Metformin interaction with Goldenseal

Patients taking the herb goldenseal while taking the prescription drug metformin may be unwittingly sabotaging efforts to maintain healthy blood glucose levels, as reported in a study published in the journal Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics.
Metformin was included in a cocktail of selected drugs given to participants in a clinical study led by scientists at Washington State University's College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The study sought to determine the impact of goldenseal on specific drug transporters, proteins that facilitate absorption or expulsion of drug molecules in different tissues such as the intestine, liver and kidney.
"After six days of taking goldenseal, participants had about 25 percent less metformin in their bodies, a statistically significant change that could potentially impact glucose" said the study's first author James Nguyen, a Ph.D. candidate in pharmaceutical sciences and recent Doctor of Pharmacy graduate.
Goldenseal is commonly used to self-treat digestive issues such as diarrhea and constipation, which are side effects of metformin. Goldenseal is also often combined with echinacea for self-treatments of the common cold and other respiratory tract infections.
If you are in doubt about the possible contraindications of supplements and herbals while taking medications, please send us an email: info@vitawell.com.au