Common Names--feverfew, bachelor's buttons, featherfew

Latin Names--Tanacetum parthenium, Chrysanthemum parthenium

• What Feverfew Is Used For
  • Feverfew has been used for centuries as an herbal remedy for fevers, headaches, stomach aches, toothaches, insect bites, infertility, and problems with menstruation and labor during childbirth.
  • Recently, feverfew has been used for migraine headaches and rheumatoid arthritis.
  • Feverfew has also been used for psoriasis, allergies, asthma, tinnitus (ringing or roaring sounds in the ears), dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.
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• How Feverfew Is Used
  • The dried leaves--and sometimes flowers and stems--of feverfew are used to make supplements, including capsules, tablets, and liquid extracts.
  • The leaves are sometimes eaten fresh.
• What the Science Says about Feverfew
  • Some research suggests that feverfew may be helpful in preventing migraine headaches; however, results have been mixed and more evidence is needed from well-designed studies.
  • One study found that feverfew did not reduce rheumatoid arthritis symptoms in women whose symptoms did not respond to conventional medicines. It has been suggested that feverfew could help those with milder symptoms.
  • There is not enough evidence available to assess whether feverfew is beneficial for other uses.
  • NCCAM-funded researchers are studying ways to standardize feverfew; that is, to prepare it in a consistent manner. Standardized preparations could be used in future studies of feverfew for migraines.
• Side Effects and Cautions of Feverfew
  • No serious side effects have been reported for feverfew. Side effects can include canker sores, swelling and irritation of the lips and tongue, and loss of taste.
  • Less common side effects can include nausea, digestive problems, and bloating.
  • People who take feverfew for a long time and then stop taking it may have headaches, nervousness, difficulty sleeping, stiff muscles, and joint pain.
  • Women who are pregnant should not use feverfew because it may cause the uterus to contract, increasing the risk of miscarriage or premature delivery.
  • People can have allergic reactions to feverfew. Those who are allergic to other members of the daisy family (which includes ragweed and chrysanthemums) are more likely to be allergic to feverfew.
  • Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Why should I use herbal products?

The decision to use herbs to improve your health is, as with all health decisions, a personal one. There are, however, many good reasons to consider herbal products to  complement your own health care methods. One of the best reason, however, may be the fact that herbs and herbal products, continue to provide real health benefits while maintaining a remarkable safety profile. Readily available natural substances were the first medicines used by humans. Primitive and ancient civilizations as well as contemporary cultures throughout the world have always relied on herbs to provide the benefits that have been observed with their use. In fact, the World Health Organization has estimated that 80 percent of the world's population continues to use traditional therapies, a major part of which are derived from plants, as their primary health care tools. In our own time and culture, most herbs are available in the form of "herbal supplements." These products are found in the form of teas, tablets, capsules, liquid extracts, and others. We now have ready access to products that bring the herbal traditions from all over the world in a variety of convenient forms. In addition, scientific inquiries continue to develop our knowledge of the benefits of plants, and often validate the observations made over the past centuries.