Near-Fatal Consequences of Ginger Tea Consumption Experienced by Woman - Woman comes close to losing life due to near-fatal encounter with Ingwertee
A recent case study published in the "British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology" in March 2023 has raised questions about the potential interaction between ginger tea and the cancer drug, Crizotinib.
A 48-year-old woman with lung cancer was admitted to the university hospital in Grenoble for a routine check-up. She had been consuming more than a liter of ginger tea with lemon juice and honey daily for a few weeks, a common practice among patients to relieve nausea, including those on medications like Crizotinib.
The woman was prescribed Crizotinib after her chemotherapy to brake the overactive tyrosine kinase in her lung cancer. However, after a few months, her liver function had deteriorated significantly. Her liver values were found to be catastrophically high, and her liver cells were beginning to dissolve, as indicated by a sharply increased level of a certain enzyme.
Doctors initially attributed the liver damage to the medication she was taking, Crizotinib. Crizotinib is known to carry a risk of hepatotoxicity (liver injury) as a side effect, which may manifest as hepatitis. While the search results do not show a direct interaction between ginger tea and Crizotinib, herbal supplements and teas can sometimes affect liver enzymes or interact with cancer therapies, potentially increasing adverse effects including liver damage.
In laboratory experiments, ginger has been shown to inhibit the liver's detoxification systems, including the enzyme Cyp3A4, which also breaks down Crizotinib. This could potentially exacerbate the liver toxicity caused by Crizotinib. However, there is no direct evidence from the provided search results that ginger tea specifically interacts with Crizotinib to cause hepatitis in cancer patients.
The patient was advised to stop both the ginger tea and Crizotinib. After three months, her liver function had normalized. The doctors considered it very likely that the Crizotinib had attacked the liver after the ginger tea had disabled the detoxification.
The case study serves as a reminder that patients should inform their healthcare providers about all herbal products, including ginger, to monitor for potential interactions and liver toxicity. Liver function tests are important during Crizotinib therapy to detect hepatotoxicity early.
While ginger tea might be used to manage nausea in patients on Crizotinib, there is no documented evidence here that ginger tea interacts with Crizotinib to cause or worsen hepatitis. If hepatitis occurs in a patient on Crizotinib, it is more likely related to the drug itself or other underlying factors rather than ginger tea consumption.
Tyrosine kinases, when out of control, can drive the growth of tumors. The woman's lung cancer had an overactive gene that constantly drove the production of too much of an enzyme from the tyrosine kinase group. Crizotinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, designed to target these overactive enzymes and halt tumor growth.
In conclusion, while the interaction between ginger tea and Crizotinib requires further investigation, this case study underscores the importance of monitoring liver function and being aware of potential interactions between herbal remedies and prescribed medications.
