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Evaluation Video

Psychopharmacology and Toxicology

Session:: On Demand Workshops

What You Don’t Know Can Kill You: Complementary/Alternative Integrative Medicine for C-L Psychiatrists

On Demand
CE: 1.5
Complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine (CAIM) is now a part of medicine. Many academic centers have opened centers for integrative or alternative medicine. There is a perception among patients who use CAIM that because it is “natural” it must be safe/beneficial; many physicians either have similar beliefs or believe that alternative medication is no different than placebo. Patients may not bring up over-the-counter supplements when asked about what medications they are taking for these reasons. Reference texts on complementary and alternative medicine often do not have chapters dedicated to the potential harms associated with these medications. In this workshop, sponsored by the Integrative Medicine SIG, we will challenge this paradigm and argue that supplements and dietary interventions should be considered within the same risk/benefit framework as all clinical decisions. We will provide a framework for including discussions about complementary and alternative medicine as a routine part of a patient’s medication history. We will provide a compelling and case-based argument for why C-L psychiatrists need to have a good working knowledge of integrative medicine as it affects our routine practice. Presentations (including the introduction) will be 18 minutes each.



Dr. Muskin will present an introduction and serve as a moderator for this workshop.



Dr. DeSimone will discuss the prevalence of complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine use in both the general and psychiatric populations and examine common motivations to seek CAIM. She will propose a manner in which to discuss these therapies with patients, as well as consulting teams, utilizing a patient-centered and supportive framework. She will introduce several concise, evidence-based CAIM resources available to C-L psychiatrists.



Dr. Cinderella will present a case-based overview of important pharmacokinetic interactions between complementary/alternative medicine and traditional Western medicine.



Dr. Naidoo will present on “food and mood” with a focus on vegan diets, the diet wars in the USA and polarizing of nutrition, and overzealous supplementation e.g. magnesium supplementation.



Dr. Greene will present cases of unregulated and addictive supplements whose use and misuse can present as primary psychiatric illness.

Learning Objectives:

  • Challenge the belief that complementary and alternative medicine interventions are universally safe and either beneficial or benign
  • Review both common and high yield adverse outcomes associated with complementary and alternative medications particularly in the psychiatric patient population
  • Review the role of ill-advised and often undisclosed supplement use presenting as a primary psychiatric disorder