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Herbal alert

If you are taking any herbal products, homeopathic remedies or vitamins, be sure to tell your doctor and your pharmacist. Even though you can buy these without a prescription, these products are no different from other medications. They can interact with medications you take or cause side effects. And sometimes they have other ingredients or contaminants that may be dangerous. For example, after taking an herbal laxative product called "Chomper" for a few days, a young woman developed an irregular heartbeat and had to go to the hospital. At the hospital, they found that Chomper contained digitalis, the ingredient in digoxin, which is usually given to patients who have heart failure. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist first before you start taking any vitamins, herbal or homeopathic products.