Joshi Kaustubh G, Faubion Matthew D
Dr. Joshi is a staff forensic psychiatrist at Wilford Hall Medical Center (US Air Force).
Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2005 Sep;2(9):56-61.
The use of complimentary/alternative medicine has become popular as evidenced by grocery store aisles and "infomercials" devoted to herbal products. These products are often misconstrued as safe because of their natural origin. With an increase in the consumption of these products, physicians need to be aware of their potential adverse effects. There are several popular over-the-counter herbal products that can affect one's behavior, especially resulting in acute mania and/or psychosis. This article provides an overview of existing literature regarding the increased use of herbal agents, reviews several case reports describing a potential association between herbal products (St. John's Wort and ginseng) and the development of mania and psychosis, and discusses the limitations in determining the frequency of serious adverse effects due to herbal products.
从杂货店货架上摆满草药产品以及充斥着草药产品的“购物广告”可以看出，补充和替代医学的使用已变得十分普遍。由于这些产品源于天然，它们常常被误解为是安全的。随着这些产品消费量的增加，医生需要意识到它们潜在的不良反应。有几种常见的非处方草药产品会影响人的行为，尤其会导致急性躁狂和/或精神病。本文概述了有关草药制剂使用增加的现有文献，回顾了几例描述草药产品（圣约翰草和人参）与躁狂和精神病发生之间潜在关联的病例报告，并讨论了确定草药产品所致严重不良反应发生率方面的局限性。
