Concerns of drug and herb interactions and open communication

For a herbalist, doing what is best for the patient is complicated in a modern world that does not understand herbal medicine. Nationally certified herbalists have years of training in western biomedical medicine, pharmacology, as well as herbal medicine. A modern herbalist has to understand and work between two different systems of medicine. This is made more complicated because physicians are not required to have any training in herbal medicine. Ignorance and misunderstanding leads many physicians to tell patients not to use herbal or alternative treatments. This can cause conflict with a patient who wants to utilize both biomedical and herbal medicine. Patients will often lie about their herbal use rather than be honest with a physician who does not approve.

Herbalists are trained to understand drug and herb interactions and how to avoid problems. It is not helpful to the health of a patient to be thrown into a stressful situation where they are trying to deal with contradictory medical opinions. The effort to avoid this type of conflict between the patient and care givers, results in herbalists often not treating the patient. Many herbalists find themselves prescribing simple dietary changes or withholding medical treatment until there is a clear understanding between the patient and the physician about the treatment strategies to be employed.

Sometimes the result of these problems is that a patient only fully commits to herbal medical solutions once Western Biomedical options have been exhausted. That also means that the patient is in worse physical condition when herbal treatment is started. These complications can make it more difficult to help a patient overcome their conditions by the utilization herbal medicine.

The best answer is to work with a herbalist who has the training to truly understand possible drug and herb interactions. It is also important to have open communication with your physician so that there can be an understanding about how herbal medicines and pharmaceutical drugs can work together.