Side Effects of herbs, vitamins, hormones, supplements, amino acids and medications, how to avoid adverse events

Every herb, supplement, drug or medication has potential unpleasant consequences and may cause harm if too high a dosage is taken. Even water, when drank in excess, has side effects. When taking any supplement or medication, one has to accept the fact that certain side effects are possible. The question becomes, do the benefits outweigh the potential side effects?
   If you begin a new medication or supplement, always start with the lowest dosages, even if it means taking half a capsule or tablet.
   This page is divided into supplements and prescription medicines. Keep in mind that benefits of herbs and supplements can be taken advantage of with the least side effects if the dosages are kept low. This is also true of prescription medications. Sometimes doctors prescribe dosages that are too high. Lower dosages may work just as well with fewer problems.

Dietary Supplements that cause side effects
Supplements are further subdivided into amino acids, natural hormones, herbs, nutrients, and vitamins. When you first take a new supplement, take less than what is recommended on the suggested dosage instructions. This is particularly true if you are older, are of low body weight, you are taking other supplements or medications, or you have certain medical conditions although dietary supplements have much, much fewer side effects than prescription drugs, they still can cause serious health problems. For instance, some herbs can cause heart rhythm disturbances when taken in excess. Natural, over the counter, hormones such as DHEA and pregnenolone can cause heart rhythm disturbances.

AMINO ACID SIDE EFFECTS

L Tyrosine amino acid converts into phenylalanine
L Tyrosine side effects can include overstimulation, restlessness, anxiety, insomnia, heart palpitations or arrhythmia are side effects that occur from high doses of tyrosine. These can occur in sensitive individuals in as low a dose as 200 to 500 mg.

Phenylalanine
The adverse events attributed to phenylalanine are often similar to that of tyrosine aminio acid.

HORMONE SIDE EFFECTS

DHEA side effects and potential serious reactions
Individuals with normal levels of DHEA who take high doses are likely get DHEA side effects. Common side effects caused by high doses of a DHEA supplement include acne, irritability, increased sweat odor and possible scalp itching, hair thinning or hair loss.

Melatonin
This natural sleep hormone can cause vivid dreams and morning grogginess if dosages are higher than 1 mg.

Pregnenolone side effects
This hormone in high doses causes side effects such as overstimulation and insomnia, Irritability, anger or anxiety, acne, headaches.

Herbal side effects

Goji berry side effects
As of 2011, no goji berry side effects have been reported in the medical literature. High doses could induce alertness at bedtime and perhaps interfere with optimal sleep. As to goji juice side effects, it is difficult to expect any problems with drinking a couple of ounces a day unless the goji juice is mixed with other fruits that you may have an allergic reaction to.

LJ100 tongkat ali extract
There are side effects to LJ100 when used in high doses. LJ100 side effects include increased body temperature, restlessness, irritability, and insomnia. When you buy a LJ100 supplement, keep this in mind and initially start with a dose no more than 25 mg. LJ100 should not be taken on the same day as Passion Rx or other sex herb formulas or other individual sex herbs since there could be overstimulation and restlessness. This product is a potent extract of the herb eurycoma longifolia.

Mangosteen side effects
We have taken four mangosteen capsules daily for one week and did not experience any negative effects. Any potential problems or benefits from long term use of mangosteen pills for several months or years is not known.

NutrientS that could cause adverse reactions
Nutrients discussed include 5HTP or 5-HTP, acetyl-l carnitine, alpha lipoic acid, choline, CoQ10 or Coenzyme Q10, DMAE, and SAM-e.

5HTP, also known as 5-hydroxytryptophan can cause nausea, gastrointestinal cramps, perhaps diarrhea, reduced libido and sensation, and vivid dreams or nightmares.

Alpha lipoic acid side effects include alertness, shallow sleep or insomnia, and a more severe reaction is heart rhythm disturbances. These alpha lipoic side effects normally occur on dosages above 50 mg although susceptible individuals may have side effects on lower dosages. One positive benefit from the use of an alpha lipoic acid supplement is better vision.

SAM-e side effects and untoward reactions
SAM-e is a supplement used for depression. In high doses SAM-e has side effects of anxiety, restlessness and insomnia.

Vitamin SIDE EFFECTS
B vitamins, in high dosages, cause alertness and shallow sleep. We don't see the need to take more than 2 or 3 times the RDA for the B vitamins. Take these pills in the morning as opposed to evening time.

Questions and comments
Often I see recommendations that people take 1/2 (or 1/4) doses of nutritional supplements to prevent side effects. I agree, 110%. But instead of biting the pills in quarters or halves it's much much easier if people just get a pill cutter. I have a pharmacy near me that actually gives them away. But even if one has to pay for it, they cost all of $3.00 I think. ALL pills, even enteric coated such as SAM-e can be cut, so helpful and so exact. I take SAM-e and yet I only take 50mg per day to prevent the side effects of anxiety and insomnia. A pill cutter can cut a 200mg in quarters no problem.

Brand name products
Slendesta potato extract
Spilanthes acmella flower heads are chewed to relieve toothache

Hospital patients who have a side effect from a medication or other treatment are more likely to give high ratings to their quality of care when hospital staff are up front about what went wrong. In a survey of nearly 2,300 patients treated at 16 Massachusetts hospitals, researchers found that 603 had some sort of "adverse event" -- most often side effects from a newly prescribed drug or complications from surgery -- during their hospitalization. When asked whether hospital staff had explained the problem to them, only 40 percent of patients said they had. Yet, when staff did discuss the problem, patients were more likely to be happy with their care -- even when the adverse effect was a preventable one. Dr. Lenny Lopez, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said in a statement. "We believe this is the first study to address how disclosure affects the quality-of-care impression in patients who actually were harmed during the course of their treatment and may reassure physicians and others who worry about the consequences of disclosure." Using hospital records and patient interviews, the researchers found that almost one-third of adverse events in the study were preventable -- being related to errors such as giving patients the wrong dose of medication.  Archives of Internal Medicine, November 9, 2009.