Home remedy experimentation is on the rise with many American’s now avoiding costly medical bills and discovering ways to treat their ailments at home from the help of social media and online research.

While I fully support homeopathic remedies such as treating wounds at home, nursing viruses, and bacterial infections or making an effective DIY mosquito repellent and facial cleanser, there are some dangers involved with home remedies all of us need to be warned of before we start experimenting.

Here are the top 3 Dangerous Adverse Reactions You NEED to know about home remedies

These 3 reactions can happen to anyone and at any time who practice homeopathy without proper prior home remedy education or simply reading this warning.  Even if you read this warning, these reactions could still happen.  Medicine at home or even medical practices from professional doctors can cause adverse reactions.

The best we can do is learn from others and help tell as many friends and family we know about the warnings.

1. Poisoning

Home remedy poisoning is first on our list of warnings as accidental poisoning in children are occurring more frequently and causing death.  This is scary and deserves the first warning to discuss from one mom to another.

Poisoning can occur from not being able to know or measure the potency of a natural substance.  It can also occur from being fed misinformation.  I discuss this thoroughly in my Tea Tree oil warning here.  Social media can be helpful or can be dangerous.

It’s rarer, but can still happen, for a home remedy poisoning to happen from a tincture of herbs and spices but is more likely to happen by ingesting concentrates of natural herbs.

Essential oils are highly concentrated and not for oral consumption unless directed by a professional naturopathic doctor.  Essential oils are becoming extremely dangerous that even the poison control center is warning the public to keep essential oils locked away from children.  These are the 7 deadly essential oils the poison control expresses deep concern for.

2. Allergic Reactions

Allergic reactions from home remedies are the most common adverse reactions.  Introducing yourself to new substances can cause mild to severe allergic reactions if you are not aware that you are allergic to it even if it is natural.

Honey is a popular ingredient to use with home remedies but it is not popularly known that people allergic to bee stings can also be susceptible to allergic reactions to honey according to a study published by the NCBI.

An estimated 16.5 Million American’s are allergic to bees.  While not all of those will be allergic to honey, a large portion of that population could be according to the study.

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, more than 50 million American’s experience various types of allergic reactions every single year.

Reactions can vary with ingestion and skin allergic reactions.  A simple new and natural skin care remedy can send you to the ER with burns and hives if you’re not careful.

A simple tiny skin test with your natural mixture you want to try hours before applying all over your skin can prevent a severe reaction.

It is easy to forget that nature can still be foreign and we need to introduce foreign substances in small doses before trying any home remedy in extremes.

3. Drug-herb Interactions

The NIH warns us of possible drug interactions between herbs and conventional drug medications.

Little is known about exactly what drugs react with herbal remedies, but we are finding out more between drug interactions as they occur.

True homeopathy remedies do not mix conventional medicines with herbal remedies.  Most people are practicing both and this is when problems between drug-herb interactions can occur.

A common herb like St. John’s Wort taken for mood disorders or even nerve pain has caused clinically significant reactions in people who also take oral contraceptives, benzodiazepines, digoxin, coumadin, cyclosporine, and others.

This is scary knowing many women take St. John’s Wort to calm their PMS and are also taking oral contraceptives.  Some reactions observed from studies include breakthrough bleeding from women and unintended pregnancy.

This particular drug-herb reaction catches my attention with the young girls out there on oral contraceptives and all of us women remember being exceptionally moody at that age.  I myself tried St. John’s Wort years ago before information like this was released.

Let me repeat that warning one more time, St. John’s Wort and oral contraceptive use can cause unintended pregnancy.  The study and more information can be found here.

Another drug-herb interaction with negative side effects is blood thinning herbs and spices in combination with coumadin.

There are many herbs and spices that offer so many benefits but if you are currently on blood thinning medication, it might be wise to stay away from these blood-thinning natural supplements.

Ginkgo Biloba and Turmeric are on the list to watch out for while on blood thinners.

Ginkgo Biloba is making a breakthrough in the Alzheimer’s community with its cognitive improvement abilities and I can personally thank the herb for improving my focus, energy, and brain function while working the night shift.

Turmeric has also really improved my menstrual problems and is a great anti-inflammatory.

These two supplements offer many benefits but those on blood thinning medication are monitored closely to make sure their blood does not go too thin or starts clotting.  Serious implications can arise if these supplements create too much blood thinning.

There are many more drug-herb interactions to watch out for.  Education and talking with a naturopathic doctor is key if you are going to mix the two.

Homeopathy works with the right education

Warnings are just warnings.  They are not meant to scare you away from trying something new or push you away from a healthier way of living like natural homeopathy.  Warnings help you try something new and healthier the right way from the start.

There is no better way to start practicing homeopathy or experiment with home remedies than with the right education.

I have put together a list of 10 very reliable resources that can help you make the changes you need to live more naturally and safely at the same time.

These resources may be able to help you eliminate conventional medicines preventing any drug-herb interactions, remind you of any possible allergic reactions, and recommend the correct dosage and storage of natural concentrates to prevent poisoning during any homeopathic remedy.

Home remedy resources can also give you different options to try.  One size does not fit all.  If you find you are allergic to one natural substance, chances are high there is another that will work for you.  Many natural ingredients contain similar properties to help everyone.

If you have experienced a home remedy adverse reaction, please share with us for all of us to learn and share this article with your friends and family so they will do further research before trying their own home remedies.