Simoes-Wust, A.P., Hassani, T.A., Muller-Hubenthal, B., Pittl, S., Kuck, A., Meden, H., . . . Bryophyllum Collaborative Group. (2015). Sleep quality improves during treatment with Bryophyllum pinnatum: An observational study on cancer patients. Integrative Cancer Therapies. Advance online publication.
To investigate the effects of Bryophyllum pinnatum (B pinnatum) on sleep quality in patients with cancer
B pinnatum is an herbal medicine previously found to improve sleep quality in pregnant women. Patients were included in the review of records if they were diagnosed with cancer and had been prescribed B pinnatum 50% (350 mg tablets at varying dosages) for at least 21 consecutive days for sleep-wake disturbance. The tablets contained 50% leaf-pressed juice on lactose, and dosages ranged from three to eight tablets per day. Study assessments were done at baseline and on day 22.
Retrospective, observational study
During treatment with B pinnatum, sleep quality improved from a mean PSQI score of 12.2 (SD = 3.62) to 9.1 (SD = 3.61) (p = 0.002). Improvement was seen in sleep latency and habitual sleep efficiency (p < 0.03). Patients receiving B pinnatum took fewer sleep medications. In most cases, patients took two tablets twice daily. There were very few minor side effects, and no severe adverse reactions were reported. One patient reported an improvement in hot flashes.
B pinnatum may be helpful in the management of sleep disturbances in patients with cancer.
The findings of this study suggest that B pinnatum may be helpful for patients with cancer who have insomnia; however, evidence is weak because of study design limitations and the small sample size. The positive findings seen here suggest that additional research on the use of B pinnatum is warranted.