Herbs and supplements reportedly used by patients surveyed, including potential adverse effects described in the literature
| Type of herb or supplement | No. of patients reporting use | Potential adverse effect described in the literature |
|---|---|---|
| Herbs not specified | 36 | |
| Vitamins not specified | 23 | |
| Chinese herbs | 5 | Interstitial nephropathy (17) |
| Garlic | 3 | Inhibits platelet aggregation (9) |
| Glucosamine | 2 | Bleeding, hypoglycemia (4) |
| Selenium | 2 | None |
| Echinacea | 2 | Hepatotoxicity (15) |
| Molasses | 1 | None |
| Turmeric | 1 | None |
| Ginseng | 1 | Bleeding/inhibition of platelet aggregation (10), (11) |
| Milk thistle | 1 | Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting (18) |
| St. Johns wort | 1 | Altered hepatic metabolism of prescription medications (19) |
| Cod liver oil | 1 | Bleeding (12) |
| Oncolyn | 1 | None |
| Acidophilus | 1 | Liver abscess (20) |
| Saw palmetto | 1 | Bleeding (13) |
| Grape seed | 1 | None |
| Licorice | 1 | Rhabdomyolysis (21) |
| Dandelion | 1 | Cardiac arrhythmia (22) |
| Evening primrose oil | 1 | Decreased seizure threshold (15) |