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toronjil

lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

Sections:

  • Entire Monograph
  • Reported Uses
  • Reported Doses
  • Cautions
  • Drug Interactions
  • Adverse Reactions
  • Synonyms
  • Other Info
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Reported Doses

Safety/efficacy may not be established; reported doses may be derived from limited or potentially inadequate studies with variable regimens, multi-ingredient products, or where concentration of active ingredients may vary widely

Effectiveness Ratings

[see Herb & Supplement Effectiveness Rating Definitions table]

Alzheimer disease

[Insufficient Evidence]
Dose: 60 drops extract (standardized to 500 mcg citral/mL) PO qd; Alt: 500 mg rosmarinic acid PO qd

anxiety

[Insufficient Evidence]
Dose: 300-350 mg PO bid; Alt: 1200-3000 mg PO qd; lemon balm diffused for inhaled aromatherapy x30min qd

cognitive function

[Insufficient Evidence]
Dose: 1600 mg PO x1; Alt: 5 g/10 mL PO bid (plant material ratio 1:1:1 lemon balm:sage:rosemary)

colic

[Insufficient Evidence]
Dose: 65-97 mg PO bid; Alt: 150 mL herbal tea PO qd-tid

delirium

[Insufficient Evidence]
Dose: 50 mg/5 mL extract syrup PO q12h; Info: used with valerian

dementia

[Insufficient Evidence]
Dose: apply lotion topically to face and hands for inhaled aromatherapy bid; Info: product containing lemon balm oil

depression

[Possibly Effective]
Dose: 600-3000 mg PO qd; Alt: 350 mg PO bid

dyslipidemia

[Insufficient Evidence]
Dose: 700-4000 mg/day PO divided qd-bid

dyspepsia

[Insufficient Evidence]
Dose: 33.3 mg/1 mL PO tid

herpes labialis (cold sores)

[Possibly Effective]
Dose: apply 1% cream topically qid

HTN

[Insufficient Evidence]
Dose: 400 mg PO qd; Info: extract standardized to contain 8 mg rosmarinic acid

insomnia, adult patients

[Insufficient Evidence]
Dose: 80 mg PO bid-tid; Alt: 1000 mg PO qhs; 400 mg PO qhs given 30min before bedtime; Info: used with or without valerian

insomnia, peds patients

[Insufficient Evidence]
Dose: 80-160 mg PO qd-bid; Info: used with valerian

menopausal symptoms

[Insufficient Evidence]
Dose: 250 mg PO qd

pain, acute

[Insufficient Evidence]
Dose: 1% lemon balm oil diffused for inhaled aromatherapy x10min bid

postpartum complications

[Insufficient Evidence]
Dose: 395 mg PO q6h x24h after delivery

psoriasis

[Insufficient Evidence]
Dose: 20 mL syrup PO tid; Info: syrup prepared with 3 g lemon balm in 450 mL water

somatoform disorders

[Insufficient Evidence]
Dose: 60 mg PO tid

stress

[Possibly Effective]
Dose: 240-600 mg PO x1; Alt: 60 mg PO tid x3 days, then 60 mg PO bid

ventricular arrhythmias

[Insufficient Evidence]
Dose: 2 g/250 mL tea PO bid

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