pennyroyal

Brand name(s):

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

Since the use of pennyroyal oil has been associated with serious, even fatal, liver and kidney damage, oral or topical use of pennyroyal oil is generally not recommended.

Pennyroyal oil has been associated with cases of severe liver and kidney damage. Notify your doctor immediately if you develop nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, unusual fatigue, loss of appetite, yellow skin or eyes, itching, dark urine, clay colored stools, or little or no urine. These symptoms may be early signs of liver or kidney damage.

Pennyroyal has not been evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or purity. All potential risks and/or advantages of pennyroyal 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 pennyroyal?

The use of pennyroyal 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.

Pennyroyal is also known as Mentha pulegium, pulegium, American pennyroyal, run-by-the-ground, lurk-in-the-ditch, pudding grass, piliolerial, mosquito plant, squaw balm, and squawmint tickweed.

Pennyroyal has been used for digestive disorders, liver and gallbladder disorders, gout, colds, increased urination, as an insect repellant, to induce menstruation, and topically for skin diseases.

Since the use of pennyroyal oil has been associated with serious, even fatal, liver and kidney damage, oral or topical use of pennyroyal oil is generally not recommended.

Pennyroyal may also have uses other than those listed in this medication guide.

Who should not take pennyroyal?

Before taking pennyroyal, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or health care professional if you have allergies (especially to plants), have any medical condition, or if you take other medicines or other herbal/health supplements. Pennyroyal may not be recommended in some situations.

Do not take pennyroyal without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant. In large doses, pennyroyal has been reported to cause abortion. Fatalities have resulted from the doses of oil required to exert an abortifacient effect. Do not take pennyroyal without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. It is also not known whether pennyroyal will harm a nursing infant. There is no information available regarding the use of pennyroyal by children. Do not give any herbal/health supplement to a child without first talking to the child's doctor.

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