Lycopi herba

Lycopi herba, also called wolfstrappkraut, is a drug prepared from the crushed plant, from fresh plant press juice and used in herbal medicines for the treatment of mild forms of hyperthyroidism and mastodynia.

Commission e-monograph: mild hyperthyroidism with vegetative nervous disorders, sensation of tension and pain in the mammary gland (mastopathy).

Experiential medicine: premenstrual syndrome

Wolfstraw contains 0.2% essential oil, flavonoids, fluorides, lithospermic acid as well as hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (e.g. ferulic acid), caffeic acid derivatives and rosemary acid.

Wolfstraw reduces the level of prolactin in the body, inhibits the peripheral deodorization of T4 and also has antithyrotropic and antigonadotropic effects.

Wolfstraw is used for a mild form of hyperthyroidism with autonomic nervous disorders and mastodynia(Commission E).

The daily dose is between 1.0 and 2.0 g. The drug is usually taken in the form of tea infusions, aqueous-ethanolic extracts or as fresh plant juice.

In very rare cases, an enlargement of the thyroid gland can occur with a very high dosage or as part of long-term therapy. Wolfstraw should only be discontinued very slowly, otherwise the symptoms may become worse.

In case of a known hypothyroidism or a struma nodosa without dysfunction, it should not be taken.

There are no known interactions with other substances. A parallel intake of thyroid hormones should be avoided.

To avoid rebound phenomenon, the intake should be started and stopped slowly.

Lycopus preparations interfere with thyroid diagnostics with radio-isotopes.

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