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Herbs & Supplements · Source check 2026-08-24

Herb Supplement Medication Interactions

What should I check before combining herbs or supplements with medicines or surgery?

A magnifying glass, a blank coverage document, and a pencil on an orderly work surface

Herbs and dietary supplements can interact with medicines and may matter before surgery or during cancer care. Keep a current list of every product and share it with the clinicians coordinating care.

What the record looks for

The useful task is record keeping: product name, dose on the label, timing, reason for use, and any new symptom. This helps a qualified pharmacist or clinician ask the right interaction questions.

Comparator checkRead separately: versus sham, versus no treatment, versus usual care, and versus another active treatment.

What this does not establish

This page does not identify a safe dose, endorse a product, or perform an interaction check. Do not stop prescribed treatment or make a product change from a web summary alone.

Before acting on this page

  1. Write down the outcome you hope to change and how you would notice it.
  2. Bring medicines, supplements, and relevant health questions to the clinician coordinating care.
  3. Verify a practitioner’s applicable license and ask about scope, consent, costs, and sterile single-use needles.

Sources to inspect

NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, NCCIH acupuncture overview

Checked 2026-08-24. Source pages are linked for direct review; this publication paraphrases rather than reproduces their text.