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Article: St. John's wort reduces cyclosporine blood levels in transplant recipients.(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Transplant News
- Article date:
- March 31, 2002
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Transplant Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Accumulating evidence suggests that St. John's wort can be dangerous for organ transplant recipients by reducing blood levels of the immunosuppressant cyclosporine.
Writing in the March issue of the Archives of Surgery, E. Ernst, MD from the University of Exeter, UK described 86 transplant patients who experienced a precipitous drop in cyclosporine blood levels after taking St. John's wort, a dietary supplement promoted as a natural antidepressant. Levels of the immunosuppressant declined 30% to 75% (roughly 50% on average) when patients began taking the herbal remedy. Some experienced organ rejection, while others had to increase their dosage of the expensive ...