Ephedra alkaloids and brief relapse in EMDR-treated obsessive compulsive disorder, reply

Reply by the current author to the comments made by E.M. Corrigan and J. Jennett (see record 2004-16054-010) on the original article (see record 2003-05653-002). They describe a 29-year-old woman with an obsessive compulsive disorder relapse following ingestion of herbal products containing ephedra alkaloids. This case report highlights a number of points which can be important for psychiatric practice: our patients often see herbal remedies as risk-free additions to their conventional treatments; in reality, however, they can contain powerful ingredients with potential to harm. One may love or hate complementary medicine, but vis-à-vis its popularity with our patients it seems an ethical imperative to know the essentials about it.

Journal

English

E. Ernst

Ernst, E. (2004, August). Ephedra alkaloids and brief relapse in EMDR-treated obsessive compulsive disorder, reply. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 110(2), 159. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0047.2004.00369.x