MY CLIENTS HERBS REVIEW 

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Prescriptions of traditional African medicines tend to be secretive. They’re based on knowledge passed from generation to generation of traditional healers. This can result in vague doses. Patients have been known to overuse some remedies while self-medicating. This can have severe health consequences.These include stomach upsets, liver damage and even kidney failure. Some widely used natural health plant products which have been associated with adverse health effects because of misuse.

All of these natural remedies are generally considered “safe”, or even healthy by consumers since their use is not regulated or restricted. Nothing indicates to the user that “too much of a good thing” could be dangerous.

Thanks partly to efforts by the World Health Organisation, access to Western medicine – especially for diseases like HIV/AIDS - is increasing across Africa. More and more people tend to be using traditional medicine in combination with prescription medicines. Often none of their healthcare providers know about this and so cannot warn about possible interactions.Some traditional African medicines may interfere with the normal metabolism of drugs. For example, St. George wave is a natural remedy frequently used for depression. But it’s been shown to increase the removal of medicines, such as some oral contraceptives, from the body. This can lead to ineffective levels of the prescribed medicine, putting women at risk of pregnancy when they think they are protected.

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On the other hand, the interaction could also result in reduced clearance of a drug. This may lead to higher levels of the prescribed medicine in the body, which produces negative side effects and could even lead to toxicity. 

These interactions happen at a metabolic level. So even herbal products that are safe when used on their own May pose a risk when taken in combination with Western medicine – that is, synthetic pharmaceutical agents.

Some of the best known examples of drug interactions are the effects of citrus, particularly grapefruit juice, and alcohol of many prescribed medicines. These combinations should be avoided.

AND THE GOOD NEWS 

But it’s not all bad news. Interactions between African traditional medicines and prescribed medicines can potentially be exploited for good.

One of the biggest problems in the development of new medicines is the low uptake of these compounds into the body, or its quick removal. In some studies, traditional medicines have been shown to have the ability to increase uptake or decrease the metabolism of prescription drugs. Applying these effects could enable the development of new herb-drug combinations with increased efficacy and reduced side-effects.

But studies that characterise and evaluate the healing properties or potential toxicity and drug interactions of traditional African medicines are very limited. This is further complicated by the fact that so many medicinal plants (more than 5000) are being used. So healthcare practitioners have limited information and often can’t make proper recommendations to patients who use such traditional remedies.

Whether positive or negative drug interactions are at play, African countries has improve their regulation around traditional medicines. Countries like Nigeria and fewer Africa countries has placed herbs 🌿 into world map