Cautions:
Always consult your health practitioner before taking nutritional supplements, especially if you are taking medication or are under medical supervision.
Not recommended for children, pregnant or lactating women.
Also people with stomach ulcers, and those with liver disease should consider avoiding ashwagandha.
People who take certain medications (including medications to suppress the immune system, lower blood sugar, lower blood pressure, and some sedatives) should talk to their doctor before taking ashwagandha.
People taking thyroid hormones should also talk to their doctor about taking ashwagandha because blood levels of thyroid hormones may be affected.
Side Effects:
Side effects of ashwagandha may include
- diarrhea
- headache
- sedation
- nausea
- Liver problems may also occur.
Ashwagandha may increase testosterone levels.
Contraindications:
Ashwagandha might lower blood sugar levels and thus make it unsafe to use with antihyperglycemic (glucose-lowering) medications (by lowering blood sugar too much).
Because of its potential to lower blood pressure, ashwagandha might not be safe in people who take medications to treat high blood pressure.
Ashwagandha, because it seems to make the immune system more active, could also interfere with medications that suppress the immune system. Examples of these medications include cyclosporine, mycophenolate, tacrolimus, prednisone, and corticosteroids.
Ashwagandha might make people drowsy or sleepy. So combining sedative-hypnotic medications (used to help with sleep) with ashwagandha might make people too sleepy. Examples of these sedatives are zoldipem,eszoplicone,clonazepam, quetiapine, and lorazepam.
Ashwagandha may increase thyroid hormone levels, so doctors carefully monitor thyroid function by ordering blood tests for anyone who takes thyroid hormones and ashwagandha at the same time.
You should not take supplements as a substitute for a varied balanced diet or healthy lifestyle.