title: The Incidence of self-prescribed oral complementary and alternative medicine use by patients with gastrointestinal diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the incidence of oral complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) usage by gastroenterology patients at a single university center and compare against controls.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The public awareness and usage of CAM have increased. The use of CAM has been described in patients with functional bowel disorders; however, their role in patients with gastrointestinal disease is less clear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients attending luminal gastroenterology clinics and customers at local supermarkets completed a 30-point, structured questionnaire assessing their use of CAM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1,409 subjects were recruited. The incidence of CAM use was 49.5% for inflammatory bowel disease, 50.9% for irritable bowel syndrome, 20% for general gastrointestinal diseases, and 27% for controls. Pearson's chi(2) tests showed that patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or irritable bowel syndrome were more likely to use CAM than controls (P < 0.001). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that females were more likely to take CAM than men (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The percentage of CAM users among patients with IBD is similar to those with a functional diagnosis. Increasing numbers of IBD patients are using CAM in addition to conventional therapy. Awareness of this may prevent adverse CAM and conventional drug interactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK.
authors.forename: San Choon
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Hurlstone
authors.forename: Charlotte Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Pocock
authors.forename: Lucy A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Walkington
authors.forename: Nina R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Farquharson
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Bramble
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: McAlindon
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Sanders
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D014815:Vitamins