Some herbal supplements can interact dangerously with certain medications.
- More than one in two French people are consumers of food supplements according to a Harris Interactive survey in February 2021.
- Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that can cause serious complications according to the ANSM.
Combinations of drugs and food supplements are never trivial… and this tragic episode is a reminder of that.
A 71-year-old man suffered a fatal cerebral hemorrhage after mixing vitamin supplements based on ginkgo biloba – a powerful blood thinner from the ginkgo tree, with ibuprofen, reports an English newspaper.
The combination of anti-inflammatories and plants can be fatal
However, this mixture is to be avoided: the British health system (NHS) quoted in the article indicates that it is important “not to take ginkgo biloba with ibuprofen as this may increase the risk of bleeding“.
Ibuprofen is indeed an anti-inflammatory known to cause bleeding in the stomach or intestines without causing obvious warning signs: “The combination of the drug with certain dietary supplements could trigger bleeding in the brain and cause a stroke“, Explain Mayo Clinica famous an American hospital-university and research federation.
Dietary supplement: ginkgo biloba is not recommended for everyone
Ginkgo biloba which contains powerful flavonoids and other antioxidants is used to boost cognitive functions, soothe bladder infections and increase sexual energy.
It is a problematic component of the plant, ginkgotoxin, present both in ginkgo seeds and, to a lesser extent, in the leaves of the plant which is strongly discouraged for any elderly person, those suffering from a bleeding disorder and pregnant women.
