Rhubarb / Rheum officinale Rheum palmatum

The Basics

What is Rhubarb / Rheum officinale Rheum palmatum?

Used for digestive complaints including constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, and stomach pain.

Brand names for Rhubarb / Rheum officinale Rheum palmatum

N/A

How Rhubarb / Rheum officinale Rheum palmatum is classified

Complementary Therapies, Food, Phytotherapy, Plants, Medicinal

Rhubarb / Rheum officinale Rheum palmatum During Pregnancy

Rhubarb / Rheum officinale Rheum palmatum 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 Rhubarb / Rheum officinale Rheum palmatum while pregnant

N/A

Taking Rhubarb / Rheum officinale Rheum palmatum While Breastfeeding

What are recommendations for lactation if you're taking Rhubarb / Rheum officinale Rheum palmatum?

Rhubarb (Rheum officinale, Rheum palmatum) root contains anthraquinones (e.g., aloe-emodin, chrysophanol, emodin, rhein), which are laxatives, and tannins, which are astringents. Rhubarb has no specific lactation-related uses. It has been used for a wide variety of conditions, such as constipation, chronic renal failure, and upper gastrointestinal bleeding. It has also been used topically for conditions, such as herpes infections, and gingivitis. Most of these conditions are not supported by well-controlled trials. Other species of rhubarb are used primarily as foods. Chinese and garden rhubarb are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) as a food by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Two very old studies found that laxative doses of rhubarb given to nursing mothers did not appear to pass into milk or affect their breastfed infants.[1] Nevertheless, most recent reviewers state that rhubarb should not be used during breastfeeding because of possible cathartic effects on the breastfed infants.[2][3] 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

Rhubarb (Rheum officinale, Rheum palmatum) root contains anthraquinones (e.g., aloe-emodin, chrysophanol, emodin, rhein), which are laxatives, and tannins, which are astringents. Rhubarb has no specific lactation-related uses. It has been used for a wide variety of conditions, such as constipation, chronic renal failure, and upper gastrointestinal bleeding. It has also been used topically for conditions, such as herpes infections, and gingivitis. Most of these conditions are not supported by well-controlled trials. Other species of rhubarb are used primarily as foods. Chinese and garden rhubarb are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) as a food by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Two very old studies found that laxative doses of rhubarb given to nursing mothers did not appear to pass into milk or affect their breastfed infants.[1] Nevertheless, most recent reviewers state that rhubarb should not be used during breastfeeding because of possible cathartic effects on the breastfed infants.[2][3] 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 Rhubarb / Rheum officinale Rheum palmatum on milk supply

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

Possible alternatives to Rhubarb / Rheum officinale Rheum palmatum

Bisacodyl, Magnesium Hydroxide, Senna.