A new report warns cancer patients about the potential dangers of mixing alternative and herbal medicines with conventional cancer treatments. While there is a perception that herbal remedies are harmless simply because they are herbal or natural, some can actually interfere with a patient’s treatment. For example, remedies such as garlic, cod liver oil and St John’s Wort may interfere with blood thinning drugs, hormone treatments or chemotherapy and Echinacea, which affects the immune system, could negatively impact certain treatments for lymphoma and leukemia.
Patients need to discuss any remedies or supplements they are taking with their doctor and understand that some herbal medicines might not help their treatment.
SOURCE: British Journal of Cancer, 2004.
Are herbal remedies bad for your body?
No, but the use of them at the same time you are taking medications that have the same medicinal uses is a problem. Remember that over 90% of all medications are supercharged, purified, isolated chemicals that were first noted in plants then duplicated, with a small twist, and called a drug. Thus, you taking the herbal formula with the drug that mimics its action, is a double dip and should be avoided. The question is: Do I use the herb or the drug? That question can only be answered by you!
God Bless,
Dr. Benzinger
