Clinical Pharmacology- Complimentary Medicine Flashcards
What does CAM stand for?
Complementary and alternative medicine
What does CAM include?
- herbal and homeopathic therapies
- Acupuncture
- Aromatherapy
- Reiki
- Shiatsu
- Yoga
Who should you be concerned about using CAM?
Children
Pregnant women
Patients on multiple medications
Multimorbidity
Why is CAM not recommended in someone who is pregnant?
In cause of fetogenesis or teratogenesis
What are some concerns about CAM?
- Implausibility of most therapies
- Lack of evidence for benefit or safety
- Evidence of harm
- Adverse Effects / Herb-Drug Interactions
- Unqualified practitioners / Missed diagnoses
- Stopping conventional medicine
Why do some people use CAM?
- Desire to have personal control over their own health.
- Dissatisfied with conventional treatment
- Perception that conventional medicine lacks/disregards an holistic approach.
- Concerns about the side effects of prescribed medications
- Don’t see any distinctions between US and Them
- Think it’s natural, safe and harmless
- Side effects from conventional medicines
What do herbal medicines include?
Herbs
Herbal materials
Herbal preparations and finished herbal products, that contain as active ingredients parts of plants, or other plant materials, or combinations.
What may herbal medicines contain?
- Heavy metals
- Bacteria
- Prescription medicines
What are the problems of using herbal medicine in pregnancy?
- No safety or efficacy data
- Teratogenesis
- Fetogenesis
- Drug-Herb Interactions
- Half of pregnant women use prescribed medication (range1-12)
- Half of these use 36 different oral herbal products (range 1-6)
What are the safety concerns of herbal medicines?
- Contamination, adulteration and misidentification of herbal remedies.
- Variation between the labelled content of products and their actual content.
- Serious toxic effects from some.
- Biggest problem is lack of data.
- Drug-herb interactions are a major concern,
What is an example of a concerning drug-herb interaction?
St John’s Wort and multiple herbs with warfarin.
What is homeopathy?
One part toxin is mixed with 10 parts water or alcohol- Whole process known as Potentisation
What are homeopathy’s healing powers attributed to?
“water memory” — the concept that water has the ability to remember the shape of the toxin it once contained.
How efficient is homeopathy?
- Scientifically implausible.
- Major issues with quality of studies.
- No convincing evidence.
Is homeopathy safe?
Mainly yes
What is the basis of acupuncture?
Trigger points targeted for needling to deal with pain.
How is acupuncture carried out?
- 4 -10 points are needled during a session.
- Needles are left in place for 10-30 minutes, although can be shorter.
- Needles may be stimulated by twirling or an electrical current.
Is acupuncture safe?
10% have adverse effects to acupuncture
What are some serious adverse effects of acupuncture?
- Pneumothorax
- Infection
- Pneumopericardium
- Organ puncture
- Cardiac tamponade
What is aromatherapy?
The use of concentrated essential oils extracted from herbs, flowers, and other plants to treat diseases.
How are the concentrated oils administered in aromatherapy?
- Inhalation
- Massage
- Diffusion
- Hot or cold compress
- Soaking baths
What are the harmful side effects of aromatherapy?
- Skin irritation with frequent use
- Photosensitivity-Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun,
- Excessive inhalation can cause headaches and fatigue;
- Insomnia -peppermint
Who shouldn’t use aromatherapy?
People with asthma- Can cause bronchial spasm
Women who are pregnant- Abortifacient
What can aromatherapy be beneficial for?
Cancer support- Massage and aromatherapy massage confer short term benefits on psychological wellbeing
Who are magic believers?
People who believe that alternative medicine works in way that science cannot possibly comprehend
Who are pseudoscience believers?
People who believe that alternative medicine can be explained by untested or untestable theories
Who are anecdotal believers’-”seeing is believing”?
People who believe in alternative medicine because they have seen or experienced it’s positive effects
