The use of herbal supplements often causes a great deal of controversy because the FDA does not monitor them for purity, safety or effectiveness, causing production standards to vary widely. Though black cohosh has a long history in traditional medicine, there have been reported cases of liver damage following its use. You should discuss the risks and benefits of black cohosh with your doctor before use.
Black Cohosh
Actaea Racemosa, also known as black cohosh, is a tall plant that grows high in the eastern woods of North America. Native Americans and herbalists have used black cohosh for thousands of years to treat menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and mood swings. Black cohosh may also help treat premenstrual syndrome, menstrual irregularities and lack of menstruation. The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that black cohosh purportedly contains plant-based chemicals called phytoestrogens, which may act similarly to the estrogen produced naturally in your body.
Liver Damage
MayoClinic.com explains that black cohosh may cause liver damage, liver failure and hepatitis. Symptoms of liver damage often include low-grade fever, itching, yellowing of the skin, clay-colored stools, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and breast development in males. If physicians suspect you have liver damage, they will often perform blood tests, conduct an ultrasound and take a sample of the liver for examination. MayoClinic.com explains that there are documented cases of people having liver damage after taking black cohosh supplements. In some cases, these patients needed a liver transplant.
High Liver Enzymes
Physicians will commonly perform liver enzyme tests as part of a routine blood screening known as a complete metabolic panel. The specific enzymes tested are alanine transminase, or ALT, and aspartate transminase, or AST. When liver damage occurs due to ingestion of a substance such as drugs, toxins or, in the case of black cohosh, herbs, AST and ALT levels are greatly increased. ALT levels will usually run higher than AST levels, according to Lab Tests Online. Physicians will often run additional tests such as ALP, Albumin, PT and bilirubin. Acute liver damage will often reveal normal ALP, albumin and PT with a normal or slightly elevated bilirubin test.
Warnings
If you suffer from any liver-related medical condition such as liver damage, cirrhosis, liver cancer or liver failure, you should avoid the use of black cohosh, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. You should read labels carefully, to ensure you do not accidentally ingest black cohosh under another common name such as bugbane, bugwort, black snakeweed and squawroot.
Considerations
Black cohosh may also interfere with certain hormone-related conditions such as uterine, breast, ovarian and prostate cancer. You should always discuss the use of black cohosh with your physician before use.
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