Recently, Dr. Shad Foster (@DrShadFoster) tweeted: “Gingseng
As Effective As Drug for Fibromyalgia - Foster Family Chiropractic”. So I have
been asking myself, how much could be in this claim. Panax ginseng (人参) contains ginsenosides and also
phytoestrogens. A study showed an increase of cytotoxic T-cells (specific white
blood cells) and natural killer cells, though this surely can’t be the reason
to use ginseng. As ginseng also has shown side effects like, insomnia, diarrhea,
mania, headaches, effects on blood pressure, to name a few, there is at least
some reason not to rule out efficacy beforehand.
There is a study by A.S. Braz and
colleagues: “Effects of Panax Ginseng Extract in Patients with Fibromyalgia: A 12-week,
Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial”. The authors compared
“the effects of P. ginseng (100
mg/d) with amitriptyline (25 mg/d) and placebo in 38 patients with
fibromyalgia: 13 in Group I (amitriptyline), 13 in Group II (placebo), and 12
in Group III (P.
ginseng)”. That means that the study is underpowered. The authors
didn’t define a primary outcome of their study. There were some differences in comparison
to baseline, but “there were no differences between the three groups”. The
authors see “a need for further studies to be performed on the tolerability and
efficacy of this phytotherapic as a complementary therapy for fibromyalgia”. I
don’t see it this way.
The study by Braz doesn’t show an advantage for Panax
ginseng in comparison to amitriptylin or placebo.
Links:
Ginseng study by A.S. Braz and colleagues http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rbp.2013.01.004
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginseng
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