Why You Must Tell Your Doctor About Supplements and Herbal Remedies

Every year, millions of people take supplements and herbal remedies-turmeric for joint pain, garlic pills for heart health, St. John’s wort for low mood. Many believe these are harmless because they’re ‘natural.’ But here’s the hard truth: supplements aren’t safe just because they’re sold on a shelf. And if you don’t tell your doctor you’re taking them, you could be putting your health at serious risk.

Most People Don’t Tell Their Doctors-And That’s Dangerous

A 2023 study found that only about one in three people who use herbal supplements or vitamins actually tell their doctor. Even among people with chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease, disclosure rates stay below 50%. Why? Because most assume their doctor doesn’t need to know. Or worse-they think their doctor won’t care.

That’s a dangerous assumption.

Take St. John’s wort, one of the most popular herbal mood boosters. It can make birth control pills useless. It can turn blood thinners like warfarin into a ticking time bomb. It can cancel out the effects of antidepressants, HIV meds, and even chemotherapy drugs. And yet, patients often don’t mention it unless their doctor asks.

The same goes for turmeric. People take it for inflammation, not realizing it can thin the blood. If you’re on aspirin or clopidogrel, mixing it with turmeric could lead to uncontrolled bleeding during surgery-or even a stroke. Garlic pills? They can spike your risk of bleeding too. Green tea extract? It can damage your liver when combined with certain painkillers.

These aren’t hypothetical risks. They’re documented in medical journals, emergency room reports, and FDA adverse event databases. The problem isn’t the supplements themselves. It’s the silence around them.

Why Doctors Don’t Always Ask

You might think, “My doctor should know to ask.” But here’s the reality: most doctors aren’t trained to ask.

A 2021 survey in JAMA Internal Medicine found that only 27% of physicians felt confident discussing supplements. Medical schools rarely teach this. A typical 15-minute appointment is packed with questions about blood pressure, cholesterol, and new symptoms. Supplements? They’re an afterthought.

And patients? They don’t bring them up because they assume their doctor will judge them. Or they think supplements are “just vitamins,” not real medicine. But supplements aren’t candy. They’re bioactive substances with chemical effects in your body-just like prescription drugs.

One patient in Sydney told me (in a follow-up to a clinic survey) that she took ashwagandha for stress for two years. Her doctor never asked. Then she got dizzy during a routine check-up. Her blood pressure had dropped dangerously low-because ashwagandha was interacting with her beta-blocker. She didn’t know. Her doctor didn’t know. That’s the gap.

What You Should Bring to Your Appointment

Don’t rely on memory. Don’t say “I take a few things.” Bring the actual bottles.

That’s not weird. It’s smart.

Every supplement label has a “Supplement Facts” panel. It lists the exact ingredients and dosages. Your doctor needs to see that-not your word for it. Many products are mislabeled, contaminated, or contain hidden pharmaceuticals. The FDA doesn’t approve supplements before they hit shelves. That means what’s on the bottle might not match what’s inside.

If you take five supplements, bring five bottles. Or take a photo of each label with your phone. Even better-use a free app like MyMedList to scan and save your list. In a 2023 trial, patients who used this app improved disclosure accuracy by 44%.

Write down:

• The name of each supplement
• The dose (e.g., 500 mg, 2 capsules daily)
• Why you take it (e.g., “for sleep,” “for joint pain”)
• How long you’ve been taking it

Bring this list. Hand it to your doctor. Say: “I want to make sure these are safe with everything else I’m taking.”

What Your Doctor Should Do

Good providers don’t just nod and move on. They ask. They check. They know.

The best clinics now use a simple five-question screening tool during intake:

1. Do you take any vitamins, minerals, or herbal products?
2. Do you take anything for sleep, anxiety, or mood?
3. Do you take anything for digestion or immunity?
4. Have you started or stopped anything in the last three months?
5. Would you like me to review what you’re taking for possible interactions?

When providers use this tool, disclosure rates jump from 33% to 78%. That’s not magic. That’s structure.

And when patients disclose, 78% say their doctor gave helpful advice. Two-thirds said it improved their trust in care.

Don’t wait for your doctor to ask. Be the one to start the conversation.

What Happens When You Don’t Tell

Real stories, not theory.

A 58-year-old man in Melbourne took ginger root for arthritis. He didn’t mention it. Two weeks later, he had a heart attack. His blood thinner, apixaban, was working too hard because ginger increased its effect. He survived-but barely.

A woman in Brisbane took melatonin for insomnia. She didn’t tell her psychiatrist. Her depression meds stopped working. Melatonin interferes with serotonin metabolism. Her dose had to be completely rewritten.

A teenager in Sydney took creatine for sports. He didn’t say anything. His kidney function dropped. Creatine can stress kidneys, especially in teens with undiagnosed conditions. He needed hospitalization.

These aren’t rare cases. They’re predictable.

The FDA estimates fewer than 1% of supplement-related adverse events are reported. That means for every one case we hear about, there are 99 we don’t.

Supplements Aren’t ‘Natural’-They’re Powerful

The word “natural” is marketing. Not science.

Willow bark? It’s aspirin’s original source. Kava? It’s a liver toxin. Ephedra? Banned in the U.S. for causing strokes. Even vitamin C in high doses can cause kidney stones. Iron supplements can cause internal bleeding if you don’t need them.

Just because something comes from a plant doesn’t mean it’s gentle. Plants evolved chemicals to defend themselves. Those chemicals interact with your body’s systems-just like drugs do.

The FDA requires supplement labels to say: “Not evaluated by the FDA. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.” That’s not a loophole. That’s a warning. And yet, most people skip right over it.

How to Talk to Your Doctor-Without Feeling Judged

You don’t need to apologize. You don’t need to justify.

Just say:

> “I’ve been taking [name] for [reason]. I want to make sure it’s safe with my other meds. Can you check?”

Most doctors will say, “Thank you for telling me.”

If they roll their eyes? Find a new one.

You deserve a provider who treats your health as a whole picture-not just the prescriptions they write.

The Bottom Line

Your supplements are part of your medical story. Ignoring them is like hiding half your medical records.

You wouldn’t hide that you’re taking blood pressure meds. Don’t hide that you’re taking turmeric or ashwagandha.

Start today. Bring your bottles. Write down your list. Ask the question.

Because the safest supplement you can take? One your doctor knows about.