Uses
There is conflicting evidence about the effects of hawthorn in people with heart failure. Although some older, short-term studies suggested that it may have benefits in patients with heart failure, other, more recent, studies did not confirm these benefits. In these studies, unlike some of the older ones, patients were given hawthorn in addition to the recommended conventional treatments for heart failure. One of the studies suggested possible harm in people taking it, as it appears to increase the early risk of heart failure progression.
Dosage Of Hawthorn
In most studies of hawthorn for heart failure, no serious safety problems have been reported. However, in one study, patients taking it were more likely than those taking a placebo (an inactive substance) to have their heart failure get worse soon after the study started. The reason for this is not clear, but one possibility is that hawthorn might have interacted with drugs the patients were taking.
Side effects can include dizziness, nausea, and digestive symptoms.
Hawthorn may interact in harmful ways with drugs, including some heart medications. If you’re taking medication and you’re considering using hawthorn, consult your health care provider.
Little is known about whether it’s safe to use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Other
Take charge of your health—talk with your health care providers about any complementary health approaches you use. Together, you can make shared, well-informed decisions.
Source
All information has been provided courtesy of MedLinePlus from the National Library of Medicine and from the FDA.
