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

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was 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.

  • 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.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    Butterbur complements treatment of asthmatic patients

    In atopic asthmatic patients butterbur provides complementary activity when combined with other treatments.

    In one study, 16 atopic asthmatic patients took butterbur 25 mg or placebo twice daily in addition to inhaled corticosteroids. After one week, laboratory values that indicate the presence of inflammation improved significantly with butterbur plus inhaled steroids compared to placebo plus inhaled steroids.

    In a second study of 80 patients, butterbur was added to each patient’s ongoing asthma therapy. And after two months, there was significant improvement.

    • Number, duration, and severity of asthma attacks decreased
    • Peak flow, forced expiratory volume (FEV1), and all measured symptoms improved

    And one more benefit; 40% of patients reduced the intake of their medications by the end of the study.

    These study results suggest the butterbur (Petasites hybridus extract Petadolex) is an effective and safe therapy for the treatment of asthma.

    More positive results. In previous posts, butterbur was as effective as antihistamines in controlling the symptoms of allergic rhinitis.

    9/18/06 22:09 JR

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