goldenseal, a perennial herb found in the Ohio River Valley. ▪ INDICATIONS: It is used for high blood pressure, poor appetite, infections, menstrual problems, minor sciatic pain, and muscle spasms. It is also used as an eye wash and by some hoping to hide the presence of marijuana, cocaine, or other illicit drugs in the urine. Goldenseal is ineffective at masking illicit drugs in urine tests. There is insufficient reliable information to gauge its efficacy for other uses. ▪ CONTRAINDICATIONS: It is probably not safe when used at high doses or long term. The active constituent berberine can cause significant toxicity. Goldenseal is contraindicated in women who are pregnant (it is a uterine stimulant) or breastfeeding, and it should not be used in infants. It also should not be used in people with known hypersensitivity to this herb or with cardiovascular conditions such as heart block, arrhythmias, or hypertension. It should not be used locally for purulent ear discharge or in a ruptured eardrum.
