Black nettle

Black nettle ( Black Horehound ) is a plant whose parts growing above the ground are used to make medicine.

Black nett le is used to treat nausea, vomiting, cramps, coughs and whooping cough. In addition to this, black nettle is used to relieve symptoms of nervous disorders - especially mild sleep problems. Black nettle is also used to increase the flow of bile acid. Some people apply black nettle directly to the skin as a mild drying agent (astringent) and to treat gout. Black nettle is used rectally as an enema to treat worms in the digestive tract.

How does black nettle work?

Black nettle contains chemicals that have a whole range of functions and can help with nausea, vomiting, cramps and other ailments.

How effective is black nettle?

There is not enough scientific data to say how effective black nettle is for nausea, vomiting, nervous disorders, whooping cough, cramps, increasing the flow of bile acids, applied to the skin for gout and used rectally as an enema to treat intestinal worm infections. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of black nettle in these applications.

Side effects and safety

Black nettle may be safe and harmless for most people when taken orally, although the potential side effects are not known. There is not enough information to make a statement about whether black nettle is safe and harmless when applied to the skin or used rectally.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Oral use of black nettle during pregnancy is not safe or safe. Black nettle products can affect the menstrual cycle, which could jeopardize pregnancy. It is also best not to apply black nettle to the skin during pregnancy, as not enough is known about the safety of such use during pregnancy.

Black nettle should also not be used while breastfeeding as a precaution, as the potential effects on breastfed infants are unknown.

Parkinson's disease: Black nettle contains chemicals that affect the brain. There are concerns that black nettle may interfere with treatment for Parkinson's disease.

Schizophrenia and psychotic disorders: Black nett le contains chemicals that affect the brain. There are concerns that black nettle could harm people suffering from schizophrenia or psychotic disorders.

Interactions

Care should be taken when combining black nettle with the following medications:

Medications used to treat Parkinson's disease (dopamine agonists)

Black nettle contains chemicals that affect the brain. These chemicals affect the brain in a similar way to some drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease. Taking black nettle in conjunction with these medications may increase the effects and side effects of some medications used for Parkinson's disease.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of black nettle depends on various factors such as age, health status and others. At this time, there is insufficient scientific data to determine appropriate dosage ranges for black nettle. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

1. Daels-Rakotoarison DA, Seidel V, Gressier B, et al. Neurosedative and antioxidant activities of phenylpropanoids from Ballota nigra. Arzneimittelforschung 2000;50:16-23.