2024 Women's Health Q&A - Dr. Claudia Welch

23 May 2024 Women’s Health Q&A

Posted at 17:24h in Women's Health Q&A Calls by Claudia Welch

In this session, we addressed questions related to the following topics:

Topic: PMS symptoms and causes

Topic: Topical estrogen safety and use in pelvic organ prolapse.

Topic: estrogen and progesterone related to cortisol levels.

Topic: Herb/drug interaction.

RESOURCES:

Here are the links I said I’d share about vaginal, estrogen supplements safety, efficacy for prolapse and, just for fun, one on estrogen cream for aging skin:

Est cream for prolapse: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37431855/

Is topical estrogen vaginally safe? https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/by-the-way-doctor-is-vaginal-estrogen-safe

Is topical estrogen for aging skin safe? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6451761/

Here are the links I said I’d share about herb/drug interactions:

Herb/drug interaction https://hellopharmacist.com/drug-herbal-interactions

https://www.herbalreality.com/herbalism/safety/a-guide-for-herb-drug-interactions/

Few more things about herb/drug interaction:

Look for Common Red Flags: Certain herbs are well-known for interacting with many medications. For example:

St. John’s Wort: Often interacts with antidepressants, birth control pills, and blood thinners.

Ginkgo Biloba: Can affect blood clotting and may interact with blood thinners and anticonvulsants.

Licorice: could increase blood pressure.

Ginseng: May interfere with blood pressure medications and anticoagulants.

Grapefruit juice interferes with a number of medications, including birth control pill efficacy

Be careful if you are taking/recommending herbs that are supposed to do either the same thing or the opposite thing that a prescribed medication is also addressing.

Monitor Your Health: If you start taking a new herb while on medication, watch for any unusual symptoms or changes in how you feel. Report any adverse effects to your healthcare provider immediately.