Philadelphia – A Pennsylvania woman developed a dangerously abnormal heart rate after taking an herbal supplement, according to a new case study conducted by doctors in Switzerland. Among those supplements are oils from the hemp plant.
These supplements are growing in popularity among health-conscious individuals, but the study authors say the fact that they’re natural doesn’t make them safe. According to the report, the patient used hemp oil containing cannabidiol (CBD), cannabitrol oil (CBG), and berberine supplements.
Both CBD oil and CBD oil come from marijuana plants. Berberine, found in the roots, rhizomes, and stem bark of many medicinal plants, is frequently used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat infections, diarrhea, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Doctors have linked heart problems directly to the supplements
The 56-year-old ended up in the emergency room after becoming dizzy and fainting without warning. Doctors diagnosed her with a life-threatening arrhythmia after doing an electrocardiogram, a type of heart test.
The middle-aged patient had Tours de Pointes, A fast heartbeat It originates in the ventricles – the two large chambers at the bottom of the heart. Her heart’s electrical system also took longer than usual to recharge between beats.
The woman had low blood pressure but was otherwise healthy. Doctors were able to identify the herbal supplements she was taking to deal with the difficult work-life balance as the cause of this unusual problem.
The study found that she took Six times the recommended dose of hemp oil four months ago and has recently added berberine to the mix. Doctors stopped the woman’s use of nutritional supplements during her hospital stay. I felt better after five days.
At her three-month follow-up, she reported no new episodes of dizziness or fainting, and her electrocardiogram remained in the normal range. With nothing else causing her heart trouble, her return to normal was strongly supported by a diagnosis that linked the supplement to an arrhythmia.
Hemp oil may be popular, but it has not been studied
herbal supplementespecially those containing cannabidiol, have become more popular in recent years. Studies have linked cannabidiolthe non-psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, has pain-relieving, stress-reducing, and even cancer-fighting abilities.
Researchers say the oil has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-epileptic, anti-anxiety, anti-psychotic, and immune-modulating properties, making it attractive to some people. Herbal substances are often viewed by users as harmless natural substances, but researchers caution that they are not well regulated, and their exact composition can vary widely from distributor to distributor.
Their effect and the way they move around the body are also not well understood. Data on its efficacy, toxicity, and potential for interactions with other drugs are also few and far between. Researchers say users should be aware of potential side effects, respect dosing recommendations, and think about how they might occur. Interact with their recipes before trying them.
People who have heart problems or who use prolonged QT medication, which slows the heart rate, should be especially careful.
“More and more people are taking herbal supplements for their potential benefits. However, their ‘natural’ nature can be misleading, as these preparations can have serious adverse side effects on their own or if combined with other supplements or medications,” says the study author. Dr. Elise Baklantis from the University Hospital of Geneva in Media release. “Its use should not be taken lightly, and dosing recommendations should always be respected.”
The results were published in the journal Heart rate reportsthe official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society.
Southwest News Service writer Gwen Wright contributed to this report.
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