Camphor Addiction: A Prospective Study of Camphorated Oil Use & Its Outcome over the Period of 10 Years in Tertiary Care Centre

Abstract

Camphor addiction is common problem in India and it causes neurological symptoms of addiction and withdrawal, which affects the person's activity of daily living. In present paper we have analyzed, 1233 patients addicted to camphorated oil over more than 5 years duration. Headache, Insomnia, vertigo, depression, Visual blurring (118 patients) were the common clinical presentation in patients with camphorated oil addiction and 12 of the patients had Intracerebral bleed at time of presentation. Neuroimaging showed brain atrophy in 22 patients. 42% of these patients had re-addiction in follow up, due to firm belief about its medicinal use and withdrawal symptoms. It was concluded that, high end advertisements, lack of restriction of availability, misinformation printed on leaflets, persistent symptoms were the primary cause of chronic use leading to addiction.