Chapter 8 Herbal Medications
Use of Herbal Medicines
Practice Points
Reliability of Herbal Products
Efficacy of Herbal Medications
In response to increased demand for herbal products, in 1998 the NIH established NCCAM, which oversees and awards funds for research into complementary and alternative therapies, including herbal medications. In addition, in the European Union, HMPC requires efficacy and safety data before licensing an herbal medication. Nevertheless, compared with mainstream drugs, systematic research into the efficacy of herbal medications is relatively sparse for a number of reasons. The difficulty in obtaining standardized products, lack of knowledge of active principles, and the inability to standardize doses confounds both basic science research and clinical trials. In addition, lack of regulations requiring effectiveness and safety data and lack of patent protection in some countries have limited private investment in herbal research. Moreover, even within existing trials, many conflicting reports exist, perhaps in part because of issues of consistency of products tested (Table 8-1).
Specific Herbal Medications
Full discussion of the wide array of herbal medications used in various forms is well beyond the scope of this text. However, a relatively short list of the most commonly used herbal medications is presented. Table 8-2 presents side effects and drug interactions of some commonly used herbal remedies.
Herbal Medication | Side Effects | Drug Interactions |
---|---|---|
Echinacea | Allergic reactions | Potential inhibition of CYP450 isoforms |
Ephedra |
CNS, Central nervous system.