Chr. Tesseromatis, A. Kotsiou
DESCRIPTION:
Herbs were used by people for therapeutic purposes since early civilizations. One third of the medications in use nowadays (digitalis, morphine, atropine, many chemotherapeutics) are of plant origin. Herbal medicinal products have an important impact on organism’s functions and when co-administered with prescription medicines, interactions are very possible, although it is generally believed that herbal medication plants are safe. Many patients are not telling their doctors about their herbal intake, because they don’t realize the potential for complications or side effects, while medical doctors have not been informed on them adequately during their medical studies. Herbs-Drugs interactions influence either their pharmacokinetics (absorption, metabolism, elimination) or pharmacodynamics (stimulation or depression of activity, complications, unpleasant effects, and toxicity or subtherapeutic efficacy). Herbs affecting absorption (either potentiating or inhibiting) are: Platango psyllium, Aloe Vera, Senna alexandrina, Rhamnus purshiana, Linum usitatissimum, Althaea officinalis. Herbs affecting distribution (displacement from protein binding sites) are: Filipendula ulmaria, Salix nigra. Herbs affecting metabolism (hepatic enzymes induction or inhibition) are: Glycyrrhiza glabra, Hypericum perforatum or St. John’s Wort, Silybum marianum. Patients under narrow width medications (cyclosporine, hypoglycaemics, digoxin, lithium, phenytoin, procainamide, tricyclic antidepressants, warfarin) should be advised to avoid herbal medicinal products intake.
INFORMATION:
Periodicity: Iatriki 2011, 100(2):127—135
Origin Center: Pharmacology Department, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Keywords: Herbs, drugs, activity alterations, interactions, contraindications
Corresponding Author: Chr. Tesseromatis, 75 Mikras Asias street, GR-115 27 Athens, Greece • e-mail: ctesser@med.uoa.gr