Is it safe to take antibiotics and Chinese herbs together?

Answer 1

Some ingredients used in Chinese herbal or traditional medicine are definitely not safe. For example galena (lead), cinnabar (Mercury) and strychnine (rat poison) are ingredients sometimes used and are toxic to humans.

Other ingredients may be safe as long as they are not contaminated or incorrectly substituted. Generally, Chinese herbal medicines are not subject to the same quality control standards as other medicines or even normal food.

There is not enough evidence from properly conducted tests or trials to say that Chinese herbal medicines are effective or even safe, however large number of people use these medicines without any serious problems. Some ingredients such as ginseng are very widely believed to have health benefits and large sums of money are paid for some roots, however there is no reliable evidence that it has any more health benefits than eating an apple.

Even if Chinese herbal medicines are harmless, there are some serious health risks from relying on them.

1. Some people with serious health problems such as cancer, rely on Chinese medicines and delay being seen by a properly qualified doctor. Because of the delay, their disease advances so far that it can't be effectively treated.

2. Some people being treated for a health problem by a doctor are prescribed medicines but they use Chinese medicines as well and don't tell the doctor. These can interfere with the medicines prescribed by the doctor and cause serious problems.

3. A woman was being treated for cancer by western medicine. She was also taking Chinese medicines which did not cause any problem. Her cancer went into remission. She believed that her cancer disappeared because of the Chinese medicines, not the western medicine. When a two years later, her cancer came back, she decided that she would only use Chinese medicine. A few months later she died.