Herbal supplements and prescription meds

Hi there! Does anyone have good, reliable information (or know where to get it) regarding herbal supplements and prescription meds, like, if they are safe to combine, etc. I had been taking melatonin to help me sleep at night, and someone suggested valerian root. My hubby got Sleep Time Extra tea for me yesterday, and the package says to consult your healthcare provider about drug interaction. Herein lies my problem... the doctor's office and pharmacy have no clue about herbal supplements. I get the, "well they're not approved by the FDA so there's no documented information." The package itself just says to ask your healthcare provider, and well, they have no clue. Does anyone know???

Thanks in advance!

I wouldn't mix any "herbal" drug with any medication. Research is very very limited on what reactions can happen when you mix the 2. The only time anything comes up is when a very bad reaction happens and then you yourself have to find that information.

Its because herbal drugs are not supported by the gov. Most come from many many years ago. Before medication was truly available. And now the plants are processed to a point that IMO the true nature of the plant is no longer there. Instead they add parts and pieces of other plants to make some drug up. And say it does this or it does that.

There is very few actual plants that have any type of benefit to the human in less chemical processed nature. Which include things like Lavender and chamomile. And still both of these should be used in moderation. But have been around for years. Its one of the few that has stood the test of time. Which is what you have to look at when you think about herbal supplements. How long have they been around. How much information can you find on them. If you have a hard time finding information. Then that means little research was actually done on the product. Instead someone probably thought. "Oh this doesn't really hurt the body. So I'll market it this way". And make a few bucks.

I myself could go into my kitchen and make up something. As long as it is farely safe for human consumption then I can sell it. And say whatever I want to say. All I have to do is send it off to a lab which costs about 1k and have them test the ingredients. They send it back saying yes it "could" have sleep qualities in it. And I can market it that way. I don't have to test it. I don't have to try it myself. I just have to make it send it off and get the ok then sell it. And it can be a private company. It doesn't have to go through the gov.

That is the reason I do not buy herbal supplements. There is no real testing that is involved before they are put on the market.

Be careful when you fall into the herbal trap.
A lot of the meds we take are made from plants. They are broken down and turned into our meds. Knowing what your pills are made of can help you decide what is and isn't safe to take. What has caffeine in it and such. Just be careful is all I'm saying! Think before you take!

Thank you Allestaria and stkitt!!!

I am leary of taking any kind of medication or supplement. Mixing together makes me really nervous. I think I'll just not take the melatonin anymore. Unfortunately, the pharmacy and doctor's office were no help at all. :(

Thank you for the info bojalaisgirl!!! I will definitely check it out. :)