Areca

Are there any interactions with medications?

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Drying medications (Anticholinergic drugs)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

Areca contains chemicals that can affect the brain and heart. Some drying medications can also affect the brain and heart. But areca works differently than drying medications. Areca might decrease the effects of drying medications.

Some of these drying medications include atropine, scopolamine, and some medications used for allergies (antihistamines), and for depression (antidepressants).

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Procyclidine
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

Procyclidine can affect chemicals in the body. Areca can also affect chemicals in the body. But areca has the opposite effect of procyclidine. Taking areca along with procyclidine might decrease the effectiveness of procyclidine.

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Various medications used for glaucoma, Alzheimer's disease, and other conditions (Cholinergic drugs)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

Areca contains a chemical that affects the body. This chemical is similar to some medications used for glaucoma, Alzheimer's disease, and other conditions. Taking areca with these medications might increase the chance of side effects.

Some of these medications used for glaucoma, Alzheimer's disease, and other conditions include pilocarpine (Pilocar and others), donepezil (Aricept), tacrine (Cognex), and others.

Dosing considerations for Areca.

The appropriate dose of areca depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for areca. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.