Levothyroxine and herbal remedies

[Treepie]

Reported today ,according to British Journal of General Practice that millions of pensioners are at risk by using herbal remedies alongside drugs .In some cases the effect of the drug may be reduced in others there may be "significant hazard" .In the latter category is mixing bonecal ( which is supposed to improve bone tissue) with levothyroxine.

Others to be avoided are peppermint with Lansoprazole which regulates stomach acid; St.John's Wort with Amlodipine used to treat high blood pressure.

St.John's Wort and ginseng may reduce efficacy of statins and warfarin.

Apparently women are nearly twice as likely as men to add supplements to presribed medicines.

I am only reporting!

[Angel_of_the_North]

Quite. They'd probably do better to dump the prescribed meds in the case of statins, PPIs and anti-depressants. It is possible to end up with a much higher dose of something than you expected by taking a supplement that has a similar effect, or affects the uptake or clearing pathways used by a drug. I don't think bonecal (there's actually more than one supplement called bonecal) is any more dangerous than any other pretty useless calcium carbonate supplement - but we all know that you shouldn't take calicum or magnesium within 4 hours of levo. If you did, you would probably end up much more hypo, but, unless you were already undermedicated or very low in stomach acid, I can't see that it would actually be dangerous. I wonder how many GPs told their elderly hypo ladies to take a calcium supplement?

[Hidden in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

"I don't think bonecal (there's actually more than one supplement called bonecal) is any more dangerous than any other pretty useless calcium carbonate supplement"

Chewing pieces of blackboard chalk would be a lot cheaper!

[Hidden in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Or, If you live or holiday in that area you could get some from the "Jurassic Coast", (White Cliffs of Dover) complete with fossils to add a bit of extra crunch