'Dangerous to rely on alternative medicine', warn health experts

Alternative treatment amid the COVID19 pandemic has become a matter of concern for mainstream health care experts as many with comorbid conditions are taking alternative medication without supervision and that can be life threatening warn health expertsDr Wiqar Shaikh senior allergy and asthma expert said The Union Health Minister on October 6 released an AYUSH standard protocol for the clinical management of COVID19 This protocol lists dietary measures Yoga and ayurvedic formulations The protocol includes Ashwagandha both for prevention and treatment of COVID19 infection as well as to prevent complications of COVID19 such as fatigue lung fibrosis and mental health issues It was claimed that the protocol was based on research studies conducted by AYUSHExtensive research lackingIt must be clarified at the outset that I do not wish to denigrate or derogate alternative medicines However it is important to understand that claims of efficacy of any treatment should be based on extensive double blind placebocontrolled trials that should be published in peerreviewed medical journals An extensive search did not show any published studies in medical journals supporting the use of alternative medicines in COVID19 treatmentDr Shaikh said nine clinical studies were registered with the Central Trial Registry of India for the use of Ashwagandha in the treatment of COVID19 While five of them are yet to begin four have not been published There are 6 studies on Ashwagandha for prevention of COVID19 but none have been completed or published Besides three studies on the effect of Ashwagandha on COVID19 are ongoing but again none of these have been published yetNo published evidenceAlternative medicines such as Ayurveda and the use of Ashwagandha are being promoted for COVID19 without published data or infallible evidence The same could be said of other Ayurvedic medicines such as Guduchi and Yashtamadhu Dr Shaikh saidDr Ketan Vagholkar professor of surgery at D Y Patil Medical College said The pandemic has challenged the medical fraternity and the entire healthcare system of the entire world Doctors are still identifying the right drug Even in recovered patients meticulous follow up is essential to detect late complications that may affect multiple organs In such a scenario relying on medication which is devoid of scientific evidence could prove to be very dangerous None of the traditional medicines have undergone rigorous clinical trials to prove their efficacy and safety in treatment of COVID19Followups are importantDr Vagholkar continued It has also been observed that patients instead of following up with their regular physicians prefer opting for selfmedication with different types of traditional medicines As a result a variety of health complications may arise Kidney liver and lungs are specifically impacted by traditional medicines due to heavy metal contentsDr Subhash Hira professor of Global Health at the University of Washington said AYUSH Ministry has recommended existing medicine for the treatment of COVID19 using the same principle of repurposed formulations on similar lines of modern medicines ie remdesivir tocilizumab and favipiravir etc The AYUSH formulations are cocktails of multiple ingredients some of which may contradict with modern medicines or be harmful to human systems having other underlying comorbidities I think the practice of selftreatment using AYUSH medicines can be risky at times due to inherent contradictions in ingredients that patients would not be aware of A cautious approach is suggested till theres evidenceNeed clinical trialsHowever he welcomed the move by the World Health Organization to set up a Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India This is a major step towards the right direction Despite the communitys faith in Ayurveda and homoeopathy for prevention and treatment of novel coronavirus and other chronic diseases by using generic formulations traditional medicines continue to remain globally ignored While the AYUSH Ministry has published elaborate guidelines for COVID19 management the modern medicine propagandists remain critical of the efficacy of these traditional medicines mainly due to the lack of clinical trial data and the lack of their willingness to engage in transparent research Dr Hira saidKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news