A Ginkgo Biloba-Associated Paranoid Reaction

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Sir: An increasing number of Americans are turning towardherbal medicines to treat their health problems. It is estimatedthat 25% of Americans seeking medical care use alternativetherapies for their problems.¹ However, approximately 70% ofthese patients do not inform their physicians about their useof herbal medicines.² Herbal medicines may elicit changes inmood, thinking, or behavior,³ which may not initially be consideredby a physician in the differential diagnosis. We report a casein which a patient with no previous psychiatric history developedovert paranoid ideation after treatment with Ginkgo biloba.