Herbal Meds Can Worsen Asthma

As many as four out of five asthma sufferers report having used complementary or alternative medicines (CAM) to treat their disease.  This may be because they aren’t getting adequate relief from their prescribed medications, or because of the higher cost of meds for those without insurance.  New York’s Mount Sinai physicians surveyed patients with persistent asthma being treated as outpatients in Harlem and New Brunswick, NJ.  They report in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 

There were 326 patients in the survey.  Questions covered the use of CAM (teas, herbs, and rubs) for their asthma over the last 6 months, as well as a validated estimate of their adherence to their prescribed medication, in particular inhaled corticosteroids.

In this population, 25% of the patients said they had used herbal remedies.  Herbal use was associated with decreased adherence to inhaled corticosteroid medication, and a worsening of their asthma.  Those taking herbs were more likely to worry about the adverse effects of steroid medication, which may have accounted for their decreased inhaler use. 

The answer to the problem raised by these findings?  Physicians should ask their patients about their use of CAM, advise them of possible interactions, and urge them not to discontinue their prescribed meds in favor of non-prescribed CAM.