A case of ischemic colitis associated with the herbal food supplement ma huang.
Ischemic colitis is a condition that usually occurs in the elderly, as a form of vascular disease. However, ischemic colitis also occurs, though rarely, in healthy young adults. Moreover, food supplements containing Ephedra sinica or ma huang have been linked to adverse central nervous and cardiovascular events. A 40-year-old man was admitted to our emergency department after 2 episodes of abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea that lasted 24 hours. His medical history was unremarkable for risk factors of bowel ischemia, except for well-controlled hypertension. However, a weight-loss supplement, Ephedra sinica, had been prescribed for daily use during the previous month. Both abdominal/pelvic computed tomography and colonoscopy revealed findings compatible with ischemic colitis. His conditions spontaneously improved without any serious complications, and he was advised to discontinue the use of herbal medications containing ephedrine. In this paper, we describe a case of ischemic colitis that was potentially linked to the use of ma huang with a review of the relevant literature.
Song
Hyun Joo
HJ
Department of Internal Medicine, Ewha Medical Research Institute, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, Korea.
Shim
Ki-Nam
KN
Ryu
Kum Hei
KH
Kim
Tae Hun
TH
Jung
Sung-Ae
SA
Yoo
Kwon
K
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D017091:Colitis, Ischemic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D029790:Ephedra sinica / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal