The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog is intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Top topics on The CAM Report

    *Animal-assisted Therapy
    *Birth Defects
    *Arsenic in modern medicine
    *Mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy
    *TENS/FNS/VNS

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    • Common sense considerations

      The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

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    Archive for the 'Licorice' Category

    Potential for licorice-drug interactions

    Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

    Glycyrrhizin is a major ingredient of licorice, which is sometimes used in the treatment of various diseases such as chronic hepatitis.

    In animals, licorice or glycyrrhizin alters the activity of the CYP3A drug-metabolizing enzyme. Researchers at Central South University, in Hunan, People’s Republic of China looked for an effect in people. (more…)

    Risk of taking herbals in people with heart disease

    Monday, April 5th, 2010

    Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and Arizona collaborated to review the risks of herbal:drug interactions.

    The abstract is a bit skimpy on details, but the American Pharmaceutical Association has a nice summary, which will be summarized further here. (more…)

    What not to take before surgery

    Friday, January 9th, 2009

    OK, you’re scheduled for surgery, and you take herbals.

    Does your surgeon know what you take?

    Be smart. If you use any of the herbals on this list, tell your surgeon.

    (more…)

    Herbal alternative to control intestinal spasm

    Monday, December 8th, 2008

    Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is used to diagnose and treat conditions of the bile ducts, including gallstones, inflammatory strictures (scars), leaks (from trauma and surgery), and cancer.

    Researchers from Chiba University in Japan used shakuyaku-kanzo-to (TJ-68) to suppress spasms of the small intestine during ERCP procedures. (more…)

    Kampo medicine to treat atopic dermatitis

    Tuesday, February 19th, 2008

    Hochu-ekki-to (TJ-41) is an herbal medicine that contains a mixture of 10 medicinal plants (listed below). It’s produced by Tsumura Co., Ltd. in Tokyo, which specializes in selling Kampo medicine — the adaptation of traditional Chinese medicine to Japanese culture.

    In this study, the use of topical medicines (steroids and/or tacrolimus [Protopic]) decreased when patients with atopic dermatitis took Hochu-ekki-to. (more…)

    Black cohosh does not reduce menopausal symptoms

    Friday, December 22nd, 2006

    Another study reports that black cohosh is useless to prevent hot flashes and night sweats associated with menopause.

    Here are the results from the Herbal Alternatives (HALT) for Menopause Study, funded by the National Institutes of Health.

    (more…)

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