John asked
Can I take "Swell No More" for my severe puffy eyes? I take the blood pressure medicine Benicar.
Answer
It is often difficult to give concrete recommendations when it comes to interactions between over the counter products and prescription products. Over the counter medications, especially herbal products such as Swell No More for puffy eyes, do not have a lot of information regarding their side effects and interactions. Having said that, we will do the best we can for you!
Whenever we get questions about herbal products, we always like to break down the ingredients and look at everything individually to see if there may be possible interactions.We have included the supplements facts from the bottle below so we can pick out each ingredient and look for interactions.
Let's start with the first three ingredients in Swell No More for puffy eyes:
Vitamin B6, magnesium and potassium: These are common vitamins and minerals that we ingest sufficiently via our daily dietary intake. Even though the vitamin B6 is listed @ 4500% of the recommended daily value, there is no concern with an interaction with your Benicar.
Now let's tackle the rest of the herbal ingredients:
Dandelion Root Powder: Dandelion has many uses but in this case, it is included due to its' diuretic effect (increased urination, therefore losing water in the body). In theory, losing some water while taking a blood pressure medication could possibly lower blood pressure more, but not by a very significant amount.
Uva-Ursi: Like dandelion, Uva-Ursi is being used for its' diruretic effect. Besides the loss of water weight, there is no documented interaction between uva-ursi and Benicar.
Green Tea Leaf Extract: Green tea has many different effects on the body. It is extremely rich in antioxidants and also has a slight stimulate effect due to the caffeine content. Caffeine acts as a mild diuretic. There usually is no significant effect on blood pressure from green tea as the caffeine content is quite low. There is no reported interactions between green tea and Benicar.
Parsley Leaf Extract: Parsley has been used as a herbal remedy for hypertension (high blood pressure) for quite some time historically. Like everything else listed thus far, it is being used the diuretic effect. There are no reported interactions with Benicar.
Juniper Berry Powder: Again, there is a diuretic effect with this one. There are no reported interactions with Benicar.
Turmeric: Turmeric has been used historically as an anti-inflammatory. It is a spice, commonly used in Asian food. According to studies, the active ingredient in turmeric, known as curcumin, can sometimes cause low blood pressure (hypotension). There is no specific reported interaction with Benicar.
Indian Frankincense: Frankincense is derived from a species known boswellia which has been used for years in African countries for a variety of diseases. It is most commonly used for inflammatory conditions. There are no reported interactions with it and Benicar.
Ginger: Ginger is most commonly used for nausea and vomiting, but it is also used for inflammation. There are no reported interactions with ginger and Benicar.
Rutin: Rutin naturally occurs in many different plants including tobacco and rye. It contains a flavonoid known as quercetin. Quercetin is thought to protect the blood vessels by strengthening them and reduced inflammation. There are no reported side effects with rutin and Benicar.
Buchu: Buchu has been used in many cultures to relieve urinary tract inflammation and problems with the kidney. It contains two chemicals known as diosmin and hesperidin. These two chemicals are thought to have anti-inflammatory and diuretic abilities. There are no reported interactions with buchu and Benicar.
Hydrangea: Most people are familiar with hydrangeas as an ornamental plant that is commonly found in North and South America as well as in eastern and southern Asia. Hydrangea has been used historically for urinary tract disorders. There are no reported interactions with hydrangea and Benicar
Quercetin: See Rutin.
Bromelain: Bromelain is a digestive enzyme that is found naturally in the pineapple and helps to break down proteins. It is also thought to reduce inflammation. There is no interaction reported interaction with bromelain and Benicar.
Cornsilk: Cornsilk may have diuretic effects. There is no reported interaction with Benicar.
Bioperine: Bioperine is a form of black pepper extract. It has been used an an anti-inflammatory. There are no reported interactions with Benicar.
Based on all the evidence of our ingredients here, I don't specifically see an interaction with Benicar and Swell No More for puffy eyes. It does appear that Swell No More could possibly LOWER blood pressure due the diuretic effects (losing excess water) of all the different ingredients. This could in theory cause dizziness and drowsiness, especially in those on medications that already lower blood pressure. I couldn't find the specific directions on how to take Swell No More, but if you were to take it, I would probably recommend at bedtime to avoid day time drowsiness. Also, be sure to let your doctor know if you wish to take it since it could lower your blood pressure more in conjunction with the Benicar.
In addition to Swell No More for puffy eyes, be sure to follow these recommendations:
- Drink several glasses of water. Although this may seem somewhat counter-intuitive since all of the ingredients in Swell No More help to get rid of excess water, it will be beneficial for you. When the concentration of sodium, or salt, gets too high in certain areas of the body, water is strongly drawn there to dilute that salt and bring concentrations back to normal. Puffy eyes tend to be worse in the morning due to water loss during the night. You also want to try and avoid alcohol and highly caffeinated products.
- Cold compresses can work wonders to reduce the swelling although the swelling does tend to come back after it is removed.
- Sometimes applying astringent solutions such as witch hazel to cotton balls and applying the cotton balls to the puffiness can help. Be sure not to get the witch hazel in the eyes though.
- Be sure you keep your head elevated at night.
- Antihistamines such as Claritin can also work very well for puffy eyes due to its' drying effects as well as its' antihistamine effects.
