Thunder God Vine
Background
Thunder
god vine is a perennial grown in China and Taiwan. It has been used for
hundreds of years in traditional Chinese medicine to treat swelling
caused by inflammation.
Currently, thunder god vine is used
orally (by mouth) as a dietary supplement for autoimmune diseases, such
as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and lupus. It is also used
topically for rheumatoid arthritis.
Extracts are prepared from the roots of thunder god vine.
How Much Do We Know?
A
small number of studies have evaluated oral thunder god vine for
rheumatoid arthritis. Very little research has been done on thunder god
vine for other health conditions or on topical use of this herb for
rheumatoid arthritis.
What Have We Learned?
There have
been only a few high-quality studies of oral thunder god vine for
rheumatoid arthritis in people. These studies indicate that thunder god
vine may improve some rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.
Results
from a small 2009 study funded by the National Institute of Arthritis
and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), which compared an
extract of thunder god vine root with a conventional drug
(sulfasalazine) for rheumatoid arthritis, found that participants’
symptoms (e.g., joint pain and swelling, inflammation) improved
significantly more with thunder god vine than with the drug.
A
study from China, published in 2014, compared thunder god vine to a
conventional drug (methotrexate) and found that both were comparably
helpful in relieving rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, and that the
combination of the herb and the drug was better than either
one alone.
There is not enough evidence to show whether thunder
god vine is helpful for any health conditions other than rheumatoid
arthritis or whether its topical use in rheumatoid arthritis has
any benefits.
What Do We Know About Safety?
Thunder
god vine may have side effects, including decreased bone mineral
content (with long-term use), infertility, menstrual cycle changes,
rashes, diarrhea, headache, and hair loss. Because some of these side
effects are serious, the risks of using thunder god vine may be greater
than its benefits.
Thunder god vine can be extremely poisonous if the extract is not
prepared properly.
Keep in Mind
Tell
all your health care providers about any complementary or integrative
health approaches you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to
manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and
safe care.
Key References
- Cameron
M, Gagnier JJ, Chrubasik S. Herbal therapy for treating rheumatoid
arthritis. Cochrane Database of Systematic
Reviews. 2011;(2):CD002948. Accessed at http://www.thecochranelibrary.com(link
is external) on
April 28, 2015.
- Canter
PH, Lee HS, Ernst E. A
systematic review of randomised clinical trials of Tripterygium wilfordii for
rheumatoid arthritis. Phytomedicine. 2006;13(5):371-377.
- Efthimiou
P, Kukar M. Complementary
and alternative medicine use in rheumatoid arthritis: proposed
mechanism of action and efficacy of commonly used modalities. Rheumatology International. 2010;30(5):571-586.
- Goldbach-Mansky
R, Wilson M, Fleischmann R, et al. Comparison
of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F
versus sulfasalazine in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a
randomized trial. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2009;151(4):229-240.
- Lv
Q-W, Zhang W, Shi Q, et al. Comparison
of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F
with methotrexate in the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis
(TRIFRA): a randomised, controlled clinical trial. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
April 14, 2014 [Epub ahead of print].
- Macfarlane
GJ, El-Metwally A, De Silva V, et al. Evidence
for the efficacy of complementary and alternative medicines in the
management of rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review. Rheumatology. 2011;50(9):1672-1683.
- Thunder
god vine. Natural Medicines Web site. Accessed at
naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/ on April 28, 2015.
[Database subscription].
-NIH
