Common goldenrod

Common goldenrod is a plant whose parts growing above the ground are used to make medicine. Common goldenrod is used to reduce pain and inflammatory swelling, as a diuretic to increase urine flow and to relieve muscle spasms. Common goldenrod is also used for gout, rheumatic joint pain and arthritis, as well as eczema and other skin conditions. In addition, common goldenrod is used to treat diabetes, enlargement of the liver, hemorrhoids, internal bleeding, hay fever, asthma, prostate enlargement and tuberculosis infections that become active again after a period of inactivity.

Some people use common goldenrod as an irrigation therapy. This is a procedure in which common goldenrod is taken with a large amount of liquid to increase urine flow and thereby treat inflammatory diseases of the lower urinary tract, as well as kidney stones. Common goldenrod is also used as a mouthwash for inflammation of the mouth and throat and applied to the skin to improve wound healing.

How does common goldenrod work?

Commongoldenrod contains chemicals that can increase urine flow and have anti-inflammatory effects.

How effective is common goldenrod?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of common goldenrod for cramps, inflammatory swelling of the mouth, throat and lower urinary tract, gout, arthritis, kidney stones, skin diseases, tuberculosis, diabetes, enlargement of the liver, hemorrhoids, internal bleeding, asthma, hay fever and prostate enlargement. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of common goldenrod in these applications.

Safety and side effects

There is not enough information to say whether common goldenrod is safe and harmless or what side effects it may have.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Not enough is known about the use of common goldenrod during pregnancy and lactation. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid common goldenrod.

Allergies to broomweed and related plants: Common goldenrod could cause allergic reactions in people who are sensitive to plants in the Asteraceae/Compositae family. Members of this plant family include broomsedge, chrysanthemums, marigolds, daisies and many others. If you suffer from allergies, you should consult your doctor before taking common goldenrod.

Water retention (edema) due to heart or kidney disease: Irrigation therapy, in which common goldenrod is taken with large amounts of liquid to increase urine flow, should not be used by people suffering from water retention due to heart or kidney disease.

High blood pressure: There are concerns that common goldenrod may cause the body to retain more sodium, which could exacerbate existing high blood pressure.

Urinary tract infections: Herbal irrigation therapy may not work for infections and the use of germicidal medication may be necessary. Irrigation therapy should be carefully monitored and should not be relied upon to be sufficient to successfully treat an infection.

Interactions

Care should be taken when combining common goldenrod with the following medications:

Diuretics

Commongoldenrod appears to act in a similar way to diuretics by causing the body to lose water. Taking common goldenrod with other diuretics could cause the body to lose too much water. Losing too much fluid can result in dizziness and low blood pressure.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of common goldenrod depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At the present time, there is insufficient scientific data to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for common goldenrod. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.