Health Matters on the Point

By Virginia Lester,RN, MSN, ARNP

Complementary Medicine Interaction with Conventional Prescriptions
“Alternative” or “complementary” medicine consists of any approach to improving a health problem that is not routinely used or taught to conventional practitioners of Western medicine. Included in this type of therapy are herbs, acupuncture, chiropractic, and massage, among others.

I want to focus on the area of herbs, dietary supplements and nutraceuticals. In the past few years, there has been an explosion of information regarding complementary and alternative medicines. Market sales of herbs in the U.S. were estimated to be more than $14 billion in 2000. Approximately 80 percent of the population of the world use herbs for medicinal purposes.

The proliferation of herbs available to the public has spawned many scientific studies in an effort to determine their safety and therapeutic usefulness. Some of the information has come from well designed, controlled research studies, while other information may be derived from animal, laboratory data or small, single-site human trials that may or may not be controlled. While all of this new information has been developed and readily available, the traditional practitioners have been encouraging patient to be more responsible for their health care.

Patients are urged to become educated in many areas of therapy and choose what fits their personal needs best. Sales of herbs has largely been driven by public interest in the use of “natural” products thought to be safer and less expensive than traditional pharmaceuticals.

Undeniably, alternative medicines are here to stay. It is estimated that between 33 percent to 50 percent of patients who seek traditional care are also using alternative medicine remedies. Unfortunately, in a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, more than 72 percent of patients fail to disclose this information to their primary care provider. There are many reasons given for withholding this information but the serious and dangerous consequences for not providing this information cannot be denied.

Adverse reactions between medications and herbs can result increased or decreased levels of absorption of a prescribed medication and cause serious consequences. For that matter combining herbs carries a potential risk. As with traditional medications, herbs may require close monitoring to detect adverse reactions and interactions.

The bottom line is that herbs are not bad; it is the withholding of information from your primary care provider or combining them with other medications without supervision and monitoring that is dangerous. Ask your provider for information regarding any new drug or product you introduce either on your own or prescribed. Question the potential side effects. If you have any doubts, information can be obtained by calling the office of Alternative Medicine and the National Institutes of Health (888/644-6226).

Don’t forget the diabetes education forum that will be held April 16, 2005, 10 a.m. until noon at the community center.