Warfarin, a blood thinning agent used in medicine for various diseases, may interact with other herbal products, either to loose or enhance its action in the body. Consequently, it may be dangerous; say the researchers.
 clipped from www.nlm.nih.gov
The authors note that almost 20 percent of Americans currently take some type of herbal or non-herbal supplement. More than half of the herbal and non-herbal supplements were found to have either an indirect or direct impact on warfarin. Nearly two-thirds of all the supplements were found to raise the risk for bleeding among patients taking the blood thinner, while more than one-third hampered the effectiveness of the medication. An increase in bleeding risk was specifically linked to the use of cranberry, garlic, ginkgo and saw palmetto supplements, the team said. Glucosamine/chondroitin, essential fatty acids, multi-herb products, evening primrose oil, co-enzyme Q10, soy, melatonin, ginseng and St. John's wort all affected warfarin's effectiveness so much so that they prompted a need for adjustments in the drug's prescribed dosage.
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