Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine have long prescribed Epimedium grandiflorum, also known by the more titillating name of horny goat weed, as an aphrodisiac. More recently, the herb has been showing up in herbal supplements that are marketed as natural remedies for all types of sexual dysfunction. While its medicinal properties remain unproven, it seems clear that the herb can cause some unpleasant side effects, so don’t try it without checking with your doctor.
Symptomatic Arrhythmia and Bipolar Disorder
Users of herbal remedies, particularly those marketed for the enhancement of sexual pleasure, frequently take such supplements without consulting a medical professional. In a letter to the editors of "Psychosomatics," which appeared in the December 2004 issue of the journal, Drs. Jessica F. Partin and Yaacov R. Pushkin report on the adverse effects experienced by just such a silent experimenter. According to Partin and Pushkin, a 66-year old patient went to a local hospital with complaints of chest pain, shortness of breath and sudden-onset symptomatic arrhythmia. He had been taking one capsule daily of an herbal remedy containing horny goat weed for a period of two weeks. The patient had a prior heart attack and a history of atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease, but no previous episodes of symptomatic arrhythmia. Aside from the cardiovascular symptoms, the patient also presented with psychiatric symptoms that were diagnosed at the hospital as bipolar disorder, an illness with which the patient had no prior history. Partin and Pushkin attribute the patient’s new symptoms to his intake of horny goat weed and suggest that “the seriousness of potential herbal side effects and herb-drug interactions merit FDA scrutiny and scientific study.”
Other Side Effects
In “Sexual Health across the Lifecycle: A Practical Guide for Clinicians,” authors Margaret Nussbaum, D.O., and Jo Ann Rosenfeld, M.D., make clear that there is no solid clinical evidence of horny goat weed’s benefits to sexual functioning. However, they point out that there is scientific evidence to link the herb to such adverse side effects as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, spasms and respiratory arrest. One of the problems with natural remedies, such as horny goat weed, according to the July 2009 issue of "CRS-Medication Advisor," is the absence of any standardization. These remedies may have different strengths and effects, and may also be contaminated.
Potential Interactions
Some of the observed effects of horny goat weed make it inadvisable to take it if you already are taking medications to treat high blood pressure, or so-called blood thinners, including the ubiquitous nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen sodium. Taking horny goat weed in addition to such drugs may potentiate or amplify, their effects, causing an unhealthy drop in blood pressure, or increasing the risk of bleeding, particularly internally.
References
- Psychosomatics: Letter: Tachyarrhythmia and Hypomania with Horny Goat Weed
- “Sexual Health across the Lifecycle: A Practical Guide for Clinicians”; Margaret Nussbaum and Jo Ann Rosenfeld; 2004.
- “CRS-Medication Advisor”; Horny Goat Weed; RelayHealthSource; July 2009.
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