Herb-Drug Interactions: Tips for Herbal Clinicians

Understanding Herb-Drug Interactions
with Maria Noël Groves, Clinical Herbalist & Author

Recommending herbs alongside pharmaceuticals can be understandably daunting. Gain understanding, go-to resources, and confidence in herb-drug interactions to ensure your or your client's safety. Approximately half of American adults take pharmaceuticals; and approximately half of American adults take dietary supplements including herbs. Many people are already combining herbs and drugs without understanding the potential for risk or benefit. (YES, there are beneficial herb-drug interactions, too! But we will be focusing mostly on how to avoid potentially dangerous interactions in this class.)

Recorded May 31, 2022

In this live stream class, we will...

• Learn about the most common and most dangerous herb-drug interaction risks
• We'll discuss the potential risks of St. John's wort, licorice, ashwagandha, nigella, boswellia, nettle, marshmallow root, hawthorn, and other herbs
• Discover useful websites and books to help us assess interaction risk - some free or low-cost
• Discuss the complexities of theoretical risk vs. more clinically relevant interactions
• Understand how we as herbalists can safely, ethically, and legally support clients who are weaning off of medications
• Offer tools and suggestions for how herbalists and conventional practitioners can work together as a team to better serve their clients (this class is geared more towards herbalists, but conventional practitioners are welcome to attend)
• Understand our scope of practice and limitations as herbalists 
• Learn tips and tricks for choosing herbs and other holistic approaches that are less likely to interact with a client's medications, with examples of safe(er) options alongside common medications
• Take part in interactive group activities led by Maria with sample cases, identifying which herbs we might avoid or be cautious using alongside certain meds, and develop a potential safe herbal protocols

Spoiler alert: Herbalists cannot legally or ethically tell client to stop or change medications (and clients should not change medications on their own), but we can support them in their journey and work alongside their doctor(s) as a team. 

This on-demand online class is accompanied by
* 2.5 hour long webinar video
* detailed notes
* full-color slides
* additional resource tips for further learning

The class is pre-recorded and on-demand, online, available anywhere in the world. Access will be emailed immediately upon registration. No deadline to watch. Downloadable notes and slides. Scholarship discounts available (see below.)

You will receive an automated email within 1 hour with access links to the video, slides, and notes. If you do not see that message, check your spam folder. If it's not there, email Maria directly at maria@wintergreenbotanicals.com or call 603-340-5161. 

 Maria has been in clinical practice for almost 20 years, and approximately half of her client load takes medications - often several different medications. Using tools and tips discussed in this class, she has been able to safely work with herbs along various common medications and adapt protocols accordingly, whether she is working with the client and their doctors(s) as they wean off medications or they are simply adding herbs and holistic approaches to the client’s pre-existing medications for more optimal wellbeing.

This class is part of Maria's Advanced Herbalist Training Program and available for drop-in registrations. It is geared towards intermediate/advanced herb students and clinicians who already have a basic understanding of common herbs and materia medica. Drop-in students have access to the live stream class, video replay, slides, and detailed class notes but not other series student perks.

Maria Noël Groves, RH (AHG), clinical herbalist, runs Wintergreen Botanicals, nestled in the pine forests of New Hampshire. Her business is devoted to education and empowerment via classes, health consultations, and writing with the foundational belief that good health grows in nature. She is the author of the award-winning, best-selling Body into Balance: An Herbal Guide to Holistic Self Care and Grow Your Own Herbal Remedies. Learn more about Maria and herbs at WintergreenBotanicals.com.