Abstract

Background: the herbal remedy Ginkgo biloba is promoted as a treatment for a variety of ailments including memory loss and dementia, poor concentration and mood, glaucoma, ‘cerebral insufficiency’ and ‘peripheral circulatory disturbances’. It is gaining worldwide popularity, particularly as a potential treatment for dementia.

Case reports: two patients with well‐controlled epilepsy presented with recurrent seizures within 2 weeks of commencing extract of Ginkgo biloba. The herbal remedy was discontinued and both patients are seizure‐free several months later.

Discussion:Ginkgo biloba may have precipitated seizures in these two patients. This and other potential adverse effects should be highlighted on the packaging of the drug.

This content is only available as a PDF.
You do not currently have access to this article.

Comments

0 Comments
Submit a comment
You have entered an invalid code
Thank you for submitting a comment on this article. Your comment will be reviewed and published at the journal's discretion. Please check for further notifications by email.