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Allergies? Try ButterburStop Your Sneezing, Runny Nose, and Itchy Eyes
One of nature's antihistamines can relieve symptoms of hay fever and seasonal allergies.
If allergy and hay fever symptoms are making you miserable and drugs either don’t work or you prefer not to take them, butterbur may come to your rescue. Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) is a shrub-like plant native to Europe. This herbal remedy is also commonly known as butterfly dock, bog rhubarb, and blatterdock. Extracts from the leaves, roots, and stems have been used to treat allergies, asthma, stomach ulcers, and migraine. During the fourteenth century, butterbur was used to treat plague. Butterbur as AntihistamineExperts believe butterbur is effective in the treatment of allergies and hay fever because it has anti-inflammatory properties that decrease the levels of histamine and leukotrienes, chemicals that are involved in allergic reactions. In fact, when butterbur was compared with two popular prescription antihistamines, the herb performed just as well as the drugs, and without the bothersome side effects, especially drowsiness. In 2004, for example, butterbur was found to be as effective as fexofenadine (Allegra®) in people with hay fever. A 2002 study found that butterbur worked as well as cetirizine (Zyrtec®), again for hay fever symptoms. In a more recent study (2006), 90 percent of 580 patients with seasonal allergies were treated with a butterbur extract for two weeks. Ninety percent said their symptoms improved (runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, itchy eyes and nose, red eyes, skin irritation). These results were similar to those reported in many earlier studies. Trying ButterburIf you are allergic to ragweed, marigolds, daisies, or chrysanthemums, do not take butterbur because it is related to the ragweed family and may cause an allergic reaction. Butterbur is available as tablets, extracts, capsules, and teas. It is also included as an ingredient in some combination herbal remedies for allergies and hay fever. Although side effects are rare and typically mild, they may include headache, fatigue, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation in people who are sensitive to the herb. Butterbur contains chemicals called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) that are toxic to the kidneys and liver and also may have cancer-causing properties. When buying butterbur supplements, look for products that say they are PA-free, which means the toxins have been removed. Finally, talk to your doctor before using butterbur for allergy or hay fever symptoms. Once your doctor says it is safe to use it, take the supplement as directed on the label. ReferencesBrattstrom A. A newly developed extract (Ze 339) from butterbur (Petasites hybridus L.) is clinically efficient in allergic rhinitis (hay fever). Phytomedicine 2003;10 Suppl 4:50-52. Kauteler R et al. Efficacy and safety of butterbur herbal extract Ze 339 in seasonal allergic rhinitis: postmarketing surveillance study. Adv Ther 2006 Mar-Apr;23(2):373-84. Schapowal A; Study Group. Treating intermittent allergic rhinitis: a prospective, randomized, placebo and antihistamine-controlled study of Butterbur extract Ze 339. Phytother Res 2005 Jun;19(6):530-37.
The copyright of the article Allergies? Try Butterbur in Hayfever/Spring Allergies is owned by Deborah Mitchell. Permission to republish Allergies? Try Butterbur in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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