Iberogast Side Effects
- Iberogast is a German dietary supplement that has been on the market since 1961. It is intended to aid digestion and support gastrointestinal health. Iberogast itself has not been reported to have any side effects, although some of its ingredients may have effects. According to the manufacturer, Medical Futures Inc., Iberogast contains peppermint leaf, licorice root, celandine, lemon balm leaf, milk thistle fruit, caraway fruit, angelica root and rhizome, clown's mustard plant (iberis amara), chamomile flower and 31 percent alcohol.
- The label states that adults should take 20 drops of Iberogast with their favorite drink. Children 6 to 12 years old should be given five drops three times a day, and children who are 3 to 6 years old should be given 10 drops, three times a day. Babies as young as 3 months can be given eight drops, but the manufacturer recommends that you consult your physician before giving Iberogast to children under 3 months.
The drops can be placed directly in the mouth or dissolved in juice, water or tea. - One of the ingredients in Iberogast is chamomile, which is a member of the ragweed family. Some people do have an allergic reaction to anything containing chamomile. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, allergic reactions include anaphylaxis, throat swelling and shortness of breath. Skin allergic reactions like itching and eczema also have been been reported.
- While the University of Maryland confirms that licorice root--another of Iberogast's ingredients--has been traditionally used to aid digestion, it also warns of possible side effects including fatigue, headaches, high blood pressure and even heart attacks. Licorice root contains the chemical glycyrrhizin, which can cause a condition called pseudoaldosteronism, in which you become overly sensitive to hormones in your adrenal cortex. This can cause dangerous water retention.
Although these conditions usually develop in response to large doses of licorice root, they have been reported at very low doses. - Although the level of alcohol in each dose of Iberogast is very low, according to Dianne Murphy, M.D., director of U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of Pediatric Therapeutics, you should be careful giving anything containing alcohol to children. Because they are more sensitive to many drugs--including alcohol--even very low doses can cause reactions such as excitability or extreme sleepiness. Also, anyone recovering from alcohol abuse or at risk for alcoholism should avoid all products containing alcohol.
