Herb & supplement monograph

Motherwort Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Motherwort interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Motherwort is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Motherwort is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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Motherwort Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant Motherwort drug interaction appears low for most people. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and every one of them traces back to a single, theoretical concern rather than documented problems in people.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The one interaction worth knowing about involves CNS depressants, meaning medications that slow brain activity and cause drowsiness, such as sedatives and sleep aids. Motherwort has been reported to have sedating effects of its own, so combining it with these medicines could, in theory, add to that drowsiness. This has not been confirmed in human studies, but extra sleepiness would matter most for anyone who needs to stay alert or who is sensitive to sedation.

What the rest of the list means

Although motherwort appears alongside a long list of medications, that number does not mean each combination is harmful. Every entry reflects the same theoretical sedation concern applied across many individual drugs, and it rests on reports of motherwort's effects rather than well-controlled human research. In practice, most people are unlikely to notice a meaningful change.

Check your medications against Motherwort

Based on HelloPharmacist’s Motherwort interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Motherwort

248 medications have a known interaction with Motherwort, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.

Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against Motherwort using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Motherwort interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
Possible. Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Motherwort combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs Motherwort affects

Every type of medication (drug category) Motherwort is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 1 drug category Motherwort interacts with

Cns Depressants

Theoretically, taking motherwort concomitantly with other CNS depressants may increase the risk of sedation.
Motherwort has been reported to cause CNS depression and sedation.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Motherwort: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

Motherwort is a traditional herb in the mint family long used for anxiety, heart palpitations, and women's reproductive complaints, but solid human evidence is very limited. It should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and anyone with a heart condition or taking heart or blood-thinning medicines should talk to a doctor or pharmacist before using it.

Scientific name: Leonurus cardiaca
Family: Lamiaceae
Part used: Aerial parts (leaves, stems, and flowering tops)
Common forms: Tea, tincture, liquid extract, capsules, dried herb

People commonly use it for

Anxiety and stress
Heart palpitations
Menstrual discomfort
Menopausal symptoms
Insomnia

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

May be tolerated short-term by healthy adults, but human safety data are limited.

PregnancyLikely Unsafe

When used orally or by injection. Alkaloids present in motherwort have uterine stimulant effects.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

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Overview

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) is a perennial herb in the mint family. It is native to Europe and parts of Asia and now grows in many temperate regions, including North America, often as a roadside or garden plant. The plant has deeply lobed leaves, small pink or purple flowers, and a strong, somewhat bitter smell.

People have used motherwort in traditional European and Chinese medicine for hundreds of years. Its common name and its Latin name (cardiaca, meaning heart) reflect its long-standing use for both women's health concerns and heart-related complaints such as a racing or pounding heartbeat.

Today motherwort is sold as a tea, tincture, liquid extract, or capsule. It is often marketed for stress, sleep, menstrual and menopausal symptoms, and palpitations.

How it works

Motherwort contains several plant compounds, including alkaloids (such as leonurine and stachydrine), flavonoids, and other antioxidant substances. These are thought to be responsible for its possible effects, but the exact way it works in people is not well understood.

Laboratory and animal studies suggest motherwort may have mild effects on the heart and blood vessels, possibly relaxing blood vessels, slightly lowering blood pressure, and influencing heart rhythm. Some research also points to possible calming (sedative) and antioxidant or anti-inflammatory actions.

It is important to remember that most of these findings come from test-tube or animal research. Results in a lab do not always mean the herb will work the same way, or be safe, in humans.

Effectiveness

Does Motherwort work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 17 uses evaluated

1 Possibly effective 16 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

Possibly Effective Bleeding