Important Safety Information for Physicians

Our research has shown this formulation to be extremely safe. In addition, every constituent of this product has had the scrutiny of many controled trials proving safety. However, as with anything ingested, there is a very rare risk of allergic reaction to one or more of the components. We advise patients taking this supplement to stop use immediately if they develop any skin changes or other unusual symptoms. Even very benign substances such as cranberry juice or garlic can have some interactions with medications. Prior to recommending this product to your patients you should familiarize yourself with the possible interactions listed below.

Patients Should Not Take Tao Harmony if...

Patients should not take Tao Harmony if they are taking warfarin (coumadin) as some studies have shown decreased INR in patients taking St. John’s wort along with this drug.

Patients taking protease inhibitors should not take this supplement as it may reduce the retroviral efficacy.

Patients on antidepressants are asked to speak to their physicians prior to initiating therapy. Certain antidepressants, particularly MAOIs, tricyclic antidepressants, and SSRIs, may interact with this product, and in very rare cases, cause serotonin syndrome. This syndrome can include neuron-excitatory features, which include neuromuscular hyperactivity (tremor, clonus, myoclonus, hyperreflexia and, in advanced stages, pyramidal rigidity), autonomic hyperactivity (diaphoresis, fever, tachycardia and tachypnea), and altered mental status (agitation, excitement and, in advanced stages, confusion). This risk stems from the theory that St. John’s wort may have some physiologic effects similar to MAOIs. Since these risks are extremely rare and are usually the result of using multiple drugs that increase serotonin levels, it is reasonable to use Tao Harmony in patients on low levels of antidepressants. It is important to educate patients about the symptoms of this syndrome and instruct them to stop the supplement if such symptoms begin. In some cases, you may want to schedule a follow-up appointment to review these symptoms and ensure the patient has no signs of the syndrome.

Some of the components of this formulation, particularly St. John’s wort, are metabolized by the cytochrome p450 mechanism, and thus, can slightly reduce the efficacy of other drugs metabolized by this pathway. St. John’s wort has been shown to reduce levels of digoxin, verapamil, and statins. Care should be taken to monitor digoxin levels when starting this supplement. With antihypertensives and statins, any decrease in efficacy will likely be very small and usually not clinically significant. Taking these medications is not an absolute contraindication to using this supplement. We recommend monitoring of blood pressure or cholesterol levels to check for any interactions if applicable to the patient.

There have been several case reports of hypertension caused by Ginseng. Ginseng is widely used throughout the world and there is no evidence to support any significant concern regarding use of this herb. The reports of hypertension appear to be extremely rare compared to the large number of people taking this herb.

Black cohosh has been taken by MILLIONS of women around the world. There is no doubt that it is extremely safe. There have been several case reports of hepatitis and liver failure in patients taking black cohosh. A direct causal relationship could not be confirmed and these extremely rare cases among billions of doses should cause no significant concern in recommending this product.

Tao Harmony is not recommended for patients who have ever been treated for breast cancer. Although soy isoflavones may prove to be safe for patients with history of breast cancer, there is currently not enough data to support this use.