Who should not use Astragalus
Who should not use astragalus
People with certain illnesses and conditions should not use astragalus unless recommended by a qualified physician. These conditions include autoimmune diseases, cancer, and chronic illnesses such as Crohn’s disease, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes, or those individuals who have had surgery for transplants. As well, pregnant women and children should avoid using astragalus, as its safety for these groups of people is not known.
Astragalus may cause negative side effects by suppressing the usefulness of certain corticosteroid medications that include: Nasacort (triamcinolone), Beconase, Vancenase (beclomethasone), Decadron (dexamethasone), Deltasone (prednisone), hydrocortisone, Medrol (methylprednisolone), and prednisolone.
Other drugs that astragalus may interfere with include: Imuran (azathioprine), CellCept, cyclosporine, Prograf, Rapamune and Zenapak. These drugs act to control the immune system, and their usefulness may be affected.
Caution needs to be taken when taking astragalus if you are taking antiviral medications including acyclovir or interferon, as their potency can be increased, thereby magnifying their harmful side effects (including kidney failure).
Astragalus has been known to strengthen the effects of blood thinners and diuretics – examples are aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), ticlopidine (Ticlid) and warfarin (Coumadin). If you are taking these medications, do not take astragalus unless first consulting with a physician. Astragalus should be avoided by people suffering from bleeding disorders, and not taken within 2 weeks prior to or following surgery.