Steam Practitioners are not doctors and cannot advise or consult regarding medical concerns. Steam is warm water that may increase heat, circulation and possibly cause the uterus to naturally open up temporarily (particularly, the cervix and uterine blood vessels). It may be possible that steam could disrupt medical procedures where there is an intentionally thickened uterine lining, intentional scar tissue or a medical device in the reproductive organs that could be interrupted by heat, circulation or water.
If concerned about these or any other situations, please consult a medical doctor. Please keep in mind that most medical doctors are unfamiliar with vaginal steaming or they know very little about it. Since doctors can be legally responsible if they give a patient advice to try something and the patient is harmed, most doctors will advise against anything that they are unfamiliar with, including vaginal steaming. For informed medical advice regarding steaming, it is recommended to consult a steam-friendly doctor.
You and your physician may want to use the following questions to consider the effect steam may have in a medical situation. Is it introducing heat a problem? Is increasing circulation a problem? Is it a problem if the cervix or blood vessels naturally open? Is there a medical device in place that steam could disrupt? Is there intentional scar tissue in place that steam might clear? Is there intentional thickened uterus lining that steam might clear?
PHARMACEUTICALS
Steam practitioners are not pharmacists and cannot advise on whether or not someone can steam while taking certain medications.
If you are taking medication it is best to consult a pharmacist to see if there may be any interactions with the herbs you steam with.
Ask your pharmacist:
“Do any of these herbs interact with the medication I take?”
To avoid unnecessary confusion do not ask your pharmacist – “Can I vaginal steam with these herbs while taking my medication?” – which is beyond their scope of practice.
Specific medications to be mindful of include blood thinners, diabetic medications and chemotherapy medications since these medicines tend to have some food and herb interactions.
If in doubt, it is okay to steam without herbs.
