Peppermint oil comes from the leaves of the peppermint herb, which is a cross between a water mint plant and a spearmint plant. In addition to flavoring items like gum and toothpaste, peppermint oil can help relieve health problems. Ingesting peppermint oil as a capsule or in teas can help relieve the common cold, indigestion, nausea and irritable bowel syndrome. Applying it to the skin soothes skin irritations, calms a cough or relieves the symptoms of a headache. Peppermint oil can trigger side effects and interact with other medicines and herbs resulting in disadvantages.
Heartburn
Peppermint oil produces a numbing effect. When taken orally it can help to calm the muscles of the stomach, which aids in digestion. Peppermint oil also relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter -- the ring of muscle that separates the stomach and the esophagus. Relaxing this sphincter allows the stomach acid to rise into the esophagus, causing the symptoms of heartburn -- the uncomfortable burning sensation in the chest -- and indigestion -- an uncomfortable feeling of fullness in the upper abdomen. Patients who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease, also known as GERD, should not take peppermint oil. Patients with GERD experience frequent heartburn and taking peppermint oil exacerbates this symptom.
Drug Interactions
Because peppermint oil can interact with some medications, you should only take this herb under the supervision of a health care provider. Patients who have received an organ transplant usually take the medication cyclosporine to prevent rejection of the organ. Peppermint oil interferes with the breakdown of cyclosporine which allows it to remain in the bloodstream for longer periods of time. You should not take peppermint oil capsules at the same time as stomach acid reducing medications such as famotidine, ranitidine, esomeprazole or omeprazole, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Taking the two medications together breaks down the peppermint capsule in the stomach, which lessens the effects. Peppermint oil can also lower blood glucose levels which can interfere with the effectiveness of diabetic medications. Because peppermint oil may lower blood pressure, taking it with blood pressure medications can result in blood pressure dropping too much or too quickly.
Adverse Effects in Children
Although peppermint oil can provide some health benefits to adults, in children it can produce adverse effects. Therefore the American Academy of Family Physicians reports that you should not give peppermint oil either internally or on or near the face of infants or young children. It can cause bronchiospasm -- constriction of the walls of the airways -- or tongue spasms that can lead to respiratory arrest.
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