Effectiveness and safety of combination treatment of herbal medicines and oral antihistamines for atopic dermatitis: a retrospective chart review

Abstract

BackgroundPatients with atopic dermatitis (AD) exhibit various symptoms, especially itching. Recently, herbal medicines (HMs) are being used in combination with antihistamines for the treatment of AD in Korea. While oral antihistamines can alleviate itching, HMs appear to exert anti-inflammatory effects with minimal side effects. However, there is little evidence regarding the effectiveness and safety of using HMs in combination with antihistamines for AD.MethodsTo observe the effectiveness and safety of combination treatment with HMs and antihistamines, we performed a retrospective chart review of inpatients with AD who received this combination treatment for at least 7 days in a hospital.ResultsOf 163 inpatients, 40 met the inclusion criteria. All patients received HMs three times, and one or two antihistamines, a day after HM intake. A large proportion of patients received first-generation antihistamines. HMs comprised a mixture of an average of 20.69 different herbs in decoction. The mean total, objective, and subjective SCORing Atopic Dermatitis scores showed a significant decrease after combination treatment. Changes in the mean levels of aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine were not statistically significant among treatments. There were no adverse events of pseudoaldosteronism or interstitial pneumonia.ConclusionWe observed that the short-term use of HMs in combination with oral antihistamines was safe and effective, with a low risk of adverse reactions. This study was limited by its retrospective design, and prospective studies with long-term follow-up periods are warranted to further elucidate the safety of this combination treatment for AD.

Acupuncture Treatment for Symptom Management in Atopic Dermatitis: A Study Protocol for a Randomized, Participant- and Assessor-Blind, Sham-Controlled Trial

“…We will recruit 36 mild-to-moderate AD patients for this study, scoring 30 to 80 points on a 100 mm VAS for pruritus (0, no symptom at all; 10, worst symptom ever) [27] and 10 to 40 points in the object SCORAD scores [28]. KM treatment such as acupuncture and herbal medicine may also relieve the symptoms of severe AD patients [12, 13]. However, in this trial, patients will receive only acupuncture treatment.…”

“…AD has been effectively treated with acupuncture, which has been shown to lack side effects when used with conventional therapies [12–16]. In animal models, acupuncture treatment resulted in decreased skin overgrowth and pruritus and improved biomarkers [5, 17].…”

Effectiveness and Safety of Herbal Medicine for Atopic Dermatitis: An Overview of Systematic Reviews

“…However, the safety profiles of HM as an adjuvant therapy in terms of herb-drug interaction need further studies. Although some studies have reported that the combination of CM such as oral antihistamines and HM in AD treatment was effective and safe [47], the interactions between herbs and CMs used in AD were largely understudied. For example, in the case of systemic immunosuppressive agents such as cyclosporine for severe AD, the administration of HM metabolized by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system may affect its efficacy by changing the bioavailability of the drug.…”

Romaine Lettuce/Skullcap Mixture Improves Sleep Behavior in Vertebrate Models

“…16) Various herbal extract combinations were shown to be more effective dietary management agents in disease control. [17][18][19][20] Our previous study revealed that leaves of Lactuca sativa varieties (lettuce and romaine lettuce) played an acting in sleep promotion, 21) but the effects of lettuce on sleep architecture and relevant mechanism has yet been studied. In addition, although skullcapderived flavonoids are reported to bind to GABA receptor, 22) its study on sleep behavior has been limited.…”