| Disease | TWO GROUPS OF HUMAN SUBJECTS WERE STUDIED BEFORE,DURING AND AFTER LONG-TERM USE OF COMMERCIAL PANAX GINSENG PREPARATIONS.
GROUP A (N=10) CONSISTED OF USERS WHO ALSO USED OTHER PSYCHOMOTOR STIMULANTS, INCLUDING CAFFEINE, WHILE SUBJECTS IN GROUP B (N=8) USED NO DRUGS OTHER THAN GINSENG.
DURING 12 WEEKS OF REGULAR GINSENG USE, USERS IN GROUP A SHOWED SIGNS OF CENTRAL NERVOUS STIMULATION AND REPORTED FEELINGS OF WELL BEING.
TWO SUBJECTS MANIFESTED POSSIBLE ALLERGIC REACTION WHILE ONE DEVELOPED A GINSENG ABUSE SYNDROME MARKED BY HYPERTENSION,NERVOUSNESS,SLEEPLESSNESS,SKIN ERUPTIONS, EDEMA AND MORNING DIARRHEA.
THIS SYNDROME WAS ASSOCIATED WITH EXCESSIVE DOSES,CONCOMITANT INTAKE OF CAFFEINE AND POSSIBLE ALLERGIC REACTIONS.
SUBJECTS IN GROUP B REPORTED STIMULATION AND FEELINGS OF WELL BEING WHILE SHOWING SOME SIGNS OF NERVOUSNESS. ONE SUBJECT DEVELOPED A POSSIBLE CONTACT URTICARIAL REACTION TO A GINSENG COSMETIC.
ALL ADVERSE REACTIONS WERE TRANSIENT AND DISAPPEARED WHEN GINSENG USE WAS DISCONTINUED.
BLOOD CHEMISTRY,URINE ANALYSIS AND ENDOCRINE FUNCTION TESTS WERE UNREMARKABLE FOR ALL SUBJECTS IN GROUPS A AND B. NO UNUSUAL PHYSICAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL FINDINGS WERE DETECTED IN EXAMINATIONS CONDUCTED IN THE 2 WEEKS FOLLOWING CESSATION OF GINSENG USE.
ALL BLOOD PRESSURES, BODY WEIGHTS,URINE ANALYSES AND BLOOD CHEMISTRY VALUES WERE WITHIN NORMAL RANGES(NO DATA).
DURING THIS PERIOD,SUBJECTS NO LONGER REPORTED MORNING DIARRHEA, STIMULATION OR INCREASED PSYCHOMOTOR FUNCTIONING. SEVERAL SUBJECTS IN EACH GROUP EXPRESSED THE INTENTION TO RESUME GINSENG USE AFTER THE STUDY.
IT IS SUGGESTED THAT ADVERSE REACTIONS CAN BE PREVENTED BY MODERATE USE OF STANDARDIZED GINSENG PREPARATIONS WHILE RESTRICTING USE OF OTHER PSYCHOMOTOR STIMULANTS. |