Side Effects Of Peppermint Oil

Like all medicines, peppermint oil can cause side effects in some people, but most people have no side effects or only minor ones.

Drinking alcohol while taking peppermint oil capsules can increase the chance of side effects. If this happens, it's best not to drink alcohol.

Side effects of peppermint oil

These side effects of peppermint oil are usually mild and do not affect everyone. There are things you can do to help cope with them:

Keep taking peppermint oil, but talk to your doctor or pharmacist if the advice on how to cope does not help and a side effect is still bothering you or does not go away.

Serious side effects

It happens rarely, but some people may have a serious side effect when taking peppermint oil.

Stop taking peppermint oil and call your doctor or call 111 straight away if you:

• have an itchy and widespread skin rash
• have a slow heartbeat (bradycardia) - you may feel very tired or lightheaded
• have muscle shakes
• feel dizzy, which may also happen if you've had alcohol

Serious allergic reaction

In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to peppermint oil.

Call 999 now if:

• your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen
• you're breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you're choking or gasping for air)
• your throat feels tight or you're struggling to swallow
• your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet)
• you suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy
• someone faints and cannot be woken up
• a child is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do (their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face)

You or the person who's unwell may also have a rash that's swollen, raised, itchy, blistered or peeling.

These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.

Other side effects

These are not all the side effects of peppermint oil. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicines packet.

Reporting side effects

You can report any suspected side effect using the Yellow Card safety scheme.

Visit the Yellow Card website for more information about reporting side effects.

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