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Teas, powders and occasional supplements are easy to forget. Gather labels, recent changes and any granule bottles you already have, so your herbal discussion concerns the actual products you use.

The things we forget to mention

Prescription medicines are usually easy to remember. The herbal tea you drink when stressed, the protein powder after the gym or the sleep supplement you take now and then often slip the mind. Yet each of these can be relevant when a herbal prescription is being considered.

An accurate list turns a vague conversation into a specific one, and it removes the pressure of recalling everything on the spot.

What to bring along

Before your appointment in Lane Cove with Dr Christine Shen, Acupuncturist, gather:

• product names and labels, or clear photos of them;
• how often you take each item, including things used only occasionally;
• medicines started by your GP or another practitioner since your last visit;
• anything you have recently stopped, and why;
• any herbal granule bottles you already have, so the discussion concerns the actual preparations.

Ask Christine before adding any new product alongside your prescription. Two remedies both being described as natural does not make them compatible.

A whole-life snapshot

From a holistic perspective, your list also tells a story. Products chosen for sleep, energy, digestion or stress often point to what has been hardest lately. Sharing that context can open a fuller conversation about lifestyle, emotions and daily routine, alongside the herbs themselves.

Staying organised once you start

Herbal medicine at the clinic is supplied as granules in labelled bottles. Keep the written directions, product name and next review date with the bottle so details are easy to check. If a GP or another prescriber alters a medicine, tell Christine so the herbal plan can be looked at again. If you notice something unexpected, ask for advice before touching the dose.

A habit worth keeping

Many people keep a running note on their phone of everything they take, updated whenever something changes. Show it at every appointment, including visits to your GP and pharmacist, so everyone involved in your care works from the same picture.