Browse the corpus
Walk the Even Hospital Database by book and chapter — the raw source passages that ground Ask, DDx, and the rest.
3 passages
Butterbur (derived from the leaves of Petasites hybridus) is an herbal supplement that has been found to be effective in the prophylaxis of adult migraines in multiple studies. Based on these trials, the American Headache Society gave the herb a level A recommendation and declared it effective in preventing migraine headaches. This activity reviews the mechanism of action, adverse event profile, toxicity, dosing, and pharmacodynamics of butterbur and the recommended monitoring of patients taking the drug to avoid adverse effects. Objectives: Identify the proposed mechanism of action of butterbur in relieving migraine headaches. Review the indications for initiating butterbur. Summarize the contraindications of butterbur. Discuss interprofessional team strategies for improving care coordination and communication when considering or using butterbur in migraine management. Access free multiple choice questions on this topic.
The list of side effects of butterbur is in the adverse effects section. Long-term use of butterbur may rarely lead to reversible cholestatic hepatitis (estimated incidence of 1:175,000).[9] Butterbur may also interact with anticholinergic medications. There is no known antidote for butterbur overdose. The recommendation in such cases is to cease using the drug.
There have been no formal studies examining interprofessional care and its relationship to butterbur. Nevertheless, close coordination among all interprofessional healthcare team members, including clinicians (MDs, DOs, PAs, NPs), nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers, is recommended to monitor for side effects and interactions with other medications, especially anticholinergics. As a herbal remedy, butterbur may often not appear on a patient's official prescribed medication list. Therefore, every healthcare provider needs to inquire about alternative or natural remedies when interviewing patients and record it in the patient's chart. By employing interprofessional care coordination and open communication, the healthcare team can optimize patient care and prevent adverse events for patients using butterbur. [Level 5]