What's on this Page
What is Feverfew Tanacetum parthenium
Feverfew Tanacetum parthenium is an ornamental flowering plant commonly cultivated in the United States and many other countries worldwide.
The plant is commonly known as bachelor’s button, featherfew, mutterkraut and Santa Maria.
The flowers of feverfew bear close resemblance to those of chamomile (Matricaria recutita); chamomile has been botanically misidentified as feverfew. There are many different species of feverfew worldwide; the chemical, flower and leaf morphology are different among these species and not all may be effective therapeutically.
The leaves of the feverfew species, Tanacetum parthenium are used medicinally; the leaves contain the majority of bioactive compounds.
Feverfew has been used historically since at least 78 A.D. as a treatment for fever; other traditional claimed uses include the relief of dysmenorrhea and arthritis. Today, feverfew is used primarily as a prophylactic agent against migraine headaches; several clinical trials have supported the use of feverfew for this purpose.
However, evidence that feverfew is effective as a relief medication for acute migraine is lacking; and comparative trials with traditional agents for migraine prophylaxis (e.g., propranolol) are not available.
Feverfew has been approved for non-prescription migraine prophylaxis by the Canadian government.
In the US, feverfew is regulated as an herbal dietary supplement and is not FDA-approved for any use.
Indications
- fever
- headache
- migraine
- migraine prophylaxis
- rheumatoid arthritis
For the abortive treatment of migraine† and vascular headache
Side Effects
- abdominal pain
- angioedema
- atopic dermatitis
- contact dermatitis
- diarrhea
- dysgeusia
- dyspepsia
- flatulence
- glossitis
- menorrhagia
- menstrual irregularity
- oral ulceration
- photosensitivity
- rash
- sinus tachycardia
- spontaneous fetal abortion
- stomatitis
- vaginal bleeding
- withdrawal
Monitoring Parameters
- laboratory monitoring not necessary
Contraindications
- abrupt discontinuation
- anticoagulant therapy
- atopy
- basilar/hemiplegic migraine
- bleeding
- breast-feeding
- children
- coagulopathy
- dental work
- eczema
- fever
- geriatric
- head trauma
- headache
- hemophilia
- hepatic disease
- infants
- migraine
- pregnancy
- renal disease
- renal failure
- renal impairment
- rheumatoid arthritis
- stroke
- surgery
- thrombolytic therapy
- vitamin K deficiency
Interactions
No information is available regarding drug interactions associated with Feverfew Tanacetum parthenium
