Plant Description

Roman chamomile comes from northwestern Europe and Northern Ireland where it creeps close to the ground and can reach up to one foot in height. Gray-green leaves grow from the stems, and the flowers have yellow centers surrounded by white petals, like miniature daisies. Its leaves are thicker than German chamomile, and it grows closer to the ground. The flowers smell like apples.

What is it Made Of?

Chamomile teas, ointments, and extracts all start with the white and yellow flower head. The flower heads may be dried and used in teas or capsules or crushed and steamed to produce a blue oil, which is used as medicine. The oil has ingredients that reduce swelling and may stop the growth of bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

Available Forms

Roman chamomile is available as dried flowers in bulk, tea, tinctures, and in creams and ointments.

How to Take It

Pediatric

Scientists have not studied Roman chamomile in children. Talk to your doctor to find the right dose before giving Roman chamomile to a child.

Adult

• Tea: Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 2 to 3 heaping tsp. (2 to 4 g) of dried herb, steep 10 to 15 minutes. Drink 3 to 4 times per day between meals.
• Bath: Use 1/4 lb. of dried flowers per bath, or add 5 to 10 drops of essential oil to a full tub of water to soothe hemorrhoids, cuts, eczema, perineal pain, or insect bites.
• Cream/Ointment: Apply cream or ointment containing 3 to 10% chamomile content.

Precautions

The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. Herbs, however, can interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, you should take herbs with care, under the supervision of a health care provider.

Roman chamomile is considered generally safe.

Chamomile may make asthma worse, so people with asthma should not take it.

Pregnant women should avoid chamomile because of the risk of miscarriage.

If you are allergic to asters, daisies, chrysanthemums, or ragweed, you may also be allergic to chamomile.

Drinking a lot of highly concentrated chamomile tea may cause vomiting.

Chamomile may cause drowsiness, so DO NOT take it and drive.

Stop taking chamomile at least 2 weeks before surgery or dental work, because of the risk of bleeding.

Possible Interactions

If you currently take any of the following drugs, you should not use chamomile without first talking to your health care provider.

Blood thinning medications (anticoagulants and antiplatelets): Chamomile may increase the risk of bleeding when taken with blood-thinners such as warfarin (Coumadin), clopidogrel (Plavix), and aspirin.

Sedatives: Chamomile can make these drugs stronger, including:

• Anti-seizure drugs, such as phenytoin (Dilantin) and valproic acid (Depakote)
• Barbiturates
• Benzodiazepines, such as alprazolam (Xanax) and diazepam (Valium)
• Drugs to treat insomnia, such as zolpidem (Ambien), zaleplon (Sonata), eszopiclone (Lunesta), and ramelteon (Rozerem)
• Tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline (Elavil)
• Alcohol

The same is true of sedative herbs, such as valerian, kava, and catnip.

Blood pressure medications: Chamomile may lower blood pressure slightly. Taking it with drugs for high blood pressure could cause blood pressure to drop too low.

Diabetes medications: Chamomile may lower blood sugar. Taking it with diabetes drugs could raise the risk of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.

Other drugs: Because chamomile is broken down by the liver, it may interact with other drugs that are broken down the same way. Those drugs may include:

• Fexofenadine (Seldane)
• Statins (drugs that lower cholesterol)
• Birth control pills
• Some antifungal drugs

Supporting Research

Briggs CJ, Briggs GL. Herbal products in depression therapy. CPJ/RPC. November 1998;40-44.

Heck AM, DeWitt BA, Lukes AL. Potential interactions between alternative therapies and warfarin. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2000;57(13):1221-1227.

Hur MH, Han SH. Clinical trial of aromatherapy on postpartum mother's perineal healing. Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi. 2004;34(1):53-62.

Miller L. Herbal medicinals: selected clinical considerations focusing on known or potential drug-herb interactions. Arch Intern Med. 1998;158(20):2200-2211.

O'Hara M, Kiefer D, Farrell K, Kemper K. A review of 12 commonly used medicinal herbs. Arch Fam Med. 1998:7(6):523-536.

Rotblatt M, Ziment I. Evidence-Based Herbal Medicine. Philadelphia, PA: Hanley & Belfus, Inc. 2002:119-123.

Srivastava JK, Shankar E, Gupta S. Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future. Mol Med Report. 2010 Nov 1;3(6):895-901.

Zhao J, Khan SI, Wang M, et al. Octulosonic acid derivatives from Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) with activities against inflammation and metabolic disorder. J Nat Prod. 2014;77(3):509-15.