Pruritis

Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:

Goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: Weakly against (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that Goldenseal helps to treat pruritis. More studies are needed. Goldenseal may produce toxic effects, including depression, constipation, rapid heartbeat, stomach pain, mouth ulcers and vomiting.)

Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence

Red Pepper (Capsaicin):

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It is proposed only as a weak supportive symptomatic support, and even then, has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: no recommendation (studies for the relieving effects of red peppers in pruritis have yielded unreliable and mixed results)

Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence

Sodium Bicarbonate Paste (Baking Soda):

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It is proposed only as a weak supportive symptomatic support, and even then, has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: no recommendation (there is insuffient evidence to prove that sodium bicarbonate paste has any effectiveness in treating pruritis)

Grade of Evidence: very low level of evidence

Impatiens (Jewelweed):

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It is proposed only as a weak supportive symptomatic support, and even then, has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: no recommendation (there is insuffient evidence to prove that impatiens has any effectiveness in treating pruritis)

Grade of Evidence: very low level of evidence

* www.gradeworkinggroup.org

Summary References

Treatments:

1. Ades T, Alteri R, Gansler T, Yeargin P, "Complete Guide to Complimentary & Alternative Cancer Therapies", American Cancer Society, Atlanta USA, 2009

2. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/goldenseal

3. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/goldenseal/

4. Tierra Michael (1998): The Way of Herbs. New York, Pocket Books

5. Grieve M. (1971): A Modern Herbal. New York, Dover Publications, Inc

6. Mills S. and Bone K. (2000): Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. Philadelphia, Churchill Livingstone

7. Tice Raymond (1997): Goldenseal and Two of its constituent alkaloids: berberine and hydrastine Research Triangle Park, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, in Seiger E: Review of Toxilogical Literature

8. http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/ellingwood/hydrastis.html

Public Discussion