Red clover is most commonly used to treat menopause because it contains isoflavones, which are similar to the menopause treatment and female hormone estrogen. There is not enough scientific evidence on the benefits of red clover to know if it really works. Just as estrogen carries risks, red clover may also pose some dangers, particularly to those who should not take estrogen, reports MedlinePlus. Consult your doctor before taking red clover.
Hormone-Sensitive Conditions
Because red clover may work the same way as estrogen in the body, if you have any condition that could be made worse by taking estrogen, you should avoid red clover, reports MedlinePlus. This includes hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast, uterine and ovarian cancers. It also applies to reproductive conditions like endometriosis and uterine fibroids. Red clover can cause sterility in animals that eat large amounts of it.
Pregnancy and Breast-Feeding
Red clover is probably not safe for pregnant and breast-feeding women when taken by mouth in medicinal amounts, reports MedlinePlus. Because of its estrogen-like properties, red clover might interfere with the hormones essential to a healthy pregnancy. Some people use red clover topically to treat skin conditions like eczema, but this should be avoided in pregnancy because its safety when applied to the skin is not known.
Bleeding Problems
Red clover may pose some bleeding risks, particularly in high doses, reports MedlinePlus. If you have a bleeding disorder, or take a blood thinner, you should not take red clover without talking to your doctor first. If you are having surgery, red clover may increase the risk of bleeding complications during the procedure. Stop taking red clover two weeks before your surgery is scheduled and let your doctor know you were taking it. If you have the genetic disorder protein S deficiency, which increases the risk of blood clots, you should also avoid red clover. Because it emulates estrogen in the body, red clover may increase your risk of developing a clot.
Drug Interactions
If you are taking a drug that affects estrogen levels in the body, you should avoid taking red clover as it may interfere with the effectiveness of the drug, reports MedlinePlus. This includes birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy and the anti-cancer drug tamoxifen. Because of the risk of bleeding, you should avoid any drugs that affect bleeding risk, including blood thinners like warfarin and heparin, aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and anti-platelet drugs like clopidogrel. Red clover may also increase the risks of drugs that are broken down by the liver, which include haloperidol, ondansetron, omeprazole, lansoprazole, diazepam, ibuprofen, celecoxib, lovastatin, fexofenadine and triazolam. If you're not sure whether the drug you're taking affects the liver, be safe and ask your doctor or pharmacist before taking red clover.
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