What is the most important information I should know about horse chestnut?
Do not use horse chestnut without first talking to your doctor if you have a history of
blood
clots,
colitis or other
stomach or intestine related illnesses,
diabetes,
heart disease,
low blood pressure,
kidney disease,
liver disease, or poor blood circulation.
Do not take
aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as
ibuprofen
(
Motrin,
Advil, others),
naproxen (
Aleve, others), or
ketoprofen (
Orudis KT, others) while using horse
chestnut. These drugs may increase the risk of bleeding while using horse chestnut.
Horse chestnut has not been evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or purity. All
potential risks and/or advantages of horse chestnut may not be known. Additionally, there are no
regulated manufacturing standards in place for these compounds. There have been instances where
herbal/health supplements have been sold which were contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs.
Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of
contamination.
What is horse chestnut?
The use of horse chestnut in cultural and traditional settings may differ from concepts accepted
by current Western medicine. When considering the use of herbal supplements, consultation with a
primary health care professional is advisable. Additionally, consultation with a practitioner trained in the
uses of herbal/health supplements may be beneficial, and coordination of treatment among all health
care providers involved may be advantageous.
Horse chestnut is also known as Aesculus hippocastanum, Cellu-Var, Variclear, Reparil,
Varicare, Varicosin, VeinAway, Venastat, and others.
Horse chestnut has been used topically to cosmetically improve the appearance of varicose
veins. It has also been promoted for relief of swelling or inflammation of joints, tendons, and muscles
and hemorrhoids. Horse chestnut has been used orally to improve symptoms of fatigue, and pain,
nighttime cramping, itching and swelling in the legs.
Horse chestnut has not been evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or purity. All
potential risks and/or advantages of horse chestnut may not be known. Additionally, there are no
regulated manufacturing standards in place for these compounds. There have been instances where
herbal/health supplements have been sold which were contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs.
Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of
contamination.
Horse chestnut may also have uses other than those listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before using horse chestnut?
Do not use horse chestnut without first talking to your doctor if you have
Horse chestnut may not be safe for use if you have any of the conditions
listed above.
Before using horse chestnut, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or health care professional if you
have allergies (especially to plants, foods, medicines, dyes, or preservatives), have any medical
condition, or if you take other medicines or other herbal/health supplements. Horse chestnut may not
be recommended in some situations.
Do not use horse chestnut without first talking to your doctor if you are
pregnant or could become pregnant. Horse chestnut may be harmful to an unborn baby.
Do not use horse chestnut without first talking to your doctor if you are
breast-feeding a baby. It is also not known whether horse chestnut will be harmful to a nursing infant.
Horse chestnut is generally not recommended for use by children. Do not give any
herbal/health supplement to a child without first talking to the child's doctor.
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