Facts & Comparisons > Feverfew

Feverfew

Scientific names: Tanacetum parthenium, synonymous with Chrysanthemum parthenium, Leucanthemum parthenium, andPyrethrum parthenium. Alternately described as a member of the genus Matricaria.

Common names: Feverfew also is known as featherfew, altamisa, bachelor's button, featherfoil, febrifuge plant, midsummer daisy, nosebleed, Santa Maria, wild chamomile, and wild quinine.

Efficacy-safety rating:

ÒÒ...Ethno or other evidence of efficacy.

Safety rating:

●...Little exposure or very minor concerns.

What is Feverfew?

A short bushy perennial, a member of the Asteraceae (daisy) family that grows in fields and along roadsides. Its yellow-green leaves and yellow flowers resemble those of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), for which it sometimes is confused.

What is Feverfew used for?

Traditional/Ethnobotanical uses

The herb feverfew has had a long history of use in traditional and folk medicine, especially among Greek and early European herbalists. However, during the last few hundred years feverfew had fallen into general disuse, until recently. It now has become popular as a prophylactic treatment for migraine headaches and its extracts have been claimed to relieve menstrual pain, asthma, dermatitis, and arthritis. Traditionally, the herb has been used as an antipyretic (fever reducer), from which its common name is derived. The leaves are ingested fresh or dried, with a typical daily dose of 2 to 3 leaves. These are bitter and often are sweetened before ingestion. It also has been planted around houses to purify the air due to its strong, lasting odor, and a tincture of its blossoms doubles as an insect repellant and balm for their bites. It was once used as an antidote for overindulgence in opium.

Antimigraine/anti-inflammatory

Traditionally an antipyretic (fever reducer), feverfew has been used in recent times to avert migraines and relieve menstrual pain, asthma, dermatitis, and arthritis.

Feverfew extracts are potent inhibitors of serotonin release, providing a possible connection between the claimed benefit of feverfew in migraines and arthritis. Feverfew may produce an antimigraine effect in a manner similar to the prescription medication methysergide maleate (Sansert), a known serotonin antagonist.

Canada's Health Protection Branch has granted a Drug Identification Number (DIN) for a British feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) product. This allows the product's manufacturer, Herbal Laboratories, Ltd., to make the claim, as a nonprescription drug, for effectiveness in the prevention of migraine headache. Canada's Health Protection Branch recommends a daily dosage of 125 mg of a dried feverfew leaf preparation, from authenticated Tanacetum parthenium containing at least 0.2 parthenolide for the prevention of migraine.

Extracts of the plant also inhibit the release of enzymes from white cells found in inflamed joints, a similar anti-inflammatory effect may occur in the skin, providing a rationale for the traditional use of feverfew in psoriasis.

What is the dosage of Feverfew?

Feverfew generally is given for migraine at a daily dose of 50 to 150 mg of dried leaves. While some products have been standardized for parthenolide (thought to be one if its primary active ingredients) content (0.2 to 0.6 mg/dose), this compound has not been confirmed as a major active principle for migraine.

Is Feverfew safe?

Contraindications

Contraindications have not yet been identified.

Pregnancy/nursing

Documented adverse effects. May promote menstruation and induces abortion. Avoid use.

Interactions

None well documented.

Side Effects

Patients withdrawn from feverfew experienced a syndrome of ill effects. Most adverse effects of treatment with feverfew are mild, although some patients have experienced increased heart rate. Feverfew should not be used by pregnant or lactating women or children under 2 years of age. Feverfew possibly may interact with anticoagulants

Toxicities

No studies of chronic toxicity have yet been performed on the plant and the safety of long-term use has not been established scientifically.

References

1. Feverfew. Review of Natural Products. factsandcomparisons4.0 [online]. 2006. Available from Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. Accessed April 16, 2007.

Copyright © 2006 Wolters Kluwer Health

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