Avoid Herbal Supplements before Surgery
A recent report in the Journal of the American Medical Association highlighted the dangerous interactions between herbs, anesthesia and surgery. According to lead researcher Chun-Su Yuan, M.D., Ph.D., of the Tang Center for Herbal Medicine at the University of Chicago, herbs can have an impact on heart function, pain control, metabolism, sedation, bleeding, immunity and recovery. Researchers say supplements can affect heart rate, inhibit blood clotting, and change the duration of the anesthesia's effectiveness.
After reviewing various studies, case reports and compounds, researchers came up with specific recommendations for the use of herbals before surgery. For example, Echinacea, commonly used for colds, can cause allergic reactions, impair immune suppressive drugs, and impair wound healing. Researchers said that it should be avoided as far in advance of surgery as possible, especially for transplant patients.
Ephedra is known to increase heart rate and blood pressure, thereby increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Use should be discontinued at least 24 hours before surgery.
Two other common herbs that can cause interactions include Ginkgo and St. John's wort. Ginkgo can cause problems with bleeding and inhibit clotting and should be stopped at least 36 hours before surgery. St. John's wort is known to interact with many other drugs; it's recommended this be discontinued five days before surgery.
Researchers added that there are many other inherent concerns over the use of herbal supplements since they are not FDA-regulated. Also, their ingredients are likely to vary from maker to maker and even from lot to lot. For additional information on herbals, researchers recommend contacting the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association (2001;286:208-216).
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