Pam Oh Herbs

Willow bark

Salix alba, family Salicaceae. Part discussed: Bark.

Identity

Common name
Willow bark
Botanical name
Salix alba
Family
Salicaceae
Part or material
Bark
Classification
Botanical
Educational category
Recovery and Movement

About

Salix species, named examples including S. purpurea L., S. daphnoides Vill., S. fragilis L., Salicaceae, bark (cortex). Salicin is named as a known component.

Forms and distinctions

Different preparations of the same material are described separately, because what is recorded for one form does not carry to another.

Comminuted or powdered bark and dry or liquid extracts.

Safety considerations

Side effects include allergic reactions (rash, exanthema, itching, asthma) and gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, heartburn), frequency not known. Must not be taken by patients hypersensitive to salicylates or other NSAIDs, nor by people with asthma due to salicylate sensitivity, active stomach ulcers, severe liver or kidney dysfunction, clotting disorders, or glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. Women in the third trimester of pregnancy, children and adolescents must not take willow bark medicines.

Part of this record is still being confirmed with its issuing authority. What is published is what the sources carry, and nothing more.

References

The authorities this entry draws on, named so you can weigh them yourself.
  • EMA HMPC Salicis cortex · European Medicines Agency, herbal medicine monograph

This entry is educational. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not a statement about any Pam Oh Herbs Collection or its contents. It carries no dosage and no claim of effect.