HERBAL REMEDIES AND SURGERY
More than 3/4 Americans take some type of nutritional supplement. It is not surprising that some of them have plastic surgery. Unfortunately some supplementation can be dangerous around the time of surgery.
Many patients think that because the label says "natural" it also means safe. Nothing could be further from the truth. Another misconception is that there is a difference between alternative medicine and the medicine practiced by an MD. The only difference is one of testing. Any alternative medicine will become mainstream as soon as there is proof of its safety and efficacy.
Examples of natural remedies that may cause problems at surgery:
St. John’s Wort, Yohimbe (natural viagra) and licorice: these are MAO inhibitors and can interact with Demerol (pethidine in UK). You should stop taking St. John's Wort about 5-7 days before surgery.
Gingko: is an anticoagulant and may cause bleeding. You should stop taking Gingko about 2 days before surgery.
Ginger, garlic, cayenne, bilberry: these are antiplatelet and may cause bleeding. You should stop taking garlic at least a week before surgery.
Melatonin: decreases the amount of anesthetic needed.
Echinacea: can effect liver during general anesthetic and can be harmful to immunosuppressed patients. It may interfere withhealing and shoudl be stopped several months before surgery.
Aloe: can cause dermatitis if applied to the skin or lower potassium if eaten.
PC-SPES: has estrogenic effects that may increase the risk of blood clots in the leg.
Ephedra: (ma huang): can have serious side effects like stroke and heart problems if combined with many common anesthetic medicines. It should be stopped at least 24-48 hours before surgery.
Ginseng: may slow blood clotting and casue low blood sugar levels in fasting patients. It should be stopped at least a week before surgery.
Kava: increases the effects of anesthetics and may slow the recovery. It should be stopped at least 24-36 hours before surgery.
Valerian: increases the effects of anesthetics and may slow the recovery. Do not stop suddenly but gradually taper off for several weeks.
Some herbal remedies do not clearly describe their contents on the label. So no matter what you use, it may be as well to stop them for several weeks around the time
of surgery.