Taking the Medicine

A weekly column looking at common treatments

Digitalis

What is it? Digitalis is the collective term for naturally occuring substances found in the leaves of the foxglove plant and used to treat certain heart disorders. The principal drug in the group is digoxin.

What's it good for? Digoxin improves the heart's pumping action. It is used to treat conditions in which the heart beats irregularly or when its pumping action is weak (heart failure).

How does it work? A normal heartbeat is the result of electrical impulses generated in nerve tissues within the heart. By reducing the flow of these impulses, digitalis makes the heart beat more slowly and regularly. It also increases the force of muscle contractions each time the heart is stimulated.

Any contraindications? Digoxin must be used cautiously in people with reduced kidney function. Blood potassium levels should be checked regularly as digoxin becomes more toxic in the presence of low potassium.

Possible side-effects? Digitalis drugs can be toxic and if blood levels rise too high, then tiredness, confusion, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea can occur. Such symptoms should be reported promptly to your doctor. Dr Muiris Houston

Alternative Remedies:

Essential Fatty Acids

What are they? Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), also known as polyunsaturated fats, are necessary components for building healthy cells in our bodies.

What are they good for? EFAs have an important role in preventative medicine. A deficiency in EFAs is believed to lead to cancer, cardiovascular disease or an auto-immune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis. Poor skin or hair quality, poor resistance to infection, inflammatory diseases such as eczema, asthma, psoriasis and a host of other illnesses are believed to be early signs of a deficiency in EFAs.

How do they work? EFAs enable all nutrients to pass in and out of cells. They also prevent bacteria, viruses and toxic substances from entering and destroying cells.

Any contraindications or drawbacks? The difficulty is knowing the right foods and supplements which contain high amounts of EFAs - the most important of which are omega-3 and omega-6 oils. Oily fish such as sardines, mackerel, salmon and trout are good sources of omega-3. Raw pumpkin seeds, walnuts and sunflower seeds and cold-pressed oils made from these are good sources of omega-6 but heating these oils destroys the EFAs. Extra virgin olive oil is another good source of EFAs and the EFAs are not destroyed by cooking at moderate temperatures.

Possible side-effects? If omega-6 oils are excessive in the diet, they will block the activity of the more delicate omega-3 fatty acids so getting the balance right is important.