# Chamomile

Source: https://onco.cc/technologies/chamomile/  
OnCo record `chamomile` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Chamomile tea is widely drunk to relax, and trials suggest modest help with anxiety and sleep. Chamomile mouthwashes for chemotherapy mouth sores have given mixed results. It can cause allergic reactions in people sensitive to ragweed and added to warfarin's effect in one serious bleeding case.

## Summary

German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is a traditional remedy for spasms, sleep and digestion and is widely taken as tea. Memorial Sloan Kettering's About Herbs summary cites clinical data suggesting modest benefits for chronic insomnia and effectiveness for generalised anxiety disorder in several studies, and a controlled trial in which a chamomile compress healed skin lesions around colostomies better than hydrocortisone ointment. In cancer care, chamomile rinses and topical products for mucositis have given mixed preliminary results, and a chamomile gel showed some benefit in preventing acute radiation dermatitis; MSK says more studies are needed. People allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums or mugwort pollen should avoid it; anaphylaxis has been reported. MSK records multiple internal haemorrhages in a 70-year-old woman using chamomile with warfarin, raised cyclosporine levels with concurrent use, and possible added sedation with sedatives.

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: phase-2
- Last checked: 2026-11-04
- Tags: complementary; supportive-care; evidence:insufficient
- Principle: Apigenin and other flavonoids bind benzodiazepine sites on GABA-A receptors; bisabolol and chamazulene are anti-inflammatory on skin and mucosa.
- Strengths: Controlled trials for anxiety and sleep outside cancer; Cheap and generally safe as tea
- Limitations: Mixed results for mucositis; Allergy in ragweed and mugwort sensitivity; Bleeding with warfarin in a case report; raises cyclosporine levels

## Sources

- MSK About Herbs: Chamomile, German (page last updated 27 May 2022): https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/chamomile-german

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