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Pennyroyal (Hedeoma pulegioides) Be aware that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not strictly regulate herbs and dietary supplements. There is no guarantee of strength, purity or safety of products containing or claiming to contain pennyroyal. Decisions to use herbs or supplements should be carefully considered. Individuals using prescription drugs should discuss taking herbs or supplements with a pharmacist or health care professional before starting.
Scientists have studied pennyroyal for the following health problems: Abortion | Pennyroyal has been used traditionally to induce abortions. However, pennyroyal is dangerous and has led to serious adverse effects and death. Therefore, pennyroyal should not be used for this or any purpose. | Increased menstrual flow | Although pennyroyal has been used for this purpose, the available scientific data suggest that pennyroyal should not be used to stimulate menstruation. It is dangerous and has led to serious adverse effects and death. |
Pennyroyal has been suggested for many other uses, based on tradition or on scientific theories. However, these uses have not been thoroughly studied in humans, and there is limited scientific evidence about safety or effectiveness. Some of these suggested uses are for conditions that are potentially very serious and even life-threatening. You should consult a health care professional before taking pennyroyal for any unproven use. Acaricidal (lethal to mites)
Acne
Antiseptic
Antispasmodic
Anxiety
Asthma
Bowel disorders
Colds
Colic
Cough
Cramps
Diarrhea
Diuretic
Dizziness
Fever
Flavoring agent
Fleas (on animals)
Flu
Fragrance
Fumigant
Gallbladder disorders
Gas
Gout
Hallucinations
Headache | Indigestion
Insect repellant
Itchy eyes
Joint problems
Kidney disease
Leprosy
Liver disease
Mouth sores
Muscle pain
Nosebleeds
Pneumonia
Potpourri
Premenstrual syndrome
Refrigerant
Respiratory ailments
Scars from burns and bruises
Sedative
Skin disorders
Snakebites
Stimulant
Stomach discomfort
Sunstroke
Sweating
Toothache
Uterine fibroids
Whooping cough |
Allergies People should avoid pennyroyal if they have a known allergy to pennyroyal or any of its components, including pulegone. Signs of allergy may include rash, itching or shortness of breath. Side Effects Pennyroyal has been associated with numerous toxicities and death. Dangerous reactions may occur if pennyroyal is taken by mouth or used on the skin. Usually, the first symptom of pennyroyal toxicity is stomach upset, including nausea, stomach cramping, burning in the throat and vomiting (sometimes containing blood). Liver and lung damage may also occur. Some people may experience rash and hives when pennyroyal is used on the skin. Using pennyroyal by mouth may cause loss of consciousness, coma, confusion, dizziness, fatigue, stiff muscles, fever, agitation, delirium, nerve pain, seizures, shock and death. Pennyroyal use may lead to vision abnormalities and hallucinations. Other adverse effects may involve low blood pressure or slow, irregular heartbeats; pennyroyal may reduce the urge to breathe. Kidney damage, urinary tract irritation, menstrual bleeding, abnormally low numbers of red blood cells and spontaneous abortion may also occur. Caution is advised if you take prescription drugs to control your blood sugar levels. Pennyroyal may lower blood sugar levels. In theory, pennyroyal may also increase the risk of bleeding. If you have diabetes or use anticoagulants (blood thinners) or antiplatelet drugs and are considering using pennyroyal, discuss this with a health care professional. In laboratory animals, pennyroyal has caused damage to many organs, including the brain, kidneys and liver. Signs of overdose include nausea, vomiting, sweating, chills, fever, headache, ringing in the ears, dizziness, low blood pressure, difficulty swallowing, extreme thirst, rapid heartbeats, muscle spasms, restlessness, drowsiness, fatigue, tremor, excessive talkativeness, hallucinations, mania, seizures and coma. Be aware that many tinctures contain high levels of alcohol and should be avoided when driving or operating heavy machinery. N-Acetylcysteine may play a role in the treatment of pennyroyal toxicity, but this has not been proven. Pregnancy And Breast-Feeding Pennyroyal cannot be recommended during pregnancy and breast-feeding because of the risk of birth defects or spontaneous abortion. Be aware that many tinctures contain high levels of alcohol and should be avoided during pregnancy.
Interactions with drugs, supplements and other herbs have not been thoroughly studied. The interactions listed below have been reported in scientific publications. If you are taking prescription drugs, speak with a health care professional or pharmacist before using herbs or dietary supplements. Interactions With Drugs In theory, pennyroyal may lower blood sugar levels. Caution is advised if you are taking prescription drugs that may also lower blood sugar levels. Patients taking oral drugs for diabetes or using insulin should be monitored closely by their health care provider if they are using pennyroyal. Dosing adjustments may be necessary. There is evidence that pennyroyal may interfere with the way the liver breaks down certain drugs (using the P450 system). As a result, pennyroyal may cause the levels of drugs in the body to be too high, leading to serious side effects. Ask a health care professional or pharmacist for advice before you take pennyroyal if you are taking prescription drugs. It is possible that using pennyroyal with acetaminophen (Tylenol) may increase the risk of liver damage. In theory, pennyroyal may increase the adverse effects of some antihistamine drugs, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl). Be aware that many tinctures contain high levels of alcohol and may cause nausea or vomiting when taken with metronidazole (Flagyl) or disulfiram (Antabuse). Interactions With Herbs And Dietary Supplements Pennyroyal may lower blood sugar levels. People using other herbs or supplements that may alter blood sugar levels, such as bitter melon ( Momordica charantia), should be monitored closely by a health care professional while using pennyroyal. Dosing adjustments may be necessary. In theory, pennyroyal may increase the blood levels of herbs processed by the liver, such as chasteberry ( Vitex agnus-castus). Check with a health care professional or pharmacist before starting pennyroyal if you are taking other herbs or supplements. Historically, pennyroyal has been used with blue cohosh or black cohosh to induce abortions. However, these combinations are not considered safe and have caused death. Pennyroyal may reduce the effectiveness of iron supplements. Therefore, if you decide to use pennyroyal, take it one hour before iron products or two to three hours after iron.
The doses listed below are based on scientific research, publications or traditional use. Because most herbs and supplements have not been thoroughly studied or monitored, safety and effectiveness may not be proven. Brands may be made differently, with variable ingredients even within the same brand. Combination products often contain small amounts of each ingredient and may not be effective. Appropriate dosing should be discussed with a health care professional before starting therapy; always read the recommendations on a product's label. The dosing for unproven uses should be approached cautiously, because scientific information is limited in these areas. American pennyroyal may contain up to 2 percent volatile oil, and European pennyroyal may contain up to 1 percent volatile oil. Both may contain 85 percent to 92 percent pulegone. No dose of pennyroyal has been determined to be safe. There are no standard or well-studied doses of pennyroyal, and many different doses are used traditionally. Adults (Aged 18 Or Older) Pennyroyal has been used as an extract, tincture, oil, tea and skin cream. However, because of known toxicity and the risk of death, no specific doses can be recommended. Children (Younger Than 18) There are not enough scientific data to recommend pennyroyal for use in children, and pennyroyal is not recommended because of a high risk of toxicity and death.
Pennyroyal has been suggested as a treatment for many conditions, but it is not considered to be safe. There is not enough scientific evidence to support the use of pennyroyal for any medical condition. Pennyroyal is toxic to many organs, including the brain, liver and kidneys. It should be avoided in pregnant or breast-feeding women and in children. Pennyroyal may also lower blood sugar levels. Consult a health care professional immediately if you decide to use pennyroyal and experience any side effects. The information in this monograph was prepared by the professional staff at Natural Standard, based on thorough systematic review of scientific evidence. The material was reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School with final editing approved by Natural Standard.
- Natural Standard: An organization that produces scientifically based reviews of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) topics
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM): A division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services dedicated to research
Selected Scientific Studies: Pennyroyal Natural Standard reviewed more than 85 articles to prepare the professional monograph from which this version was created. Some of the more recent studies are listed below: - Anderson IB, Nelson SD, Blanc PD. Pennyroyal metabolites in human poisoning. Ann Intern Med 1997;126(3):250-251.
- Anderson IB, Mullen WH, Meeker JE, et al. Pennyroyal toxicity: measurement of toxic metabolite levels in two cases and review of the literature. Ann Intern Med 1996;124(8):726-734.
- Bakerink JA, Gospe SM Jr., Dimand RJ, et al. Multiple organ failure after ingestion of pennyroyal oil from herbal tea in two infants. Pediatrics 1996;98(5):944-947.
- Black DR. Pregnancy unaffected by pennyroyal usage. J Am Osteopath Assoc 1985;May, 85(5):282.
- Buechel DW, Haverlah VC, Gardner ME. Pennyroyal oil ingestion: report of a case. J Am Osteopath Assoc 1983;Jun, 82(10):793-794.
- Burkhard PR, Burkhardt K, Haenggeli CA, Landis T. Plant-induced seizures: reappearance of an old problem. J Neurol 1999;Aug, 246(8):667-670.
- Ciganda C, Laborde A. Herbal infusions used for induced abortion. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 2003;41(3):235-239.
- Conway GA, Slocumb JC. Plants used as abortifacients and emmenagogues by Spanish New Mexicans. J Ethnopharmacol 1979;Oct, 1(3):241-261.
- Giorgi DF, Lobel D, Morasco R, et al. N-acetylcysteine for pennyroyal oil toxicity. Vet Human Toxicol 1994;36(4):358.
- Mazur LJ, De Ybarrondo L, Miller J, Colasurdo G. Use of alternative and complementary therapies for pediatric asthma. Tex Med 2001;Jun, 97(6):64-68.
- Mizutani T, Nomura H, Nakanishi K, Fujita S. Effects of drug metabolism modifiers on pulegone-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Res Commun Chem Pathol Pharmacol 1987;Oct, 58(1):75-83.
- Sudekum M, Poppenga RH, Raju N, Braselton WE Jr. Pennyroyal oil toxicosis in a dog. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1992;Mar 15, 200(6):817-818.
Last updated July 01, 2005
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