Adverse reactions to Saw Palmetto

[Shadow]

Has anyone else suffered any unpleasant side effects from taking Saw Palmetto?

I started a supplement when I heard it was good for encouraging growth. I did a lot of reading up but only found good things about it so I figured it would be safe enough to give it a try. Not long after I started taking it my skin started to break out really badly, going from a pimple here and there to horrible, painful cycstic type acne. I also had some really bad mood swings, more low than high and this is also about the same time my hairloss started (stress fallout from the mood swings and crazy skin?) :(. It took me a while to connect these weird things happening to my body to the Saw Palmetto supplements but I stopped taking them a day or two ago when I began to suspect that they might be the cause of the unpleasantness. My mood has already lifted, my skin has settled a bit and , I'm not sure if it's my imagination or not, it seems like Im losing less hair in the shower when I wash (have also just started Co-Washing).

Has anybody else experienced anything like this with Saw Palmetto or is it just me? :o

[heidi w.]

I am not sure if you're male or female, but usually Saw Palmetto is intended for men to help with prostate health.

I generally would not recommend this herb to women. Men do take it for thinning of hair, but the main benefit is apparently for prostate.

http://www.ahealthyme.com/topic/topic13846

The newer understanding is that this can assist with breast enlargement and is being used in treating alopecia.

http://www.sawpalmetto.com/
Recently an ever increasing number of companies are marketing Saw Palmetto in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia. The mechanism of action is thought to be that by preventing or slowing down the breakdown of testosterone to Dihydrotestosterone, one can prevent or minimize premature male pattern baldness. The Saw Palmetto Harvesting Company now manufactures a saw palmetto shampoo designs to stop hair loss and promote hair regrowth. An excellent article about the causes of hair loss is written on this and can be accessed here.

It's possible that your herb was not very pure, or clean, or had other things in it, too. The herbal/vitamin market is not regulated at all, and it's fairly well known that all supplements are not created equally. Dosage within one dosage may have an effect too, and could be a source of troubles, possibly, anyway.

If your symptoms are going away upon stopping to take this, then you have an answer that this really isn't for you.
heidi w.

[heidi w.]

Ooops, meant to include this in case it was helpful!

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/saw-palmetto-000272.htm

Other Uses for Saw Palmetto

Saw palmetto may also be useful in treating the following conditions:

Hirsutism -- an excessive growth of dark, coarse body and facial hair in women
Polycystic ovarian disease -- multiple ovarian cysts that lead to menstruation problems and possible infertility

Adult

The recommended dosages for early stages of BPH is 160 mg, twice a day. The supplement should be a fat-soluble saw palmetto extract that contains 85 - 95% fatty acids and sterols.

[heidi w.: maybe it wasn't fat-soluble. I have experienced Vitamin A storing in my fat cells and causing problems.]



Precautions
Because of the potential for side effects and interactions with medications, herbs should be taken only under the supervision of a knowledgeable healthcare provider.

Saw palmetto is a very mild herb. The American Herbal Products Association gives saw palmetto a class 1 safety rating, which means that it is safe when used as directed. Side effects are very rare, although mild stomach complaints and minor headaches may occur. One case of significant bleeding during surgery has been attributed to saw palmetto use prior to the operation.

Saw palmetto has not been studied or used in women who are pregnant or nursing.

Saw palmetto may interfere also with the absorption of iron.

[Shadow]

It can assist with breast enlargement?!? Glad I didn't know that before otherwise I might have been taking a double dose hehe :D

I did a bit of research on forums and found that a fair few female hair growers had added it to their supplement regimes with great success. I tried both a powdered herb and a fat soluable one with different strengths but I guess that it just wasnt for me!

Thanks for the

[Shadow]

Argh...got cut off mid-sentence, I was going to say, Thanks for the advice Heidi W - it's much appreciated. :)

[ktani]

Another good link for herbs is this one IMO, Sloan Kettering.

2008

" Adverse Reactions
Although infrequent, saw palmetto may cause intraoperative hemorrhage, GI complaints, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. .... may also also have additive anticoagulant effects and prolong bleeding time (11 (http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69364.cfm#References)).
.... case of severe intraoperative hemorrhage following consumption of saw palmetto has been reported (11 (http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69364.cfm#References))."
"http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69364.cfm

[liz08]

What a terrible reaction you had! SO sorry to hear that. I've actually never heard of anyone react adversely to saw palmetto before, and it's typically said to have no known side effects. But everyone is different and reacts to things differently, so that must always be taken into consideration. Saw palmetto is an herb taken by women as well as men (typically women who have PCOS....and they typically take for the hair loss and thinning they suffer from due to the PCOS). It does help both men and women, but of course, nothing works for everyone. For those considering it for their hair, I woud point out that it can take upwards of 6 months to notice improvements on hair, so you shoud take it a while before you dismiss it as not working (providing you don't react poorly to it of course).

[lora410]

Saw palmetto is for mens prostate health and says on there that women should not take the herb. I know because I almost bought it before.

[lora410]

[quote=heidi w.;383470]
The newer understanding is that this can assist with breast enlargement quote]

I definetly believe the breast growth. I was taking Nioxin and it made er them grow. I was freaking out at first because I thought I was preggo..LOL

[Canarygirl]

My husband was taking saw palmetto for a while for prostate health but then started to develop "man-breasts!" They made him come in for a mammogram to make sure everything was okay! Then I read about the estrogenic effects of this herb and told him to stop taking it. After a few months, things went back to normal and he hasn't had a problem since.

Seems like this estrogen-like profile could contribute to acne and other issues.

[heidi w.]

Thanks for the update on the breast development thing with Saw Palmetto. Generally, I had understood it's really only intended for men.

It's cool how we help each other understand the latest info about things on LHC.

Good update!
heidi w.

[babybabycat]

My husband takes it for prostrate health. The vitamin package says that women should not take it or even handle the capusles. Be Careful!