Pine Bark Extract

Pycnogenol to treat acute hemorrhoids

Researchers from G D’Annunzio University, in Italy tell us Pycnogenol, both in oral and in topical form, is effective.

First, the details.

  • 84 people having acute attacks of hemorrhoids were assigned to a treatment group within less than 48 hours of onset.
    • Pycnogenol
    • Placebo
  • They were evaluated after 7 days of treatment and again, 7 days later.

And, the results.

  • The decrease in signs and symptoms of acute external hemorrhoids was significantly greater with Pycnogenol vs placebo.
  • In a group of patients given topical (0.5%) Pycnogenol in addition to oral Pycnogenol the improvement in symptoms was reported significantly faster and was more pronounced.
  • The most prominent symptom, hemorrhoidal bleeding, was absent in all patients treated with Pycnogenol after treatment and 14 days later.
  • In contrast, bleeding was still observed in the placebo group during the 2 weeks follow-up.

The bottom line?

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a negative study of Pycnogenol in the past 3 and-a-half years since the start of The CAM Report. The treated conditions are diverse and the results appear consistent.

In the next few weeks we will review in detail.

1/17/10 21:15 JR

Hi, I’m JR

John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.