Echinacea Tablets

Overview

Echinacea tablets contain the flowering plant echinacea. It’s a flowering plant that grows in the U.S. and Canada and is believed to act as a natural anti-viral medication. You may also see Echinacea referred to as the purple coneflower or black-eyed Susan. The leaves, stems, flowers, and roots are used to make echinacea tablet supplements that could help relieve the symptoms/infection of a cold or flu.

Echinacea tablets should be taken at the first sign of a cold or illness to help prevent its symptoms, though it will not necessarily stop you from getting a cold. It is an over the counter medication that can be found in most pharmacies and also in natural remedy shops. Although its effectiveness is debated there is evidence to suggest it is an effective way to prevent cold and flu symptoms and reduce the longevity of the cold.

You can buy Echinacea tablets online with e-Surgery and learn more about the product in our blog post on the Health Hub.

Directions

When you buy Echinacea tablets online, or from your local pharmacy, take 1 tablet 3 times a day. Start at the first signs of a common cold.

Do not use Echinacea tablets for more than 10 days. Do not take more than the label tells you to. See your doctor or qualified healthcare practitioner if your condition worsens, you get a high fever while using this product or symptoms persist for more than 10 days.

Side Effects

Like all medicines, when you buy Echinacea tablets they can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. Please read the full list of possible side effects before you buy Echinacea tablets online in the echinacea tablet patient information leaflet.

Some possible side effects include:

• allergic reactions such as swelling, hives, or rashes
• swelling of the skin due to fluid
• swelling of the facial area (Quincke’s oedema)
• shrinking of the airways of the lungs with obstruction (bronchospasm)
• asthma and life threatening reactions (anaphylactic shock)

The frequency of the side effects is not known.

Echinacea can trigger allergic reactions in some patients susceptible to allergies. Association with auto-immune diseases has been reported such as:

• inflammation of the brain and spinal cord (disseminated encephalitis)
• painful lumps on the shins (erythema nodosum)
• low blood platelet count (immune thrombocytopenia)
• destruction of blood cells by antibodies (Evans Syndrome)
• dryness in the mouth and eye with kidney tubular dysfunction (Sjogren Syndrome)
• A decrease in the number of white blood cells (leucopenia) may occur in long term use (more than 8 weeks)

Stop taking the product immediately if you experience any allergic reaction.

How it works

Echinacea tablets containing echinacea extract do seem to have an effect on the immune system and your body’s defence against germs. Research shows it increases the number of white blood cells, which fight infections. The general conclusion is that echinacea had a very slight benefit in preventing colds.

Delivery

e-Surgery uses Royal Mail delivery with choices starting from Royal Mail 48 tracked delivery, Royal Mail tracked 24 and Royal Mail 1 pm special delivery (discover more about e-Surgery delivery). When you buy Echinacea tablets online they will arrive in discreet, recyclable packaging at a delivery address of your choice.

Find out to recycle packaging from e-Surgery.

Ingredients

Each film coated tablet contains 71.5 mg of extract (dry extract) from Echinacea purpurea root (6-7:1). This is equivalent to 429 – 500 mg of Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench, root. Extraction Solvent: Ethanol 30% v/v

As well as the active ingredient, the tablets also contain maltodextrin, colloidal anhydrous silica, calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate, microcrystalline cellulose, croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate.

The tablet coating contains hypromellose, purified talc, vegetable carbon black (E153), copper chlorophyllin (E141), titanium dioxide (E171).

Warnings

You should not take this medicine:

• If you are allergic to any of the ingredients or to plants from the Asteraceae or Compositae family e.g. artichokes, daisies, marigolds
• If you have tuberculosis
• If you have sarcoidosis (a connective tissue disease)
• If you have an autoimmune disease (e.g. multiple sclerosis or collagenoses)
• If you are having treatment which reduces your natural response to infection (immunosuppression)
• If you have a condition which reduces your natural response to infection (e.g. HIV infection or AIDS)
• If you have problems with your white blood cells (you may have been told you have leukaemia or agranulocytosis)
• If you have had an organ or bone marrow transplant
• If you are having any treatment for cancer
• If you are taking ciclosporin or methotrexate (for psoriasis, rheumatism or following transplant surgery)
• If you are prone to allergies (you have eczema, asthma or allergic skin reactions)
• If you are pregnant or breastfeeding

You should also consult with your doctor before taking Echinacea Tablets if you are e prone to develop allergic reactions. Echinacea can trigger severe and life-threatening allergic reactions in patients who have a tendency to allergic reactions.