What are the symptoms of alcoholic hepatitis?

Answer 1

Dangers of Black Cohosh as HRT

Popular Herb Linked to Liver Disease

By Charlene Laino

WebMD Medical News Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD

on Friday, October 17, 2003

　

Oct 17, 2003 (BALTIMORE) - Black Cohosh, an herbal remedy gaining popularity as a panacea for the hot flashes, mood swings, and other symptoms of menopause, can cause the body's immune system to launch an attack on the liver, doctors warn, Stanley M, Cohan, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, tells WebMD that he and colleagues have diagnosed what they believe is the first case of autoimmune hepatitis caused by the use of black cohosh. A progressive inflammation of the liver caused by the body's immune system attack on liver cells--- autoimmune hepatitis can cause people to become so tired that even crossing the

room is a chore. Some patients complain of abdominal discomfort, others of achy joints and itching. The skin may become yellow and the liver can become enlarged. Without proper treatment, this serious illness progresses and most people eventually die. The disease is thought to have some genetic link, with women accounting for as many as 70% of the patients. Fortunately, with prompt diagnosis and therapy, most people, including his patients, recover, Cohen says, "If you're taking black cohosh, ask your doctor for liver function tests," he says. His patient had been taking the herb for only a few weeks when symptoms developed. "Black cohosh has the potential for serious side effects," Cohen says. A search of the medical literature revealed five reports of other liver problems associated with the use of black cohosh, he says. Eamonn Quigley, MD, of the department of medicine at Cork University Hospital in Cork, Ireland,.

says that several studies show high use of herbal products among patients with liver disease. "Many (people) have made the assumption that herbal remedies are innocuous, but we now know they are not." he says. The doctors spoke with WebMD at the 68th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology this week. Dr Cohen says that the use of black cohosh has increased since last year, when the large Women's Health Initiative study demonstrated that use of estrogen was associated with an increased risk of Breast cancer and heart problems. That led the nation's top doctors to conclude that for many patients the benefits of hormone replacement therapy don't outweigh the risks. "Since then, women have been

looking for other products that can relieve menopausal symptoms," Dr, Cohen said, "and one of the most popular is black cohosh," known scientifically as Aciea racemosa. Catherine Ulbright, PharmD, RPh, founder and editor of the Natural Standard Research Collaboration, which collects data on complementary therapies, says several studies have reported black cohosh to improve menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, mooddisturbances, palpitations, and vaginal dryness, for up to six months, "But although these initial studies are suggestive, they have been few in number and have universally suffered from weaknesses," says Dr. Ulbright, who is also a senior attending pharmacist at Massachusetts Genera! Hospital in Boston. Also, there have been no studies looking at whether the herb is safe and effective over the long-term, she says. Dr. Cohen says his team i came to the conclusion that their patient , a 57-year-old woman, suffered from black cohosh-induced autoimmune hepatitis after exhaustive examination. The woman, who came in complaining of increasing fatigue and lethargy over the past two weeks, had recently stopped hormone replacement therapy at the advice of her primary physician. She started taking black cohosh three weeks prior to feeling ill, he says. Liver function tests and a liver biopsy revealed abnormalities that are consistent with a diagnosis of drug-induced autoimmune hepatitis, Dr. Cohen says. The woman was told to stop taking the herb and was treated with prescribed steroids. She felt completely better just two weeks later, and liver function tests were back to normal in about nine weeks.

Answer 2

Alcoholic hepatitis is a disease of the liver caused by excessive consumption of alcohol. Symptoms include jaundice, fatigue and abdominal pain as well as nausea and loss of appetite.