Mixing Herbs And Drugs May Be Life ThreateningPosting Date: 08/01/2001 Anesthesiologists are at the cutting edge of drug and herb interactions. That's because they are responsible keeping a patient unconscious and free of pain during surgery, a delicate balancing act. If anesthesia is too deep, vital functions drop dangerously; if it's too light, patients may feel pain or awaken too early. If patients take herbs they may upset the anesthetic apple cart. Sedation may be too deep or too light. Hemorrhaging can also cause chaos in the operating room and is a serious complication associated with some herbs. That is why all patients should tell the doctor before surgery if they use herbal medicines. Even without surgery, some people may have frightening reactions. One reader relates her experience: "In October I started taking Ginkgo biloba extract for memory and circulation. In November I developed a nosebleed so severe that I had to interrupt my work as a nurse and go to the emergency room. I was soaking towels with blood, gagging and passing large blood clots from my nose and mouth. The emergency physicians tried to stop the bleeding but it kept re-occurring. By the second day my nose was bleeding a steady stream like a tap. "I'd never had a nosebleed before in my life and I am not a bleeder. The only medication I was taking was an occasional Orudis for arthritis pain. "Because they couldn't stop the bleeding I was hospitalized for four days. The ENT doctor who consulted got excited when I told her the only thing I took regularly was ginkgo. She said she'd seen several cases of severe nosebleeds associated with ginkgo. "She eventually took me into surgery to cauterize the bleeding, but even that did not work. I ended up with a balloon inflated in my nose for five days and lost two weeks of work. Worse, while I was in the OR, I had heart rhythm changes and now need to take Lanoxin." Related StoriesRelated Videos |
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