Complementary and alternative therapies Flashcards
what does complementary and alternative therapies consist of
botanicals, nutritional products, and herbal supplements
why do you need to be careful with complementary and alternative therapies
can interact with OTC and prescription drugs and can have both positive and negative effects
what is the DSHEA act of 1994
classified OTC agents
botanical: herbal
vitamins and minerals: dietary
What is important to know about the DSHEA
no assurance that a product actually contains what it says it does
in 2006 what came out the DSHEA act
reports of serious adverse effects was mandated
how long do you have to report serious adverse effects to the FDA
15 days
what happened in 2007 act
had to include ingredients, set regulations on manufacturing and labeling
what are the four private organizations for certification programs
USP, ConsumerLab, Natural products association, NSF
what do the private organization evaluate on
good manufacturing practices, purity, identity, potency, dissolution, accuracy of labeling
what two groups report on post-approval surveillance
USP and ConsumerLab: stamp of approval
what is some pt education about complementary and alternative therapies
always check with health care provider, don’t take if nursing, pregnant, don’t give herbs to infants/peds, follow labels, discontinue if side effects are bad, and there might be compounds in them that aren’t listed
what are some hazards of herbs
natural does not mean safe, can affect lab results, may interfere with anesthetics and anticoags
what do you need to educate a pt. about if they take herbs and are about to have surgery
stop taking 2-3 weeks before
what is black cohosh used for
menopause
side effects of black cohosh
rash, headache, dizziness, abdominal discomfort, rare-liver failure
what interactions does black cohosh have
can increase hypotensive effects w/ antihypertensive meds + hypoglycemic effects of diabetic meds
what is echinacea used for
antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunostimulant effects
what is echinacea used for when used topically
burns, wounds, eczema
what is echinacea used for when used orally
suppress inflammation, stimulate immune system
what are the complaints of echinacea
bad tastes, GI effects
what are the interactions of echinacea
can interfere with immunosuppressant drugs
What is flaxseed used for
dyslipidemia and constipation, soluble plant fiber
what does flaxseed reduce
LDL and overall cholesterol and doesn’t effect HDL and triglycerides
what are the adverse effects of flaxseed
GI related, bloating, cramping, going to bathroom
what is something important about flaxseed
needs to be taken 1 hour before or 2 hours after other meds
what is garlic used for
lower BP, decrease formation of atherosclerosis, suppress platelet aggregation
what are the stipulations of using garlic
raw, 1-2 cloves BID, contain allicin
how many garlic products contain allicin
5/18
what are the bad things about garlic
strong taste, bad breath, BO
what is ginger root used for
vertigo, motion + sea sickness, chemotherapy, and general anesthesia, arthritis, chronic inflammatory conditions
what do you have to be careful about with ginger root
can lower blood sugar: hypoglycemic effects of insulin for diabetics
What is St. John’s Wort used for
mild to moderate depression, decreases reuptake of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine
what is important to know about St. Johns Wort
interacts with a lot of drugs
what is glucosamine and chondroitin used for
osteoarthritis of knee, hip, and wrist, assist in making cartilage and synovial fluid, reduce joint inflammation + cartilage damage, maintain cartilage integrity
what pts should you be careful using glucosamine and chondroitin with
pts allergic to shellfish
what are the adverse effects of glucosamine and chondroitin
GI disturbances: nausea + heartburn, increased risk of bleeding
what are probiotics used for
GUT HEALTH
what are some effects of probiotics
GI effects
what is green tea used for
mental alertness, headache relief, protects against heart disease + cancer, promotes weight loss
what are adverse effects of green tea
liver dysfunction
what are three harmful substances
comfrey, kava, ma huang
what does comfrey do
contains alkaloids associated with vent-occlusive disease
is comfrey safe when using it topically or orally
topical
what is kava used for
relaxation and anxiety
what is bad about kava
severe hepatic damage
what does ma Huang do
elevate BP, stimulate heart + CNS, contains ephredrine
