Aa
medication interactions.
what vitamins and natural remedies (herbs) should i avoid when on cipralex and seoquel ?
Your question back to me was not posted on this link, and thought it would be helpful to add a little more context to this...
I should have clarified myself further, it is OK to take foods, herbs, that are processes through the liver. But there are particular ones that can influence the way the body metabolized what you ingest. Grapefruit would be a good example, it is very healthy and good for you but it has a strong slowing effect (4-6 hours) on the same pathway (3A4) in the liver that many heart medications must use. For some taking those heart medications it can cause their blood pressure to skyrocket or just not work at all until the grapefruit effect wears off. So it is a matter of checking with a pharmacist or researching each herb, medicine, or vitamin you take to see if it has any conflict when taking it with other foods or medication. Most pharmacists that I work with are pretty good at letting patients know the basics when you pick up their meds, but be proactive and ask if you are unsure about anything!
I should have clarified myself further, it is OK to take foods, herbs, that are processes through the liver. But there are particular ones that can influence the way the body metabolized what you ingest. Grapefruit would be a good example, it is very healthy and good for you but it has a strong slowing effect (4-6 hours) on the same pathway (3A4) in the liver that many heart medications must use. For some taking those heart medications it can cause their blood pressure to skyrocket or just not work at all until the grapefruit effect wears off. So it is a matter of checking with a pharmacist or researching each herb, medicine, or vitamin you take to see if it has any conflict when taking it with other foods or medication. Most pharmacists that I work with are pretty good at letting patients know the basics when you pick up their meds, but be proactive and ask if you are unsure about anything!
The only herb that comes to mind that you want to make a point of staying away from is St. John's Wart. This herb has the ability to raise the risk of serotonin syndrome. Aside from that make sure that any herb you take does not have a slowing or increasing effect on the CYP450-3A4 pathway in the liver. I don't expect you to know what that entails but ask your doctor or Google any vitamin or herb you want to take to see how the body processes and clears it. The good news is Cipralex (escitalopram) is a very safe and effective treatment unlike older products. Seroquel (Quetiapine) is a little more sensitive to competing liver challenges via the CYP450-3A4,5. So keep any alcohol intake to a minimum and drink plenty of water just as a benny for your kidneys. Just be careful with "natural remedies" as many of them are as dangerous (or more so) than prescription meds.
Remember: snake venom is 100% natural but that does not mean it is good for you!
Remember: snake venom is 100% natural but that does not mean it is good for you!
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