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Query: UMLS:C0917801 (insomnia)
 10,606 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Alternative medicine is no longer mystical, mythical, or remote. At last 50% of the adult population has tried some sort of alternative therapy. As the population ages, and chronic illness becomes more prevalent, the use of alternatives is likely to continue to increase. CAM often targets chronic disorders that are often poorly addressed by conventional care. such as headache, arthritis. insomnia, fatigue, and so forth. Managed care, indirectly by imposing barriers to access and directly by offering riders that cover CAM services, are pushing patients away from more expensive conventional therapies. In conditions like the perimenopause, where the symptoms may wax and wane unpredictably, quality research is needed to demonstrate the efficacy of interventions. In the not so distant past, CAM practices have been given a pass, permitted to lay claim to historical uses as proof of efficacy. This exemption from the rules has been revoked. Major journals have issued a call for a new, more evenhanded approach. The editors of the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine asserted that [36]: There cannot be two kinds of medicine--conventional and alternative. There is only medicine that has been adequately tested and medicine that has not, medicine that works and medicine that may or may not work. Once a treatment has been tested rigorously, it no longer matters whether it was considered alternative at the outset. There is no alternative medicine. There is only scientifically proven, evidence-based medicine supported by solid data or unproven medicine, for which scientific evidence is lacking. Whether a therapeutic practice is 'Eastern' or 'Western', is unconventional or mainstream, or involves mind-body techniques or molecular genetics is largely irrelevant expect for historical purposes and cultural interest. Gynecologists and others who care for women need to be aware of the evidence supporting or refuting the claims made for both conventional and alternative medicine. Any therapy that provides effective and safe mitigation of the tumultuous and distressing endocrine events associated with the perimenopausal transition should be offered and used. An expanded array of therapeutic options may increase the likelihood of successful treatment and promote enhanced satisfaction and well-being for women. Such improvements can help to cement long-term relationships between providers and patients, for health and well-being now and in the future.
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PMID:Alternative medicine and the perimenopause an evidence-based review. 1235 74

A 72-year-old male was referred to our hospital in August 2001 for his pulmonary M. fortuitum infection. His symptoms were coughing, pyrexia, hemoptysis, general malaise, and insomnia. He had been suffering from these symptoms since 1982, though the intensive anti-mycobacterial chemotherapy such as three-drug (RFP, SM, and INH), twice two-drug (KM and SM and cycloserine and enviomycin) and four-drug (CAM, EB, RFP, and KM) regimens were administered for 26 months from July 1999. His symptoms tentatively improved after chemotherapy, but soon recurred with smear positive sputum. We decided to withdraw all antibacterial agents to treat him with decoction of Ninjinyoueito according to the diagnostics Kampo medical science in September 2001. After this prescription, his subjective symptoms gradually improved, and ten months later his sputum converted to smear negative. Because of recurrence of his general malaise in August 2002, we replaced the Ninjinyoueito by Seishoekkito, based on the Kampo diagnostics. His physical conditions remained good until 2005. In addition, the sputum smear examination maintain the level below +/-. We evaluate that Kampo (Chinese traditional medicine) treatment resulted in favorable response. Though it is not common to prescribe Kampo-medicine for intractable infectious diseases, we believe that Kampo-medicine is effective in some cases associated with host defense mechanisms.
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PMID:[A case of pulmonary Mycobacterium fortuitum infection successfully treated with Kampo treatments]. 1697 56

Insomnia is prevalent and complementary therapies are common, but data are lacking on the effectiveness and tolerability of preparations beyond valerian. Here we report on an open-label, prospective cohort study in 89 German centers offering both conventional and complementary therapies. Subjects received the homeopathic preparation Neurexan or valerian for 28 days. Doses were at physicians' judgments. Sleep duration and latency were evaluated based on patients' sleep diaries over 14 days; sleep quality was evaluated at 28 +/- 1 days. A total of 409 subjects were enrolled. The groups were balanced at baseline for age, sex, weight, and sleep disturbances. At day 14, both groups reported improved sleep latency and duration; latency was reduced from baseline by 37.3 +/- 36.3 min with Neurexan and by 38.2 +/- 38.5 min with valerian. The duration of sleep increased by 2.2 (+/-1.6) h in the Neurexan group and by 2.0 (+/-1.5) h in the valerian group. Differences between the groups in improvement on sleep duration were significantly in favor of Neurexan therapy at days 8, 12, and 14. At day 28, quality of sleep was improved in both groups with no significant differences between the treatments. Significantly more patients reported lack of daytime fatigue with Neurexan than with valerian therapies (49% vs. 32%; p < 0.05 for the comparison). For patients favorable towards a CAM-based therapy, Neurexan might be an effective and well-tolerated alternative to conventional valerian-based therapies for the treatment of mild to moderate insomnia.
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PMID:The homeopathic preparation Neurexan vs. valerian for the treatment of insomnia: an observational study. 1845 51

In preparing a decision about the legal status of khat in the Netherlands, the Dutch Minister of Health requested CAM (Coordination point Assessment and Monitoring new drugs) to assess the overall risk of khat in the Netherlands. The present paper is a redraft of a report which formed the scientific basis of the risk evaluation procedure (October 2007). This report reviews the scientific data about khat available in the international literature. In addition, the report contains some information specific for the Netherlands (prevalence, availability of khat and public order aspects). The main psychoactive compounds in khat leaves are cathine and cathinone, which are some 2- to 10-fold less active than amphetamine. Acute health problems are rarely seen, and are usually related with malnutrition, social and financial problems. Khat has a low addictive potential. Chronic toxicity of khat is modest when used in low amounts, whereas at high levels, khat use is associated with adverse effects, like hypertension, heart rhythm disorders, insomnia and loss of appetite. In addition, khat users show a higher prevalence of cancers in the digestive tract. At population level, khat does not lead to specific health risks in the Netherlands, as its use is confined to East-African immigrants. A relationship between khat use and psychiatric disorders has been suggested, but the reports are contradictory, and such studies are presumably heavily confounded by posttraumatic and social stress. In the Netherlands (and other countries), khat use occasionally leads to minor disturbance of civil order in the public domain (loud talking, spitting), but is not related to criminal activities. Following the assessment, CAM estimated the overall risk potential of khat use in the Netherlands as very low. A similar conclusion may be drawn for countries with a comparable prevalence of khat use and khat related public order disturbance.
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PMID:Risk assessment of khat use in the Netherlands: a review based on adverse health effects, prevalence, criminal involvement and public order. 1878 27

The present study investigates 'folk theories' about the causes of insomnia. Participants with insomnia (n = 69) completed a qualitative and quantitative assessment of their folk theories. The qualitative assessment was to speak aloud for 1 minute in response to: 'What do you think causes your insomnia?'. The quantitative assessment involved completing the 'Causal Attributions of My Insomnia Questionnaire' (CAM-I), developed for this study. The three most common folk theories for both the causes of one's own insomnia as well as insomnia in others were 'emotions', 'thinking patterns' and 'sleep-related emotions'. Interventions targeting these factors were also perceived as most likely to be viable treatments. Seventy-five percent of the folk theories of insomnia investigated with the CAM-I were rated as more likely to be alleviated by a psychological versus a biological treatment. The results are consistent with research highlighting that folk theories are generally coherent and inform a range of judgments. Future research should focus on congruence of 'folk theories' between treatment providers and patients, as well as the role of folk theories in treatment choice, engagement, compliance and outcome.
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PMID:'Folk theories' about the causes of insomnia. 2418 98