Feverfew's therapeutic uses
Feverfew is a natural plant product historically used for various therapeutic purposes, most notably for the prevention of migraine headaches. Native to the Balkans, this herb has been widely adopted in Europe and the Americas. While it was once mistakenly believed to lower fevers, feverfew is primarily associated with alleviating pain from migraines, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, menstrual cramps, and certain skin conditions. The active components in feverfew are thought to have anti-inflammatory properties, which may contribute to its effectiveness in reducing migraine frequency and severity.
Research has demonstrated that specific extracts of feverfew can significantly decrease the number of migraines experienced by individuals, while preliminary studies suggest potential benefits for treating digestive issues and skin ailments like eczema and psoriasis. Although feverfew appears to have a favorable safety profile, it may cause mild side effects such as mouth sores and gastrointestinal discomfort. Caution is advised when combining feverfew with anticoagulants or anti-inflammatory medications, and it is generally not recommended for use during pregnancy. Overall, while feverfew shows promise for various health conditions, further research is needed to fully understand its therapeutic benefits and safety.
Feverfew's therapeutic uses
- DEFINITION: Natural plant product used to treat specific health conditions.
- PRINCIPAL PROPOSED USE: Migraine headaches
- OTHER PROPOSED USES: Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, menstrual cramps, skin conditions, digestive problems
Overview
Originally native to the Balkans, feverfew, a relative of the common daisy, was spread by deliberate planting throughout Europe and the Americas. Feverfew’s feathery and aromatic leaves have long been used medicinally to improve childbirth, promote menstruation, induce abortions, relieve rheumatic pain, and treat severe headaches.
Contrary to popular belief, feverfew is not used to lower fevers. According to one source, feverfew is a corruption of the name "featherfoil." Featherfoil became "featherfew," and ultimately, feverfew. In an odd historical reversal, this name led to a widespread belief among herbalists that feverfew could lower fevers. After a while, they noticed that it did not work, and they then rejected feverfew as a useless herb. Feverfew remained unpopular until a serendipitous event occurred in the late 1970s.
At that time, the wife of the Chief Medical Officer of the National Coal Board in England had severe migraine headaches. When workers in the industry learned of this, a sympathetic miner suggested she try a folk treatment he had used. She followed his advice and chewed feverfew leaves. The results were dramatic: her migraines disappeared almost completely.
Her husband was impressed, too. He used his high office to gain the ear of a physician specializing in migraine headaches, E. Stewart Johnson of the London Migraine Clinic. Johnson subsequently experimented with feverfew in his practice and observed good results. This led to increased study.
Therapeutic Dosages
The tested liquid-carbon-dioxide feverfew extract is taken at a dose of 6.25 milligrams (mg) three times daily. To replicate the dosage of feverfew used in the two positive studies of whole leaf described above, one should take 80 to 100 mg of powdered whole feverfew leaf daily.
Therapeutic Uses
Feverfew is taken daily, primarily to prevent migraine headaches. Only limited investigation has been conducted into its use as a treatment for migraines that have already started. One double-blind study evaluating feverfew as a preventive agent did find hints of possible symptom-reducing benefits believed to be due to feverfews anti-inflammatory properties.
It is important to remember that serious diseases may occasionally first present themselves as migraine-type headaches. For this reason, proper medical diagnosis is essential if one suddenly starts having migraines without a previous history or if the pattern of one’s migraines changes significantly. Feverfew is sometimes recommended for osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, but it has only undergone preliminary testing for this use. Other studies suggest feverfew may be instrumental in treating dermatitis because it aids in reproducing skin cells, but further evidence is required to confirm these results.
Additional therapeutic uses of feverfew include reducing pain associated with menstrual cramps, relieving digestive issues such as indigestion and bloating, and, when used topically, treating skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Increased study is required to confirm these medical benefits.
Scientific Evidence
Several meaningful double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have been performed to evaluate feverfew’s effectiveness as a preventive treatment for migraines. The best positive trials used a feverfew extract from the herb with liquid carbon dioxide. Other trials that used whole feverfew leaf also found it effective; however, studies that used feverfew extracts did not find benefit.
In a well-conducted sixteen-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 170 people with migraines, the use of a feverfew extract at a dose of 6.25 mg three times daily resulted in a significant decrease in headache frequency, compared with the effect of the placebo treatment. In the treatment group, headache frequency decreased by 1.9 headaches per month, compared with a reduction of 1.3 headaches per month in the placebo group. The average number of headaches per month prior to treatment was 4.76 headaches. The extract used in this study was made utilizing liquid carbon dioxide. A previous study using the same extract had failed to find a benefit, but it primarily enrolled people with less frequent migraines.
Other studies used whole feverfew leaf and found benefit. One study followed fifty-nine people for eight months. For four months, half received a daily capsule of powdered feverfew leaf; the other half took placebo. The groups were then switched and followed for an additional four months. Treatment with feverfew produced a 24 percent reduction in the number of migraines and a significant decrease in nausea and vomiting during the headaches. A subsequent double-blind study of fifty-seven people with migraines found that use of feverfew leaf could decrease the severity of migraine headaches. This trial did not report whether there was any change in the frequency of migraines. It is possible, therefore, that this study showed a symptom-reducing effect rather than a preventive benefit. One study using an alcohol extract failed to find benefit.
Safety Issues
Animal studies suggest that feverfew is essentially nontoxic. In one eight-month study, there were no significant differences in side effects between the treated and control groups. There also were no changes in measurements on blood tests and urinalysis.
In a survey of 300 people, 11.3 percent reported mouth sores from chewing feverfew leaf, occasionally accompanied by general inflammation of the mouth tissues. A smaller percentage reported mild gastrointestinal distress. However, mouth sores do not seem to occur in people who use encapsulated feverfew leaf powder, the usual form. Given its use as a folk remedy to promote abortions, feverfew should probably not be taken during pregnancy. Because feverfew might slightly inhibit the activity of blood-clotting cells known as platelets, it should not be combined with strong anticoagulants, such as warfarin (Coumadin) or heparin, except on medical advice. Feverfew might also increase the risk of stomach problems if combined with anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin. Safety in young children, pregnant or nursing women, and those with severe kidney or liver disease has not been established.
Important Interactions
If one is taking warfarin (Coumadin), heparin, aspirin, or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, one should use feverfew only on medical advice.
Bibliography
Boyle, Kerry, and Caitlin Geng. "Feverfew: Uses and Side Effects." Medical News Today, 25 Sept. 2023, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/feverfew. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.
"Feverfew." Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/feverfew. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.
"Feverfew." National Center of Complementary and Integrative Health, Dec. 2020, www.nccih.nih.gov/health/feverfew. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.
Newall, C., L. A. Anderson, and J. D. Phillipson. Herbal Medicines: A Guide for Health-Care Professionals. 2nd ed., Pharmaceutical Press, 2002.
Pattrick, M., et al. "Feverfew in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Double Blind, Placebo Controlled Study." Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, vol. 48, no. 7, 1989, pp. 547-549, doi.org/10.1136/ard.48.7.547. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.
Pfaffenrath, V., et al. "The Efficacy and Safety of Tanacetum parthenium (Feverfew) in Migraine Prophylaxis." Cephalalgia, vol. 22, 2002, pp. 523-532.
Tyler, V. E. Herbs of Choice: The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals. 3rd ed., Pharmaceutical Products Press, 2009.