Goat's Rue - Uses, Side Effects, and More

Who should not use goat's rue?

Allergies to Ingredients. People who are allergic to any of the following should not take goat's rue.

• French lilac
• Galega officinalis
• Goat's rue
• Italian fitch
• Professor-weed
• Any of the ingredients in the specific product

Your pharmacist can tell you all of the ingredients in the specific goat's rue products they stock.

What should I know about goat's rue before using it?

Goat's rue is a dietary supplement. It cannot be marketed to treat or cure a disease.

Goat's rue is available in several forms. Common forms include capsules, dried herb used to make tea, and liquid extracts (tinctures). It may also be found in combination products that contain other herbs or supplements. Read and follow the directions on the specific product you are taking, or take it as recommended by your health care provider.

Keep goat's rue out of the reach of children.

The raw goat's rue plant can be toxic. The plant can poison grazing animals, such as sheep, if they eat it in large amounts. So, do not eat the raw plant. Use only properly made goat's rue products, and follow the directions on the label.

Goat's rue is not the same as the prescription diabetes medicine metformin. Long ago, scientists studied a natural chemical in goat's rue called galegine. This early work helped lead to the discovery of metformin. But goat's rue is an herbal supplement, not a tested medicine. It is not approved to treat diabetes, and the amount of active chemical in a goat’s rue product can vary. Do not use goat's rue in place of a medicine your health care provider has prescribed.

Herbal products, such as goat's rue, naturally contain many different chemicals. The amount of each chemical in a specific goat's rue product can change for many reasons, including the area where the plant was grown, the weather during growth, the time of year it was harvested, and the way it was processed after being harvested. If you switch to a new bottle or a different brand, you may not have the same effects or side effects because of this variability. Talk to your health care provider if you have questions or concerns.

Goat's rue is available in many different forms, including dried ground herb, tea, capsules, and liquid extracts. Each of these forms may contain different amounts of the chemicals that are naturally found in the plant.

The FDA has not tested goat's rue products to confirm that they contain the ingredients stated on their labels. Some dietary supplements have been tested by third-party organizations to confirm that they contain the ingredients listed on their labels and do not contain any harmful chemicals. Learn more about how to choose a safe dietary supplement product here.

What should I tell my health care provider before using goat's rue?

Tell your health care provider about all of your health conditions and any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using. Also tell them if you have an upcoming surgery planned. Sharing this information will help your health care provider know if this or other supplements are right for you.

In particular, make sure that you discuss any of the following.

Diabetes or Trouble With Low Blood Sugar. Goat's rue may lower blood sugar. Tell your health care provider if you have diabetes, low blood sugar, or any other condition that affects your blood sugar.

Other Medicines and Supplements. Before taking goat's rue, tell your health care provider about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using. See the Interactions section for more details.

Pregnancy. It is not known if or how goat's rue could affect pregnancy or harm a fetus. In general, many herbal products have not been shown to be safe during pregnancy. Tell your health care provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

Breastfeeding. It is not known if goat's rue passes into breast milk. Goat's rue is sometimes used to try to increase breast milk, but it is not known if it is safe or useful for this purpose. There is not enough research on whether herbal supplements like goat's rue are safe while breastfeeding. There is a report about babies who had low energy, poor feeding, and vomiting after the parent drank an herbal tea mixture that contained several herbs, including goat's rue. If you use goat's rue while breastfeeding, watch your baby closely and talk to your health care provider first. Tell your health care provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.