Ayurvedic medicine- Not always a safe bet

• Published in: Wellcome open research 2019, Vol.4, p.23
• Main Authors: Paudyal, Buddhi, Thapa, Astha, Sigdel, Keshav Raj, Adhikari, Sudeep, Basnyat, Buddha
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2398-502X; 2398-502X
• DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15096.1

Ayurvedic medicine, a traditional system of medicine practiced in the Indian subcontinent is considered to be devoid of adverse effects. We report three cases which highlight the possibility of adverse events with the use of ayurvedic products. A 35 years old woman with hepatitis took ayurvedic powders and had her liver injury worsen, possibly due to alkaloids, and developed nephrotic syndrome, possibly due to gold salt. A 57 years old hypertensive man was taking ayurvedic medicine containing reserpine which had long been withdrawn from the allopathic system of medicine due to wide range of side effects. A 47 years old woman with rheumatoid arthritis was taking an unknown tablet containing a steroid as an adulterant for 2 years and developed side effects typical of steroid excess. We like to highlight the fact that ayurvedic medicines do have propensity to cause adverse effects due to adulterations or inherent constituents like alkaloids, and hence are not completely safe.