人參、銀杏與正規藥物治療之間的交互作用

Interactions between Herbal and Conventional Therapies: Focus on Ginseng and Ginkgo Biloba

患有內科疾病的老年人通常服用多種藥物治療疾病。在正規藥物治療之外，合併使用草藥治療，可能會導致交互作用，而造成藥物的反效果。在台灣，許多年老的癡呆病人同時合併使用草藥來治療，其中以人參及銀杏最常見。本文針對此兩種草藥與正規藥物間的交互作用，做一系統性的回顧。銀杏可能與乙醯水楊酸（阿斯匹靈）、warfarin及trazodone有交互作用。而人參可能與phenelzine、warfarin、digoxin、降血糖藥物及利尿劑治療有交互作用。臨床醫護人員及病患身旁的照顧者，必須認知這些潛在的交互作用。

The elderly with medical illness often pursue numerous medications in Taiwan. There are a series of potential interactions between herbal and conventional drug therapies that let the elderly at risk for an adverse drug event. Mostly, the elderly with dementia concurrently utilize the traditional herbs to treat their illness and associated clinical symptoms. Among those herbal remedies commonly used, for example, are ginseng and ginkgo biloba. A systemic review to identify all studies that observed the interactions between the two herbs and conventional therapy is done. Ginkgo biloba may interact with acetyl salicylic acid, warfarin and trazodone; and, ginseng may interact with phenelzine, warfarin, digoxin, hypoglycemic agents and diuretic therapy. Healthcare professionals need to be aware of these potential interactions between the conventional therapies and these two traditional herbs.