Awaiting clinical review. This entry is sourced but has not yet been signed off by a pharmacist or clinician.
Feverfew
Feverfew may modestly reduce how often migraines happen, but the evidence is low quality: the Cochrane review found mixed results, and the best trial showed about 0.6 fewer attacks a month than placebo. It is well tolerated in trials, with mild digestive upset and mouth sores from chewing fresh leaves the most common problems. Avoid it in pregnancy, and ask first if you take blood thinners or are allergic to daisy-family plants.
At a glance
Last reviewed 29 September 2026What it's used for
Evidence is rated per use. The same ingredient can be strong for one thing and traditional for another.
| Use | Evidence | What the research shows |
|---|---|---|
| Preventing migraine | Limited | The 2015 Cochrane review pooled nothing because the six placebo-controlled trials (561 people) differed too much, and rated the evidence low quality. The largest trial (218 randomised; 170 analysed) used a stable CO2 extract, MIG-99, at 6.25 mg three times a day for 16 weeks: attacks fell by 1.9 a month on feverfew and 1.3 on placebo, a difference of 0.6 (P = 0.0456). Intensity, duration and nausea did not differ significantly. Earlier results were mixed: three small positive trials (17 to 60 people) against two rigorous trials (50 and 147 people) that found no significant difference. The EU regulator accepts it only as a traditional use, not on trial evidence.1,2,6,7 |
| Treating a migraine attack | Limited | One small pilot (60 people, 208 attacks) tested a sublingual feverfew and ginger combination taken at the first mild headache: 32% were pain-free at 2 hours against 16% on placebo. It was a combination product, so the effect cannot be put down to feverfew alone, and the placebo group was only 15 people. Oral numbness and nausea were the most common side effects. No trial we read tested feverfew alone for an attack already under way.4 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | Traditional | The one placebo-controlled trial (41 women, 70–86 mg dried leaf daily for six weeks) found no important differences in stiffness, pain, grip strength or blood markers of inflammation. NCCIH says there is not enough evidence for conditions other than migraine. Its traditional reputation is not supported by the trial we found.3,5,7 |
How much
Ranges below are what studies used and what supplements commonly contain. They are not a recommendation for you. Start at the low end.
How people take it
Safety
Who should avoid
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding — NCCIH and the EU regulator advise against
- Allergy to ragweed, daisies or other Asteraceae plants — EU contraindication
- Under 18 — not recommended, too little data
- Before scheduled surgery — NCCIH says stop at least 2 weeks before
- Blood-clotting disorders or blood thinners — may slow clotting
- Fresh leaves if you get mouth sores — chewing causes ulcers in some people
Known interactions
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Questions people ask
Does feverfew prevent migraines?
Possibly, but only a little. The Cochrane review rated the evidence low quality, and the largest, best-run trial found 0.6 fewer attacks a month than placebo with a standardised extract. Earlier trials were mixed, and the EU regulator accepts it only on the basis of long-standing use.
What is post-feverfew syndrome?
It is a reported cluster of rebound headache, anxiety, poor sleep and muscle and joint stiffness after stopping feverfew. It comes from a 1985 study in which about 10% of a small group of long-term users developed it after being switched to placebo. The EU assessment says it has not been confirmed in later, larger studies.
Why does chewing feverfew leaves cause mouth ulcers?
In a survey of 300 users, 11.3% reported mouth ulcers from chewing fresh leaves, and some stopped using it. The EU assessment says this happens only with fresh leaves and calls for stopping the product. Swelling and irritation of the mouth and lips seem to be a local reaction that capsules avoid.
Is feverfew safe in pregnancy or with blood thinners?
Do not use it in pregnancy; NCCIH says it may affect uterine contractions, and the EU regulator says safety is not established and animal studies showed reproductive toxicity at high doses. NCCIH says it may slow blood clotting, and a case report described bleeding on high-dose feverfew, so speak to your doctor or pharmacist first if you take blood thinners.
Sources
- Cochrane review Wider B, Pittler MH, Ernst E. Feverfew for preventing migraine. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015.
- Randomised controlled trial Diener HC, Pfaffenrath V, Schnitker J, Friede M, Henneicke-von Zepelin HH. Efficacy and safety of 6.25 mg t.i.d. feverfew CO2-extract (MIG-99) in migraine prevention--a randomized, double-blind, multicentre, placebo-controlled study. Cephalalgia. 2005.
- Randomised controlled trial Pattrick M, Heptinstall S, Doherty M. Feverfew in rheumatoid arthritis: a double blind, placebo controlled study. Ann Rheum Dis. 1989.
- Randomised controlled trial Cady RK, Goldstein J, Nett R, Mitchell R, Beach ME, Browning R. A double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study of sublingual feverfew and ginger (LipiGesic M) in the treatment of migraine. Headache. 2011.
- Regulator/health agency NCCIH. Feverfew. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (last updated February 2025).
- Regulator monograph European Medicines Agency HMPC. European Union herbal monograph on Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Schultz Bip., herba (Tanaceti parthenii herba), Final Revision 1 (EMA/HMPC/48715/2017). 2020.
- Regulator assessment report European Medicines Agency HMPC. Assessment report on Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Schultz Bip., herba, Final Revision 1 (EMA/HMPC/48716/2017). 2020.
- Case report Alenzi KA, Alharbi FH, Tawhari FM, Fradees GS. Alteration of Coagulation Test Results and Vaginal Bleeding Associated With the Use of Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium). J Med Cases. 2021.
Last reviewed 29 September 2026 · Next review March 2027 · How we rate evidence