Herbal Medication: Herb-drug Interactions and Patient Psychoanalysis

Many medicinal herbs and pharmaceutical drugs are therapeutic at one dose and toxic at another. Interactions between herbs and drugs may increase or decrease the pharmacological or toxicological effects of either component. Synergistic therapeutic effects may complicate the dosing of long-term medications eg, herbs traditionally used to decrease glucose concentrations in diabetes1 could theoretically precipitate hypoglycaemia if taken in combination with conventional drugs. The intent of this paper is to update on some imminent issues that may arise if the modern medicine is mixed with a suspecting herbal preparation. These situations may arise in our daily lives due to the lack of strict adherence to regular drug prescription practices, unabated use of over the counter drug products and / or self prescription practices. Health-care practitioners should caution patients against mixing herbs and pharmaceutical drugs.