This is a complex question. Some of the Chinese herbal medicines certainly do interact so make sure to take GI drugs two hours apart from herbal medicines. You also want to make sure that you and your client are educated about the GI drugs as they can have some nasty and unintended side effects. This is particularly true of the absorbent drugs as they can completely negate the benefits of the herbs if they are taken at the same time. I had a client with Crohn’s disease and colitis who was taking Remicade. During one visit, he reported that he kept getting a cold or flu and he thought this must be caused by the Chinese herbs. I asked him if he’d read the instruction (label) that came with the medications. He said he had not. It turned out that he was not aware that Remicade is known to be an immunosuppressant. People can be at risk for TB or even cancer when taking these anti-TNF drugs such as Remicade. So again, make sure to separate the herbs and drugs by two hours and that your client is aware of any potential side effects associated with the medications he or she is taking.
