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

    Use of herbals in women undergoing IVF

    In the absence of specific evidence, it’s probably safe to assume that women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures are taking herbal medicines.

    That’s my conclusion based on the results of this survey of women in an Irish infertility treatment center by researchers at BC Women’s Hospital, in Vancouver, Canada.

    First, the details.

    • Women in an IVF clinic completed a questionnaire.

    And, the results.

    • 46% of them admitted regular use of herbal medications.
    • 38% of them took herbal preparations in the 3-month period prior to coming to the clinic.

    The bottom line?
    No patient taking herbal preparations discussed the use of these products with the attending anesthetist or fertility specialist prior to attending for the procedure.

    Ask. Always ask the patient.

    7/2/09 21:59 JR

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