Herbal Supplements:
- We are often asked about continuing herbal supplements prior to surgery. There are many herbal supplements on the market and evidenced based research on their impact to surgical outcomes and interactions with medications can be limited. Natural does not always mean safe when it comes to anesthesia and surgery. If you are taking herbal supplements or vitamins please share that information with your anesthesiologist and surgical staff. We advise all patients to stop herbal medications and vitamin supplements 7 days prior to surgery. Popular supplements and interactions are listed below but is not all inclusive. There are additional links below for further information.
- Popular Herbal Products and Possible Side Effects or Interactions with Anesthetics
- Black Cohosh
Blood pressure decrease; may increase bleeding.
- Echinacea
Immune suppression; liver inflammation.
- Ephedra
Cardiac instability, Hypertension, heart attack, palpitations, vasoconstriction and sudden cardiac death.
- Feverfew
Migraine, insomnia, anxiety and joint stiffness; risk of prolonged bleeding.
- Fish Oil
May increase bleeding.
- Garlic
Blood pressure changes; risk of prolonged bleeding.
- Ginger
Sedative effects; risk of bleeding, especially if taken with aspirin and ginkgo.
- Ginkgo Biloba
May increase bleeding.
- Ginseng
Insomnia and irritability; risk of cardiac effects, hypotension, may increase bleeding
- Hoodia
Changes in blood sugar; possible arrhythmia.
- Kava
Sedative effects; potential liver toxicity; risk of additive effect to medications.
- St. John’s Wort
Sedation; blood pressure changes; risk of interaction with other medications that prolong effects of anesthesia.
- Valerian
Increased sedative effects, delayed emergence from anesthesia.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/herb_All.html
Stockley's Herbal Medicine's Interactions