Planta Med 2019; 85(18): 1423-1424
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-3399725
Abstracts of Short Lectures
Short Lectures Wednesday, September 04, 2019
Short Lectures K: Clinical Studies
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Effect of the fixed combination of valerian, lemon balm, passionflower and butterbur extracts (Ze 185) on prescriptions of benzodiazepines

ME Keck
1   Clienia Private Clinic Schlössli, Schlösslistrasse 8, CH-8618 Oetwil am See, Switzerland
2   Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, D-80804 Munich, Germany
,
S Nicolussi
3   Max Zeller Söhne AG, Seeblickstr. 4, CH-8590 Romanshorn, Switzerland
,
K Spura
1   Clienia Private Clinic Schlössli, Schlösslistrasse 8, CH-8618 Oetwil am See, Switzerland
,
C Blohm
3   Max Zeller Söhne AG, Seeblickstr. 4, CH-8590 Romanshorn, Switzerland
4   Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK), Effingerstr. 33, CH-3008 Bern, Switzerland
,
C Zahner
3   Max Zeller Söhne AG, Seeblickstr. 4, CH-8590 Romanshorn, Switzerland
,
J Drewe
3   Max Zeller Söhne AG, Seeblickstr. 4, CH-8590 Romanshorn, Switzerland
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Publikationsdatum:
20. Dezember 2019 (online)

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Stress is an increasing problem that can result in various psychiatric and somatoform symptoms. Among others, benzodiazepines and valerian preparations are used to treat stress symptoms.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the prescription of a fixed herbal extract combination of valerian, lemon balm, passionflower and butterbur (Ze 185)[1,2] changes the prescription pattern of benzodiazepines in hospitalised psychiatric patients. In a retrospective case-control study anonymised medical record data from 3252 psychiatric in-house patients were analysed over a 2.5-year period. Cases (n = 1548) with a prescription of Ze 185 and controls (n = 1704) were matched by age, gender, hospitalisation interval and main ICD-10 F-diagnoses. Primary objective was to investigate the effect of Ze 185 on the prescription pattern of benzodiazepines. Secondary objectives investigated the prescriptions of concomitant drugs and effectiveness of the hospital stay. Distribution of drug classes was analysed by the WHO’s ATC code.

The data of this retrospective case-control study provide some evidence that Ze 185 in addition to standard therapy could reduce the need for benzodiazepines. Data showed that both therapeutic settings had a comparable clinical effectiveness but with significantly fewer prescriptions of benzodiazepines in the Ze 185 group (p = 0.006).

This is of clinical importance because suitable alternatives to benzodiazepines are desirable. To obtain more support for this hypothesis, a dedicated randomised, controlled clinical trial monitoring drug safety is required.

 

  • References

  • 1 Melzer J, Schrader E, Brattstrom A, Schellenberg R, & Saller R. Fixed herbal drug combination with and without butterbur (Ze 185) for the treatment of patients with somatoform disorders: randomized, placebo-controlled pharmaco-clinical trial. Phytother Res 2009; 23 (09) : 1303-1308.
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  • 2 Meier S, Haschke M, Zahner C, Kruttschnitt E, Drewe J, Liakoni E, Gaab J. Effects of a fixed herbal drug combination (Ze 185) to an experimental acute stress setting in healthy men - An explorative randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study. Phytomedicine 2018; 39: 85-92
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