| |  | | Effects of Echinacea and Cranberry with Drugs
Answered by: Susan Eagles
Question from: Name not given
Posted on: October 14, 2000
I have broken my back so I must take Neotriptine for neurological pain, Ducusate sodium (a stool softener), and Cipro for a bladder infection. My question is: will echinacea and cranberry c have any adverse affects when combined with these two drugs?
Echinacea raises white blood cell count, which is often decreased by Cipro, a fluoroquinolone drug used to kill bacteria in urinary tract infections. You should advise your doctor that you are taking Echinacea so that he doesn’t assume that an increased white blood cell count is due to increased infection.
Cranberry prevents bacteria from adhering to the urinary tract wall and bladder. Although some doctors fear that cranberry is highly acidic and may irritate the bladder, recent research shows that it takes at least 6 cups of cranberry juice daily before the urine becomes acidic enough to irritate the bladder. I assume "cranberry c" is cranberry with additional vitamin C.
I don’t know of any adverse affects in taking Echinacea and Cranberry with the drugs that you mention.
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