Comfrey

The Basics

What is Comfrey?

Comfrey is a plant that contains poisonous chemicals called pyrrolizidine alkaloids, but some people use the leaf, root, and root-like stem to make medicine. Used by mouth for stomach ulcers, heavy menstrual periods, diarrhea, bloody urine, cough, bronchitis, cancer, and chest pain (angina). Also applied to the skin for ulcers, wounds, muscle soreness, bruises, rheumatoid arthritis, varicose veins, gout, and fractures.

Brand names for Comfrey

N/A

How Comfrey is classified

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Complementary Therapies, Phytotherapy, Plants, Medicinal

Comfrey During Pregnancy

Comfrey pregnancy category

Category N/ANote that the FDA has deprecated the use of pregnancy categories, so for some medications, this information isn’t available. We still think it’s useful to list historical info, however, given what a common proxy this has been in the past.

What we know about taking Comfrey while pregnant

N/A

Taking Comfrey While Breastfeeding

What are recommendations for lactation if you're taking Comfrey?

Comfrey (Symphytum officinalis) herb and leaf contains allantoin and rosmarinic acid; comfrey also contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Comfrey preparations have been used topically for pain following episiotomy and cracked, painful nipples, either as aqueous preparations or in creams and ointments.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Scientific evidence of effectiveness for these indications is minimal. The pyrrolizidine alkaloids in comfrey can cause severe liver damage, liver cancer, mutagenicity, and even death.[8][9] For this reason, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned the sale of oral comfrey products in the United States. Furthermore, most sources consider topical use of comfrey during breastfeeding to be contraindicated.[1][10][11] If it is used on the skin, it should only be applied to intact skin away from the breast on the smallest area of skin possible, and for a limited duration. It is particularly important to ensure that the infant not come into direct contact with the areas of skin that have been treated, because ingestion may cause severe liver damage. Dietary supplements do not require extensive pre-marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Manufacturers are responsible to ensure the safety, but do not need to prove the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements before they are marketed. Dietary supplements may contain multiple ingredients, and differences are often found between labeled and actual ingredients or their amounts. A manufacturer may contract with an independent organization to verify the quality of a product or its ingredients, but that does not certify the safety or effectiveness of a product. Because of the above issues, clinical testing results on one product may not be applicable to other products.

Maternal / infant drug levels

Comfrey (Symphytum officinalis) herb and leaf contains allantoin and rosmarinic acid; comfrey also contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Comfrey preparations have been used topically for pain following episiotomy and cracked, painful nipples, either as aqueous preparations or in creams and ointments.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Scientific evidence of effectiveness for these indications is minimal. The pyrrolizidine alkaloids in comfrey can cause severe liver damage, liver cancer, mutagenicity, and even death.[8][9] For this reason, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned the sale of oral comfrey products in the United States. Furthermore, most sources consider topical use of comfrey during breastfeeding to be contraindicated.[1][10][11] If it is used on the skin, it should only be applied to intact skin away from the breast on the smallest area of skin possible, and for a limited duration. It is particularly important to ensure that the infant not come into direct contact with the areas of skin that have been treated, because ingestion may cause severe liver damage. Dietary supplements do not require extensive pre-marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Manufacturers are responsible to ensure the safety, but do not need to prove the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements before they are marketed. Dietary supplements may contain multiple ingredients, and differences are often found between labeled and actual ingredients or their amounts. A manufacturer may contract with an independent organization to verify the quality of a product or its ingredients, but that does not certify the safety or effectiveness of a product. Because of the above issues, clinical testing results on one product may not be applicable to other products.

Possible effects of Comfrey on milk supply

Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Possible alternatives to Comfrey

None listed