PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Alhawsawi, Tahani
AU  - Alghamdi, Maryam
AU  - Albaradei, Omnyah
AU  - Zaher, Huda
AU  - Balubaid, Wejdan
AU  - Alotibi, Hessah A.
AU  - Aboalshamat, Khalid
AU  - Alzahrani, Saeed
TI  - Complementary and alternative medicine use among ischemic stroke survivors in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
AID  - 10.17712/nsj.2020.5.20200088
DP  - 2020 Oct 01
TA  - Neurosciences Journal
PG  - 362--368
VI  - 25
IP  - 5
4099  - http://nsj.org.sa/content/25/5/362.short
4100  - http://nsj.org.sa/content/25/5/362.full
SO  - Neurosciences (Riyadh)2020 Oct 01; 25
AB  - Objectives: To determine the prevalence and pattern of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use and the CAM types used by stroke patients in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 152 ischemic stroke survivors who visited King Fahad Hospital, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, between January 2018 and December 2019. Phone-based and face-to-face surveys were conducted. Data on the patients’ demographic characteristics, their use of CAM, and their pattern of CAM use were gatheredResults: Ninety (59.2%) stroke patients used CAM, mainly cauterization (29.61%) and Quran recitation by a religious sheik (28.95%). Most of the patients (72.22%) used CAM post-hospitalization and within less than one month from stroke onset (62.22%). A minority (6.67%) of the patients stopped their medication while on CAM. Some patients (25.56% to 31.11%) discussed with their physician their use of CAM. The CAM users reported a subjective improvement in their physical weakness (45.6%) and psychological wellbeing (62.2%). The patients learned about CAM mainly from their relatives and friends (96.7%), and the most common reason for their CAM use was their belief in this intervention (42.22%).Conclusion: The CAM use was prevalent among our cohort of Saudi ischemic stroke patients, and cauterization and Quran recitation were the most commonly used CAM interventions. An effective communication was lacking between the medical professionals and the stroke patients as regards CAM use despite the interest of the patients in this intervention.