What is dong quai?

Answer 1

A perennial aromatic herb (Angelica sinensis) native to China and Japan, yielding a root that is used medicinally for gynecological disorders such as premenstrual syndrome, menstrual cramps, and menopausal symptoms.

Note:

Dong quai is not recommended for children because no information relating to appropriate doses of the herb for children has been found in the literature to date. Dong quai should not be used by those who have chronic diarrhea or abdominal bloating. At particularly high doses it may increase an individual's sensitivity to sunlight and subsequently cause skin inflammation and rashes. People taking dong quai should minimize their exposure to sunlight or use sunscreen while taking the herb. It should not be taken with other medications or herbs (such as St. John's wort) that cause the same reactions.

Dong quai should not be used during pregnancy because it may affect the muscular functioning of the uterus. It should also be avoided by nursing mothers, because there is little information about its effect on the infant through breast milk.

Dong quai can increase the potency and therefore potential risks of blood-thinning medications, such as warfarin, so it should not be taken with these medicines. Although there is little research on the use of dong quai with hormone medications such as estrogens, progesterones, oral contraceptives, tamoxifen or raloxifene, health practitioners advise against using them together due to the possibility of adverse effects.

Although reported extremely rarely and not published in the scientific literature, combining dong quai with other herbs that thin the blood could possibly increase the risk of bleeding in some people. When combined with dong quai, herbs with this potential should be used only with tremendous caution and supervision. These include feverfew, garlic, ginger, ginkgo biloba, asian ginseng, licorice, chinese skullcap and turmeric.