October 2, 2017

expert reaction to case report of person having developed liver damage after taking Epsom salts to treat gallstones

A case study, published in BMJ Case Reports, reports that a 38 year old man developed serious liver damage when combined with Epsom salts.

Prof. Edzard Ernst, Emeritus Professor of Complementary Medicine, University of Exeter, said:

“This case demonstrates firstly that naturopaths prescribe some treatments that don’t work, secondly that not everything which is promoted as natural is safe, third that treatments which apparently have ‘stood the test of time’ can still be rubbish, and finally that even a relatively harmless remedy can become life-threatening, if one takes it at a high dose for a prolonged period of time.  Naturopaths have advocated Epsom salts for gall-bladder problems for centuries, yet there is no good evidence that it works.  It is time that alternative practitioners abide by the rules of evidence-based medicine.”

* ‘Severe liver injury due to Epsom salt naturopathy’ by Cyriac Abby Philips et al. published in BMJ Case Reports on Monday 2 October 2017.

Declared interests

None received.