If you are currently being treated with any of the following medications, you
should not use ginkgo without first talking to your healthcare provider:
Anticonvulsant medications
High doses of Ginkgo biloba could
decrease the effectiveness of anticonvulsant therapy in patients taking
carbamazepine or valproic acid to control seizures.
Blood-thinning medications
Ginkgo has blood-thinning
properties and therefore should not be used if you are taking anticoagulant
(blood-thinning) medications, such as aspirin, clopidogrel, dipyridamole,
heparin, ticlopidine, or warfarin.
Cylosporine
Ginkgo biloba may be beneficial during treatment
with cyclosporine because of its ability to protect cell membranes from damage.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
Ginkgo may enhance the
effects (both good and bad) of antidepressant medications known as MAOIs, such
as phenelzine and tranylcypromine.
Papaverine
The combination of papaverine and ginkgo may be
effective for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in patients who do not
respond to papaverine alone.
Thiazide diuretics
Although there has been one literature
report of increased blood pressure associated with the use of ginkgo during
treatment with thiazide diuretics, this interaction has not been verified by
clinical trials. Nevertheless, you should consult with your healthcare provider
before using ginkgo if you are taking thiazide diuretics.
Trazodone
Additionally, there has been a report of an adverse
interaction between ginkgo and trazodone, an antidepressant medication, that
resulted in an elderly patient going into a coma.