Doctors should dish out LAVENDER OIL as a first-line treatment for people with anxiety instead of addictive drugs, psychiatrist claims
- Professor Peter Hans-Volz said millions are hooked to anti-anxiety medication
- He believes studies show the key to reducing dependency lies in a natural herb
- Doctors are trying to cut back on prescriptions on drugs like benzodiazepines
- But some experts have said there is not enough evidence for lavender
Anxiety sufferers should be given lavender oil as a first line of treatment instead of addictive drugs, a psychiatrist has claimed.
Professor Peter Hans-Volz said doctors are too quick to dish out benzodiazepines and other drugs to patients with anxiety.
Instead, patients with a mild form of the disorder should be given natural remedies, including lavender oil, to combat their symptoms.
Official guidelines for the NHS say there is not enough evidence that lavender oil, marketed on its calming effects, could treat anxiety.
And mental health experts have dismissed Professor Hans-Volz suggestion, saying it is ‘unsubstantiated’ and the evidence is too thin.
A leading doctor believes sufferers of mild anxiety should be given lavender oil as a first-line of treatment instead of addictive medicines such as benzodiazepines
Professor Hans-Volz claimed lavender oil capsules have been shown to be as strong as commonly used anti-anxiety medications.
And he said they come with fewer side effects. It is unclear whether he is being paid by Kalms, a lavender oil capsule manufacturer that he is working alongside.
Professor Hans-Volz is the medical director of the Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine in Schloss, Germany.
‘Doctors can be quick to medicate people who are experiencing emotional distress, without exploring alternative options,’ he told MailOnline.
‘Medicating too quickly can lead to unnecessary prescription of medication, and in some cases, can cause a dependency to the drug, especially when benzodiazepines are prescribed.
‘In my opinion it makes sense to start with a much less severe intervention and that would be lavender oil.
‘In my professional life I have never seen a pharmacological agent with such good results in randomised trials.’
However, British experts hit back at Professor Hans-Volz’s suggestion.
CAN LAVENDER OIL REALLY COMBAT ANXIETY?
Some research has shown ‘uniquely prepared, pharmaceutical quality lavender oil’ can improve symptoms of mild anxiety.
Lavender oil significantly reduced activity in areas of the brain involved with anxiety, according to a 2014 study on 17 men treated over eight weeks led by the Medical University of Vienna.
Scientists analysed PET scans of participants’ brains for the research, published in International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology.
It has also been shown to be as efficient as a commonly prescribed benzodiazepine Lorazepam for the treatment of generalised anxiety.
Lavender oil reduced both physical and psychological symptoms of anxiety in 45 per cent of participants with generalised anxiety disorder without any side effects, compared to 46 per cent of those taking Lorazepam. The results of the 2010 trial by German psychiatrists was published in Phytomedicine.
A 2010 study found that lavender oil had the same effect as benzodiazepine Lorazepam
Another study led by Medical University of Vienna compared medicating 523 people with generalised anxiety disorder with either lavender oil, a placebo or paroxetine, an antidepressant over ten weeks.
In the lavender oil group, 60 per cent saw a reduction in their symptoms by more than 50 per cent compared to 43 per cent in the paroxetine group and 37.8 in the placebo group.
Dr Abigael San, a clinical psychologist in London, said: ‘To say lavender oil should be recommended as a first line of treatment in a bit strong and unsubstantiated.
‘Anxiolytic medicines are probably given out more than is necessary because there isn’t enough resources, not because doctors are making mistakes.’
Dr Heidi Miller, a GP in Hertfordshire, said she definitely would not be prescribing lavender oil until there is ‘compelling’ evidence.
‘I would be very surprised if they [lavender oil capsules] had a significant effect on mild anxiety,’ she said.
There is huge drive to cut down on the prescription of drugs like benzodiazepines, but there are limited resources for alternatives to the fast-working drugs.
GPs can be reluctant to dish out the highly addictive pills – but it is undoubtedly the fastest and most successful route.
Dr Miller said: ‘There is pressure on GPs to give an answer to a problem.
‘There will be some cases they will be given out when other strategies could be used, but from what I know there is a massive drive to reduce prescriptions.’
Up to 40 per cent of people who take benzodiazepines for six weeks will develop a dependency and 1.5million are addicted in the UK, according to charities.
Benzodiazepines, including Valium, Ativan and Xanax, are prescribed twelve million times a year, according to the UK Addiction Centre.
They are fast-acting. But the danger lies in their unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, keeping patients hooked for years despite only being prescribed for short-term use.
Withdrawal symptoms include sweating, nausea, sleep issues, worsened anxiety and reduced coping mechanisms, which may lead to a vicious dependency cycle.
Dr Hans-Volz said: ‘Patients end up back at the doctors, needing further treatment to try and reduce their dependency on the drug costing the NHS more money.
‘In some cases, patients get put back onto benzodiazepines, which further ignites their dependency for the drug and makes it even harder to come off.’
Research, although limited, has shown ‘uniquely prepared, pharmaceutical quality lavender oil’ can improve symptoms of mild anxiety.
Two studies found lavender oil capsules to be just as effective as commonly prescribed benzodiazepine Lorazepam and antidepressant paroxetine.
But the current research is not enough for The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which advises the NHS, to recommend the herb for any form of anxiety. Currently mild anxiety is not recognised as a category.
A spokesperson said: ‘Currently, NICE does not recommend lavender in the treatment of generalised anxiety disorder.
‘Research on herbal interventions, including lavender, was reviewed, but the guidance does not recommend this as a treatment option.’
The charity Mind said they welcome alternative remedies for anxiety, but more research is needed before conclusions could be drawn.
Head of information Stephen Buckley said: ‘Lavender oil might be helpful for relaxation and stress reduction in those experiencing mild anxiety.
‘However, it is not yet clear the extent to which it can help those with more severe symptoms, who may be prescribed medication such as benzodiazepine.
‘What is helpful in managing your mental health varies from person to person – so it’s really important you can make the right decision for you, together with your doctor.’
IS THE UK IN A BENZO CRISIS?
Benzodiazepines, including Valium, Ativan and Xanax, are prescribed twelve million times a year, according to the UK Addiction Centre.
It said the numbers of people addicted to benzodiazepines in the UK are vague, but it could be as high as 1.5 million, making them second only to alcohol on the scale of addictive substances.
A study published in The British Journal of General Practice published in July 2017 suggested that more than a quarter of a million people in the UK are likely to be taking dependency-forming benzodiazepine and Z-drugs (BZD) far beyond the recommended usage of 2–4 weeks after looking at data taken from a survey of GP surgeries in Bradford, UK.
Most people get their drugs from their GP, but others may get them over the internet, from street dealers or through friends and family.
In children, cases of addiction to benzodiazepines have increased by 96 per cent, from 161 in 2016 to 2017, to 315 in 2017 to 2018, Public Health England revealed in 2018.
Experts have previously warned benzos such as Xanax and other anxiety drugs are becoming popular among teenagers for recreational use in the past couple of years.
Meanwhile, campaigners have long fought for the problem of prescription pill dependency to be recognised.
Benzodiazepines work by slowing down the functioning of the brain by enhancing the actions of a particular chemical in the brain called GABA, or gamma-amino-butyric acid.
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