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What side effects can herbal diet medicine have, and how are they managed?
Herbal Diet Medicine side effects: 10 weeks of clinical records and how we manage them
The most common discomforts while taking herbal diet medicine are constipation and insomnia, followed by dizziness, palpitations, headache and indigestion. In the ACRO Korean Medicine Clinic study, 280 of the 281 discomforts recorded over 10 weeks were mild enough not to affect daily life, and recorded discomforts fell from 127 at week 2 to 73 at week 10.
When did it happen, and what was most common?
| Discomforts (count) | 2 weeks | 6 weeks | 10 wks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Constipation | 31 | 31 | 27 |
| Insomnia | 24 | 18 | 18 |
| Dizziness | 21 | 10 | 9 |
| Palpitations | 15 | 6 | 5 |
| Headache | 11 | 6 | 6 |
| Indigestion | 10 | 7 | 1 |
The share of people reporting discomfort was 63.6% at week 2 and 47.5% at week 10. The one case that was not mild was insomnia in a person who had been taking sleeping pills before starting herbal medicine. Of the 283 people who started treatment, 8 stopped because of discomfort, and no one's blood pressure rose because of the herbal medicine.
Why does it happen?
- Palpitations and insomnia — The medicine increases the body's energy use. If its effect lasts until bedtime, it can be hard to fall asleep
- Dizziness — This often happens when you eat too little, drink too little water, or your blood sugar drops. It can also happen when fasting without any medicine
- Hair loss — This is mostly caused by too little protein. In the study, only 1 person stopped because of hair loss
- Irritability and low mood — This can happen when you can no longer relieve stress by eating, when your blood sugar drops, or when you don't sleep well. herbal diet medicine is made only from herbal ingredients and is not a psychoactive drug
How to reduce it
- Cut back on coffee and drink plenty of water. Caffeine makes palpitations, insomnia and queasiness worse. Green tea, cola and chocolate also contain caffeine
- Don't skip meals, and avoid exercising on an empty stomach or overdoing it. Eat three meals a day, with about 1/3 to 1/2 bowl of rice at each meal. Start exercise lighter than usual and build up gradually
- Start low and increase. Start S-Capsule at 1 capsule for the first day or two, then increase to 2 and then 3, and take the last dose 6–7 hours before bedtime
- Tell us about discomfort right away. Tell us when and what discomfort you had, and we will change the timing of your doses or your prescription
At ACRO
From the start we give you Pyeonan Pill and Sleep Pill to ease constipation and insomnia, and we see you every month and adjust the prescription to any discomfort. You can ask the medical team about any discomfort right away by KakaoTalk or phone. In a survey of 67 patients, 98% rated the medical team's care as 'satisfied' or higher. View safety & medication care
- Does herbal diet medicine contain ephedra (Mahuang)?
- Yes. Ephedra (Mahuang) is the main herb in the herbal diet medicine at ACRO Korean Medicine Clinic.
- Herbal Diet Medicine: does it raise liver enzymes?
- A large Korean study found that herbal medicine prescribed after an examination at a Korean medicine clinic did not meaningfully raise the risk of liver injury.
Related questions
Reviewed by Dr. Lim Joo-hyuk and Dr. Park Ji-seon ·
Studies referenced
- Jang IY, Lim JH, Park JS, Kim JS, Kim TH. Analysis of weight loss and factors affecting weight loss in Korean medicine obesity treatment combined with self-monitoring: a retrospective observational study. Journal of Korean Medicine 2022;43(1):87-98 (discomfort records, blood pressure, discontinuation)