Herbal Treatment for Seasonal Allergies

by Cathy Wong

A recent study published in the January 19 2002 issue of the British Medical Journal was a randomized controlled trial comparing the herb butterbur (Petasites hybridus) to the antihistamine cetrizine in patients with seasonal allergies.  One hundred and twenty five patients from four outpatient clinics in Switzerland and Germany participated with 61 receiving butterbur and 64 receiving cetrizine.  After two weeks, the groups were comparable on measures such as physical and emotional functioning and physician assessment of the symptom severity and overall improvement.

What you need to know:

• Symptoms of seasonal allergies include nasal obstruction, sneezing, clear nasal discharge, headache and itchy, watery eyes.   This condition, which occurs during the spring, summer and early autumn and usually lasts for several weeks, is caused by pollens that enter the nasal passages and cause a hypersensitivity reaction.  Conventional treatments include oral decongestants, antihistamines, topical steroid sprays and desensitization.  

• Butterbur is a perennial shrub that grows in Europe, Asia and North America.  It is used primarily for migraine prevention and for chronic cough or asthma.  

• The main active constituents are petasin and isopetasin which are believed to reduce smooth muscle spasm and have an anti-inflammatory effect.  Butterbur also contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids which are associated with liver toxicity and carcinogenesis and considered unsafe.  Extracts are available in which the pyrrolizidine alkaloids have been removed.

• Butterbur is often not the first complementary and alternative (CAM) treatment used for seasonal allergies such as hayfever.  In fact, butterbur is in the same botanical family as ragweed and could theoretically trigger an allergic reaction. 

• Other CAM treatments for seasonal allergies include: nettle leaf, quercetin, nasal wash, homeopathy and acupuncture. 

References 

1.  Schapowal A.  Randomised controlled trial of butterbur and cetrizine for treating seasonal allergic rhinitis.  British Medical Journal 2002;324:144-6.

2. Thorne Research, Inc. www.thorne.com/altmedrev/petasites-ab6-3.html

3. Natural Medicine Comprehensive Database. Eds. Jellin M, Batz F, Hitchens K. Therapeutic Research Faculty. Stockton CA, 1999.