title: Hypericum perforatum (St. John's Wort) as a possible therapeutic alternative for the management of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) - A case report.
abstract: Hypericum perforatum (St. John's Wort) is an alternative remedy used primarily for depression but also is used for rheumatism, gastroenteritis, headache and neuralgias. The mechanism of action of Hypericum perforatum comprehends a neurotransmitter inhibitory profile, and potential anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects suggesting a role for pain management. In this case report, we describe a 53-year-old Hispanic female patient who came to our orofacial pain clinical service presenting with a history of trigeminal neuralgia (TN). The patient was not able to get an appointment soon enough and decided to take an over the counter homeopathic preparation of Hypericum perforatum since she found on the internet that it was effective for nerve pain. The patient responded dramatically to the Hypericum perforatum preparation. The use of this homeopathic preparation relieved completely the TN pain. The management of TN is often a challenge. Hypericum perforatum may be a promising therapeutic option for TN that deserves to be explored further to solidly support its use in the clinical setting.
authors.affiliation: NYU Orofacial and Head Pain Service, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Radiology and Medicine, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York 10010, USA; Currently at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
authors.forename: Khalil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Assiri
authors.affiliation: NYU Orofacial and Head Pain Service, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Radiology and Medicine, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York 10010, USA; Currently at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
authors.forename: Yagoub
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Alyami
authors.affiliation: NYU Orofacial and Head Pain Service, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Radiology and Medicine, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York 10010, USA.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Uyanik
authors.affiliation: NYU Orofacial and Head Pain Service, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Radiology and Medicine, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York 10010, USA. Electronic address: mrr7@nyu.edu.
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romero-Reyes
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020902:Hypericum / Q000737:chemistry*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014277:Trigeminal Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Hypericum perforatum; Neuralgia; Orofacial pain; St. John’s Wort; Trigeminal