Natural Health Magazine Instant Guide to Drug-Herb Interactions [Paperback]

DK Publishing (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 2001 | Series: DK Natural Health

A-Z listing of 150 common drugs with essential information on how they interact with herbs. When taking both drugs and herbs, two rules of thumb apply. One, don't mix medicines and herbal supplements that have similar actions. And two, don't mix medicines and supplements that have opposing actions. But sorting out these remedies and their rules can be confusing -- even dangerous -- until now. Instant Guide to Drug-Herb Interactions is your one-stop, at-a-glance source for the millions of consumers who take herbs and herbal supplements along with their prescription and over-the-counter medications. Featuring 150 of the most common drugs, organized by generic name, it highlights those herbs that should be avoided when using each drug and explains why a contraindication may occur. Many listings also include herbs that enhance the effectiveness and reduce the side effects of the drugs. With Instant Guide to Drug-Herb Interactions, you can feel confident about getting the best benefit form every drug and herb you use.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Chris D. Meletis, N.D., is the Dean of Clinical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer at The National College of Naturopathic Medicine, one of America's premier teaching institutions for naturopathic physicians. His previous books include Interactions Between Drugs & Natural Medicines, A Naturopathic Guide to Clinical Nutrition, and Better Sex Naturally. Dr. Meletis lives in Oregon. Established in 1971, Natural Health is the longest running and most respected periodical in the field of natural self-care. Read by more than a million health-conscious readers each issue, Natural Health is a trusted leader, providing credible information, guidance, and inspiration to both core devotees of natural healing and to the growing legions of new natural health enthusiasts. Published by Weider Publications, Inc., Natural Health's Editorial Advisory Board includes such esteemed authorities as Dean Ornish, Carolyn Dean, and Andrew Weil.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT; 1st edition (February 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789471507
• ISBN-13: 978-0789471505
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,944,160 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The rules of the medical game..., May 8, 2001

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Natural Health Magazine Instant Guide to Drug-Herb Interactions (Paperback)

If you want to treat yourself with herbs, but still want to be able to see your regular doctor and take prescriptions or even just take aspirin...then read this book to take the safest approach.

When you take both drugs and herbs, there are two rules of thumb. One, don't mix medicines and supplements that have opposing actions. And two, don't take them if they have similar actions. Until now, this could be a confusing problem to solve. Which drugs can you take with which herbs and which ones could be dangerous when taken together?

This is truly an "instant guide." It features 150 of the most common drugs and they are organized by generic names. The herbs you should avoid are highlighted and there is an explanation of why a contraindication could occur. The common brand names are also listed and to find out what their generic name is, you just look in the index.

There is plenty of good advice as well to help you maintain better health. When discussing Tetracycline, they say not to mix it with goldenseal or Oregon grape because they could interfere with the absorption of the tetracycline. They also suggest taking a mixture of lactobacillus, acidophilus, bifidobacterium, bifidum and saccharomyces boulardii to help your good bacteria in your system.

So, say you are about to take Advil and you are taking herbs. What do you do? Well, nothing because they say there are no known herbal interactions. Well, that could save you a headache for sure! They do say not to mix alcohol with ibuprofen as ibuprofen can irritate your stomach already and this could make it worse.

This book is small enough to keep with your herbal remedies and you will find it to be very useful. I have already learned so much and this book could save your life.

~The Rebecca Review