The risk of combined use of herbal and conventional medicines in diabetic patients

Background: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) continues to increase due to changes in human lifestyle. Adherence to taking medication becomes one of the keys to successful blood glucose control. Unfortunately, not all people with DM are obedient to take medicine because of various reasons, such as fear of the side effects. To avoid some concerns about medicine, some prefer to add herbal medicine. Objective: This study determined whether the addition of herbal medicine to conventional drugs increases the incidence of hypoglycemia. Methods: This study was carried out from October 2019-March 2020 on 350 Madurese patients with DM in 33 primary healthcare centres of Madura. Data were collected using a valid and reliable questionnaire. The independent variable in this study was the use of herbal medicine, while the dependent variable was the incidence of hypoglycemia. Results:  About 41.4% of respondents used herbal medicine in addition to conventional drugs. Among those who consumed herbal medicine, 59.3% experienced hypoglycemia, while 24.4% did not take herbal medicine. The results showed a significant relationship between the use of herbal medicine and the incidence of hypoglycemia with a p-value of 0.0001. Conclusion: The use of herbal medicine increased the incidence of hypoglycemia.