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Chamomile
Chamomile — what the European monograph actually supports, what it is not for, the form and how long it is meant to be used, side effects, and the 2 medicine interactions documented for it.
This is a reference page, not a diagnosis and not a prescription. Herbal products are real pharmacology: they have effects, side effects and interactions with medicines. Tell your doctor and your pharmacist everything you take, including teas and supplements, and never stop or change a prescribed medicine because of anything you read here.
What it is
Matricaria chamomilla L. (syn. M. recutita) — flower head (Matricariae flos)
Local names across the region this site serves: kummel (ET) · kamomilla (FI) · ромашка (RU).
Grouped here under Sleep, stress and calm. Regulatory position: EU herbal monograph — traditional use.
What the evidence supports
The registered indication: Mild digestive complaints including bloating and flatulence; as a mouth rinse for minor inflammation of the mouth and throat; on the skin for minor irritation; as a steam inhalation for a cold.
The interesting thing about chamomile is what the monograph does not say. Across Estonia, Finland and Russia the search that brings people here is chamomile for sleeplessness — and sleep is not among the indications a European regulator accepted. What the monograph carries is digestive, oral, cutaneous and inhalational use. That does not make the bedtime cup pointless: a warm, caffeine-free drink at a fixed hour is a genuinely effective sleep cue, and it works through routine rather than through pharmacology. Saying so plainly is more useful than pretending the flower is a sedative.
C — Traditional use only Plausible from thirty or more years of use, which is what a traditional-use registration means. No clinical evidence was required and none has settled it.
What it is not for
Insomnia, anxiety, or any infection. Chamomile tea does not treat a chest infection, a urinary infection or an infected eye.
Form, strength and how long
Dried flower heads as an infusion, liquid extracts, mouthwashes and gargles, and creams. Chamomile essential oil is a far more concentrated product and is not interchangeable with the tea.
Duration. Traditional-use texts limit oral and topical courses to a couple of weeks; symptoms that persist beyond that are a reason to be seen.
No gram figure appears on this page on purpose. The plant part, the extraction solvent and the drug-to-extract ratio together define a preparation, and a number taken from one does not describe another. The reasoning is set out on the hub; the amount that applies to you is the one printed on the pack you are holding, and a pharmacist will read it with you.
Side effects
Allergic reactions in people sensitive to the daisy family (Asteraceae) — the same group as ragweed, mugwort and yarrow — including rash, and rarely more severe reactions. Contact allergy from creams. Rinsing the eyes with chamomile infusion is a folk habit worth dropping: allergic conjunctivitis has been reported and a home infusion is not sterile.
Who should avoid it
Anyone with a known daisy-family allergy should avoid it. Not established in pregnancy or breastfeeding; the tea is widely drunk, but concentrated extracts are a different exposure.
Interactions with medicines
| Medicine or substance | What is described |
|---|---|
| Anticoagulants and antiplatelets (warfarin, DOACs, aspirin, clopidogrel) | Chamomile contains natural coumarin-type compounds and appears on bleeding-risk lists; case reports of disturbed warfarin control exist. It is not a reason to panic over a cup of tea, and it is a reason to mention a daily habit or a concentrated extract to whoever monitors your INR. |
| Sleeping tablets, benzodiazepines and sedating antihistamines | Mild additive drowsiness is reported with sedatives at higher intakes. It matters far less than with valerian, but it belongs on the list you show a pharmacist. |
The reverse view — start from the medicine rather than the plant — is in the medicine, food and alcohol interactions reference, and summarised for every herb on this site.
As a food
This one is also in the kitchen, so the nutrition figures are worth having next to the pharmacology: see the food data page for calories and nutrients per 100 g and per portion. Culinary amounts and medicinal preparations are different exposures, and the difference is usually the whole safety story.
Sources: European Medicines Agency — Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC), European Union herbal monographs · NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health — herb fact sheets · checked 2026-09-06
Frequently asked questions
What is chamomile used for?
Mild digestive complaints including bloating and flatulence; as a mouth rinse for minor inflammation of the mouth and throat; on the skin for minor irritation; as a steam inhalation for a cold. The interesting thing about chamomile is what the monograph does not say. Across Estonia, Finland and Russia the search that brings people here is chamomile for sleeplessness — and sleep is not among the indications a European regulator accepted. What the monograph carries is digestive, oral, cutaneous and inhalational use. That does not make the bedtime cup pointless: a warm, caffeine-free drink at a fixed hour is a genuinely effective sleep cue, and it works through routine rather than through pharmacology. Saying so plainly is more useful than pretending the flower is a sedative.
Does chamomile work?
Graded C here: Plausible from thirty or more years of use, which is what a traditional-use registration means. No clinical evidence was required and none has settled it. Insomnia, anxiety, or any infection. Chamomile tea does not treat a chest infection, a urinary infection or an infected eye.
How much chamomile should I take?
This reference does not print gram figures, because they do not transfer between preparations of different extract strength. What can be said honestly is the form and the duration: Dried flower heads as an infusion, liquid extracts, mouthwashes and gargles, and creams. Chamomile essential oil is a far more concentrated product and is not interchangeable with the tea. Traditional-use texts limit oral and topical courses to a couple of weeks; symptoms that persist beyond that are a reason to be seen.
What are the side effects of chamomile?
Allergic reactions in people sensitive to the daisy family (Asteraceae) — the same group as ragweed, mugwort and yarrow — including rash, and rarely more severe reactions. Contact allergy from creams. Rinsing the eyes with chamomile infusion is a folk habit worth dropping: allergic conjunctivitis has been reported and a home infusion is not sterile.
Does chamomile interact with medicines?
Yes — documented for Anticoagulants, warfarin, Sedatives. Each one is described on this page, with a link to the medicine-side reference where one exists.
Others in sleep, stress and calm
Valerian
Relief of mild nervous tension and to aid sleep.
Lavender
Relief of mild symptoms of mental stress and exhaustion, and to aid sleep; the oil is also registered as a bath additive.
Lemon balm
Relief of mild symptoms of mental stress and to aid sleep; and, separately, mild digestive complaints including bloating and flatulence.
Passionflower
Relief of mild symptoms of mental stress and to aid sleep.
Keep the whole list in one place
TempoLife logs supplements alongside food, sleep and how you actually felt — so the answer to "what are you taking?" is a screen, not a guess.