Effectiveness of guaraná (Paullinia cupana) for postradiation fatigue and depression: results of a pilot double-blind randomized study.
OBJECTIVE
Guaraná (Paullinia cupana) has been used medicinally for centuries. The aim of this study is evaluate the effectiveness of guaraná in the treatment of postradiation depression and fatigue.


METHODS
This study had a double-blind randomized design with crossover between experimental arms, at Faculdade de Medicina da Fundação do ABC.


METHODS
We conducted a randomized double-blind crossover trial with 36 patients with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant radiation therapy. We randomized patients to either guaraná 75 mg daily p.o. or to placebo. Patients were switched to the other experimental arm at the middle of the radiation treatment, which consisted of 28 daily fractions of 180 cGy. Evaluations were conducted at the beginning, at the middle, and at the end of radiation therapy.


RESULTS
We were unable to show any statistically significant differences between the guaraná and the placebo-treated group with any of the measured scores. Also, within the same group, we did not see any statistically significant associations during either the guaraná- or placebo-treated periods with any of the aforementioned measures.


CONCLUSIONS
We were unable to show that patients with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy derive any advantage with guaraná over placebo for both fatigue and depressive symptoms.
da Costa Miranda
Vanessa
V
Faculdade de Medicina da Fundação do ABC (FMABC), São Paulo, Brazil.
Trufelli
Damila Cristina
DC
Santos
Juliana
J
Campos
Maíra Paschoin
MP
Nobuo
Melissa
M
da Costa Miranda
Michele
M
Schlinder
Fernanda
F
Riechelmann
Rachel
R
del Giglio
Auro
A
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005221:Fatigue / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care; D032126:Paullinia; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010919:Placebos / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000523:psychology; D017211:Treatment Failure
D010919:Placebos; D010936:Plant Extracts