Safety and efficacy of herbal sedatives in cancer care.
Integr Cancer Ther
; 3(2): 128-48, 2004 Jun.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-15165499
ABSTRACT
Insomnia and other sleep disturbances are common in cancer patients. Insomnia is a multifactorial health concern that currently affects at least 1 in 3 cancer patients, and yet most insomnia sufferers do not consult their physician regarding pharmaceutical options for relief. Use of hypnotic drugs (primarily benzodiazepines) is associated with increasing tolerance, dependence, and adverse effects on the central nervous system. While hypnotic drug use declined substantially in the past decade, the use of herbal sedatives appeared to increase. Mostly self-prescribed by lay people, herbal sedatives hold widespread appeal, presumably because of their lower cost and higher margin of safety when compared to pharmaceuticals. Studies of better-known herbal sedatives, notably valerian and kava, showed moderate evidence for both safety and efficacy for valerian while revealing disturbing toxicity concerns for kava. Milder sedatives or anxiolytics in need of clinical study include German chamomile, lavender, hops, lemon balm, and passionflower; St. John's wort may have anxiolytic effects with relevance to sleep. Herb-drug interactions are a possibility for some of these species, including St. John's wort. Although sufficient evidence exists to recommend some of these agents for short-term relief of mild insomnia, long-term trials and observational studies are needed to establish the safety of prolonged use as well as overall efficacy in the context of cancer treatment and management.
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Preparações de Plantas
/
Distúrbios do Início e da Manutenção do Sono
/
Fitoterapia
/
Neoplasias
Tipo de estudo:
Etiology_studies
/
Observational_studies
Limite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Integr Cancer Ther
Ano de publicação:
2004
Tipo de documento:
Article