Saw palmetto is an herbal medication derived from the saw palmetto tree, a small palm tree that grows throughout the southeastern United States. People take saw palmetto supplements for a variety of health conditions, especially enlarged prostate. Although saw palmetto is generally safe and causes only mild side effects, it may affect blood clotting. Like any health supplement, consult your doctor before taking saw palmetto.
Blood Thinner
Saw palmetto appears to have a blood-thinning effect, also known as an anticoagulant effect, explains the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. This blood-thinning affect means that blood requires a longer time to form blood clots and stop bleeding. The normal clotting time of blood is 2 to 10 minutes, and saw palmetto has been reported to increase bleeding time to 21 minutes, reports an article published in the August 2001 issue of the "Journal of Internal Medicine." As a result, taking saw palmetto may increase the risk of excess bleeding or bruising from small cuts or bruises.
Mechanism
The exact reason why saw palmetto acts as a blood-thinner is not well understood. One theory is that saw palmetto inhibits an enzyme called cyclooxygenase in platelets, specialized red blood cells that play a major role in blood clot formation, the article published in the "Journal of Internal Medicine," explains. The blood-clotting process requires the activity of cyclooxygenase in platelets, and inhibition of cyclooxygenase activity is a common mechanism of slowing blood clot formation.
Interactions
Due to the blood-thinning effect of saw palmetto, supplements containing saw palmetto may interact with other blood-thinning medications, such as warfarin, aspirin and ibuprofen. Taking saw palmetto at the same time as prescription or non-prescription blood-thinners may raise the risk of uncontrollable bleeding, warns the University of Maryland Medical Center. If you are given a prescription for a blood-thinner such as warfarin, be sure to tell your doctor if you are taking saw palmetto.
Surgery
Saw palmetto may be particularly dangerous for people undergoing surgery or major dental work. Because saw palmetto may thin the blood, having surgery while taking saw palmetto may result in uncontrollable bleeding, also known as intraoperative hemorrhage. At least one case of serious hemorrhage during surgery has been linked to saw palmetto, reports the article published in the "Journal of Internal Medicine." Be sure to tell your doctor if you are taking saw palmetto before having surgery.
References
- MedlinePlus: Saw Palmetto; December 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Saw Palmetto; Steven D. Ehrlich et al.; February 2009
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Saw Palmetto; July 2011
- "Journal of Internal Medicine"; Intraoperative Haemorrhage Associated with the Use of Extract of Saw Palmetto Herb: a Case Report and Review of Literature; P Cheema et al.; August 2001
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