The purple coneflower is another name for the genus of native North American plants known as echinacea. An extract derived from the root of the herb Echinacea purpurea is the most popular herbal product in the country. Commercial echinacea preparations are often not standardized to any specific component because the plant’s active ingredient has not been discovered. The variability of the products utilized in different studies makes it challenging to evaluate the echinacea study literature. The herb is frequently used for this purpose and has been suggested as a preventative therapy for upper respiratory infections. However, it appears from the available research that taking preventive echinacea has little to no effect on the frequency, severity, or duration of upper respiratory infections. The evidence for treating upper respiratory infections seems to point to a slight favorable impact. Echinacea has not been associated with any significant herb-drug interactions, and the few and mild side effects that have been documented include nausea, dizziness, and gastrointestinal distress.
The purple coneflower is another name for the genus of plants known as echinacea, which are indigenous to the Midwest of North America. Three of the nine species of echinacea—Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, and Echinacea pallida—are used to make echinacea preparations. The preparation that is used the most frequently in this nation is a liquid extract prepared from E. purpurea root. There are many different trade names used to market echinacea.
Native Americans were the first to employ this plant medicinally, using E. angustifolia to cure everything from respiratory ailments to snakebites. Echinacea was employed as a blood purifier and a dizziness remedy during the 19th century. Up until the invention of current antibiotics, it was utilized as a cold and flu cure as well as an anti-infective. Echinacea is one of the top three plants sold in the US thanks to its recent revival as a remedy for upper respiratory infections (URIs). 1
What should not be combined with echinacea?
What foods and medicines should I stay away from while taking echinacea? Avoid anything that contains caffeine, including coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks, and other items. Echinacea can intensify the negative effects of caffeine, including headache, rapid heartbeat, and jitteriness.
Which nutrients ought to be avoided when taking antidepressants?
It can be particularly risky to use vitamins along with SSRI and antidepressant drugs. A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor may be recommended by your doctor if you suffer from depression or an anxiety disorder (SSRI). Lexapro, Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft are examples of common SSRIs. These are generally safe, but when combined with vitamins or supplements, the effects can be dangerous. Persona Nutrition’s medical advisory board member Brandi Cole, Pharm.D., explains the rationale for this.
According to Cole, since liver enzymes digest the majority of SSRIs in great detail, taking supplements that influence these enzymes may alter how your body gets rid of SSRIs.
St. John’s Wort, for instance, causes the liver’s enzymes to increase, which causes the liver to remove prescription medications more quickly than usual. The correct dosage of medication must be present in your body for it to operate, and your system clears SSRIs earlier than is desirable.
Additionally, some supplements can make medications interact poorly with the systems and functions of your body. When used with SSRIs, supplements that influence heart rhythm (such as cesium or ephedra) may result in a dangerously erratic heartbeat. When used with SSRIs, supplements containing serotonin or that affect how the brain processes serotonin, such as 5HTP (a precursor to serotonin), SAMe, or St. John’s Wort, can result in serotonin syndrome, a potentially fatal condition.
Positive effect on the immune System
Numerous studies have revealed that this plant may support your immune system’s ability to fight viruses and infections, which may speed up your recovery from illness (8, 9, 10).
Echinacea is frequently used to either prevent or treat the common cold because of this.
In fact, a review of 14 studies revealed that echinacea supplementation may reduce the likelihood of getting a cold by more than 50% and shorten its duration by 1.5 days (11).
Numerous research on the subject, nevertheless, have a weak design and offer little genuine value. Due to this, it can be difficult to determine if echinacea use has any beneficial effects on colds vs random events (12).
In conclusion, echinacea may increase immunity, but it is unknown how it may affect the common cold.
May lower blood sugar levels
This includes heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and a number of other chronic illnesses.
Research in test tubes suggests that echinacea plants may aid in lowering blood sugar levels.
An Echinacea purpurea extract was demonstrated in a test-tube investigation to inhibit enzymes that break down carbs. If you ate this, it would lower the quantity of sugar that entered your blood (13).
By activating the PPAR-y receptor, a popular target of diabetic medications, echinacea extracts were found to increase cells’ sensitivity to the effects of insulin in additional test-tube tests (14, 15).
A risk factor for insulin resistance, excess blood fat is eliminated by this specific receptor. As a result, cells respond to insulin and sugar more quickly (16).
Research on how echinacea affects blood sugar in humans is still inadequate.
May reduce feelings of anxiety
Nearly one in five American adults suffer from anxiety, which is a widespread problem (17).
According to research, echinacea plants contain substances that may help people feel less anxious. Alkamides, rosmarinic acid, and caffeic acid are a few of these (18).
Three out of five echinacea samples reduced anxiety in a mouse research. In addition, unlike higher doses of conventional treatments, they did not cause the mice to become less active (18).
Another study discovered that Echinacea angustifolia extract significantly decreased anxiety in rats and people (19).
However, there are currently very few studies on echinacea and anxiety. Before echinacea products are suggested as a potential treatment, more research is required.
Anti-inflammatory properties
Your body naturally promotes healing and defends itself by inducing inflammation.
Inflammation can occasionally become out of control and persist longer than intended and necessary. This could increase your risk of developing chronic illnesses and other health issues.
Echinacea chemicals reduced significant inflammatory markers and inflammation-related memory loss in a mouse research (20).
Adults with osteoarthritis who took a supplement containing echinacea extract for 30 days noticed a significant decrease in swelling, chronic pain, and inflammation.
Interestingly, echinacea extract-containing supplements were effective for these adults even though they did not respond well to traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDS) (21).
May help treat skin concerns
In a test-tube experiment, researchers discovered that the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial characteristics of echinacea inhibited the growth of Propionibacterium, a common acne-causing bacteria (22).
Another study on 10 healthy adults aged 25 to 40 found that using skin care products with echinacea extract increased skin moisture and decreased wrinkles (23).
Similar to this, it has been demonstrated that a cream containing Echinacea purpurea extract can lessen eczema symptoms and aid in repairing the skin’s thin, protective outer layer (24).
Echinacea extract doesn’t seem to have a long shelf life, making it challenging to use in industrial skin care products.
In whom should echinacea not be taken?
Consult your doctor before using echinacea if you regularly take other medications. Additionally, if you smoke, use illegal substances, drink alcohol or caffeine-containing beverages, you should disclose this to your doctor. These might impact how echinacea functions.
If you have an autoimmune ailment (like lupus), an infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, echinacea may not be beneficial to you (AIDS). Before beginning to use echinacea, you should discuss with your doctor if you are pregnant or nursing.
Echinacea allergy risk may be increased if you have a history of allergies to daisies, ragweed, marigolds, chrysanthemums, or other related plants.
Which plants should be avoided when using antidepressants?
Researchers found 15 instances of negative medication reactions in them. The majority of patients had cancer. They were taking kinase inhibitors and/or alkylating drugs such gefitinib, busulfan, and temozolomide.
Others took cyclosporine for a kidney transplant or were on warfarin for a cardiovascular condition.
Some of the most dangerous substances include well-known herbal products like Ginkgo biloba and St. John’s wort.
Sage, flaxseed, cranberries, goji berries, chamomile, and green tea, among others, can interact with some cardiovascular medications and result in bleeding, claims the paper.
Some herbal medications, such as celery root and QR and Mentat, which are used to treat menopause and arthritis, might make depression worse.
The patients who took phenytoin or valproic acid and experienced a seizure were linked, according to the study.
Researchers found that 51 percent of the case reports they examined had likely herb-drug interactions.
It was highly likely that there were herb-drug interactions in 37% of cases. An interaction was questionable in 4% of cases.
Caffeine interacts with ECHINACEA
The rate at which the body breaks down caffeine may be slowed by echinacea. When used with coffee, echinacea may raise blood levels of the stimulant and raise the possibility of adverse effects such jitteriness, headaches, and rapid heartbeat.
Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) substrates) interacts with ECHINACEA
The liver modifies and breaks down several drugs. The rate at which the liver breaks down these drugs may change if echinacea is used. The results and side effects of certain drugs may alter as a result.
Medications that decrease the immune system (Immunosuppressants) interacts with ECHINACEA
The immune system’s activity can be boosted by echinacea. Some drugs, such those prescribed after a transplant, reduce the immune system’s function. Echinacea may lessen the effects of several drugs if taken concurrently.
Etoposide (VePesid) interacts with ECHINACEA
Echinacea may slow down the body’s metabolism of etoposide. When used with etoposide, echinacea may make etoposide’s side effects worse.
Warfarin (Coumadin) interacts with ECHINACEA
The drug warfarin is used to prevent blood clots. Echinacea may accelerate the breakdown of warfarin and lessen its effectiveness. This could make you more likely to get a clot. Make sure to routinely get your blood tested. Your warfarin dosage may need to be adjusted.
Darunavir (Prezista) interacts with ECHINACEA
Darunavir’s rate of metabolism may be impacted by echinacea. Echinacea may lessen the effects of darunavir or increase the risk of negative effects when taken with it. However, it’s not obvious if this warrants much alarm.
Docetaxel (Taxotere) interacts with ECHINACEA
The rate at which the body breaks down docetaxel may be impacted by echinacea. Echinacea supplementation may lessen the effects of docetaxel or raise the risk of side effects. However, it’s not obvious if this warrants much alarm.
Etravirine (Intelence) interacts with ECHINACEA
The rate at which the body breaks down etravirine may be impacted by echinacea. Echinacea may lessen the effects of etravirine or enhance its negative effects when taken alongside it. However, it’s not obvious if this warrants much alarm.
Lopinavir / Ritonavir (Kaletra) interacts with ECHINACEA
Echinacea may slow down the body’s metabolism of lopinavir and ritonavir. Echinacea can either boost or diminish the effects of lopinavir/ritonavir, depending on whether it is taken alone or in conjunction with it. However, it’s not obvious if this warrants much alarm.
Do ginger and antidepressants interact?
It’s never simple to get optimum efficacy with the fewest side effects, but using the newer antidepressants might be challenging due to nausea and other related GI side effects. The GI discomfort already experienced in anxiety disorders can be made worse by drug-induced nausea. The drug is frequently stopped by the patient.
Prochlorperazine and methoclopramide are medications used to alleviate nausea, but both have the potential to cause extrapyramidal symptoms and, if taken for an extended period of time, to cause tremor or dystonia.
I’ve discovered over the past ten years that using ginger as an antiemetic has improved patient compliance and outcomes. Ginger can help relieve GI pain brought on by antidepressants and has few negative effects or drug interactions.
I found that patients are often open to trying ginger in this day and age where people prefer to link “natural with “excellent.” Furthermore, most supermarkets, pharmacies, and vitamin and health food stores sell ginger supplements over the counter at a reasonable price.
Despite how “alternative” and “new age” it may sound, the clinical literature supports the use of ginger for medical purposes. 90 minutes prior to surgery, 60 gynecologic patients were divided into three groups: placebo, metoclopramide (10 mg IV), and powdered ginger root (1,000 mg orally). In comparison to the placebo group, postoperative nausea was dramatically reduced in both active therapy groups.
In a study by Fisher-Rasmussen et al2 over 4 days, they found that ginger, 250 mg qid, significantly reduced nausea compared to placebo. The antiemetic effectiveness of ginger has also been proven to help with motion sickness. 3
Ginger is a perennial plant that grows in India, China, and Jamaica and has a long history of usage in herbal medicine and food preparation. Ginger’s pharmacologic effects are hypothesized to be caused by gingerol and other physiologically active aromatic chemicals contained in ginger. Since ginger stimulates GI motility, like with metoclopramide and domperidone, its GI protective effects are thought to be local rather than CNS phenomena.
Normally, I advise patients to begin utilizing the ginger as needed while receiving antidepressant treatment. I will recommend ginger at a dose of 1,000 mg bid or tid if nausea is severe or pervasive, as it frequently is during the first few weeks of treatment.
Heartburn, an elevated risk of bleeding (reduced platelet aggregation), and uterine contractions at high doses are examples of potential side effects. Although CNS depression and arrhythmias are conceivable, there have not yet been any reported fatalities associated with ginger overdose. 4 Although there isn’t a specific maximum dosage listed in the literature, I would advise against going over 1,000 mg daily.
Although there have been no reports of teratogenic effects from ginger, pregnant women should not consume more than 500 mg in a single dose or more than 1,000 mg per day.
None of my patients have experienced any severe negative effects to date. Mild heartburn has been the most common complaint I’ve heard, which could have consequences for people who have gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Last but not least, ginger ale has long been used as a traditional treatment for nausea. Nevertheless, because ginger ale just includes ginger flavoring and no actual ginger, it is ineffective as an antiemetic.