Astragalus Interactions Explained
The following sections explain in detail the potentially negative interactions that can occur when
astragalus is combined with any of the drugs listed above.
Immunosuppressants
Because astragalus may stimulate the immune system, it might interfere with immune-suppressing medications, when such medications are taken for the purpose of suppressing an overactive immune system. It should be noted that immunosuppressants may sometimes be taken for other purposes; in these cases, no drug interaction would be expected. Check with your healthcare provider before taking astragalus with an immunosuppressant.
Lithium
Theoretically, astragalus could increase the level of
lithium in the blood, thereby increasing the risk of
lithium toxicity due to its diuretic properties. Check with your healthcare provider before combining lithium with astragalus. Your healthcare provider may recommend against such a combination or might want to monitor you more closely, checking your lithium levels and adjusting your
lithium dosage as necessary.
It is possible that not all drug interactions with astragalus were discussed in this article. Therefore, you should talk with your pharmacist or healthcare provider about any specific interactions that may apply to you.
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