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Nearly 40 percent of people living in the United States turn to herbs and other natural remedies to deal with everything from colds to cancer. Much fewer share those alternative treatment details with conventional doctors, though, which can actually put the brakes on your recovery. For example, blood-thinning herbs could cause interaction with Coumadin, and St. John's Wort could weaken depression medications' effects. A new push from The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is urging patients to work with doctors—and for doctors to ask patients—about alternative or complementary treatments, which include everything from chiropractic care and acupuncture to herbs and medicinal mushrooms. "It’s best to have an opened and honest relationship with your doctor," says Isaac Eliaz, MD, founder of The Amitabha Medical Clinic and Healing Center in Sebastopol, Cal.
That's not always as easy as it seems. As Dr. Eliaz points out, some oncologists will fire their cancer patients if they engage in complementary or alternative medicine. Cancer patients involved in clinical trials often won't qualify for a study if they disclose any alternative or complementary treatments, so sometimes, they don't tell doctors about any herbs or alternative treatments for fear of being disqualified from a medical trial. "As a result, we can her about a benefit of a new drug, where a big part of the benefit may have come form complementary or alternative medicine," Dr. Eliaz says.
Conventional doctors' concerns aren't completely unwarranted. Herbs and other natural therapies don't fall under the same regulation as regular medicines. Quality varies, and contamination is sometimes a problem. The Kaiser Permanente Northwest set out to fix this several years ago, and offers high-quality supplements with strong scientific evidence to health certain medical conditions. For instance, its pharmacies stock melatonin for jet lag, fish oil and flaxseed for heart health, Co Q-10 for Parkinson's disease, ginger for nausea, and St. John's Wort for depression, among others. If a patient is taking another supplement or prescribed drug that could cause an interaction, a pop-up warning in the patient's electronic medical record alerts the physician.
Unfortunately, this type of supply and surveillance isn't the norm yet, so open conversation with your doctor is vital to make sure you're getting the most of your treatment.
Here's how to open the lines of communication with your doctor so you can choose the natural medicine plan that works best for your body.
First, do your homework. The field of natural medicine is expanding exponentially, and for a conventional physician who is not familiar with herbal medicine and supplements, it can be a daunting task to analyze the safety and benefit of a list of herbs you might bring to your visit, explains Dr. Eliaz.
Instead, he suggests that you become an informed consumer and patient, research the product and possible drug interaction before your visit, and arrive at your doctor's appointment with the data already in hand.
The University of Maryland Medical Center's Medical Alternative Medicine Index is a database of herbs and supplements and will point out drug interactions. To find safer supplements, look for US Pharmacopoeia certified products, or visit ConsumerLab.com for supplement-specific safety reports.
If need be, find a new doctor. "If you believe in natural and complementary medicine, and want to make it a part of your health care, and your doctor is adamantly opposed to it, the best medicine is to find a different doctor," says Dr. Eliaz.
He adds that a true integrative and holistic doctor follows the basic principles of integrative care:
1. Patient driven—you are empowered as the patient to take charge of your health and lead the decision making. Its’ part of healing.
2. The doctor is not biased, but open to conventional and complementary and alternative treatments. For example, an integrated medical doctor treating cancer might be open to supplements, botanicals, an organic diet, meditation, and acupuncture in addition to radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery. "You want care individualized for the patient, not for the disease," says Dr. Eliaz. "That’s what makes a doctor a compassionate healer."
Know the more common interactions. Not every natural medicine is right for every situation. For instance, blood-thinning herbs like basil, thyme, and sage could interact with the blood-thinning Coumadin drug. Grapefruit effects statin drugs in a negative way, while St. John's Wort could interfere with commonly prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant drugs. Dr. Eliaz notes that St. John's Wort could also decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills. "But more often, natural and complementary therapies can enhance the benefits of conventional medicine."
That's not always as easy as it seems. As Dr. Eliaz points out, some oncologists will fire their cancer patients if they engage in complementary or alternative medicine. Cancer patients involved in clinical trials often won't qualify for a study if they disclose any alternative or complementary treatments, so sometimes, they don't tell doctors about any herbs or alternative treatments for fear of being disqualified from a medical trial. "As a result, we can her about a benefit of a new drug, where a big part of the benefit may have come form complementary or alternative medicine," Dr. Eliaz says.
Conventional doctors' concerns aren't completely unwarranted. Herbs and other natural therapies don't fall under the same regulation as regular medicines. Quality varies, and contamination is sometimes a problem. The Kaiser Permanente Northwest set out to fix this several years ago, and offers high-quality supplements with strong scientific evidence to health certain medical conditions. For instance, its pharmacies stock melatonin for jet lag, fish oil and flaxseed for heart health, Co Q-10 for Parkinson's disease, ginger for nausea, and St. John's Wort for depression, among others. If a patient is taking another supplement or prescribed drug that could cause an interaction, a pop-up warning in the patient's electronic medical record alerts the physician.
Unfortunately, this type of supply and surveillance isn't the norm yet, so open conversation with your doctor is vital to make sure you're getting the most of your treatment.
Here's how to open the lines of communication with your doctor so you can choose the natural medicine plan that works best for your body.
First, do your homework. The field of natural medicine is expanding exponentially, and for a conventional physician who is not familiar with herbal medicine and supplements, it can be a daunting task to analyze the safety and benefit of a list of herbs you might bring to your visit, explains Dr. Eliaz.
Instead, he suggests that you become an informed consumer and patient, research the product and possible drug interaction before your visit, and arrive at your doctor's appointment with the data already in hand.
The University of Maryland Medical Center's Medical Alternative Medicine Index is a database of herbs and supplements and will point out drug interactions. To find safer supplements, look for US Pharmacopoeia certified products, or visit ConsumerLab.com for supplement-specific safety reports.
If need be, find a new doctor. "If you believe in natural and complementary medicine, and want to make it a part of your health care, and your doctor is adamantly opposed to it, the best medicine is to find a different doctor," says Dr. Eliaz.
He adds that a true integrative and holistic doctor follows the basic principles of integrative care:
1. Patient driven—you are empowered as the patient to take charge of your health and lead the decision making. Its’ part of healing.
2. The doctor is not biased, but open to conventional and complementary and alternative treatments. For example, an integrated medical doctor treating cancer might be open to supplements, botanicals, an organic diet, meditation, and acupuncture in addition to radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery. "You want care individualized for the patient, not for the disease," says Dr. Eliaz. "That’s what makes a doctor a compassionate healer."
Know the more common interactions. Not every natural medicine is right for every situation. For instance, blood-thinning herbs like basil, thyme, and sage could interact with the blood-thinning Coumadin drug. Grapefruit effects statin drugs in a negative way, while St. John's Wort could interfere with commonly prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant drugs. Dr. Eliaz notes that St. John's Wort could also decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills. "But more often, natural and complementary therapies can enhance the benefits of conventional medicine."