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.

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    Controlling fever with maoto suppositories

    The Kampo medicine called maoto consists of ephedra, apricot kernel (Prunus armeniaca, Rosaceae), cinnamon, and licorice.

    Researchers from Shimane University Hospital, in Japan formulated a suppository of maoto and use it to lower fever in infants and children.

    First, the details.

    • The maoto suppository was administered to pediatric patients with a fever at a dose of 1/3 to 2 full pieces depending on their body weight and physical status.

    And, the results.

    • Body temperature decreased significantly from 39.5 to 37.5 degrees C without serious adverse effects in 17 patients.

    The bottom line?
    The authors concluded, “Maoto, suppository was clinically applicable to neonates, infants, and children with viral febrile symptoms without any adverse effects.

    But that’s based on the response by fewer than a dozen patients.

    The ephedra in maoto has a long history of adverse reactions. The evidence indicates, “Ephedra use is associated with a greatly increased risk for adverse reactions compared with other herbs, and its use should be restricted.”

    6/8/09 20:19 JR

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