Avoid herbs for two weeks before surgery

New Delhi 17th June 2009: HCFI: Any product labeled “herbal” doesn’t automatically make it safe, said Dr KK Aggarwal President Heart Care Foundation of India and Director IMAAKN Sinha Institute.

It is important to carefully evaluate any herbal supplement.

The Cleveland Clinic offers these suggestions:

·        Don’t look straight to herbal remedies if you get sick.

·        See your doctor, find out what’s wrong, and get the physician’s advice on treatment.

·        Skip herbal remedies altogether if you are trying to conceive.

·        Never take more of an herbal remedy than its manufacturer recommends.

·        Read labels, and only use products that specifically list which herbs (and amounts) are included.

·        Always tell your doctor about any herbal products that you are taking.

·        If you have any plant, flower or pollen allergies, pay attention to what’s in the herbal supplements you’re considering.

·        Understand that there are no guarantees with herbal products, and that manufacturer or seller claims may not necessarily be accurate.

·        Patients should be asked about use of herbal treatments in a nonjudgmental manner as part of the medication history.

·        Pregnant and nursing patients be advised to avoid herbal therapies.

·        Parents should be cautioned about the relative lack of studies demonstrating efficacy and safety of herbal medicines in infants and children.

·        Caution should be exercised in the use of herbs in the elderly due to possible decreased renal and hepatic clearance of herb and drug metabolites. Additionally, for elderly individuals taking multiple medications, there is a greater potential for herb-drug interactions.

        Herbs may impact surgery through altered coagulation (eg, ginkgo, ginseng , garlic ), cardiovascular stability (eg, ephedra), glucose control (ginseng), anesthesia (eg, valerianl, kava), and increased metabolism of perioperative medication (eg, St. John’s wort). Case reports of perioperative bleeding associated with ginkgo biloba and saw palmetto have been reported. One should avoid herbs for at least two weeks prior to surgery.