The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

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    Drug-herbal interaction review

    Prof. Ernst reviewed popular herbal medicines.

    It’s a long list.

    First, the details.

    The findings are based on128 reported cases and 80 studies.

    And, the results.

    • St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) reduces the blood levels of…
      • Alprazolam (Xanax)
      • Amitriptyline (Elavil)
      • Atorvastatin (Lipitor)
      • Chlorzoxazone (Parafon Forte)
      • Ciclosporin (Neoral)
      • Debrisoquine
      • Digoxin (Lanoxin)
      • Erythromycin (Erythrocin)
      • Fexofenadine (Allegra)
      • Gliclazide (Glipizide)
      • Imatinib (Gleevec)
      • Indinavir (Crixivan)
      • Irinotecan (Camptosar)
      • Ivabradine (Procoralan)
      • Mephenytoin (Mesantoin)
      • Methadone
      • Midazolam (Versed)
      • Nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat)
      • Omeprazole (Prilosec)
      • Oral contraceptives
      • Quazepam (Doral)
      • Simvastatin (Zocor)
      • Tacrolimus (Prograf)
      • Talinolol (Cordanum)
      • Verapamil (Calan)
      • Voriconazole (Vfend)
      • Warfarin (Coumadin)
    • More suggested interactions of St John’s wort with…
      • Adrenergic vasopressors
      • Anesthetics
      • Bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban)
      • Buspirone (Buspar)
      • Eletriptan (Relpax)
      • Loperamide (Imodium)
      • Nefazodone (Serzone, Nefadar)
      • Nevirapine (Viramune)
      • Paroxetine (Seroxat, Paxil)
      • Phenprocoumon (Marcoumar)
      • Prednisone
      • Sertraline (Zoloft)
      • Theophylline (Aminophylline)
      • Tibolone (Xyvion)
      • Tryptophan
      • Venlafaxine (Effexor)
    • Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) decreases the blood concentrations of…
      • Omeprazole (Prilosec)
      • Ritonavir (Norvir)
      • Tolbutamide (Orinase)
    • There may also be interactions between ginkgo and…
      • Antiepileptics
      • Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid)
      • Diuretics
      • Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
      • Risperidone (Risperdal)
      • Rofecoxib (Vioxx)
      • Trazodone (Desyrel)
      • Warfarin (Coumadin)
    • Ginseng (Panax ginseng) may interact with…
      • Phenelzine (Nardil)
      • Warfarin (Coumadin)
    • Kava (Piper methysticum) interacts with the following drugs.
      • Chlorzoxazone (Paraflex, Parafon Forte)
      • Alprazolam (Xanax)
      • Levodopa (L-DOPA)
      • Paroxetine (Seroxat, Paxil)
    • Garlic (Allium sativum) interacts with…
      • Chlorpropamide (Diabinese)
      • Fluindione (blood thinner)
      • Ritonavir (Norvir)
      • Warfarin (Coumadin)
      • Chlorzoxazone (Paraflex, Parafon Forte)
    • Echinacea might interact with…
      • Caffeine
      • Midazolam (Versed)

    No interactions have been reported for saw palmetto (Serenoa repens).

    The bottom line?

    These are among the most commonly used herbals in the US.

    What’s most impressive is the large number of drug interaction documented.

    3/20/10 17:30 JR

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