Malaika Hilliard 202/973-5896 [email protected]
Sharon Burns-Pavlovsky 202/973-2934[email protected]
Herbal Remedies Are Not Necessarily SafeSome preparations are toxic to the liver
LAS VEGAS (October 22, 2001) --Three reports presented at the 66th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology underscore the need for physicians to educate patients about potential harm to the liver from herbal remedies. A woman in Brooklyn was hospitalized after experiencing toxic effects from Chinese rice tea, a woman in Chicago required a liver transplant after consuming large doses of multiple herbal remedies, and a man in Brooklyn underwent chelation therapy after drinking tea and taking tablets laced with lead and arsenic. According to the investigators, as acceptance grows for alternative therapies, physicians need to consider the possible effects of herbal remedies on the liver when patients present with puzzling signs and symptoms.
Chinese Rice TeaT.C. Chauhan, M.D. and colleagues of the Brooklyn Hospital Center in Brooklyn, New York, announced the first reported case of liver toxicity from Chinese rice tea. Their 40-year-old female patient was hospitalized for 3 weeks before signs of the disease normalized.
"Physicians must be aware that any herbal preparation may cause liver toxicity and even death," said Dr. Chauhan. "Because patients are not aware of the potential danger of these alternative therapies, they may be reluctant to admit their use. Until she was hospitalized for jaundice and other signs of hepatotoxicity, our patient denied the use of herbs and over-the-counter remedies."
Large Doses of Multiple Herbal RemediesKanwarjit Arora, M.D. and colleagues of Cook County Hospital in Chicago also treated a patient who was reluctant to admit she was using alternative therapies. The 45-year-old female experienced liver failure after consuming nearly 30 different herbal remedies for several months.
"Whereas herbs are more commonly associated with mild and reversible forms of liver dysfunction, they can case liver failure and death. After being diagnosed with liver failure, our patient was fortunate enough to be matched with a donor organ and underwent a successful liver transplantation," said Arora.
Tea Laced with Lead and ArsenicPrem S. Misra, M.D., and Woo Sup Kim, M.D., of Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn relied on chelation therapy to reverse the toxic effects of lead consumption.
"We estimate that our patient inadvertently consumed more than 3 grams of lead while drinking contaminated herbal tea and taking tablets," said Dr. Misra. "Today, physicians must take into account the popularity of alternative medicine when patients present with inexplicable signs and symptoms."
The ACG was formed in 1932 to advance the scientific study and medical treatment of disorders of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The College promotes the highest standards in medical education and is guided by its commitment to meeting the needs of clinical gastroenterology practitioners. Consumers can get more information on GI diseases through the following ACG-sponsored programs:
* 1-800-978-7666 (free brochures on common GI disorders, including ulcer, colon cancer, gallstones, and liver disease)* 1-800-HRT-BURN (free brochure and video on heartburn and GERD)* www.acg.gi.org (ACG's Web site)
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