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Prescription medicines are easy to remember, but the occasional tea or supplement often slips through. A complete list makes a herbal consultation far more specific.

The products that slip through

Ask most people what medicines they take and they will list their prescriptions. What tends to be forgotten is the magnesium tablet taken now and then, the herbal tea a friend recommended, the protein powder after the gym or the cold and flu sachet from last month. Every one of these can matter when considering Chinese herbal medicine, and an accurate list makes the conversation more specific.

Building your list at home

Rather than relying on memory during the appointment, gather what you use before visiting Dr Christine Shen, Acupuncturist, at the Freshwater clinic. A practical approach:

1. Collect bottles, packets and labels from the bathroom, kitchen and gym bag.
2. Photograph the labels or bring the containers with you.
3. Note roughly how often you use each item.
4. Include anything prescribed or suggested by another practitioner, such as a GP, specialist, naturopath or pharmacist.
5. Add products you stopped recently, as these can still be relevant.

Asking before you combine

If you are tempted to add a new product while taking herbs, ask Christine first. It is easy to assume two remedies will get along because both are labelled natural, but that assumption does not replace shared information. Your pharmacist and GP can also help check for interactions with conventional medicines.

Keeping your herbal plan clear

Once a formula is prescribed, keep its name, directions and the date of your review together with the original packaging. Tell Christine whenever another medicine starts, stops or changes dose. If you notice a symptom and are unsure whether it relates to the herbs, seek advice instead of adjusting the dose by trial and error.

A small habit worth keeping

Many people on the Northern Beaches find it useful to keep an up-to-date medicine list in their phone notes. Updating it before each Freshwater appointment takes a minute or two and saves guesswork for everyone involved, including any other health professional you see.