Clipping Board » Drug Poisoning ─ It is necessary to be aware of the toxic side effects before taking medication.
Update Date: 2008/08/31 15:30
Reporter: Wei Liwen/Taipei Report
No abnormalities when using scientific Chinese medicine
A man suffering from chronic glomerulonephritis, unwilling to accept the fate of dialysis, sought traditional Chinese medicine treatment. Initially, there were no abnormalities when using scientific Chinese medicine. However, as his kidney function worsened, he decided to take drastic measures and switched to drinking decoctions made from Chinese herbal medicine. Unfortunately, the high levels of potassium ions in the herbal decoction, which are a major taboo for kidney disease, accelerated the deterioration of his condition.
You Zhixun from the Peritoneal Dialysis Kidney Friends Association pointed out that during a pre-marital health check over ten years ago, it was discovered that his urine protein levels were too high. Further tests confirmed that he had chronic glomerulonephritis. At that time, the condition was not severe, and regular follow-ups and lifestyle adjustments were sufficient.
However, as he pushed hard in his career, leading to excessive fatigue, he repeatedly suffered from hepatitis. Eventually, his doctor told him that his creatinine levels were too high and that he should start dialysis, advising him to apply for a disability handbook.
Even after more than a decade of illness, he still couldn't accept the reality of starting dialysis, feeling as if struck by lightning. Hearing that some people had cured kidney disease with Chinese medicine, he decided to turn to traditional Chinese medicine for treatment.
Drinking the decoction led to the need for life-saving dialysis
Initially, using scientific Chinese medicine, his condition remained relatively stable. However, his kidney function continued to deteriorate irreversibly. While the normal creatinine level should be below 1.5 mg/dl, his soared to 9.8.
Determined to take drastic measures, he found a prescription of Chinese herbal medicine and boiled it into a decoction. Upon drinking it, his body reacted violently, causing nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and even the urge to vomit when drinking water, forcing him to undergo emergency dialysis to save his life.
Boiling releases large amounts of potassium ions
You Zhixun mentioned that most kidney patients know to limit potassium intake, hence avoiding high-potassium foods like energy drinks, raw vegetables, and bananas. However, they are unaware that some Chinese medicines can release large amounts of potassium ions during the boiling process, which is a major taboo for kidney patients.
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 080831/ 2/ 15401. html
A normal human body consumes approximately 4000mg of potassium daily from diet and excretes about 3500mg through the kidneys.
According to the study "The Impact of Potassium Ion Content in Traditional Chinese Medicine on Patients with Renal Failure and Oliguria or Anuria" (by Lin Jianchang, Zhou Peng, Meng Xiaobin (Meizhou People's Hospital, Meizhou City, Guangdong Province, 514031)), the average K+ content in 30 commonly used traditional Chinese medicines is 4.15mg/g, and the average K+ content in 12 commonly used prescriptions in nephrology is 280.0mg/dose. Although the K+ content in traditional Chinese medicine is relatively rich, it is not particularly high.
The hospital measured the urine K+ of 8 patients with advanced renal failure, totaling 20 measurements, with an average urine K+ concentration of 425mg/L, an average urine output of 700ml/day, and a urine K+ excretion of 291mg/day.
The conclusion of the article is: Patients in the early and middle stages of chronic renal failure rarely develop hyperkalemia. If the patient still has about 1000ml of urine output per day, they can basically maintain the balance of K+ intake and excretion, and will not develop hyperkalemia due to taking traditional Chinese medicine. Patients with end-stage uremia have severely impaired renal function, manifested as extremely reduced urine output, about 500～1000ml per day, or even 250～500ml, and the concentration of excreted urine K+ is also significantly reduced. If they take a large amount of traditional Chinese medicine, increasing the K+ load, it is very easy to induce fatal hyperkalemia. Therefore, for patients with end-stage uremia, especially those with oliguria, it is not advisable to take traditional Chinese medicine for treatment.
Patients with hyperkalemia generally have no specific symptoms, mainly the toxicity of potassium to the myocardium and skeletal muscles:
Kidney Disease Patients: Caution with Herbal Decoctions
Reporter: Wei Liwen/Taipei Report
No abnormalities when using scientific Chinese medicine
A man suffering from chronic glomerulonephritis, unwilling to accept the fate of dialysis, sought traditional Chinese medicine treatment. Initially, there were no abnormalities when using scientific Chinese medicine. However, as his kidney function worsened, he decided to take drastic measures and switched to drinking decoctions made from Chinese herbal medicine. Unfortunately, the high levels of potassium ions in the herbal decoction, which are a major taboo for kidney disease, accelerated the deterioration of his condition.
You Zhixun from the Peritoneal Dialysis Kidney Friends Association pointed out that during a pre-marital health check over ten years ago, it was discovered that his urine protein levels were too high. Further tests confirmed that he had chronic glomerulonephritis. At that time, the condition was not severe, and regular follow-ups and lifestyle adjustments were sufficient.
However, as he pushed hard in his career, leading to excessive fatigue, he repeatedly suffered from hepatitis. Eventually, his doctor told him that his creatinine levels were too high and that he should start dialysis, advising him to apply for a disability handbook.
Even after more than a decade of illness, he still couldn't accept the reality of starting dialysis, feeling as if struck by lightning. Hearing that some people had cured kidney disease with Chinese medicine, he decided to turn to traditional Chinese medicine for treatment.
Drinking the decoction led to the need for life-saving dialysis
Initially, using scientific Chinese medicine, his condition remained relatively stable. However, his kidney function continued to deteriorate irreversibly. While the normal creatinine level should be below 1.5 mg/dl, his soared to 9.8.
Determined to take drastic measures, he found a prescription of Chinese herbal medicine and boiled it into a decoction. Upon drinking it, his body reacted violently, causing nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and even the urge to vomit when drinking water, forcing him to undergo emergency dialysis to save his life.
Boiling releases large amounts of potassium ions
You Zhixun mentioned that most kidney patients know to limit potassium intake, hence avoiding high-potassium foods like energy drinks, raw vegetables, and bananas. However, they are unaware that some Chinese medicines can release large amounts of potassium ions during the boiling process, which is a major taboo for kidney patients.
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 080831/ 2/ 15401. html
Re: Caution with Herbal Decoctions for Kidney Disease Patients
According to the study "The Impact of Potassium Ion Content in Traditional Chinese Medicine on Patients with Renal Failure and Oliguria or Anuria" (by Lin Jianchang, Zhou Peng, Meng Xiaobin (Meizhou People's Hospital, Meizhou City, Guangdong Province, 514031)), the average K+ content in 30 commonly used traditional Chinese medicines is 4.15mg/g, and the average K+ content in 12 commonly used prescriptions in nephrology is 280.0mg/dose. Although the K+ content in traditional Chinese medicine is relatively rich, it is not particularly high.
The hospital measured the urine K+ of 8 patients with advanced renal failure, totaling 20 measurements, with an average urine K+ concentration of 425mg/L, an average urine output of 700ml/day, and a urine K+ excretion of 291mg/day.
The conclusion of the article is: Patients in the early and middle stages of chronic renal failure rarely develop hyperkalemia. If the patient still has about 1000ml of urine output per day, they can basically maintain the balance of K+ intake and excretion, and will not develop hyperkalemia due to taking traditional Chinese medicine. Patients with end-stage uremia have severely impaired renal function, manifested as extremely reduced urine output, about 500～1000ml per day, or even 250～500ml, and the concentration of excreted urine K+ is also significantly reduced. If they take a large amount of traditional Chinese medicine, increasing the K+ load, it is very easy to induce fatal hyperkalemia. Therefore, for patients with end-stage uremia, especially those with oliguria, it is not advisable to take traditional Chinese medicine for treatment.
Patients with hyperkalemia generally have no specific symptoms, mainly the toxicity of potassium to the myocardium and skeletal muscles:
- Inhibiting myocardial contraction, resulting in slow heart rate, arrhythmia, and in severe cases, ventricular fibrillation, cardiac arrest in diastole.
- Neuromuscular symptoms: Early symptoms often include numbness in the limbs and around the mouth, extreme fatigue, muscle soreness, pale and cold limbs. In severe cases, numbness in the limbs, flaccid paralysis, first the trunk, then the limbs, and finally affecting the respiratory muscles→asphyxia.
Shen Yaozi said, "The sun bakes the earth, dissipating all things."