You may use dandelion if you experience appetite loss, urinary tract infections or dyspeptic complaints like heartburn. It's also sometimes used for gout, high blood pressure, bloating, constipation and rheumatic ailments. Regardless of why you are interested in using dandelion, check with a health care provider before trying it. Also be aware of potential drug interactions, such as with aspirin.
Dandelion and Coumarins
Dandelion contains two coumarins, called aesculin and cichoriin. Coumarins are phytochemicals that have blood-thinning properties. In fact, coumarin glycosides, or coumarin that is combined with the sugar glucose, are used to create anti-coagulants. Theoretically, ingesting supplements that contain coumarins raises your risk for bleeding and bruising.
Aspirin
Aspirin interferes with blood-clotting action in your body. This also raises your risk for bleeding and bruising. That's why you should not take aspirin prior to surgery or if you have health conditions that raise your risk for bleeding, such as a clotting or bleeding disorder, stomach ulcers or heart failure, according to MayoClinic.com.
Effects
Taking dandelion and anti-coagulants like aspirin or warfarin together may magnify the substances' blood-thinning effects, further raising your risk for bleeding and bruising. Do not take dandelion without a doctor's supervision if you regularly take aspirin, warfarin or other blood thinners, Drugs.com recommends. Consult a doctor before taking dandelion with diuretic medications or diabetes medicine because it may also increase effects of these drugs.
Considerations
If you are taking aspirin for pain relief rather than its blood-thinning action, don't assume that switching to a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID, is safer. Using coumarin derivatives along with NSAIDs also magnifies risk for bleeding and bruising, according to a January 2003 study published in the "Annals of Pharmacotherapy." Consult your doctor about this theoretical interaction.
References
- Georgetown University Medical Center: Dandelion
- Florida State University: Coumarin; Michael W. Davidson; March 2004
- MayoClinic.com; Daily Aspirin Therapy; June 2010
- Drugs.com: Dandelion
- "The Essential Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide"; George T. Grossberg, et al.; 2007
- "Annals of Pharmacotherapy"; Concomitant Coumarin-NSAID Therapy and Risk for Bleeding; E.A. Knijff-Dutmer, et al.; January 2003
