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Adverse Effects of Herbs


See also POISONOUS PLANTS links

Releases on specific herbs

Herbal Tinctures in Clinical Practice Contains contraindications for each.

Also from Michael Moore, Preparations and Dosages Brief listings The list includes brief cautions on dosage or duration of use for some herbs.

Southwest School of Botanical Medicine. Herbal Medical Contraindications, by Michael Moore. Is more theoretical.

Institute for Traditional Medicine's Herb Safety Articles and Related Concerns  page. Focus in on Chinese herbs but overviews of some topics, such as hepatotoxicity, are relevant to western herbs as well. See also: Checking for Possible Herb-Drug Interactions and
Warfarin and Chinese Medicine

Herb-Drugs from Rinfocan

This Canadian Pharmaceutical site has a list of abut fifty medicinal herbs, with reasonable cautions listed for each. The information reflects Canada's sane approach to regulation, accepting traditional usages without requiring extensive clinical trials, while also listing common-sense cautions. However, this list falls woefully short in the area of contraindications during pregnancy. Many of the herbs on the list are so contraindicated, but the source fails to mention the fact. The contraindications on this list appear to be derived in part from German government plant monographs.

Steadman Shorter's Medical Dictionary, 1942, Poisons & Antidotes From the Botanical.com website.

Poisonous plants links

Adverse Effect Reporting

The following contacts are established to report adverse effects of herbs, supplements, etc. If you do not feel comfortable reporting effects to formal regulatory agencies, but want information or observations circulated to practicing medical herbalists, use the Medical Herbalism contact.

Report Adverse Effects to FDA (herbs, supplements, etc)

Report Adverse Effects to Medical Herbalism.