Overview

Panax notoginseng is a plant. The leaves, fruit, and flowers are used to make medicine. However, the root is used the most commonly. Be careful not to confuse Panax notoginseng with other forms of ginseng, such as Panax ginseng or American ginseng.

Panax notoginseng is used to stop or slow down bleeding. It is sometimes taken by people who have nosebleeds, vomit up or cough up blood, or find blood in their urine or feces.

Panax notoginseng is also used to relieve pain; and to reduce swelling and blood pressure. It is also used for chest pain (angina), strokes and bleeding in the brain, buildup of fat in the blood vessels, heart attacks, and some kinds of liver disease. It is also used to improve energy and ability to exercise, to reduce muscle soreness following exercise, and for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Some people apply Panax notoginseng directly to the skin to stop bleeding, help with bruising or swelling, and to improve blood movement in the muscles.

How does it work ?

Panax notoginseng might relax blood vessels. This would improve blood flow and reduce blood pressure. Some of the chemicals in Panax notoginseng might reduce swelling and protect the heart. There isn't enough information to know how Panax notoginseng might work for other conditions.

Uses & Effectiveness ?

Possibly Effective for

  • Chest pain (angina). Research shows that Panax notoginseng, taken by mouth or given as an injection, seems to reduce symptoms of chest pain when used along with conventional medications. It might also reduce how often chest pain attacks occur and how long the attacks last when they do occur. These products are given by a doctor in countries like China.
  • Bleeding within the skull (intracranial hemorrhage). Research shows that Panax notoginseng injections might improve recovery and reduce the risk of death in people that have had bleeding in the brain, usually because of a stroke. These products are given by a doctor in countries like China.
  • Stroke. Research shows that giving Panax notoginseng injections might increase the chance of a person improving or recovering after a stroke. These products are given by a doctor in countries like China.

Possibly Ineffective for

  • Heart attack. Panax notoginseng does not seem to prevent heart attacks in people with heart disease when used along with conventional therapy.

Insufficient Evidence for

  • Athletic performance. Early research shows that taking Panax notoginseng for 30 days might help non-athletes exercise for longer.
  • Muscle soreness caused by exercise. Taking Panax notoginseng might reduce muscle soreness a few days after a downhill run. But the improvement is small.
  • Osteoarthritis. Some research shows that taking a combination of Panax notoginseng, Siberian ginseng, and rehmannia daily might help patients with osteoarthritis move better. However, it does not seem to help reduce pain or stiffness.
  • Bleeding.
  • High blood pressure.
  • Improving blood flow.
  • Liver disease.
  • Pain.
  • Swelling.
  • Other conditions.
More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of Panax notoginseng for these uses.

Side Effects

When taken by mouth: Panax notoginseng is POSSIBLY SAFE when taken by mouth. It can cause some side effects such as dry mouth, flushed skin, rash, nervousness, sleep problems, headache, nausea, and vomiting.

When given by IV or as a shot: Panax notoginseng is POSSIBLY SAFE when given with a needle by a physician. It can cause some side effects such as rash, nervousness, headache, nausea, and vomiting.

Special Precautions and Warnings

When taken by mouth: Panax notoginseng is POSSIBLY SAFE when taken by mouth. It can cause some side effects such as dry mouth, flushed skin, rash, nervousness, sleep problems, headache, nausea, and vomiting.

When given by IV or as a shot: Panax notoginseng is POSSIBLY SAFE when given with a needle by a physician. It can cause some side effects such as rash, nervousness, headache, nausea, and vomiting. Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Don't take Panax notoginseng if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. It is LIKELY UNSAFE. One of the chemicals in Panax notoginseng has caused birth defects in animals.

Hormone-sensitive conditions such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids: Panax notoginseng might act like estrogen. If you have any condition that might be made worse by exposure to estrogen, don't use Panax notoginseng.

Interactions ?

    Moderate Interaction

    Be cautious with this combination

  • Aspirin interacts with PANAX NOTOGINSENG

    Panax notoginseng along with aspirin might increase how much aspirin and Panax notoginseng is in the blood. Although this has not been shown in humans, taking Panax notoginseng with aspirin might increase side effects of both aspirin and Panax notoginseng.

  • Caffeine interacts with PANAX NOTOGINSENG

    Caffeine is changed and broken down by the liver. Panax notoginseng might increase how quickly the liver breaks down caffeine. Taking Panax notoginseng along with caffeine might decrease the effects of caffeine.

  • Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) substrates) interacts with PANAX NOTOGINSENG

    Some medications are changed and broken down by the liver. Panax notoginseng might increase how quickly the liver breaks down some medications. Taking Panax notoginseng along with some medications that are changed by the liver might decrease the effectiveness of these medications. Before taking Panax notoginseng, talk to your healthcare provider if you take any medications that are changed by the liver.
    Some of these medications that are changed by the liver include clozapine (Clozaril), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), fluvoxamine (Luvox), haloperidol (Haldol), imipramine (Tofranil), mexiletine (Mexitil), olanzapine (Zyprexa), pentazocine (Talwin), propranolol (Inderal), tacrine (Cognex), zileuton (Zyflo), zolmitriptan (Zomig), and others.

Dosing

The following doses have been studied in scientific research:

ADULTS

BY MOUTH:
  • For chest pain (angina): 200-400 mg of Panax notoginseng extract has been taken 2-3 times daily for 4-6 weeks. Also, 1 gram of Panax notoginseng powder has been taken 3 times daily.
  • For stroke: A specific extract of Panax notoginseng root (sanchitongtshu) has been taken three times daily for 28 days.
WITH A NEEDLE:
  • For chest pain (angina): 400-500 mg of Panax notoginseng extract has been injected into the vein or given as a shot daily for 2-4 weeks.
  • For bleeding within the skull (intracranial hemorrhage): 140-800 mg of Panax notoginseng extract has been injected into the vein daily, usually for 2-4 weeks.
  • For stroke: Injections containing 200-600 mg of Panax notoginseng have been given daily for 2-4 weeks.
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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.