Herb-Drug Interaction

What is Herb-Drug Interaction?

It is reported that many cancer patients in Singapore seek Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to help manage cancer-related symptoms, side effects from treatment (e.g. fatigue, insomnia, loss of appetite, etc.) and improvement of general wellness while still on conventional cancer treatment. A common misconception among patients is that since TCM herbs are from natural sources, they are safe and do not cause side effects. This is not entirely accurate as the herbs can adversely interact with the cancer drugs that are prescribed. Hence, Herb-Drug i]Interaction is a longstanding concern among healthcare professionals, in the management of cancer patients' treatments.

When taking both TCM herbs and Western drugs concurrently, herb-drug interactions may occur, such as:

• Altering the metabolism of Western drug, hence affecting efficacy
• Countering the therapeutic intent of cancer treatment (e.g. concurrent use of TCM herbs that affect hormonal activity with hormone cancer therapies)

It is therefore very important for patients to always discuss with their primary healthcare provider on the usage of such complementary therapies.

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If you would like to learn more about how Integrative Oncology may help in your cancer journey, please consult your primary physician for a referral to our NCCS Integrative Oncology Clinic.