Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Clinical Review

Diagnosis and management of recurrent urinary tract infections in non-pregnant women

BMJ 2013; 346 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f3140 (Published 29 May 2013) Cite this as: BMJ 2013;346:f3140

Rapid Response:

Adjuvant herbal therapy

I would like to underline and remind colleagues about the extremely powerful broad spectrum fungicidal and bactericidal activity, of carvacrol rich essential oil of oregano that has proved to be active, even against antibiotic and antimycotic resistant strains, without any side effects. [1][2]
Concomitant topical administration of carvacrol rich emulsions of essential oil of oregano, or other herbal monoterpenes, with current systemic pharmacologic therapies must be investigated and pursued, in order to achieve synergistic effects.
Carvacrol has also antinociceptive[5] and potent anti-inflammatory activity[3][4].
No bacterial resistance has ever been observed.
References
[1] http://www.bmj.com/content/317/7159/609/rr/634773
[2] http://www.bmj.com/content/337/bmj.39357.558183.94/rr/630538
[3] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22363615
[4] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22892022
[5] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23146035

Competing interests: No competing interests

07 April 2016
Stavros Saripanidis
Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Thessaloniki, Greece