Knowing the Risks of Taking Saw Palmetto and Coumadin

While saw palmetto is said to help with many factors regarding the health, it is probably best known for benefiting the health of the prostate. While many great health benefits have been associated with this particular herb, most of these benefits concern the male gender. If you are considering the use of saw palmetto to help treat a condition you may have, it is important to first consider the possible adverse interactions it may have with other drugs or herbs you may be taking. Using saw palmetto while using certain herbs or medications could be extremely dangerous to your health.

If you currently take prescription medication, it is best to consult with your physician before you begin. Many prescription medications cannot be safely taken with saw palmetto. Saw Palmetto and Coumadin are one combination that could cause further health problems. Although you may have a condition that both saw palmetto and Coumadin can effectively treat, the active ingredients in each can have an adverse effect when interacting inside of your body. This is one of the reasons why you should always consult with your doctor before beginning the use of saw palmetto.

Coumadin is actually a brand name for a Warfarin drug. Its purpose is to act as a blood thinner to reduce the formation of blog clotting in the body. Most often Coumadin is prescribed to patients in order to prevent and reduce the risk of having a stroke or a heart attack. There are warnings against taking this drug for people with:

anemia
hemophilia
stomach ulcers

In addition, is is never prescribed to those under the age of 18 years old or pregnant or nursing women. If the drug is passed onto the baby, it could be very dangerous to that baby's health. Taking this medication while nursing or pregnant can even cause bleeding in the baby.

For these reasons it is very important to consult your doctor before taking both saw palmetto and Coumadin.

While it may be true that few research studies have been conducted on saw palmetto, Coumadin has been studied and researched in depth, as well as its side effects and interactions with other types of medication. Even though there are no known adverse reactions or side effects known to be associated with saw palmetto, the same cannot be said for Coumadin. It has indeed been found to have bad reactions when taken with other specific medications. It does not matter if you have a prostate problem that the saw palmetto will help treat, as well as a condition that Coumadin may help treat, you should not take saw palmetto and Coumadin together unless otherwise directed by your physician.