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unresponsive bulimia subjects, producing complete remission of symptoms for six months.
The obsessive-compulsive disorder and eating disorder studies all used a crossover design
that makes them hard to evaluate, since there is a delay in the effects of inositol
supplementation. Thus, Belmaker and Levine did not accept them. But they are certainly
promising.
- DISPROVEN USES: Belmaker and Levine also investigated use of inositol for schizophrenia,
dementia, electroconvulsive treatment (ECT)-induced memory impairment, attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism. Inositol proved ineffective in these
studies.
- Finally, Belmaker and Levine tested the effects of inositol in “normal” people. Eleven
volunteers were given inositol or placebo in a double-blind, randomized, crossover design.
Inositol was found to reduce depression, hostility, tension and fatigue compared with
placebo over six hours. “These results are consistent with use of inositol as a folk remedy
for anxiety and sadness.”^13
- DRUG INTERACTIONS: According to Iovieno et al., there have been no documented cases of
drug–drug interactions in studies where inositol was co-administered with FDA-approved
medications.
- SIDE EFFECTS: Brown et al. describe gastrointestinal side effects that can be severe,
including diarrhea and flatulence. Belmaker and Levine and Lake and Spiegel both
characterize the symptoms as “mild.” Iovieno et al. round out the picture: Inositol is
generally well tolerated and appears to have a favorable safety profile. Side effects
reported in the reviewed clinical trials, at doses of inositol ranging from 6 to 25 g per day,
include mild increases in plasma glucose, flatus, nausea, sleepiness, insomnia, dizziness and
headache. However, there have been case reports of inositol-induced mania in bipolar
depressed patients. It is uncertain how significant this effect would be if inositol were in
