Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Herbs & Headaches
Aired June 19, 2003 - 13:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Herbs and headaches -- as more people turn to natural remedies to ease their pain, well, new research shows that some herbs could prove toxic for patients on migraine medication.
CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen here with more of the details.
All right, so how do you know?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you don't necessarily know, but let's talk first about the numbers. More than 40 percent of Americans take herbs, and about 30 million Americans suffer from headaches. So you figure those two groups have to match with one another at some point. And what this new study found out at the University of Utah is that some of the most commonly used herbs can actually interfere with your migraine medication and give you nasty side effects.
Let's take a what those herbs are. They said these are some of the most commonly used ones -- Ginkgo biloba, ginseng, Echinacea and St. John's Wort can interfere with migraine medications. In addition, there are some herbs that can cause or worsen headaches, again Ginkgo biloba, ginseng, Echinacea and St. John's Wort, and other herb called Valerian Root.
Now I don have to say that this study was not ironclad; it had some weaknesses. Some of the evidence in it is anecdotal or theoretical. But it does point to one bottom line that everyone need to remember, which is that herbs, even though they're natural, they have an effect on your system.
Now that seems pretty obvious. If they do good things for you, they might do bad things when combined with medicines. But, Kyra, a lot of people forget that. They don't even tell their doctor they're taking herbs, and it's so important because herbs can interfere with other medicines. They can cause problems in your body that you don't even know about, so it's important to use them widely.
PHILLIPS: So when you're fill out the application, what kinds of medications are you on, you should always add the herbs.
COHEN: Yes, and sometimes won't ask, because doctors aren't always so herb savvy. But if they don't ask, you should tell them.
PHILLIPS: All right, minus the medication, just an herb, is there one that has proven successful for headaches, for migraines? COHEN: Yes, there has been one herb, according to the author of the study, which has proven it can help with headaches. It's called Fever Few. And it sounds just like it sounds, Fever Few, and it has shown that it can help some people with headaches.
But again, you have to tell your doctor. Another good source actually for answers on herb, if you are ever wondering about an herb, is you can talk to a pharmacist. Pharmacists probably receive more education than doctors do about herbs, and may keep up with it more and may have some answers, was this herb mixed OK with this prescription medicine?.
PHILLIPS: Elizabeth Cohen, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 19, 2003 - 13:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Herbs and headaches -- as more people turn to natural remedies to ease their pain, well, new research shows that some herbs could prove toxic for patients on migraine medication.
CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen here with more of the details.
All right, so how do you know?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you don't necessarily know, but let's talk first about the numbers. More than 40 percent of Americans take herbs, and about 30 million Americans suffer from headaches. So you figure those two groups have to match with one another at some point. And what this new study found out at the University of Utah is that some of the most commonly used herbs can actually interfere with your migraine medication and give you nasty side effects.
Let's take a what those herbs are. They said these are some of the most commonly used ones -- Ginkgo biloba, ginseng, Echinacea and St. John's Wort can interfere with migraine medications. In addition, there are some herbs that can cause or worsen headaches, again Ginkgo biloba, ginseng, Echinacea and St. John's Wort, and other herb called Valerian Root.
Now I don have to say that this study was not ironclad; it had some weaknesses. Some of the evidence in it is anecdotal or theoretical. But it does point to one bottom line that everyone need to remember, which is that herbs, even though they're natural, they have an effect on your system.
Now that seems pretty obvious. If they do good things for you, they might do bad things when combined with medicines. But, Kyra, a lot of people forget that. They don't even tell their doctor they're taking herbs, and it's so important because herbs can interfere with other medicines. They can cause problems in your body that you don't even know about, so it's important to use them widely.
PHILLIPS: So when you're fill out the application, what kinds of medications are you on, you should always add the herbs.
COHEN: Yes, and sometimes won't ask, because doctors aren't always so herb savvy. But if they don't ask, you should tell them.
PHILLIPS: All right, minus the medication, just an herb, is there one that has proven successful for headaches, for migraines? COHEN: Yes, there has been one herb, according to the author of the study, which has proven it can help with headaches. It's called Fever Few. And it sounds just like it sounds, Fever Few, and it has shown that it can help some people with headaches.
But again, you have to tell your doctor. Another good source actually for answers on herb, if you are ever wondering about an herb, is you can talk to a pharmacist. Pharmacists probably receive more education than doctors do about herbs, and may keep up with it more and may have some answers, was this herb mixed OK with this prescription medicine?.
PHILLIPS: Elizabeth Cohen, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
