How Harmful Can Herbal Remedies Be? A Case of Severe Acute Tubulointerstitial Nephritis

Acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) is a condition in which acute kidney injury (AKI) is characterized by the histological finding of interstitial inflammation. Hyponidd is an ayurvedic drug containing Momordica charantia, Gymnema sylvestre, Swertia chirata, etc., used for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and polycystic ovarian disease as an insulin sensitizer. There are no case reports of AIN caused by this drug yet. We report a biopsy-proven case of AKI due to severe AIN associated with the use of hyponidd tablet in a 60-year-old male with DM and hypertension. As these types of various indigenous compounds are used as home remedies in our country, awareness about the possible adverse effects of these agents among physicians is very important in the early diagnosis and management.