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" It&amp;#039;s easy to forget that herbal supplements -- with their botanical names and woodsy packaging -- can be potent medications. But forgetting this prior to surgery may be dangerous, warns the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). A number of popular products can cause serious side effects.  St. John&amp;#039;s wort, which many people take to relieve depression, anxiety, and insomnia, can intensify the effects of some anesthetics and narcotics. Ginkgo biloba, which is used to improve memory, and feverfew, a headache treatment, can reduce the number of blood platelets, which are necessary for clotting. Ginseng, touted to increase vitality, among other things, has been associated with both high blood pressure and accelerated heart rate during surgery. The safest thing to do is stop using all herbals two (or better yet, three) weeks before surgery; that, says ASA president John B. Neeld, Jr., M.D., should be enough time for any medicines to clear from your body. If you can&amp;#039;t, at least bring the bottles with you to the hospital, and make sure the anesthesiologist knows about any medications -- natural or otherwise -- you&amp;#039;ve been taking. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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