Herbal Medicine Flashcards
Flax oil seeds
Uses:
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- IBS
- Diabetes
- Arthritis
- Atherosclerosis
- Menopause
May slightly lower total cholesterol
May decrease hot flashes
Mech: Soluble fiber and phyto estrogens
SE:
- Increase GI act.
- Allergic rxns
Cranberry
Uses: UTI
May inh. recurrent UTI
Not helpful for current inf.
Mech: Proanthrocyanadin prevents bact from binding to UT cells
May also acidify urine
SE:
- Inh P450
Saw Palmetto
Use: BPH
May be eff. but not as eff. as existing drugs (azosins”
Mech: Inh test synth (enz inh)+Inh test binding to receptor
SE:
- Minimal SE
- Drug interactions due to hormone effects
Soy
Uses:
- Hyperlipidemia
- Osteoporosis
- Menopause
Decreases LDL
Decreases Menopausal symptoms
Mech: Metab. to estrogen like compound
SE: Allergic rxns
Garlic
Uses: Decrease blood lipids
May slightly lower blood lipids
1 fresh clove/day
SE:
- Induce P450
- Bad breath
- Decrease clotting
- Decrease conc. of some reverse transcriptase inh.
Ginko
Uses:
- Dementia
- Intermittent claudication–pain in leg
About as eff. as tacrine for tx of alzheimer’s
But tacrine isn’t really effective at all
SE:
- Inh platelet activating factor
- Decrease clotting
- Interacts w/ warfarin
Echinacea
Use:
- Upper resp. inf.
- Wound healing
- Antifungal
Can decrease sympt. of flu if used early
SE:
- Allergies
- Related to ragweed
Milk Thistle
Uses: Protect against liver damage
Doesn’t work
Black cohosh
Use: Menopause
Estrogen like
St Johns Wort
Uses:
- Mild depression
- anxiety
As eff as standard anti-dep.
Mech: Inh. reuptake of NE, 5HT, DA
SE:
- Phototoxicity
- Other allergic rxns
- In breast milk→lethargic baby
- Induces P450
- Wafarin
- BC
- Anti-depressant interactions
Ginseng
Uses: Increase energy
No clear effect
Valerian
Uses: Sedative
Mild sedative effect
Mech: Increase GABA
SE:
- Hepatotoxicity
- Dont use w/ anti-dep
Ma huang (ephedra)
Use:
- Weight loss
- Nasal congestion
- Asthma
- Increase athletic performance
Strong CNS stimulant
SE:
- Stroke
- Hypertension
- MI
Yohimbe
Use: ED
Mech: Alpha 2 blocker in CNS
SE:
- Hypertension
- CNS excitation
- Tachycardia
- Tremor
- Dont take w/ MAOIs
Kola nut
Caffeine
Increased HR
Insomnia
