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Herbs & Supplements
Sassafras officinale
Scientific Name: Sassafras
Other Names: Ague Tree, Cinnamon Wood, Saloop, Sassafras albidum, Saxifras
What side effects should I watch for?
Major Side Effects
Laboratory animals that were given oral doses of sassafras tea or sassafras oil that contained safrole developed permanent liver damage or various types of cancer. In humans, liver damage can take years to develop and it may not have obvious signs. A doctor may have to test an individual's liver function to diagnose it. A doctor should be notified immediately by individuals who take or use any sassafras product and who experience:
- Excessive fatigue
- Extreme widespread itchiness
- Pain or swelling in the upper right part of the abdomen
- Persistent nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
- Yellowing of the skin or the white parts of the eyes
Sassafras oil ingestion by adults has been reported to cause:
- Dangerously fast heartbeat
- Hallucinations that may persist for several days or weeks
- Miscarriage
- Paralysis
- Death
Less Severe Side Effects
Adults who took sassafras oil by mouth have also experienced:
- Drowsiness
- Excessive sweating
- Extreme confusion
- Fatigue
- High blood pressure
- Vomiting
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Note: The above information is not intended to replace the advice of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not meant to indicate that the use of the product is safe, appropriate, or effective for you.
In general, herbal products are not subject to review or approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They are not required to be standardized, meaning that the amounts of active ingredients or contaminants they contain may vary between brands or between different batches of the same brand. Not all of the risks, side effects, or interactions associated with the use of herbal products are known because few reliable studies of their use in humans have been done.
This information is provided for your education only. Please share this information with your healthcare provider and be sure that you talk to your doctor and pharmacist about all the prescription and non-prescription medicines you take before you begin to use any herbal product.
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What side effects should I watch for? 
