Lady's Bedstraw

• Overview
• Uses
• Side Effects
• Precautions
• Dosing

Lady's bedstraw is a plant. The leaves, stems, and flowers are used to make medicine.

Lady's bedstraw is used for treating cancer, epilepsy, hysteria, spasms, tumors, loss of appetite, and chest and lung ailments. It is also used to increase urine output (as a diuretic) for relieving water retention, especially swollen ankles.

Some people use lady’s bedstraw to cause sweating; as a tonic; to increase sexual desire (as an aphrodisiac); as a drying agent (astringent); and to empty the bowels (as a purgative).

Lady's bedstraw is sometimes applied directly to the skin for poorly healing wounds and to stop bleeding.

How does it work?

There isn't enough information to know how lady's bedstraw might work.

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...

• Swollen ankles.
• Cancer.
• Epilepsy.
• Hysteria.
• Spasms.
• Tumors.
• Chest and lung ailments.
• Loss of appetite.
• Water retention (as a diuretic).
• Causing sweating.
• Increasing sexual desire (as an aphrodisiac).
• Stimulating and emptying the bowels.
• Use as a drying agent (as an astringent).
• Use as a tonic.
• Poorly healing wounds, when applied directly to the skin.
• Stopping bleeding, when applied directly to the skin.
• Other conditions.

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of lady's bedstraw for these uses.

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).

It is not known if lady's bedstraw is safe or what the possible side effects might be.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the use of lady's bedstraw during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

The appropriate dose of lady's bedstraw depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for lady's bedstraw. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.