Echinacea
Patient Counselling
Counselling Information
1. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Echinacea. http://accesspharmacy.mhmedical.com.proxy.lib.uwaterloo.ca/HerbsandSupplements.aspx. Accessed March 3,2014.
2. Roy, H. Viral Rhinitis, Influenza, Sinusitis and Pharyngitis. In: Patient Self Care. 2nd ed. Ottawa, On: Canadian Pharmacists Association; 2010: 187-203.
3. Barret, B., Brown, R., Rackel, D. Mundt, M., Bone, K., Phyto, D. et al. “Echinacea for treating the common cold: a randomized control trial.” Ann Intern Med 153.12 (2010): 769-777.
4. Goel, V., Lovlin, R., Chang C., Slama, J., Barton, R., Gahler, R. et al. “The Proprietary Extract from The Echinacea Plant (Echinacea purpurea) Enhances Systemic Immune Response During a Common Cold.” Phytother Res 19(2005); 689-694.
- Choose products that have been standardized by Health Canada (1)
- Choose products that contain Echinacea purpurea, as they have the most evidence (1,2)
- Start the product at the initial symptoms of a cold, and continue for 7-10 days, to improve cold symptoms and duration (1,3,4)
- Do not recommend prophylactic dosing due increased side effects (1)
- Avoid if you have an allergy to the Asteraceae/Compositae plant family (1,2)
- Generally well tolerated, however gastrointestinal effects may occur such as nausea, upset stomach, headache, or constipation (1,2)
- Tell patients that this medication works to improve your immune system to shorten your symptom severity and duration of symptoms, and this relief may not be apparent to some patients (1,2)
- Patient may need first line pharmacotherapy treatments in conjunction with this product for viral rhinitis symptoms (1,2)
1. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Echinacea. http://accesspharmacy.mhmedical.com.proxy.lib.uwaterloo.ca/HerbsandSupplements.aspx. Accessed March 3,2014.
2. Roy, H. Viral Rhinitis, Influenza, Sinusitis and Pharyngitis. In: Patient Self Care. 2nd ed. Ottawa, On: Canadian Pharmacists Association; 2010: 187-203.
3. Barret, B., Brown, R., Rackel, D. Mundt, M., Bone, K., Phyto, D. et al. “Echinacea for treating the common cold: a randomized control trial.” Ann Intern Med 153.12 (2010): 769-777.
4. Goel, V., Lovlin, R., Chang C., Slama, J., Barton, R., Gahler, R. et al. “The Proprietary Extract from The Echinacea Plant (Echinacea purpurea) Enhances Systemic Immune Response During a Common Cold.” Phytother Res 19(2005); 689-694.