Possible Interactions with: Echinacea
Also listed as: Echinacea; Echinacea angustifolia; Echinacea pallida; Echinacea purpurea; Purple Coneflower
Interactions
If you are currently being treated with any of the following medications, you should not use echinacea without first talking to your healthcare provider:
Econazole
- Echinacea may be useful in combination with econazole, an antifungal agent used to treat yeast infections (such as athlete's foot). When echinacea is used together with econazole, recurrence rates of these infections may be reduced.
Immunosuppressants
- Immunosuppressants refers to a group of medications that are used for two main purposes -- treat cancer and suppress the immune system following organ transplant so that the new organ is not rejected. Because echinacea can enhance immune function, it is not advisable to use the herb with medications in this class, especially for organ transplant.
In terms of cancer treatment, however, a couple of test tube studies imply that echinacea may prove useful when used in conjunction with cyclophosphamide, one medication in this class. The idea is that using echinacea with this or other chemotherapy agents that act as immunosuppressants, may allow the cancer-fighting medicines to kill the tumors while the immune system continues to be protected. If this theory proves to be correct, then, echinacea could possibly prevent many of the untoward side effects of chemotherapy.
Drug Interactions
Econazole
Immunosuppressive Medications
|
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's
accreditation program
is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s
editorial process
. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).
|
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997-2007
A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
