Herbal Remedies
Herbal remedy, use with care by george M isaknder
Herbal remedy used for several ailments have become increasingly popular worldwide, because of an easy access to it and mostly, cheaper than the synthetic and prescribed drugs… There is no doubt that many of the advertised and commercialised concoctions of the naturally derived herbal products have been clinically screened and are safe to use, with care and consideration. However, we should not to forget that herbal remedy has been experienced over centuries in developing and developed countries, without prior medical screening and testing. In fact there is an alleged belief that herbal preparations are basically harmless
Most of these are described as stemming out from personal experience(s) of older generations, and hence used as such in good faith.
We herewith describe some of the serious side effects resulting from such experiences.
Some of these herbal products that are considered ‘natural’ should not be disregarded as some have serious side effects, and some interact with and influence conventional medical therapeutics. The effect may be pharmacokinetic by altering absorption or metabolism, and may be pharmacodynamic, by changing the final effect of the drug. St. John’s wort, for example, an antidepressant herbal remedy, may pharmacodynamically interact with specific serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, causing a serotonin syndrome, a potentially life-threatening adverse drug reaction.
The effects of herbal products can be exceedingly potent or even lethal if used improperly. Drugs and other chemicals account for less than 5% of cases of jaundice or acute hepatitis and smaller number of cases of chronic liver disease; in sharp contrast to cases reported from the improper use of herbal products.
Research has also shown that herbal remedy use may be associated with acute renal failure. In addition, the use of herbal remedies may be detrimental for the patient with compromised renal function. Patients with renal insufficiency or renal failure may be at risk for further kidney damage as well as complications related to interactions of herbal remedies with complex renal therapy regimens.
For example, Kava kava (Piper methysticum, Forst. f., Piperaceae), a folkloric beverage and popular herbal remedy, often taken as ground root powder or pills, produces mild euphoria and relaxation in the user. It has been implicated in a number of liver failure cases. It can lead to general ill health including shortness of breath, dry scaly skin, liver damage, malnutrition and changes to red and white blood cells and platelets Many hypotheses as to the mechanism of its hepatotoxicity, with other co-ingested medication, have been postulated. The pharmacokinetic interactions between kava constituents and alcohol via alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) inhibition by individual kavalactones might explain its claimed hepatotoxic effects.
Ginkgo biloba (ginkgo) is a herbal remedy used by over 2% of the adult population in enhancing certain neuropsychological/memory processes of cognitively intact older adults, sixty years of age and over. Ginkgo extract is described to have three effects on the human body: improvement in blood flow including microcirculation in small capillaries to most tissues and organs; protection against oxidative cell damage from free radicals; and blockage of many of the effects of platelet-activating factor, platelet aggregation, blood clotting
Several review articles, however, have suggested that ginkgo may increase the risk of bleeding. A case of bleeding associated with using ginkgo, is reported in reviews the literature for similar case reports. The ability to prevent memory loss has found that the supplement does not prevent or delay dementia or Alzheimer’s disease
About the Author
Borne (1942)
Education: BSC(1964),MSc(1966), PHD(1970) Univ Khatoum
Assoc Prof(1980), Prof(1984)
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December 22, 2011 8:02 pm 
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