Benjamin Kligler, MD, MPH, is a family medicine doctor at The Center for Health and Healing and uses the integrative medicine method of treating patients. Here, Dr. Kligler explains to us why it is important to make sure all of your health providers know about the medicines and supplements you take.

Q: What information should I share with my medical doctor and my CAM provider?

A: There should be no difference between what your medical doctor needs to know and what a CAM provider, such as an herbalist, needs to know about your health. It's very important for each of your health providers to know what pharmaceutical and herbal medicines you take as well as any supplements you take. It is also important for them to know what you believe keeps you from achieving your health goals or helps you achieve your health goals.

Here is a checklist of what all of your health care providers need to know:

• your background, including your medical history
• what you are motivated to do about your health
• what you eat
• what kind of medicines or supplements you take and
• what you think about how you can get better

Q: What could happen if I don't tell all my health providers about all the pharmaceutical medicines, herbs and nutritional supplements I take?

A: It is critical to share information about all of your medicines with your healthcare providers for the following reasons:

1. If you are on a strong blood thinner such as Coumadin, which people who have had a stroke or have blood clots take, you have to be careful about which herbs and supplements you use because many herbs and supplements are natural blood thinners. If your blood is too thin you may be more at risk for serious bleeding problems if you are in an accident or need emergency surgery for any reason.
2. If you have liver or kidney disease, you might have problems breaking down substances in your body like medications or herbs. For example, some people take Chinese herbal formulas for certain health problems and these formulas can be very helpful. However, these are very strong medicines which can affect the liver. So if you are a person with liver problems, you should get your liver function tested before you take these herbs.
3. If you are taking any medicine that is necessary for keeping you alive, such as medicines that control the immune system or HIV, you should discuss your herbal medicines and supplements with your doctor. There are certain herbs, St. Johns wort for example, used for depression. It is a great herb, but it does make certain other medicines less effective. Your doctor may tell you to stop taking certain herbal medicines or supplements because you won't get the full effect of the pharmaceutical drugs that are keeping you well.
4. If you are going into surgery, there are a set of herbs and supplements that you should stop taking at least a week before surgery such as garlic and ginko. Doctors often tell patients to stop taking aspirin a few days before surgery so that you don't bleed too much while in surgery. Similarly, they might ask you to stop taking certain herbal medicines or supplements because they might cause problems during surgery.

There may be other examples of problems that can happen, so make sure you tell all of your health providers about your medicines.

Read more from Dr. Kligler by clicking the links below:

• Integrative medicine
• Help your doctor understand CAM
• The difference between CAM and conventional medicine
• Dr. Kligler's path to integrative medicine

To listen to our interview with Dr. Ben Kligler, click here for our podcast page.

Harlem Word is a series of interviews with Harlem health experts, written by HHPC and reviewed by our Health Advisory Board.