To determine pediatric dose, see your child’s pediatrician or a herbalist with experience treating young patients.
Adult
Take echinacea three times daily for the first ten days of a cold, flu, upper respiratory infection, or bladder infection to stimulate the immune system generally.
Echinacea should NOT be taken on an empty stomach. Take it with food or a big glass of water instead.
How much echinacea should I take in drops?
Darunavir (Prezista)
Rating for Interaction: Minor Use this combination with caution. Consult your healthcare practitioner.
To eliminate darunavir (Prezista), the body breaks it down. Echinacea may slow down the body’s absorption of darunavir (Prezista). Echinacea may lessen the effects of darunavir (Prezista) or raise the likelihood of negative effects when taken with it (Prezista). However, no evidence of this in people has been found.
Docetaxel (Docefrez, Taxotere)
Rating for Interaction: Minor Use this combination with caution. Consult your healthcare practitioner.
To eliminate docetaxel (Taxotere), the body breaks it down. The rate at which the body breaks down docetaxel may be impacted by echinacea (Taxotere). Echinacea may reduce the effects of docetaxel (Taxotere) or raise the risk of side effects if taken concurrently with docetaxel (Taxotere). However, no evidence of this in people has been found.
Minor Etravirine (Intelligence) Interaction Use this combination with caution. Consult your healthcare practitioner.
The body modifies and breaks down etravirine (Intelligence). Echinacea may slow down the body’s metabolism of etravirine (Intelence). Echinacea may lessen the effects of etravirine (Intelence) or enhance its negative effects when taken with it (Intelence). But humans have not yet experienced this.
Ritonavir with Lopinavir (Kaletra)
Rating for Interaction: Minor Use this combination with caution. Consult your healthcare practitioner.
The body modifies and breaks down Lopinavir/Ritonavir (Kaletra). Echinacea may slow down the body’s metabolism of lopinavir and ritonavir (Kaletra). Echinacea may either increase or decrease the effects of lopinavir/ritonavir when taken with etravirine (Intelence) (Kaletra). But humans have not yet experienced this.
Midazolam (Versed)
Rating for Interaction: Minor Use this combination with caution. Consult your healthcare practitioner.
The body modifies and degrades midazolam (Versed). It appears that echinacea slows down the body’s metabolism of midazolam (Versed). When used with echinacea, midazolam (Versed) may have more negative side effects or less positive effects (Versed). To understand the effects of echinacea on midazolam, more information is required (Versed).
Coumadin (Warfarin) Interaction Grade: Minor Use this combination with caution. Consult your healthcare practitioner.
Blood clotting is slowed down with warfarin (Coumadin). To eliminate warfarin (Coumadin), the body breaks it down. Echinacea may accelerate the breakdown of warfarin and lessen its effectiveness (Coumadin). Warfarin’s (Coumadin’s) diminished efficiency may raise the chance of clotting. Make sure to routinely get your blood tested. You might need to adjust the warfarin (Coumadin) dosage.
Dosing
FROM MOUTH:
- A 5 mL dose of Echinacea purpurea extract (Echinacin, Madaus AG, Cologne, Germany) taken twice daily for 10 days has been used to treat the common cold. It has also been used to take an extract of Echinacea purpurea called EchinaGuard (Madaus AG, Cologne, Germany), 20 drops in water every two hours on the first day that cold symptoms appear, then three times per day for up to 10 days. It has been used to administer either 5 mL eight times on the first day of cold symptoms, then three times daily for six days, or 4 mL ten times on the first day of cold symptoms of an extract of the entire Echinacea purpurea plant (Echinilin, Inovobiologic Inc., Calgary, Alberta, Canada). On the first day of cold symptoms, drink five or six times a different species of echinacea tea (Echinacea Plus, Traditional Medicinals, Sebastopol, CA), then cut back to one cup per day for the next five days.
- With an increase of 0.9 mL five times day (total dose: 4000 mg daily) at the first indication of a cold, a specialized echinacea extract (Echinaforce, A. Vogel Bioforce AG, Switzerland) has been utilized for the PREVENTION of the common cold.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are urged to inform the FDA of any harmful side effects from prescription medications. Contact FDA MedWatch by phone at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Brief overview
However, no studies utilizing Echinacea in the prevention or treatment of illnesses similar to COVID-19 have been found. Current research suggests that echinacea supplementation may reduce the duration and severity of acute respiratory tract infections. There were not many side events reported, indicating the relative safety of this herbal medication. Clinical studies have shown that Echinacea lowers levels of immunological molecules associated with cytokine storm, despite the fact that it might boost immune activity, which raises concerns that it can worsen over-activation of the immune system in cytokine storm.
Verdict
When given at the earliest sign of infection, Echinacea supplements may help with the symptoms of acute respiratory infections (ARI) and the common cold. No trials employing Echinacea in the prevention or treatment of illnesses like COVID-19, however, have been found. When taken at the outset of symptoms, Echinacea may lessen the intensity and/or duration of ARI, according to earlier research. E. purpurea or a mixture of E. purpurea and E. angustifolia having standardized levels of active components were employed in trials claiming benefit.
Echinacea use hasn’t been associated with many side effects, which suggests that this herbal remedy is generally harmless. No human studies using echinacea for up to 4 months could be found that showed cytokine storm symptoms.
The results were largely consistent with a reduction in the pro-inflammatory cytokines that are involved in the progression of cytokine storm and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), factors that are highly significant in the death of COVID-19 patients when looking at all human trials that reported changes in cytokine levels in response to Echinacea supplementation. Even though there isn’t any research on the therapeutic benefits of echinacea in the treatment of cytokine storms right now, this evidence shows that more study is necessary.
What negative effects can echinacea have?
Echinacea is probably short-term safe for the majority of people when taken orally. It is safe to utilize different echinacea products for up to 10 days. Some products, like Echinaforce (A. Vogel Bioforce AG), offer a six-month safe usage period.
The most frequent adverse reactions are rash, diarrhea, heartburn, constipation, and stomach pain. Some people may experience adverse responses, particularly those who are allergic to ragweed, mums, marigolds, or daisies.
Echinacea may be safe for short-term use when applied topically. Echinacea-containing cream (Linola Plus Cream) has been used safely for up to 12 weeks. Echinacea topical application may result in skin redness, itching, or rashes.
What dosage of echinacea should I take each day?
Depending on the product, different echinacea dosages are advised. The most frequently prescribed medication in the US is a liquid extract of the E. purpurea root, which is typically dosed at 3 mL every three to four hours for the first one to two days of upper respiratory sickness and then three times per day for the following week. Patients utilizing echinacea tea (prepared from the root of E. angustifolia or E. purpurea) must start with greater doses, usually 6 to 8 oz four times per day for the first two days before reducing it to once or twice per day on days three to seven.
In whom should echinacea not be taken?
Consult your doctor before using echinacea if you regularly take other medications. Additionally, if you smoke, use illegal substances, drink alcohol or caffeine-containing beverages, you should disclose this to your doctor. These might impact how echinacea functions.
If you have an autoimmune ailment (like lupus), an infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, echinacea may not be beneficial to you (AIDS). Before beginning to use echinacea, you should discuss with your doctor if you are pregnant or nursing.
Echinacea allergy risk may be increased if you have a history of allergies to daisies, ragweed, marigolds, chrysanthemums, or other related plants.
Can echinacea drops be added to tea?
Echinacea Tea According to popular belief, echinacea tea can both prevent and treat the common cold. Evidence suggests that echinacea may strengthen the immune system, aiding the body’s defense against viruses and illnesses ( 33 ).
Why is there a 10-day limit on taking echinacea?
The more frequent echinacea adverse effects are as follows:
- headaches
- dizziness
- feeling unwell
- belly pain
- constipation
- skin repercussions (redness, itchiness and swelling)
- Children are more likely to have them.
Echinacea use for longer than 8 weeks at a time may cause liver damage or immune system suppression. If you are taking medications known to have an adverse effect on your liver, herbalists advise against taking echinacea.
If you use any additional medications, herbs, or supplements, check with your doctor first.
Using echinacea safely
If you want to substitute echinacea for your cancer therapy, let your doctor know. Additionally, if you are considering taking it concurrently with your cancer therapy.
In some people, it may not be safe to use in conjunction with other cancer treatments.
Echinacea may impair the effectiveness of some chemotherapy medications, including etoposide.
Sometimes pharmacists and medical professionals advise lymphoma patients not to consume echinacea. This is so that it won’t affect how they’re being treated.
Researchers discovered that echinacea and etravine were safe to ingest together in HIV-positive individuals.
If any of the following apply to you before consuming echinacea:
- are breastfeeding or pregnant
- have a medical condition like autoimmune illness, HIV, or AIDS that impairs your immune system
- are medicating to weaken your immune system because it might fight them
- are under 12 years old
- There is a possibility of allergic responses including skin rashes, according to the medical health regulatory association (MHRA).
Always discuss the use of complementary or alternative cancer therapy with your doctors and nurses. They could affect how well your other therapies work.
Your treatment team can point you in the direction of further resources if they don’t have the knowledge you need.
Can echinacea be taken with vitamin D?
Vitamin D3 and echinacea did not interact in any way. This does not imply that there are no interactions, though. Always get advice from your doctor.
What medicines and echinacea interact?
The purple coneflower is another name for the genus of native North American plants known as echinacea. An extract derived from the root of the herb Echinacea purpurea is the most popular herbal product in the country. Commercial echinacea preparations are often not standardized to any specific component because the plant’s active ingredient has not been discovered. The variability of the products utilized in different studies makes it challenging to evaluate the echinacea study literature. The herb is frequently used for this purpose and has been suggested as a preventative therapy for upper respiratory infections. However, it appears from the available research that taking preventive echinacea has little to no effect on the frequency, severity, or duration of upper respiratory infections. The evidence for treating upper respiratory infections seems to point to a slight favorable impact. Echinacea has not been associated with any significant herb-drug interactions, and the few and mild side effects that have been documented include nausea, dizziness, and gastrointestinal distress.
The purple coneflower is another name for the genus of plants known as echinacea, which are indigenous to the Midwest of North America. Three of the nine species of echinacea—Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, and Echinacea pallida—are used to make echinacea preparations. The preparation that is used the most frequently in this nation is a liquid extract prepared from E. purpurea root. There are many different trade names used to market echinacea.
Native Americans were the first to employ this plant medicinally, using E. angustifolia to cure everything from respiratory ailments to snakebites. Echinacea was employed as a blood purifier and a dizziness remedy during the 19th century. Up until the invention of current antibiotics, it was utilized as a cold and flu cure as well as an anti-infective. Echinacea is one of the top three plants sold in the US thanks to its recent revival as a remedy for upper respiratory infections (URIs). 1