The principal pharmacodynamic effect of peppermint oil relevant to the gastrointestinal tract is a dose-related antispasmodic effect on the smooth musculature due to the interference of menthol with the movement of calcium across the cell membrane. The choleretic and antifoaming effects of peppermint oil may play an additional role in medicinal use. Peppermint oil is relatively rapidly absorbed after oral administration and eliminated mainly via the bile.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn nine studies, 269 healthy subjects or patients underwent exposure to peppermint oil (PO) either by topical intraluminal (stomach or colon) or oral administration by single doses or 2 weeks treatment (n = 19). Methods used to detect effects were oro-cecal transit time by hydrogen expiration, total gastrointestinal transit time by carmine red method, gastric emptying time by radiolabelled test meal or sonography, direct observation of colonic motility or indirect recording through pressure changes or relieve of colonic spasms during barium enema examination. The dose range covered in single dose studies is 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn a literature search 16 clinical trials investigating 180-200 mg enteric-coated peppermint oil (PO) in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or recurrent abdominal pain in children (1 study) with 651 patients enrolled were identified. Nine out of 16 studies were randomized double blind cross over trials with (n = 5) or without (n = 4) run in and/or wash out periods, five had a randomized double blind parallel group design and two were open labeled studies. Placebo served in 12 and anticholinergics in three studies as comparator.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRehabilitation (Stuttg)
February 1997
Major economies need to be made in the health care system. The austerity legislation effective as of January 1, 1997 will result in considerable benefit cuts in the statutory health and pension insurance schemes, with major repercussions also in the field of rehabilitation. Possible devices for realizing potential economies are more precise targetting in patient selection, upgrading social-medical expertise, as well as adjusting rehabilitation more precisely to both patients' needs and economical service delivery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFor years, experts have been demanding that early rehabilitation in the hospital be improved upon. They argue that timely and on-target activation and mobilisation of the patient while he or she is still under inpatient treatment will often enable earlier initiation of the subsequent comprehensive rehabilitation measures. Early start of rehabilitation improves the chances of social re-integrations.
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