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Peony

Peonies, also known as peonies, are a genus of plants whose roots and, less frequently, their flowers and seeds are used to make medicine. Peony products are used for gout, osteoarthritis, fever, respiratory diseases and coughs. Peony products are also used for viral hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, stomach upsets, muscle cramps, arteriosclerosis and as an emetic. In addition, peony products are used for cramps, whooping cough, epilepsy, nerve pain, migraine headaches and chronic fatigue syndrome. Women use peony products for menstrual cramps, polycystic ovary syndrome, premenstrual syndrome, to induce menstruation and to induce abortion. Peony products are applied to the skin to treat brittle skin and especially cracks in the skin around the anus, which sometimes occur with hemorrhoids.

How do peony products work?

Peonyproducts may block chemicals produced by the body that can cause muscle spasms. They may also inhibit blood clotting and act as antioxidants.

How effective is peony?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of peony products for muscle cramps. New research suggests that taking a specific combination of peony and licorice may relieve muscle cramps in people suffering from liver cirrhosis or undergoing hemodialysis. There is also a lack of scientific information on the effectiveness of peony products for gout, osteoarthritis, respiratory problems, coughs, skin diseases, hemorrhoids, heart problems, stomach upsets, spasms, nerve problems, migraine headaches and chronic fatigue syndrome. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of peony products in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Peonyproducts appear to be potentially safe and harmless for short-term use for up to 4 weeks. In contact with the skin, peony products may cause skin rashes in sensitive individuals.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Peony products may not be safe for oral use during pregnancy. New research suggests that peony products may cause contractions of the uterus. However, other research suggests that a combination of peony and angelica may be safe and harmless. Until more is known, pregnant women should avoid peony products. It is also better to avoid peony products while breastfeeding, as not enough is known about their safety.

Blood clotting disorders: Because peony products may slow down blood clotting, there are concerns that they may increase the risk of bleeding in people who suffer from blood clotting disorders.

Surgeries: Peony products could slow down blood clotting. There are concerns that this could increase the risk of bleeding during and after surgery. For this reason, the use of peony products should be stopped at least 2 weeks before planned operations.

Interactions

Care should be taken when combining peony products with the following medications:

Medications that slow blood clotting

Peony products could slow down blood clotting. Taking peony products in conjunction with medications that also slow blood clotting could increase the risk of bleeding and the tendency to bruise.

Some medications that can slow blood clotting include aspirin, diclofenac (Voltaren), ibuprofen, naproxen and others.

Phenytoin

Peony root may reduce the amount of phenytoin in the body. Taking peony root in combination with phenytoin could reduce the effectiveness of phenytoin and increase the risk of seizures.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of peony products 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 peony products. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

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