Dietary Supplement Adverse Events “Mild” 71% Of Time, Lancet Study Finds
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Almost 14% of dietary supplement adverse events reported to poison control centers included in an analysis involved children under age 12, according to a study published in the Jan. 11 issue of The Lancet
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St. John's wort
Thirty-nine of 472 SJW-related adverse event reports submitted to FDA through Dec. 11, 2000 indicated "possible" pharmacokinetic interactions with substrates of P450 CYP3A and/or p-glycoprotein (cyclosporin, levonorgestrel/ estradiol and sildenafil) as well as serotonin reuptake inhibitors, according to agency researchers. AERs show SJW may result in exaggerated hypertensive reactions when taken with SSRIs and "decrease expected effect" of the three drugs, but researchers stress "additional studies are needed to assess mechanistic issues and the full spectrum of clinical implications arising from these interactions." FDA and NIH issued warnings on concomitant use of SJW supplements and protease inhibitors in early 2000 (1"The Tan Sheet" Feb. 14, 2000, p. 19)