Herbs Store

Blue Flag

Blue flag preparations are obtained from the rhizome portion of the plant. The primary useful ingredients are iridin and oleoresin. Blue flag may stimulate the flow of bile from the gallbladder to the duodenum. It’s used as an anti-inflammatory, diuretic, laxative, and sialagogue, as well as a hepatic and dermatologic herb.

Benefits And Uses of Blue Flag

Blue flag is used to purify blood and free it from toxins. It’s used to treat heart burn, belching, nausea, and headaches resulting from digestive disorders as well as disorders of the respiratory tract and thyroid gland. It’s also used for its cathartic, emetic, and diuretic effects.

Blue flag is applied externally on sores and bruises to decrease inflammation.

Administration

• Decoction: 1 cup of preparation by mouth three times a day; prepared by placing 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of dried herb in 1 cup of boiling water and simmering for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Solid extracts powdered root: 10 to 20 grained by mouth.
• Tincture: 2 to 4 ml by mouth three times a day.
• Dried Rhizome : 0.6 to 2g three times a day.

Side Effects of Blue Flag

Reported adverse effects with the use of blue flag include headache, lacrimation, eye inflammation, throat irritation, and mucous membrane and skin irritation from the herb’s furfural component.

Blue flag may potentiate the effects of anticoagulants by reducing absorption of vitamin K from the gut. It may also potentiate the action of antihypertensives, ganglionic, or peripheral adrenergics. Beta blockers such as meprobamate, phenobarbital, propranolol, and other sedative hypnotics such as chloral hydrate may decrease blue flag’s anti-inflammatory effects.

Blue flag may cause hypokalemia when used in conjunction with corticosteroids and corticotropin. It may reduce the renal clearance of lithium. Blue flag may increase depletion of potassium when used with stimulant laxative herbs such as aloe, buckthron fruit and bark, butternut, cascar sagrada
bark , castor oil, colocynth fruit pulp, gamboge bark exudate, podophyllum root, rhubarb root, potassium-wasting herbs such as horsetail plant and licoricer rhizome, and wild cucumber fruit.

Pregnant and breast-feeding patients and patients with infections or inflammatory GI condition should avoid use.

Clinical considerations

• If patient is also taking digoxin, monitor his blood digoxin levels.
• Monitor blood pressure and blood glucose, serum electrolyte, and uric acid levels.
• If patient is also taking an anticoagulant, monitor International Normalized Ratio.
• Warn patient not to take blue flag internally.
• If patient is pregnant or breast-feeding, advise her not to use blue flag.
• Caution patient that blue flag can cause severe irritation if it comes in direct contact with eyes, ears, nose, or mouth.
• Tell patient to remind prescriber and pharmacist of any herbal or dietary supplement that he’s taking when obtaining a new prescription.
• Advise patient to consult his health care provider before using an herbal preparation because a treatment with proven efficacy may be available.

Research summary

Safety studies of blue flag have not been performed, and related species have been found to be toxic.

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