What is licorice?
The use of licorice in cultural and traditional settings may differ from concepts accepted
by current Western medicine. When considering the use of herbal supplements, consultation with
a primary health care professional is advisable. Additionally, consultation with a practitioner
trained in the uses of herbal/health supplements may be beneficial, and coordination of treatment
among all health care providers involved may be advantageous.
Licorice is also known as liquorice, American licorice, Spanish licorice, Russian licorice,
sweet root, and Glycyrrhiza glabra.
Licorice is a commonly used flavoring agent and food product. Licorice is also available
as an herbal supplement. The information contained in this leaflet refers to the use of licorice as
an herbal supplement. When used as a food product, the benefits and potential side effects of
licorice may be less pronounced than when it is used as an herbal supplement.
Licorice has been used to loosen congestion that may occur due to a cough or cold, and to
treat and prevent inflammation and/or ulceration of the stomach. Licorice has been used topically
to suppress the production of oil on the scalp.
Licorice has not been evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or purity. All
potential risks and/or advantages of licorice may not be known. Additionally, there are no
regulated manufacturing standards in place for these compounds. There have been instances
where herbal/health supplements have been sold which were contaminated with toxic metals or
other drugs. Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize
the risk of contamination.
Licorice may also have uses other than those listed in this product guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking licorice?
Do not take licorice without first talking to your doctor if you have
-
heart disease,
-
high blood pressure, or
-
diabetes.
You may not be able to take licorice, or you may require a dosage
adjustment or special monitoring during your treatment if you have any of the conditions listed
above.
Talk to your doctor before taking licorice if you have any other medical conditions,
allergies (especially to plants), or if you take other medicines or herbal/health supplements.
Licorice may not be recommended in some situations.
Do not
take licorice without first talking to your doctor if you are
pregnant or could become pregnant. It is not known whether licorice will harm an unborn baby.
Do not
take licorice without first talking to your doctor if you are
breast-feeding a baby. It is also not known whether licorice will harm a nursing infant.
There is no information available regarding the use of licorice by children. Do not
give any herbal/health supplement to a child without first talking to the child's doctor.
How should I take licorice?
The use of licorice in cultural and traditional settings may differ from concepts accepted
by current Western medicine. When considering the use of herbal supplements, consultation with
a primary health care professional is advisable. Additionally, consultation with a practitioner
trained in the uses of herbal/health supplements may be beneficial, and coordination of treatment
among all health care providers involved may be advantageous.
If you choose to take licorice, use it as directed on the package or as directed by your
doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
Standardized extracts, tinctures, and solid formulations of herbal/health supplements may
provide a more reliable dose of the product.
Licorice is available in pill formulations, powered or crushed forms, liquid drops, and tea
formulations.
Do not take more of this product than is directed. Too much licorice could be
dangerous. Also, do not take licorice for longer than 6 weeks. The use of licorice at high doses
(over 50 g per day) and/or for longer than 6 weeks may cause low blood levels of potassium,
high blood levels of sodium, water retention, increased blood pressure, heart problems, and blood
problems.
Do not use different formulations (e.g., tablets, topical formulations, teas, tinctures,
and others) of licorice at the same time, unless specifically directed to do so by a health care
professional. Using different formulations together increases the risk of an overdose of licorice.
Store licorice as directed on the package. In general, licorice should be protected from
light and moisture.
What happens if I miss a dose of licorice?
No information is available regarding a missed dose of licorice. Consult your doctor,
pharmacist, or health care provider if you require further information.
Where can I get more information about licorice?
Your pharmacist has information about licorice written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of licorice?
Although uncommon, allergic reactions to licorice have been reported. Stop taking
licorice and seek emergency medical attention if you experience symptoms of a serious allergic
reaction including difficulty breathing; closing of your throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or
face; or hives.
Other side effects have not been reported with the proper use of licorice. Notify your
doctor if you develop any type of side effect while taking licorice.
What is the most important information I should know about licorice?
Licorice is a commonly used flavoring agent and food product. Licorice is also available
as an herbal supplement. The information contained in this leaflet refers to the use of licorice as
an herbal supplement. When used as a food product, the benefits and potential side effects of
licorice may be less pronounced than when it is used as an herbal supplement.
Do not take more of this medication than is directed. Too much licorice could be
dangerous. Also, do not take licorice for longer than 6 weeks. The use of licorice at high doses
(over 50 g per day) and/or for longer than 6 weeks may cause low blood levels of potassium,
high blood levels of sodium, water retention, increased blood pressure, heart problems, and blood
problems.
Licorice has not been evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or purity. All
potential risks and/or advantages of licorice may not be known. Additionally, there are no
regulated manufacturing standards in place for these compounds. There have been instances
where herbal/health supplements have been sold which were contaminated with toxic metals or
other drugs. Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize
the risk of contamination.
What should I avoid while taking licorice?
There are no known restrictions on food, beverages, or activity while taking licorice,
unless otherwise directed by your health care provider.
What other drugs will affect licorice?
Do not take licorice without first talking to your doctor if you are taking any of the
following medicines:
-
a heart or blood pressure medicine;
-
spironolactone (Aldactone);
-
isocarboxazid (Marplan), tranylcypromine (Parnate), or
phenelzine (Nardil);
-
cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune);
-
a diabetes medicine such as insulin, glipizide (Glucotrol),
glyburide (Micronase, Diabeta, Glynase), metformin (Glucophage), troglitazone (Rezulin),
rosiglitazone (Avandia), pioglitazone (Actos), and others;
-
a steroid medicine such as cortisone (Cortone),
hydrocortisone (Cortef, Hydrocortone, others), prednisone (Deltasone, others), prednisolone
(Prelone, Pediapred, others), methylprednisolone (Medrol, Solu-Medrol, others), triamcinolone
(Aristocort, others), and others;
-
birth control pills such as Triphasil, Ovral, Lo-Ovral,
Nordette, Alesse, Demulen, Ortho-Novum, and many others;
-
estrogen replacement products such as Premarin, Cenestin,
Vivelle, Climara, Fempatch, and many others; or
-
tamoxifen (Nolvadex) or toremifene (Fareston).
You may not be able to take licorice, or you may require a dosage
adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you are taking any of the medicines listed
above.
Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with licorice or affect your condition.
Talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or health care provider before taking any prescription or
over-the-counter medicines or other herbal/health supplements.
What happens if I have an overdose of licorice?
