Safety Facts
Note: The information on this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your doctor before taking any new dietary supplement, including Hepagard.
Hepagard is a dietary supplement whose individual ingredients have a long-standing reputation of safety and effectiveness. Hepagard can be taken with most prescription and over-the-counter medications.
When taken as directed, Hepagard is safe and poses no short-term or long-term health risks. When taken as directed, Hepagard is not addictive or habit-forming. If you wish to stop taking Hepagard after taking the supplement daily for more than one month, we recommend that you gradually taper down your dose over 7-21 days. Although abrupt discontinuation is not unsafe, discontinuing gradually may reduce the likelihood of a recurrence of symptoms.
There are no reported harmful side effects associated with Hepagard. Most people that take Hepagard experience no side effects. If in the rare case side effects do occur, they tend to be mild and often disappear. Possible side effects include (as disclosed on WebMD's safety pages for each ingredient included in the Hepagard formula: (1) Milk Thistle, (2) N-Acetyl Cysteine, (3) Dandelion Root, (4) Artichoke Leaf, and (5) Choline Bitartrate:
- diarrhea
- fatigue
- stomach upset
- headache
- restlessness
- feeling of fullness
- increased effects of sedative drugs
- lower blood pressure
Pregnant and nursing women should not take Hepagard (or any health supplement) without the approval of a physician.
Do not exceed the recommended dose of four capsules at once or six capsules daily. Exceeding the maximum dose is not unsafe, although it may result in drowsiness or discomfort. Before taking Hepagard, talk your doctor if you are taking any prescription medications. Hepagard may increase the sedative effects of seizure medications, pain medications, muscle relaxants, sleep and anxiety medications, or other medications that may cause drowsiness.
Diabetes Medication
In general, Hepagard can be safely combined with prescription alpha glucosidase inhibitors, including Precose® (acarbose), Glyset® (miglitol), as well as biguanides, including Kazano®, Invokamet®, Glucovance®, and other metformin drugs. If you are currently taking prescription medication, we advise that you talk to your doctor before taking Hepagard or any new supplement.
Birth Control
Hepagard will not reduce the effectiveness of birth control or interact with contraceptive medication. However, we advise that you talk to your doctor before taking Hepagard or any new supplement.
Alcohol
Do not consume alcohol until you are familiar with the effects of Hepagard. In general, consumption of moderate amounts of alcohol is safe while taking Hepagard. However, we advise that you talk to your doctor before taking Hepagard or any new supplement.
Other Supplements
In general, it is safe to take Hepagard if you are also taking other vitamins or nutritional supplements. Of course, we always recommend talking with your doctor before taking any new supplements.