Contact: Adriane Fugh-Berman, M.D.
202-467-0816
fughberman@aol.com

Inform Doctors When Taking Herbs And Dietary Supplements

Although herbs and dietary supplements appear to have beneficial effects on depression, anxiety, insomnia and memory problems, new research shows that potential side effects exist. Millions of depressed or sleepless patients mix prescription medicines with alternative therapies and many do so without informing their doctors.

Adriane Fugh-Berman, MD, George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, D.C., and Jerry Cott, PhD, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, conducted a literature review on the status of herbs and high-dose vitamins.

"Most users of alternative therapies do not inform their physicians," said Cott. "Almost one in five prescription drug users are also using herbs and/or high-dose vitamin supplements. This raises the concern of herb-drug, herb-herb, and nutrient-drug interactions, about which little is known."

The researchers found a growing body of scientific evidence showing that these over-the-counter remedies often work. How they work and what dangers they pose remain poorly understood, however. The results of the research appear in the current issue of Psychosomatic Medicine.

Forty-two percent of American consumers used alternative remedies in 1997, up from 34 percent in 1990, according to a telephone survey cited in the report. Consumers used these therapies mostly for chronic pain, anxiety, fatigue, and other long-term ailments. They invested vast sums of money: $90 million for gingko, a memory enhancer; $86 million for energy-boosting ginseng; and $48 million for St. John's wort, an antidepressant.

Of 23 randomized studies of St. John's wort, depressive patients in every study reportedly improved, apparently assisted by the herb's pharmacological effects on the brain. Mild side effects, including gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue, and increased sensitivity to sunburn, have been reported.

Extracts from the leaves of ginkgo trees are linked with cognitive improvements in memory-impaired patients that rival those brought about by more standard, pharmacological agents. Side effects are rare, but can be serious. Reputed to increase blood flow, the herb's anticoagulant properties may be harmful to patients with clotting problems.

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Psychosomatic Medicine is the official peer-reviewed journal of the American Psychosomatic Society, published bimonthly. For information about the journal, contact Joel E. Dimsdale, MD, at (619) 543-5468.