Herbs for Older Adults: Many Medicines, Falls and Kidney Function

Tell your doctor and pharmacist about every herb, tea and supplement, especially if you take blood thinners, antidepressants or other regular medicines. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) says a "natural" product may make a prescribed medicine weaker or stronger. [1] Keep one up-to-date list; see Older Adults: Falls, Kidney Function and Keeping a Medicine List.

Why older adults are a special case

This page reports what named sources say. It is not medical advice and gives no amounts.

• More medicines. NIA notes you may be taking a handful of medicines, supplements and over-the-counter drugs, and offers a tracking form. [1]
• Falls. NIA says more than one in four people aged 65 or older fall each year. [2] Some medications raise fall risk by causing dizziness or confusion, and the more medications you take, the more likely you are to fall. [2] Those NIA statements are about medications in general. Whether specific herbs change fall risk: Proper evidence not found in the sources we read.
• Kidneys. The National Kidney Foundation says herbal supplements can make kidney disease worse or interact with prescription medicines, and that some leave the body through the kidneys, so levels can build up. [3]
• Research gaps. NIA says it is too early to know whether herbal supplements such as ginkgo, ginseng, echinacea and black cohosh are both safe and useful. [1]

Kidney function

The National Kidney Foundation lists examples of herbs it considers high risk for people with kidney disease, including licorice root, St. John's wort and yohimbe, and says some products contain aristolochic acid, a known cause of kidney damage banned in many countries. [3] It also says some herbal products can be high in potassium. [3] See Herbs and Kidney Disease. For liver injury see Herbs and Liver Injury.

Surgery

NCCIH advises telling your health care providers about all supplements as far ahead of an operation as possible, because some may increase bleeding or affect the response to anesthesia. [10] See Supplements Before Surgery.

Choosing products

NCCIH says "standardized" or "certified" on a label does not necessarily guarantee quality. [10] NIA suggests asking a doctor, pharmacist or dietitian and not buying ingredients you do not need. [1]

Questions to bring

Which of my medicines does this herb touch? Is it safe with my kidneys and liver? Should I stop it before a procedure? See How to Check a Herb for Interactions.