The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point

Archive for the 'Evening Primrose' Category

Acne: Recommendations are easy; data, scarce

Monday, July 11th, 2016

Herbalists recommend more than a dozen herbal remedies for acne and scarring, according to a recent article.

Unfortunately, only 1 of these herbals is supported by the results of a study in patients. (more…)

Ineffective herbal remedies for treating acne

Monday, July 11th, 2016

I recently came across a website advocating herbals to treat or prevent acne.

The website isn’t important, but the results of my PubMed searches might be useful. (more…)

Evening primrose oil and the risk of seizures

Tuesday, July 9th, 2013

primrose-bannerThere’s a concern (here, here, and here) voiced by some reputable websites that taking evening primrose oil might make seizures more likely in some people.

Here’s what we know. (more…)

Review: CAM options to induce labor

Sunday, December 4th, 2011

Researchers at Monash University, in Victoria, Australia, examined the scientific evidence for the use of CAM to stimulate labor. (more…)

Review: Herbal treatments for prementrual syndrome

Thursday, May 26th, 2011

Some herb remedies seem useful, according to researchers at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, in Italy. (more…)

Review: CAM to treat menopausal vasomotor symptoms

Thursday, April 21st, 2011

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota, reviewed allopathic and CAM options.

Let’s focus on CAM. (more…)

Little evidence that herbals relieve menopause symptoms

Monday, October 4th, 2010

Drugs and Therapeutics Bulletin, which is published by the British Medical Journal, has published their review of the evidence. (more…)

Reviewing herbs, vitamins, and minerals in treating premenstrual syndrome

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

menopauseResearchers from Dalhousie University, in Halifax, Nova Scotia reviewed the evidence and make recommendations for women experiencing symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). (more…)

Review: Herbal medicines to treat rheumatoid arthritis

Friday, June 11th, 2010

Researchers at Victoria University, in Melbourne, Australia reviewed the evidence.

But not everyone agrees with their conclusions. (more…)

Herbals to treat psoriasis: A review of the evidence

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Dr. Sharon Jacob from the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center in Florida and colleagues reviewed the scientific support for herbals used by patients with psoriasis.

Here are the highlights.
(more…)

Herbals for arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

Ms. Meenakshi Khatta is a nurse practitioner and associate professor at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. Nurse Khatta has reviewed the use of CAM to treat pain due to musculoskeletal conditions.

Here are her findings on herbal supplements used to treat fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. (more…)

Key points about commonly used herbals

Sunday, July 5th, 2009

Dr. Darrell Hulisz from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio has written a continuing education article on herbals.

Here are the author’s take-away points, with additional references added. (more…)

CAM for menopause?

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

The authors, from the University of New South Wales, in Sydney, Australia make a potentially important point that hadn’t been mentioned here before.

But, does it matter? (more…)

What we know about black cohosh

Friday, February 15th, 2008

A continuing education article on Medscape presents a nice summary on the use of black cohosh to treat the symptoms of menopause. (more…)

Getting specific about CAM-drug interactions

Friday, January 4th, 2008

Dr. Philip Hansten from the University of Washington School of Pharmacy has spent more than 30 years chronicling and documenting drug interactions.

In an article in Pharmacy Times, he and Dr. John Horn focus on the risks for people with diabetes or taking blood thinners. (more…)

Herbal supplements for weight loss: What works, what doesn’t

Tuesday, October 9th, 2007

In preparation for the upcoming weight management conferences in Europe, here is what we know about the value of herbals as an aid to weight loss.

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Herbals that provide some pain relief

Monday, August 7th, 2006

Here is a list of herbal medicines with documented effectiveness as pain relievers. The source of this information summarizes the dose, route of administration, conditions treated, and safety information.

(more…)