Herbal remedies and anticoagulant therapy

Noah Samuels

doi:10.1160/TH04-05-0285

Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Table of Contents

Thromb Haemost 2005; 93(01): 03-07
DOI: 10.1160/TH04-05-0285

Review Article

Schattauer GmbH

Herbal remedies and anticoagulant therapy

Noah Samuels

¹Unit of Complementary Medicine, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Summary

Herbal remedies, considered to be both safe and effective by most consumers, may interact with conventional drugs.Warfarin, a vitamin K antagonist originally derived from the sweet clover plant, has a narrow therapeutic window which can be monitored using prothrombin international normalized ratios (PT-INR). Many herbs can increase the risk for bleeding when combined with warfarin, either by augmenting the anticoagulant effects of the drug (with increased PT-INR levels) or through intrinsic anti-platelet properties (without altering PT-INR levels). The increased risk for bleeding among such patients may be difficult to predict, especially when formulas which contain many herbs are used. Further research into herb-drug interactions is warranted, as are guidelines for the use of herbal remedies by patients on chronic anticoagulation therapy.

Keywords

Herbs - warfarin - anticoagulation - antiplatelet - bleeding

Full Text

References

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