Interactions with Echinacea

In a study with five outpatients undergoing treatment for inoperable hepatocellular carcinomas, administration of echinacea extract (60 mg/m² IM) with a regimen of low-dose cyclophosphamide and thymostimulin resulted in an increase in the number and activity of natural killer cells (Lersch et al. 1990). In another study involving 15 outpatients with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer, treatment with echinacea extract in addition to cyclophosphamide and thymostimulin decreased tumor markers CA 19-9 and CA 15-3 (Lersch et al. 1992). Echinacea may be a useful adjunct to help re-establish the immune response and counter the immunosuppressive effects associated with chemotherapy.

Econazole

The recurrence rate of vaginal Candida infections treated with econazole nitrate cream for 6 days was greatly reduced when E. purpurea plant juice was taken concurrently and for an additional 9 weeks, whether intravenously, subcutaneously, intramuscularly, or orally (Coeugniet and Kuhnast 1986). This effect was attributed to echinacea's ability to stimulate the immune system.

References

Coeugniet E, Kuhnast R. [Adjuvant immunotherapy with different formulations of echinacin.] Therapiwoche.1986;36:3352-3358.

Lersch C, Zeuner M, Bauer A, et al. Nonspecific immunostimulation with low doses of cyclophosphamide (LDCY), thymostimulin, and Echinacea purpurea extracts (Echinacin) in patients with far advanced colorectal cancers: preliminary results. Cancer Invest. 1992;10(5):343-348.

Lersch C, Zeuner M, Bauer A, et al. Stimulation of the immune response in outpatients with hepatocellular carcinomas by low doses of cyclophosphamide (LDCY), thymostimulin, and Echinacea purpurea extracts (Echinacin) and thymostimulin. Arch Geschwulstforsch. 1990;60(5):379-383.

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