PERILLYL ALCOHOL: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews

Overview

Perillyl alcohol is a chemical found in certain plants such as lavender and citrus fruits.

People use perillyl alcohol for conditions such as various cancers, for skin damage caused by long-term sun exposure, and as a mosquito repellent, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

How does it work ?

There isn't enough information to know how perillyl alcohol might work against cancer. Test tube research and research in animals suggest that perillyl alcohol might prevent cancer cells from growing. But there is not enough information to know if perillyl alcohol has this effect in people.

Perillyl alcohol seems to repel mosquitoes. There isn't enough information to know how perillyl alcohol might do this.

Uses & Effectiveness ?

We currently have no information for PERILLYL ALCOHOL overview.

Side Effects

When taken by mouth: Perillyl alcohol is POSSIBLY SAFE when used under medical supervision. But don't take perillyl alcohol on your own. Taking perillyl alcohol can cause several serious side effects including stomach upset, reflux, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, and headache. Higher doses are more likely to cause more side effects. Many people who take perillyl alcohol have to stop because they can't tolerate the side effects, even at usual doses.

There have been reports of pancreatitis, increased bilirubin (which is a measure of liver function), increased white blood cell count, and low potassium levels in people taking high doses of perillyl alcohol.

When applied to the skin: Perillyl alcohol is POSSIBLY SAFE.

When given as a nasal spray: Perillyl alcohol is POSSIBLY SAFE. It might cause a runny nose and nose irritation.

Special Precautions and Warnings

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if perillyl alcohol is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Interactions ?

We currently have no information for PERILLYL ALCOHOL overview.

Dosing

The appropriate dose of perillyl alcohol 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 perillyl alcohol. 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.

View References

REFERENCES:

Belanger, J. T. Perillyl alcohol: applications in oncology. Altern Med Rev 1998;3(6):448-457. View abstract.

Pandey, D. K., Shekelle, R., Selwyn, B. J., Tangney, C., and Stamler, J. Dietary vitamin C and beta-carotene and risk of death in middle-aged men. The Western Electric Study. Am J Epidemiol. 12-15-1995;142(12):1269-1278. View abstract.

Ripple GH, Gould MN, Stewart JA, and et al. Phase I clinical trial of perillyl alcohol administered daily. Clin Cancer Res 1998;4(5):1159-1164. View abstract.

Ripple, G. H., Gould, M. N., Arzoomanian, R. Z., Alberti, D., Feierabend, C., Simon, K., Binger, K., Tutsch, K. D., Pomplun, M., Wahamaki, A., Marnocha, R., Wilding, G., and Bailey, H. H. Phase I clinical and pharmacokinetic study of perillyl alcohol administered four times a day. Clin Cancer Res 2000;6(2):390-396. View abstract.

Ahmed S, Panda SR, Kwatra M, Sahu BD, Naidu V. Perillyl Alcohol Attenuates NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation and Rescues Dopaminergic Neurons in Experimental In Vitro and In Vivo Models of Parkinson's Disease. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022;13(1):53-68. View abstract.

Ahn KJ, Lee CK, Choi EK, et al. Cytotoxicity of perillyl alcohol against cancer cells is potentiated by hyperthermia. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2003;57:813-9. View abstract.

Anis E, Zafeer MF, Firdaus F, et al. Evaluation of phytomedicinal potential of perillyl alcohol in an in vitro Parkinson's Disease model. Drug Dev Res. 2018;79(5):218-224. View abstract.

Azzoli, C. G., Miller, V. A., Ng, K. K., Krug, L. M., Spriggs, D. R., Tong, W. P., Riedel, E. R., and Kris, M. G. A phase I trial of perillyl alcohol in patients with advanced solid tumors. Cancer Chemother.Pharmacol. 2003;51(6):493-498. View abstract.

Bailey HH, Attia S, Love RR, et al. Phase II trial of daily oral perillyl alcohol (NSC 641066) in treatment-refractory metastatic breast cancer. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2008;62(1):149-57. View abstract.

Bailey HH, Wilding G, Tutsch KD, et al. A phase I trial of perillyl alcohol administered four times daily for 14 days out of 28 days. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2004;54:368-76. View abstract.

Bailey, H. H., Levy, D., Harris, L. S., Schink, J. C., Foss, F., Beatty, P., and Wadler, S. A phase II trial of daily perillyl alcohol in patients with advanced ovarian cancer: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Study E2E96. Gynecol.Oncol. 2002;85(3):464-468. View abstract.

Bardon, S., Foussard, V., Fournel, S., and Loubat, A. Monoterpenes inhibit proliferation of human colon cancer cells by modulating cell cycle-related protein expression. Cancer Lett. 7-26-2002;181(2):187-194. View abstract.

Barthelman, M., Chen, W., Gensler, H. L., Huang, C., Dong, Z., and Bowden, G. T. Inhibitory effects of perillyl alcohol on UVB-induced murine skin cancer and AP-1 transactivation. Cancer Res 2-15-1998;58(4):711-716. View abstract.

Bejeshk MA, Beik A, Aminizadeh AH, et al. Perillyl alcohol (PA) mitigates inflammatory, oxidative, and histopathological consequences of allergic asthma in rats. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 2023. View abstract.

Burke, Y. D., Ayoubi, A. S., Werner, S. R., McFarland, B. C., Heilman, D. K., Ruggeri, B. A., and Crowell, P. L. Effects of the isoprenoids perillyl alcohol and farnesol on apoptosis biomarkers in pancreatic cancer chemoprevention. Anticancer Res 2002;22(6A):3127-3134. View abstract.

Chung, B. H., Lee, H. Y., Lee, J. S., and Young, C. Y. Perillyl alcohol inhibits the expression and function of the androgen receptor in human prostate cancer cells. Cancer Lett. 7-16-2005; View abstract.

Clark SS, Zhong L, Filiault D, et al. Anti-leukemia effect of perillyl alcohol in Bcr/Abl-transformed cells indirectly inhibits signaling through Mek in a Ras- and Raf-independent fashion. Clin Cancer Res 2003;9:4494-504. View abstract.

Clark SS. Perillyl alcohol induces c-Myc-dependent apoptosis in Bcr/Abl-transformed leukemia cells. Oncology 2006;70:13-8. View abstract.

da Fonseca CO, Linden R, Futuro D, Gattass CR, Quirico-Santos T. Ras pathway activation in gliomas: a strategic target for intranasal administration of perillyl alcohol. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz). 2008;56(4):267-76. View abstract.

Da Fonseca CO, Masini M, Futuro D, et al. Anaplastic oligodendroglioma responding favorably to intranasal delivery of perillyl alcohol: a case report and literature review. Surg Neurol 2006;66:611-5. View abstract.

Fernandes J, da Fonseca CO, Teixeira A, Gattass CR. Perillyl alcohol induces apoptosis in human glioblastoma multiforme cells. Oncol Rep 2005;13:943-7. View abstract.

Granath J, Ingvarsson S, von Thiele U, Lundberg U. Stress management: a randomized study of cognitive behavioural therapy and yoga. Cogn Behav Ther 2006;35:3-10. View abstract.

Hudes, G. R., Szarka, C. E., Adams, A., Ranganathan, S., McCauley, R. A., Weiner, L. M., Langer, C. J., Litwin, S., Yeslow, G., Halberr, T., Qian, M., and Gallo, J. M. Phase I pharmacokinetic trial of perillyl alcohol (NSC 641066) in patients with refractory solid malignancies. Clin Cancer Res 2000;6(8):3071-3080. View abstract.

Liston BW, Nines R, Carlton PS, et al. Perillyl alcohol as a chemopreventive agent in N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine-induced rat esophageal tumorigenesis. Cancer Res 2003;63:2399-403. View abstract.

Liu G, Oettel K, Bailey H, et al. Phase II trial of perillyl alcohol (NSC 641066) administered daily in patients with metastatic androgen independent prostate cancer. Invest New Drugs 2003;21:367-72. View abstract.

Loutrari H, Hatziapostolou M, Skouridou V, et al. Perillyl alcohol is an angiogenesis inhibitor. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2004;311:568-75. View abstract.

Matos JM, Schmidt CM, Thomas HJ, et al. A pilot study of perillyl alcohol in pancreatic cancer. J Surg Res. 2008;147(2):194-9. View abstract.

Meadows, S. M., Mulkerin, D., Berlin, J., Bailey, H., Kolesar, J., Warren, D., and Thomas, J. P. Phase II trial of perillyl alcohol in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Int J Gastrointest.Cancer 2002;32(2-3):125-128. View abstract.

Morgan-Meadows S, Dubey S, Gould M, et al. Phase I trial of perillyl alcohol administered four times daily continuously. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2003;52:361-6. View abstract.

Murren, J. R., Pizzorno, G., DiStasio, S. A., McKeon, A., Peccerillo, K., Gollerkari, A., McMurray, W., Burtness, B. A., Rutherford, T., Li, X., Ho, P. T., and Sartorelli, A. Phase I study of perillyl alcohol in patients with refractory malignancies. Cancer Biol Ther 2002;1(2):130-135. View abstract.

Nehra G, Andrews S, Rettig J, et al. Intranasal administration of the chemotherapeutic perillyl alcohol results in selective delivery to the cerebrospinal fluid in rats. Sci Rep 2021;11(1):6351. View abstract.

Omolo MO, Okinyo D, Ndiege IO, et al. Repellency of essential oils of some Kenyan plants against Anopheles gambiae. Phytochemistry 2004;65:2797-802. View abstract.

Rajesh, D. and Howard, S. P. Perillyl alcohol mediated radiosensitization via augmentation of the Fas pathway in prostate cancer cells. Prostate 9-15-2003;57(1):14-23. View abstract.

Rajesh, D., Stenzel, R. A., and Howard, S. P. Perillyl alcohol as a radio-/chemosensitizer in malignant glioma. J Biol Chem 9-19-2003;278(38):35968-35978. View abstract.

Schönthal AH, Peereboom DM, Wagle N, et al. Phase I trial of intranasal NEO100, highly purified perillyl alcohol, in adult patients with recurrent glioblastoma. Neurooncol Adv 2021;3(1):vdab005. View abstract.

Stearns V, Coop A, Singh B, et al. A pilot surrogate end point biomarker trial of perillyl alcohol in breast neoplasia. Clin Cancer Res 2004;10:7583-91. View abstract.

Stratton SP, Alberts DS, Einspahr JG, et al. A phase 2a study of topical perillyl alcohol cream for chemoprevention of skin cancer. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2010;3(2):160-9. View abstract.

Stratton SP, Saboda KL, Myrdal PB, et al. Phase 1 study of topical perillyl alcohol cream for chemoprevention of skin cancer. Nutr Cancer. 2008;60(3):325-30. View abstract.

Sudha Yalamarthi S, Puppala ER, Abubakar M, et al. Perillyl alcohol inhibits keratinocyte proliferation and attenuates imiquimod-induced psoriasis like skin-inflammation by modulating NF-?B and STAT3 signaling pathways. Int Immunopharmacol 2022;103:108436. View abstract.

Xu M, Floyd HS, Greth SM, et al. Perillyl alcohol-mediated inhibition of lung cancer cell line proliferation: potential mechanisms for its chemotherapeutic effects. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2004;195:232-46. View abstract.

Yuri T, Danbara N, Tsujita-Kyutoku M, et al. Perillyl alcohol inhibits human breast cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2004;84:251-60. View abstract.

Zafeer MF, Firdaus F, Ahmad F, et al. Perillyl alcohol alleviates amyloid-ß peptides-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. Int J Biol Macromol. 2018;109:1029-1038. View abstract.

Zhang, Z., Chen, H., Chan, K. K., Budd, T., and Ganapathi, R. Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis of perillyl alcohol and metabolites in plasma. J Chromatogr.B Biomed.Sci Appl. 5-14-1999;728(1):85-95. View abstract.

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CONDITIONS OF USE AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This information is meant to supplement, not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider and is not meant to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects. This information may not fit your specific health circumstances. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified health care provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor or health care professional before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your health care plan or treatment and to determine what course of therapy is right for you.

This copyrighted material is provided by Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Consumer Version. Information from this source is evidence-based and objective, and without commercial influence. For professional medical information on natural medicines, see Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Professional Version.
© Therapeutic Research Faculty 2020.

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PERILLYL ALCOHOL - Uses, Side Effects, and More