 7.5 million Americans to treat anxiety, depression and sleep disorders, may intensify or prolong the effects of some narcotic drugs and anesthetic agents. Ginko biloba is used by almost 11 million Americans to improve their memory and increase blood circulation, but it may reduce platelets, which are needed for blood to clot. The herbal feverfew also appears to interfere with blood clotting. Ginseng, one of the most popular herbal preparations in the world, taken to boost vitality, has been associated with episodes of hypertension (high blood pressure) and tachycardia (rapid beating of the heart).

The American Society of Anesthesiology has issued an alert to patients that they should stop taking herbal medicines at least two weeks before surgery to prevent potentially dangerous interactions with drugs administered during surgery. This will allow time for the herbal medications to completely clear the body. They say that recent findings disclose that seven out of 10 herbal medicine users never tell their physicians about the herbal products they are taking. Most believe that since the products are "natural," they must be safe, but many of these products are quite potent and can be dangerous, especially if the patient's anesthesiologist or surgeon does not know that the patient is taking them, he said.

For example, St. John's wort, which is taken by more than 7.5 million Americans to treat anxiety, depression and sleep disorders, may intensify or prolong the effects of some narcotic drugs and anesthetic agents. Ginko biloba is used by almost 11 million Americans to improve their memory and increase blood circulation, but it may reduce platelets, which are needed for blood to clot. The herbal feverfew also appears to interfere with blood clotting. Ginseng, one of the most popular herbal preparations in the world, taken to boost vitality, has been associated with episodes of hypertension (high blood pressure) and tachycardia (rapid beating of the heart).