Smartweed

• Overview
• Uses
• Side Effects
• Precautions
• Interactions
• Dosing

Smartweed is an herb. The entire plant is used to make medicine.

People take smartweed tea to stop bleeding from hemorrhoids, as well as menstrual bleeding and other uterine bleeding. They also use it to treat diarrhea.

Some people put smartweed directly on the skin to wash bloody wounds.

How does it work?

Smartweed contains chemicals that are thought to stop bleeding.

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...

• Stopping bleeding.
• Diarrhea.
• Cleansing bloody wounds, when applied directly.
• Other conditions.

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).

It is not known if smartweed is safe. It can cause side effects such as stomach irritation when taken by mouth.

When the fresh plant is handled it can cause skin irritation and swelling (inflammation).

Ulcers or other stomach and intestinal (gastrointestinal, GI) disorders: Smartweed can irritate the tissues that line the stomach and intestines, making ulcers and GI problems worse. Avoid using smartweed if you have ulcers or another GI disorder.

Smartweed contains large amounts of vitamin K. Vitamin K is used by the body to help blood clot. Warfarin (Coumadin) is used to slow blood clotting. By helping the blood clot, smartweed might decrease the effectiveness of warfarin (Coumadin). Be sure to have your blood checked regularly. The dose of your warfarin (Coumadin) might need to be changed.

The appropriate dose of smartweed depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for smartweed. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.