Does kava plus benzodiazepine spell trouble?
A 54-year old man had been taking alprazolam (a benzodiazepine), cimetidine, and terazosin. He added kava to his regimen (as a natural tranquilizer). Three days later he was hospitalized in a semicomatose state, which improved after several hours and then resolved. He denied overdosing on kava or any of the medications, and a drug screen was positive only for benzodiazepines. COMMENT: The kava plant (Piper methysticum) is a perennial shrub which is sold as a mild anti-anxiety agent. Certain chemicals found in kava act on the same receptor in the brain as do benzodiazepines. It is therefore possible that the effects of kava and benzodiazepines are additive. Until more information is available, these two compounds should probably not be taken together. Almeida JC. Coma from the health food store: interaction between kava and alprazolam. Ann Intern Med 1996;125:940-941. Vitamin C to prevent complications of diabetes Eighteen healthy individuals received 1,000 mg of ascorbic acid daily for
