Summary: Learn whether popular herbs and supplements improve health after transplant and how they may interact with prescribed medication. Herbs and supplements have become popular with the public as well as cancer patients. Because they are unregulated, however, their safety and efficacy are difficult to judge. This presentation reviews the most common herbs and supplements and summarizes what is known about their benefits and risks for transplant recipients.

Presenter: Maggie McCallen PharmD, BCOP, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Hematology/Oncology, Mayo Clinic Arizona; Meet Ms. McCallen [ Ссылка ]

To read the transcript, go to: [ Ссылка ]

Highlights:

- Herbs and supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While prescription drugs must be proven safe before they are approved by the FDA for market, herbs and supplements are assumed to be safe, and only receive FDA scrutiny if adverse side effects are reported.
- Certain herbs and supplements can cause risky side effects for stem cell transplant recipients. Some affect how the liver metabolizes prescription drugs and may make the prescription drug less effective.
- Just because a product is natural does not mean it is safe, and more of an herb or supplement is not necessarily better. Mega-dosing should be avoided.

Presented at the 2021 Celebrating a Second Chance at Life Virtual Symposium, April 17-23, 2021
Presentation is 39 minutes long with 20 minutes of Q & A.

Key Points:

(04:36) Reported adverse effects of herbs and supplements have dramatically increased over the last ten years.

06:44) Herbal supplement labels are not always accurate and global supply chains complicate the issue. Finding a reputable source for such products is essential.

(08:00) Supplements can alter the effectiveness of prescription medications and affect underlying disease states.

(11:16) Fewer ingredients are preferable in herbal products. Fillers and “proprietary blends” should be avoided whenever possible.

(15:32) Turmeric is an antioxidant that can reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy by protecting cancer cells along with healthy cells.

(17:45) Omega-3 medications should be avoided for patients on anticoagulation medications because it can increase the risk of bleeding.

(21:06) Glucosamine is a generally safe supplement but should still be avoided until day 100 posttransplant.

(22:22) Garlic supplements can affect bleeding rate and reduce the effectiveness of cyclosporine. It’s not recommended before or after transplant.

(26:43) St. John’s Wort has an extensive list of drug interactions and can reduce the effectiveness of other important medications.

(32:01) Check labels for quality supplements and USP or USP-NF endorsements. These provide some measure of the quality, strength, and purity of supplements.

WHO WE ARE: BMT InfoNet is dedicated to providing patients and their loved ones with emotional support and high quality, easy-to-understand information about blood stem cell transplants (bone marrow, peripheral blood and cord blood) and other cellular therapies. Whether you are just beginning your transplant or cellular therapy journey, or learning to manage the joys and challenges of survivorship,

BMT InfoNet is here to help before, during and after treatment. Our goal is to empower you with credible information and emotional support, so that you can take a more active role in decisions affecting your health. [ Ссылка ]

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