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A Practitioner Recommends an Herb: Questions About Medicines and Pregnancy

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If a practitioner recommends an herb or herbal formula and you take any medicine, or you are pregnant, nursing, or trying to become pregnant, the safest next step is to pause and bring the exact product details to your medical care team before you start. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), the federal government's lead agency for scientific research on complementary and integrative health approaches, says that people who are pregnant or nursing should be “especially sure” to consult their health care provider before using traditional Chinese medicine, and that anyone with a health condition should talk with their provider before using its herbal products. This page gives you the questions to ask, in order, so that conversation is quick and useful.

By NewEasternHealth.com Research Team. Updated September 24, 2026.

A Common Situation

Picture this. You finish an appointment with an acupuncturist or herbal practitioner. At the end, they hand you a bag of dried herbs, a bottle of pills, or a powder and say it should help. You already take a daily prescription. Or you have just learned you are pregnant. Or you are hoping to be soon.

You want to respect the practitioner's advice. You also want to be sure the herb fits safely with everything else going on. Both goals can work together. The questions below help you get the facts first.

When to Skip the Checklist and Get Help Now

  • If you have taken an herbal product and have symptoms that feel severe, sudden, or frightening, call your local emergency number right away.
  • If you are pregnant and something feels wrong after taking any product, contact your prenatal care provider or emergency services right away. Do not wait to finish researching.
  • If you think you or a child took too much of a product, or took the wrong one, contact your local poison control service or emergency services.

This page is for planning ahead. It is not a guide for handling a reaction.

What the Evidence Actually Says

These points come from NCCIH's public health pages. They are grouped so you can see which are documented facts, which are expert advice, and where the evidence runs out.

Verified facts

  • Contamination has happened. NCCIH reports that some Chinese herbal products have been found to contain undeclared plant or animal material, drugs (including the blood thinner warfarin and the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac), heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, and cadmium, pesticides, or sulfites.
  • Mix-ups have happened. NCCIH notes that manufacturing errors, in which one herb was mistakenly replaced with another, have led to serious complications.
  • Pregnancy testing is often missing. NCCIH states that many dietary supplements have not been tested in pregnant women, nursing mothers, or children.
  • No safety review before sale. NCCIH explains that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is not authorized to review dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed.
  • Some herbs interact with drugs. NCCIH describes St. John's wort as having an overall high risk of drug interactions because it strongly increases the activity of enzymes and a transport protein the body uses to process drugs. NCCIH also cites a 2017 review that found goldenseal has an overall high risk of drug interactions because it can block two major drug-processing enzymes.

Expert guidance

  • NCCIH advises: do not use traditional Chinese medicine to replace or delay seeking conventional care.
  • NCCIH advises asking about the training and experience of any practitioner you are considering.
  • NCCIH advises telling all of your health care providers about any complementary health approaches you use, so they have a full picture.
  • NCCIH notes that certain dietary supplements may increase the risk of bleeding or affect your response to anesthesia, which matters if you have surgery or a procedure coming up.

Where the evidence is uncertain

  • NCCIH says many studies of Chinese herbal products have been of poor quality, so no firm conclusions can be made about their effectiveness.
  • “Natural” does not always mean “safe.” NCCIH gives the example of kava, a plant in the pepper family, whose supplements can cause liver disease.
  • Our editorial takeaway: because many supplements have not been tested in pregnancy or while nursing, a product with no pregnancy warning has not necessarily been shown to be safe in pregnancy. Ask what the evidence is, not only whether there is a warning.

Stage 1: At the Appointment — Get the Exact Details

You cannot check what you cannot name. Before you leave, ask for the details in writing.

  • What is the full name of each herb? Ask for the common name and the scientific (Latin) name, so every provider you talk with is checking the same plant.
  • Is this a single herb or a formula (a blend of several herbs)? If it is a formula, what is in it, and how much of each?
  • What form is it: raw herbs, powder, capsule, tablet, tea, or tincture (an alcohol-based liquid extract)?
  • How much, how often, and for how long?
  • Who made it, and is there a product label or batch number?
  • What is it meant to help with, and how will we know if it is not working?

Our guide on why each ingredient and dose in an herbal formula should be documented walks through this record in more detail.

Stage 2: Questions About Your Medicines

An interaction means one substance changes how another works in your body. It can make a medicine stronger, weaker, or cause new side effects. Ask the practitioner:

  • Did you review my full list of prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and other supplements before recommending this?
  • Do you know of any interactions between this herb and my medicines?
  • Where does that information come from?
  • Would you be comfortable if I shared this recommendation with my doctor or pharmacist first?

Then ask your prescriber or pharmacist:

  • Here are the exact herbs and amounts. Could any of them affect the medicines I take?
  • Is there anything about my health conditions that makes this herb a concern?
  • Do I have surgery, dental work, or a procedure coming up where this could matter?

Important: Do not stop, skip, or change a prescribed medicine to make room for an herb. Any change to your medicines should be decided with the clinician who prescribed them.

Stage 3: Questions About Pregnancy, Nursing, or Trying to Conceive

Because many supplements have not been tested in pregnancy or while nursing, these questions deserve extra time.

Ask the practitioner:

  • Do you know I am pregnant, nursing, or trying to become pregnant?
  • Has this herb been studied in people who are pregnant or nursing? What did those studies find?
  • If there is no research, how did you decide it was appropriate?
  • Is there a reason this cannot wait until I have spoken with my prenatal care provider?

Ask your obstetrician, midwife, or other prenatal care provider:

  • A practitioner recommended these exact herbs and amounts. What do you know about them in pregnancy or while nursing?
  • Could any of them affect my prenatal vitamins or other medicines?
  • Is there anything I should watch for if we decide together that it is appropriate?

Stage 4: Check the Practitioner and the Product

  • What training and credentials does the practitioner have in herbal medicine? NCCIH notes that most states and the District of Columbia regulate acupuncture practice, and most states require certification from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. That statement is about acupuncture practice, so ask separately about the practitioner's training in herbal products.
  • Does the practitioner sell the product they recommended? That does not make the advice wrong, but it is a fair question to ask.
  • Is the product labeled clearly, in a language you can read, with every ingredient listed?
  • Can you look up each herb in NCCIH's Herbs at a Glance fact sheets? Each sheet covers what the science says, potential side effects, and cautions.

If words on the intake form or product label are unclear, our guide to traditional medicine terms and how to ask what a practice involves can help. For reading medicine and product labels in general, see our medication and food label safety checklist.

A Simple Decision Path

  1. Any urgent symptoms? If yes, contact emergency services or your prenatal care provider now. If no, continue.
  2. Do you have the exact herb names, amounts, and product label? If no, ask the practitioner for them in writing before going further.
  3. Do you take any medicine, or are you pregnant, nursing, or trying to conceive? If yes, share the written details with your prescriber, pharmacist, or prenatal care provider before starting.
  4. Do you have surgery or a procedure planned? If yes, tell that care team about the herb as well.
  5. Did anyone raise a concern or say there is not enough information? If yes, discuss the options with both providers. Uncertainty is a reason to talk more, not a reason to guess.
  6. Whatever you decide, keep the written record and tell every provider you see that you use it.

A One-Page Checklist to Bring With You

  • Full herb names (common and scientific)
  • Amount, form, how often, and for how long
  • Maker, label, and batch number
  • What it is meant to help with
  • My current medicines, vitamins, and supplements
  • Pregnant, nursing, or trying to conceive: yes or no
  • Upcoming surgery or procedures
  • Name of the practitioner and their credentials
  • What my doctor, pharmacist, or prenatal care provider said

What This Page Is Not

This page does not say whether any specific herb is safe or unsafe for you. It does not recommend any product, practitioner, or treatment. It helps you ask better questions so you and your care team can decide together.

Medical Disclaimer

This article is general educational information, not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Do not start, stop, or change any medicine or supplement based on this page. Talk with a qualified health care provider about your situation. Read our full medical disclaimer.

New Eastern Health is an independent educational publication. It is not a medical practice and is not affiliated with any clinic or practitioner previously associated with this domain. See our non-affiliation notice and editorial standards.

Where This Information Comes From