Herbal medicine: top 5 herbs your patients take... but don't tell you.

Herbal medicine: top 5 herbs your patients take... but don't tell you.

Crock R D

Consultant (00107069)

2003

2003-09

The safety of herbal supplements is often difficult to determine because the FDA does not require premarketing safety testing and reporting of adverse effects for such products. However, some information on adverse effects and drugherb interactions is available from the FDA's MedWatch spontaneous reporting system (www.fda.gov/medwatch). Another source of reliable information is the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (www.nccam.nih.gov). The evidence that echinacea helps prevent upper respiratory tract infections or hastens recovery from them is inconclusive; however, this herb is relatively benign and has few adverse effects. St John's wort is more effective than placebo for the short-term treatment of mild depression, but it should not be used in patients with moderate or severe depression; it also has multiple drug interactions. Ginkgo biloba improves cognitive function in patients with Alzheimertype dementia and also modestly increases pain-free walking distance in those with peripheral vascular disease. Saw palmetto reduces the incidence of nocturia and increases peak urinary flow in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Black cohosh may help alleviate menopausal hot flashes.

Female; Male; World Wide Web; Information Resources; Plants; Dietary Supplementation; Patient History Taking; Alternative Therapies; Echinacea; Ginkgo Biloba; Saw Palmetto; St. John's Wort; Depression – Drug Therapy; Dementia – Drug Therapy; Medicinal – Therapeutic Use; Perimenopausal Symptoms – Drug Therapy; Prostatic Hypertrophy – Drug Therapy

Article information provided for research and reference use only. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).

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