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" Millions of people pop herbal supplements each day. But many neglect to tell their doctor. &amp;quot;People think that because herbs are natural, they won&amp;#039;t cause any problems,&amp;quot; says Cliff Fuhrman, Ph.D., professor of pharmaceutics at the University of South Carolina. In fact, they can cause side effects when combined with certain drugs. Notify your physician and pharmacist if you&amp;#039;re taking herbal remedies, and consult our chart below to make sure you&amp;#039;re not mixing up trouble.    DON&amp;#039;T MIX WITH WHY   Saint-John&amp;#039;s-wort Antidepressants, such as Prozac (fluoxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), and Luvox (fluvoxamine); and cardiac medications, such as Lanoxin (digoxin) Saint John&amp;#039;s Wort can exacerbate the effects of antidepressants, causing weakness, fatigue, incoherence, and, with some antidepressants, flushing. It can also reduce the effectiveness of cardiac medications.   Kava Depressants such as alcohol, tranquilizers, and sleeping pills; and antianxiety drugs, such as Xanax (alprazolam) Kava can intensify the drowsiness caused by these medications.   Garlic Aspirin; anticoagulant medications, such as Warfarin; general anesthetics you may bleed excessively if you take garlic (a natural blood thinner) with anticoagulants (including asprin). Mixed with general anesthetics, it could increase postsurgical bleeding.   Ginseng  Oral contraceptives; hormone-replacement therapies; some antidiabetic medications Ginseng can reduce the Pill&amp;#039;s effectiveness and increase the effects of estrogen-replacement therapy. It may also alter blood-sugar levels, a potential danger for diabetics.   Ginkgo Biloba  Asprin; anticoagulant medications, such as warafin; general anesthetics  Ginkgo is believed to be an anticoagulant (it inhibits a step in the blood-clotting process). Taking the herb before surgery might increase post-op bleeding.   Licorice root  Oral contraceptives; diuretics; cardiac medications, such as digoxin; corticosteroids A woman on the Pill may retain water and risk hypertension. When mixed with diuretics or digoxin, licorice can cause excessive potassium loss, increasing the risk for drug toxicity. If you&amp;#039;re on corticosteroids (for skin disorders, colitis, or Chrohn&amp;#039;s disease, among other things), licorice may interfere with the drugs&amp;#039; effectiveness.   Ephedra Pseudoephedrine (found in Sudafed), caffeine, beta-blockers, digoxin Mixing this stimulant with pseudoephedrine or caffeine can increase your heart rate and blood pressure. It can also raise blood pressure in people taking beta-blockers for heart conditions, hypertension, or migraines. When combined with digoxin, ephedra increases the risk of abnormal heart rhythm.   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a16713/mixing-herbal-remedies-oct01/>