Treat herbal remedies as medicinal products, not foods. Natural does not mean safe. Many plants, trees, fungi and algae can be poisonous to humans. It is worth remembering that many pharmaceuticals have been developed or derived from these sources because of the powerful compounds they contain.

Obtain herbal products from reputable suppliers and manufacturers. If unsure look for licensed (or registered) herbal products identified by a PLR number.

Follow instructions for use, do not exceed recommended dose.

If side effects develop, stop taking the remedy and consult a doctor.

Do not use remedies for a prolonged period. Have a ‘wash out’ period every couple of months. This is also a good opportunity to evaluate whether the product is having any beneficial effects.

Herbal laxatives or diuretics should only be used for a few days. Consult a doctor if there is a persistent problem.

Do not use herbal remedies during pregnancy and lactation without consulting a doctor.

Do not give herbal remedies to children or young infants except under professional advice or if licensed for use in children.

Keep your GP or hospital doctor informed if you are using or intend to use any herbal remedy.

Patients with serious conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, epilepsy or who have had liver disorders should speak to a doctor before using any herbal remedies.

Herbal remedies can interact with other pharmaceuticals; consult a pharmacist or doctor if you intend to use an herbal remedy in conjunction with other medication.  The best example is St John’s Wort which reduces the effects of a range of prescribed medicines.

If you are taking prescribed medications, keep your GP or healthcare provider informed of any herbal remedy you are using and prior to starting or stopping use of the remedy.

Patients requiring surgery should discuss their use of herbal medicines with their doctor.  In some cases it may be necessary to discontinue the herbal medicine several weeks before surgery, as it is thought that some may interfere with anaesthetics, anticoagulants and other medications used before and during operations.

If in doubt about appropriate use of herbs for a specific condition, consult a trained herbal practitioner or your doctor

Many different traditions of herbal medicines are in use in the UK. The most popular are Western herbal practitioners or Medical Herbalists, Chinese and Ayurvedic practitioners.

Consult only qualified herbal practitioners. Choose one who is a member of a professional register.

A first consultation with an herbal practitioner should take about 30 minutes and they will take a full medical history. Be cautious about taking any remedy where a full medical history has not been taken.

Tell your doctor if you are using or plan to use herbal medicines.

Tell your herbal practitioner if you start using pharmaceuticals or other prescribed medicines during herbal treatment.

Be aware that interactions can occur between your prescribed or pharmaceutical medication and herbal medicines.

Follow the instructions for use and do not exceed the dose prescribed.

If you feel unwell after taking an herbal medicine, tell your herbalist, if appropriate contact your doctor.

Stop the herbal treatment and consult your herbal practitioner and doctor if you have any of the following symptoms after starting an herbal medicine: tiredness, nausea, fever, itching, right upper abdominal discomfort, and diarrhoea. (Some nausea and diarrhoea may occur after starting any herbal medicine, but should resolve after 1 or 2 days and should not in any case be severe).

Treat with caution any herbalist or other person who supplies herbal remedies if they are unwilling or unable to provide written information listing the ingredients of the herbal remedy they are providing.

Some herbal practitioners may recommend or carry out a liver function test before starting treatment (requiring a skin prick or blood test). This is a relatively simple procedure to provide extra protection for the patient and should not cause undue alarm. As with some pharmaceuticals, some patients may react badly to an herbal medicine (occurs rarely), the liver function test will identify any problems rapidly and enable prompt treatment.