goldenseal Health Article

Generic name(s):

goldenseal

Brand name(s):

What is the most important information I should know about goldenseal?

Do not take goldenseal without first talking to your doctor if you have high blood pressure, a bleeding disorder, a blood clotting disorder, or if you take medicine to control any of these conditions.

Goldenseal has not been evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or purity. All potential risks and/or advantages of goldenseal may not be known. Additionally, there are no regulated manufacturing standards in place for these compounds. There have been instances where herbal/health supplements have been sold which were contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs. Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of contamination.

What is goldenseal?

The use of goldenseal in cultural and traditional settings may differ from concepts accepted by current Western medicine. When considering the use of herbal supplements, consultation with a primary health care professional is advisable. Additionally, consultation with a practitioner trained in the uses of herbal/health supplements may be beneficial, and coordination of treatment among all health care providers involved may be advantageous.

Goldenseal is also known as ox-eye daisy, golden daisy, herb Margaret, maudlinwort, moon daisy, eye balm, eye root, ground raspberry, Indian dye, jaundice root, orange root, tumeric root, yellow Indian paint, yellow puccoon, wild curcuma, warnera, Indian plant, yellow root, and others.

Goldenseal has been used topically (on the skin) to treat minor skin wounds and cold sores. Goldenseal has been used orally (by mouth) to decrease diarrhea and to boost the immune system. Some forms of goldenseal have also been used in the eyes as an eye wash.

Goldenseal has not been evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or purity. All potential risks and/or advantages of goldenseal may not be known. Additionally, there are no regulated manufacturing standards in place for these compounds. There have been instances where herbal/health supplements have been sold which were contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs. Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of contamination.

Goldenseal may also have uses other than those listed in this product guide.

Who should not take goldenseal?

Do not take goldenseal without first talking to your doctor if you

• have high blood pressure or take medicine to control your blood pressure, or

• have a bleeding or blood clotting disorder or if you take a medicine to control or prevent such a disorder {e.g., heparin, warfarin (Coumadin), others}.

You may not be able to take goldenseal, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions, or take any of the medicines, listed above.

Talk to your doctor before taking goldenseal if you have any other medical conditions, allergies (especially to plants), or if you take other medicines or herbal/health supplements. Goldenseal may not be recommended in some situations.

Do not take goldenseal if you are pregnant or could become pregnant. Goldenseal has been reported to cause uterine contractions. It is not known whether goldenseal will harm an unborn baby. Do not take goldenseal without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. It is also not known whether goldenseal will harm a nursing infant. There is no information available regarding the use of goldenseal by children. Do not give any herbal/health supplement to a child without first talking to the child's doctor.