UNLABELLED Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a complex disorder, with primary symptoms of sleep disturbances, pain, and fatigue. FMS is one of the most common reasons for patient visits to a rheumatologist. Previous studies have suggested that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in patients with rheumatic diseases is common, but such data specific to FMS patients is limited. OBJECTI...

CONTEXT According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), use of herbal supplements is increasing and will continue to rise. With parents administering medicinal herbs to children as a preventive alternative to traditional drugs, the research team thought it would be interesting to assess the use of these products during the transition into adulthood through c...

Herbal and dietary supplements (HDS) are used increasingly both in the United States and worldwide, and HDS-induced liver injury in the United States has increased proportionally. Current challenges in the diagnosis and management of HDS-induced liver injury were the focus of a 2-day research symposium sponsored by the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease and the National Institu...

PURPOSE The use of supplements as herbal and micronutrient natural health products with conventional health products has become increasingly popular. It has been reported that some herbal products can inhibit the activity of cytochrome P450-mediated metabolism and drug disposition. This study was designed to investigate a case report of a severe adverse event to determine the potential interact...

Herbals and dietary supplements (HDS) can cause hepatotoxicity. Regulation of HDS varies across the globe. In the United States, it is defined by a law that is now two decades old. More recent regulatory approaches in Europe still do not require testing for premarket safety. The true incidence of hepatotoxicity from HDS is unknown. The presentation is most often with a hepatocellular enzyme pat...

CONTEXT Adverse drug reactions and drug-drug interactions are common. Medication-induced morbidity might be prevented through the documentation of medicines in the medical record and review of the medical record before new medications are prescribed. PRACTICE PATTERN EXAMINED Documentation and review by primary care physicians of patient use of prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs (OTCs...

BACKGROUND Presently, complementary and alternative medicine, including both therapies and herbal/oral supplements, is used globally. Few studies have examined the use of specific therapies, separate from herbal/oral supplements, in cardiac rehabilitation. This paper presents a systematic evaluation of current research evidence related to use of specific complementary and alternative medicine t...

Herbal medicines, including herbs, herbal preparations and finished herbal products, contain as active ingredients parts of plants or other plant materials perceived to have therapeutic benefits [1]. About 80% of the worldwide population use herbal products for their basic health care (primary care) such as extracts, teas and other active principles, a market estimated at US$ 50 billion per yea...

A 40-yr-old Sri Lankan female presented to the gastroenterology clinic with jaundice. Further work-up revealed extrahepatic cholestasis with a hepatocellular component; however, subsequent work-up revealed no significant findings. Hospitalization revealed hepatotoxicity associated with ingestion of a homemade herbal tea containing kelp (Laminaria), which was confirmed with further history. Hepa...