ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Colonoscopy can be painful and uncomfortable. Aromatherapy is often used for the relief of anxiety or discomfort. Recently, it has been reported that olfactory stimulation induces various physiological effects. We investigated the effects of aromatherapy on anxiety and abdominal discomfort during colonoscopy. METHODS: The investigation was carried out using a randomized controlled study. Aromatherapy was performed by vapor diffusion, and each patient was given one of the following treatments: no inhalation (control group), essential-oil-less vapor (vehicle group), lavender oil (lavender group), grapefruit oil (grapefruit group), or Osmanthus fragrans oil (Osmanthus fragrans group). Following total colonoscopy procedures, each patient estimated their anxiety and abdominal discomfort using the Numeric Rating Scale. RESULTS: Total colonoscopy was performed on 361 patients. No complications caused by colonoscopy or aromatherapy were experienced. In the Osmanthus fragrans group, anxiety was significantly attenuated. The abdominal discomfort of patients who reported strong anxiety during colonoscopy was significantly attenuated in the grapefruit group and the Osmanthus fragrans group. CONCLUSION: Aromatherapies using Osmanthus fragrans oil and grapefruit oil are effective complementary treatments for anxious patients undergoing colonoscopy.
Subject(s)
Anxiety/drug therapy , Aromatherapy , Citrus paradisi , Colonoscopy/adverse effects , Oils, Volatile/therapeutic use , Oleaceae , Abdominal Pain/drug therapy , Abdominal Pain/etiology , Administration, Inhalation , Adult , Anxiety/etiology , Colonoscopy/psychology , Humans , Lavandula , Male , Middle Aged , Oils, Volatile/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/therapeutic use , Plant Oils/pharmacologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: FEC (5-FU+epirubicin+cyclophosphamide) therapy has been used as adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer patients with nodes positive. The aim of this study was to evaluate host immunity and side effects of the FEC therapy. The effect of oral administration of Lentinus edodes mycelia (LEM) was also observed. METHODS: Ten patients were enrolled in this study. The treatment with 5-FU (500 mg/m2), epirubicin (75 mg/m2) and cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m2) was administered every 21 days for 2 cycles, and LEM (9 g/day po) was administered during the 2nd cycle. RESULTS: NK cell activity and the number of white blood cells decreased on the 7th day after the therapy, and they recovered on the 21st day. However, this NK cell activity and the number of white blood cells didn't decrease when the FEC therapy was used with LEM po. CONCLUSIONS: FEC 75 therapy has made some impacts on host immunity, and LEM with the FEC 75 therapy might have prevented host immunity.