Special Health Considerations Special health considerations by definition are individuals who have health issues and/or are taking medication's that may have potential interaction complications with vitamins and supplements.  Because you have special health considerations doesn't mean you shouldn't take supplements.  Though some supplements have a less than favorable interactions with certain medications , in most cases supplements are a help - not a hindrance.  Eastern medicine has used and utilized herbs and remedies found in nature and have done so successfully for over ten thousand years.  As we all know Western medicine, with its love of pharmacology is in its infancy and the industry itself spends more time alerting people to side effects and secondary symptoms than it does creating anything that heals anyone.  The last time the pharmaceutical industry created anything that cured anyone was Polio -in  1957 (though it didn't receive the official stamp of approval until 1962).  The pharmaceutical industry discovered that there was no money in developing curative pharmaceuticals.  The money is in continued and prolonged use dedicated to specific symptomalogical control.  To that end the industry - with much hoopla and fanfare, touts the achievements being made from its respective Research and Development facilities offering formulations that make great strides in extending life (albeit often unpleasantly) - without actually providing a restorative and healthful outcome.. I find myself in agreement with an esteemed colleague Dr. Jim Howenstine, MD who has stated ......"the pharmaceutical industry has established the precedent with the state boards of medical license that any therapies that do not use pharmaceutical drugs are quackery which is dangerous to the public and should be suppressed"................ Dr. Howenstine was, in this case, making the statement while refuting some of the propaganda put forth by pharmaceutical companies supporting the "benefits" of statin drugs (which I intend to address in my "in the news" section found on this LifeBalance.com website). In a nutshell we be believe so strongly in what we are offering our clients that we invite you to print out the supplement recommendation page that was generated for you and take it to your physician for approval. Vitamins and medications both affect the bodies metabolic function - below are outlined some of the more popular medications with subsequent interaction concerns.  Blood-Thinning Medication Patients with heart and blood vessel disease are often prescribed blood-thinning medications called anticoagulants to prevent clots from forming in the circulation and blocking or damaging an artery or vein. Vitamin K  helps the body form blood clots. The most common blood-thinning medications, including Coumadin, act to block Vitamin K, inhibiting the formation of blood clots. While very low levels of vitamin K in the body can result in poor clot formation and increased bleeding, very high doses of ingested or administered vitamin K may act to counteract large doses of anticoagulants, placing the patient at risk for clot formation. Similarly, high levels of Vitamin C may interfere with anticoagulant inhibition of the clotting pathway and lead to increased risk for clot formation. High Blood Pressure Many types of medications are used in the treatment of high blood pressure and many interact with high levels of supplemented vitamins. Emphasis in high... Antihypertensive medications which help lower blood pressure by dilating blood vessels may be affected by increased levels of Vitamin B3, again in high doses (larger than 75 mg), niacin may dilate blood vessels and heighten the medication effects, resulting in dangerously low blood pressure. Digitalis-based drugs such as Digoxin and Diltiazem may be affected by Vitamin D via alteration in blood calcium level and may induce irregular heart beats known as arrhythmias. Thiazide Diuretics Other medications which treat high blood pressure by decreasing the amount of fluid in the body, called diuretics, may be affected by vitamins. Thiazide diuretics act on the kidney to remove fluid but retain minerals such as calcium. Excessive Vitamin D ingestion while on diuretic therapy may result in increased calcium in the blood. As in other Vitamin D-drug interactions, increased blood calcium may cause abnormal heart beats called arrhythmias. Cancer Chemotherapy Many of the cancer-fighting drugs attack the cancer cells and generate free radicals; antioxidant vitamins are thought to prevent the formation of oxygen free radicals and therefore combat the ill effects of the chemotherapy. There is no evidence available to refute the benefits of taking vitamins and supplements during chemotherapy and some of the more progressive medical treatment facilities are utilizing a "broad spectrum" approach to treatment including supplements, diet, and psychological support.  Yours in good health!   Dr. Conner O'Shea