Self-reported Use of Complementary and Integrated Medicine by Patients With Multiple Sclerosis in Iran

Abstract

Objective: Self-report of the use of complementary and integrated medicine by patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can minimize the risk of possible side effects and drug interactions. This study aimed to survey the self-reported use of complementary and integrated medicine by patients with MS in Iran. Methods: This is an analytical cross-sectional study conducted in spring 2020 on 577 patients with MS who were selected from the Fars MS Disease Registry using a simple random sampling method. Data were collected using a standardized questionnaire and interview, and analyzed in SPSS v. 12 software. Results: There was a significant difference between the self-reported use of complementary and integrated medicine and patients’ gender, marital status, employment status, level of education and the complications of the disease (P≤0.05). Overall, 97% of participants had used at least one of the complementary and integrated medicine items, however, only two-thirds of them declared their use to the physician. The most common used complementary and integrated medicine items were herbal medicines and dietary supplements. Conclusion: Most of MS patients in Shiraz use complementary and integrated medicine. The declaration of the use of these treatments by MS patients may play a role in strengthening the physician-patient relationship as well as strengthening evidence-based policy and better management of MS.