An estimated 30-50%, and possible 60%, of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) turn to complementary and alternative medicines (CAM’s) to ease symptoms and exert more control over their treatment.

Very few studies have evaluated CAM’s, and many of the studies were small, poorly designed, and uncontrolled.

Predictors of CAM use include dissatisfaction with conventional therapies, female sex, higher education, use by friends or relatives, long-term disease progression, and prolonged steroid use. “Some patients perceive that their usual medications are having side effects or they’re not producing the desired response,” stated Adam S. Cheifetz, MD, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston.

See the full review article by Diana Swift on MedPage Today here.