Hey, everybody, guess what arrived?
I got my copy of the new edition of the _PDR for Herbal Medicines_; for
those who don't now, the PDRs are the Physician's Desk References. Yes,
as such it's beyond my education, but I've got some foundation and some
great reference books to help. Anyway, take what's put down with a grain
of salt for each of these aspects and others you think about:
1. It's not my field, 2. It's not my field, 3. Ditto that,
4. It's a reference for human health,
5. It assumes that correct and safe dose sizes are known,
6. It assumes that the patient isn't likely to eat the med if it's not
supposed to be eaten, and
7. the state of knowledge is always in flux.
Remember that when they mention no known problems that's for a different
species and with the provisions above. OH, and this is NOT complete --
it's reduced ( a LOT).
I looked at the sections within each, pulled out a medical and veterinary
dictionary and translated the stuff that needed translating since much
of it was in terms like: hypertonia, mastalgia, epistaxis, parenterally,
hypokalemia, etc. Think I managed to not directly quote at all due to all
the "look-em up and translate" or "re-check meaning to see if I'm right
and translate" words.
The book has many hundreds of herbs (I estimate probably over 2,500 if it
averages 3 per page as I expect; heck, the indices alone take over 200
pages and there are over 850 pages of herbs.) , and loads of special
features so I doubt I'd make any negative impact on sales unless a lot of
people have things to look up, and that's far from likely. Plus, I'd never
have the time in that case. Could see where this might make vets more
interested in getting a copy, though. Ditto anyone using herbs or thinking
of doing so. The negative side of the coin is available all over for
standard meds, but we all know that everything that NEEDS to be known
about herbs is not easy to find, given that most books skip essential
information. After all, so many resources give uses (known ones, and
unproven ones) but how many go into human dosing, poisoning and treatments
for it, which drugs or other herbs to avoid when one is taken, etc. This
one has it all, from uses to abuses to references. IT IS A GREAT RESOURCE
AND WORTH THE COST! ( It really would pay to have a dictionary such as
_Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary_ (Current one is incredible.)
or _Blakiston's Medical Dictionary_.) In one home alone here there were
something like 6 ferrets lost to suspected pyrethrin poisoning last year,
but with this book the treatment for that would have been known to be
readily used by the vet and owner.
Anyway, two of the things I was asked to look up aren't in there but here
are the others.
Problems with Aloe:
- Contraindicated: if intestinal obstruction or inflammation, or abdominal
pain of unknown origin.
- Rare: heart arrhythmias, kidney disease, edema, accelerated bone
deterioration
- Problems with prolonged use: harmless staining of intestinal mucusa.
albumin in urine which may make medical professional think of heart or
kidney disease, blood in urine
- More rare than those: dermatitis, loss of electrolytes, possible
increased risk of colon carcinoma, possible damage to enteric nervous
tissue
- Dangerous drug interactions" some heart meds, some diuretics, true
- Licorice (not artificial), some steroids.
- Other: notto be give to children or during pregnancy
Problems with Borage:
As per notes above there is none with oil, but leaf can have toxic or
carcinogenic aspects.
Problems with Brewers Yeast:
(Vets have mentioned here on FML to avoid with insulinoma.)
Can result in gas, migraine headaches, or in allergic reactions which
may be severe; otherwise none as per notes above.
Problems with Carob:
None as per notes above, though typical sugar warning exist.
Problems with Catnip:
Except for avoiding during pregnancy none as per above notes.
Problems with Echinacea:
(Personal note: given the aspect which the immune system plays in the
damage from ADV it might be a real mistake to give it with that if what
I read is what is meant.)
- Do not give if multiple sclerosis, leukosis (basis of leukemia),
collagen disease, AIDS, tuberculosis.
- Allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, have been recorded.
- If injected may result in: short fever reactions, nausea, vomiting,
and must be avoided with diabetes.
- Has adverse effects on eggs and fetuses; avoid in pregnancy.
- Dangerous if taken with: chemotherapy, anit-rejection drugs, and some
steroids.
Problems with Flax Seed Oil:
- If not taken over long periods of time and in large doses prussic
acid poisoning has not been seen.
- Contraindicated by intestinal obstruction, stricture or inflammation
of the esophagus or GI tract.
- May prevent medications from being fully absorbed.
Problems with Ginseng:
- Avoid if cardiovascular disease or diabetes.
- General adverse effects: possible hypertension, insomnia, nose
bleed, headache, nervousness, vomiting, breast pain with diffuse
breast nodules, vaginal bleeding, neonatal androgenization (This is
the acquisition of physical male characteristics to an inappropriate
degree by either gender.) Hypoglycemic episodes are in the records.
(Personal note: interesting partly because a rarer variety has been
connected with having the opposite effect according to some FML
members, so allow for species variations.)
- Avoid: anything that thins blood due to anti-platlet effect,
Phenelzine (result if not: mania, tremors, headaches), some diuretics.
- Avoid if pregnant or nursing.
- Overdose: hypertension, insomnia, abnormally increased strength, edema
Problems with horehound:
- Avoid in pregnancy.
- Otherwise, none as per notes in the beginning of part 1.
Problems with Licorice (true Licorice, not the artificial stuff):
- Contraindications: chronic hepatitis, cholestatic diseases of the
liver, renal insufficiency, diabetes, arrythmias, hypertension, low
potassium blood levels.
- Due not take if pregnant.
- Has badly compounded effects if there is tobacco exposure.
- Prolonged use causes: Reduction in potassium levels in blood, excess
sodium in blood, edema, hypertension, cardiac complaints, kidney
failure, aberrant deposition of calcium into cardiac and skeletal
muscles.
- Do not give with many heart meds, some diuretics, some steroids.
Problems with Milk Thistle:
- Do not take with Silymarin, Butyrophenomes, Phenothiazines.
- Have been problems in some compounds containing it due to other
ingredients. Otherwise, none as per notes in part 1.
Problems with Neem:
None as per notes in part 1.
Problems with Rapeseed Oil:
High doses for long periods are cardiotoxic.
Problems with Pyrethrum:
- None if use care, but even at recommended doses there has been limited
toxicity seen.
- Overdose: headache, ringing in ears, nausea, abnormal sensations,
respiratory disturbances, neurotoxic complaints. There is a treatment
for poisoning by this herb, and during it it is essential to intubate
and to carefully monitor respiration and kidney function.
Problems with Slippery Elm:
None as per notes in part 1
Problems with Saint John's Wort:
- Possible side effects: Diarrhea, nausea, stomachache, sense of
fullness, constipation, photosensitization, restlessness, headache,
dermatologic effects.
- Mutagenic to sperm and eggs.
- Use with an MAO inhibitor may cause hypertensive crisis.
- Do not give with MAOIs, SSRIs, photosensitizers, Hypericum extract,
Cyclosporine, Indinivir, contraceptives, Hypericin, Theophylline,
Digoxin, Sertaline, Nefazadine.
Problems with Stevia:
(Personal note: it mentioned none with the notes above, but would
like to see vets discuss the note in book in relation to insulinoma
which says that it elevates glucose clearance.)
Problems with Tea Tree:
Overdose causes coordination weakness, confusion and coma; otherwise,
none as per notes in part 1.
Problems with Witch Hazel:
If taken internally digestive complaints can occur. Long term liver
damage on rare occasion has been recorded. Otherwise, none as per
notes in part 1.
Those interested in getting a copy of this book for their reference
libraries can call 1-888-859-8053.
[Posted in FML issue 3193]
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