08/22/2024
🌿💊 Have you heard of these potential herb-drug interactions?
Herb-drug interactions are the potential interplay that can occur between the pharmacologically active constituents in an herb with a pharmaceutical drug. “Drugs are prescribed at levels intended to maintain a steady, safe, and effective concentration in the body over a set period of time. An herb-drug interaction can affect this steady state, shifting levels of the drug outside of the desired therapeutic range.” (Herbal Academy, n.d.)
⚕️ Herbs can interact with medications in various ways, either by affecting how the body absorbs, processes, or eliminates the drugs, or by changing how the drugs work at their target sites. For example, some herbs might make a drug less effective or more active.
⚕️The evidence for these interactions varies, with only a small percentage being well documented and some being purely theoretical. If you’re taking herbs and medications together, it’s important to check with a trusted medical professional and/or clinical herbalist for potential interactions, as new information is constantly emerging.
Two important terms to understand in herb-drug interactions:
💊 PHARMACOKINETIC 💊 What the body does to a drug. It involves the processes of how a drug is absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and eliminated from the body. Think of it as the journey a drug takes through your body.
💊 PHARMACODYNAMIC 💊 What the drug does to the body. It’s about how the drug interacts with the body at the cellular level, such as binding to receptors, to produce its effects. This explains the drug’s action and its therapeutic or side effects.
Sources:
📚 Herbal Academy. (n.d.). Advanced Herbal Course [Online Course]. https://theherbalacademy.com/product/online-advanced-herbal-course/
📚 Romm, A., Hardy, M.L., & Mills, S. (2010). Botanical medicine for women’s health. Churchill Livingstone.
➡️ Note: Although there are no known herb-drug interactions with Juniper (Juniperus communis), authors Romm et. al. (2010) hypothesize its potential based on diuresis.
https://theherbalacademy.com/intermediate-herbalism-bundle-24/
