Goat's Rue: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews

Overview

Goat's rue is a plant. The parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicine. Be careful not to confuse goat's rue (Galega officinalis) with rue (Ruta graveolens).

Goat's rue is used for diabetes, breast-feeding, and many other purposes, but there is no good scientific evidence to support its use.

Goat's rue contains a chemical that may lower blood sugar in a test tube. But it is unclear if goat's rue has this effect when taken by people.

How does it work ?

Goat's rue contains a chemical that may lower blood sugar in a test tube. But it is unclear if goat's rue has this effect when taken by people.

Uses & Effectiveness

Insufficient Evidence for

Breast-feeding. Some mothers have reported improvements in milk production after taking goat's rue with other vitamins and minerals, but this has not been studied in clinical trials.
Diabetes.
Digestive problems.
Other uses.

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of goat's rue for these uses.

Side Effects

When taken by mouth: There isn't enough reliable information to know if goat's rue is safe or what the side effects might be. No harmful effects have been reported in humans, but fatal poisoning has occurred in grazing animals that ate large quantities of goat's rue.

Special Precautions and Warnings

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if goat's rue is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Bleeding conditions: Goat's rue might slow blood clotting and increase the risk of bleeding. In theory, goat's rue might make bleeding disorders worse.

Surgery: Goat's rue might affect blood sugar levels. There is concern that it might interfere with blood sugar control during and after surgery. Stop using goat's rue at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.

Interactions

Moderate Interaction

Be cautious with this combination

Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs) interacts with Goat's Rue
Goat's rue might slow blood clotting. Taking goat's rue along with medications that also slow blood clotting might increase the chances of bruising and bleeding.

Some medications that slow blood clotting include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, ticlopidine (Ticlid), warfarin (Coumadin), and others.

Dosing

The appropriate dose of goat's rue depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for goat's rue. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.

View References

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