Chamomile Tea Side Effects: 4 Risks to Know

Chamomile tea may cause nausea, drowsiness or an allergic reaction.

Is chamomile tea safe?

For most healthy adults, ordinary amounts of chamomile tea are generally considered safe. That does not mean everyone can drink it safely: allergies and medication interactions are important exceptions, and safety information for some groups is limited.

A 2024 review of 10 clinical trials found no reported adverse events in its chamomile studies. Most trials relied on participants reporting problems rather than actively checking for them, so the findings cannot rule out side effects. The trials studied chamomile products, not necessarily the same preparation as a cup of tea.

What are the 4 potential chamomile tea side effects and risks?

The concerns below range from mild symptoms to uncommon but potentially serious reactions and medication interactions. Reliable rates are not available to rank them precisely, so their order should not be taken as a measure of how often they occur.

1. Nausea or vomiting

Mechanism: Chamomile may cause nausea or vomiting in some people, although why a particular person reacts is not always clear. An upset stomach after drinking tea can also have another cause, so the symptom alone does not establish that chamomile is responsible.

What to do: Stop drinking chamomile tea if you feel unwell after having it. If symptoms are persistent, severe or recur, ask a healthcare professional for advice rather than repeatedly drinking the tea to test your reaction. Tell them whether the product contained other herbs or ingredients, too.

Evidence: Reports of stomach upset are limited, and there is no reliable estimate of how often it occurs with ordinary chamomile tea. The lack of reported adverse events in the clinical-trial review does not establish that nausea cannot occur, particularly because most studies did not actively check for side effects.

2. Drowsiness or reduced alertness

Mechanism: Chamomile is used as a relaxing drink and may have sedating effects, although the degree of drowsiness from tea is uncertain. Alcohol and medicines that cause sleepiness could make reduced alertness more concerning; the extent of any interaction with chamomile tea is not well established.

What to do: If chamomile tea makes you sleepy or dizzy, avoid driving and other activities that require alertness until you feel normal. Ask a pharmacist or clinician before combining it with sleep medicines, sedatives or other medicines that make you drowsy. Do not change a prescribed medicine without medical advice.

Evidence: The 2024 review assessed chamomile products for sleep, not the frequency of daytime drowsiness specifically caused by tea. Its findings do not establish how likely a cup of chamomile tea is to make someone sleepy, or whether it increases the effects of a particular medicine.

3. Allergic reactions

Mechanism: An allergic reaction occurs when the immune system reacts to a substance as a threat. People allergic to plants in the daisy family, such as ragweed, chrysanthemums or marigolds, may also react to chamomile. Possible symptoms include itching, a rash or hives; severe reactions can affect breathing or cause swelling.

What to do: Avoid chamomile if you have had an allergic reaction to it. If you have a known allergy to related plants, ask a healthcare professional whether avoiding chamomile is appropriate. Do not deliberately try it again at home after a suspected allergic reaction.

Evidence: Allergic reactions to chamomile have been reported, but their frequency in tea drinkers is not well established. A severe reaction is uncommon, yet it needs emergency attention because it can become life-threatening. The absence of a reaction on a previous occasion does not rule out a later allergy.

4. Increased bleeding risk with warfarin

Mechanism: Chamomile tea has been reported to interact with warfarin, a medicine that reduces blood clotting. The exact mechanism is uncertain. Chamomile contains compounds called coumarins, as described in a review of chamomile constituents, but their presence alone does not establish how the interaction happens.

What to do: If you take warfarin, check with the clinician or pharmacist managing it before starting, regularly drinking or changing your use of chamomile tea. Tell them about other herbal products you use as well. Do not stop or change your prescribed medicine on your own.

Evidence: A systematic review of warfarin interactions identified chamomile tea among products associated with increased bleeding risk. The evidence includes reports of interactions rather than a reliable estimate of risk for every person drinking chamomile tea. It should be taken seriously even though the size of the risk is uncertain.

Who should avoid chamomile tea or ask a clinician first?

Avoid chamomile tea if you have a known chamomile allergy. If you are allergic to ragweed or other plants in the daisy family, discuss the risk with a healthcare professional before trying it, especially if your previous plant reactions have been significant. Check the ingredient list of herbal blends, since they may contain chamomile even when it is not prominent on the front of the package.

Ask the professional managing your care before drinking chamomile tea if you take warfarin. People with a bleeding disorder, or those taking other medicines that affect bleeding, should also check with their clinician or pharmacist rather than assume the combination is safe. If you take sedating medicines, ask about the potential for reduced alertness.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your healthcare professional before using chamomile tea: there is not enough evidence to establish a safe amount for these situations. Check with a child's clinician before giving chamomile tea to an infant or child, particularly if the child has allergies or takes medication.

How much chamomile tea is safe to drink daily?

There is no established, evidence-based maximum daily amount of chamomile tea that can be recommended for everyone. For nonmedical drink ideas, you can use the ai detox recipe generator; its suggestions cannot establish a safe amount or replace a medication check.

Studies of chamomile products do not provide a clear universal limit for brewed tea. The appropriate choice depends on factors such as allergies, pregnancy and medication use, as well as the preparation. An extract or concentrated product is not necessarily equivalent to ordinary-strength tea.

For an adult without those concerns, use the package's brewing directions rather than assuming a stronger preparation is just as safe. If you have a condition or take a medicine that makes you unsure whether chamomile is appropriate, ask a clinician or pharmacist before making it a regular drink. A lack of symptoms after one occasion does not guarantee that an allergy or interaction cannot occur later.

When should you see a doctor?

Seek emergency help immediately if you develop trouble breathing, throat or tongue swelling, faintness, or rapidly spreading symptoms of a severe allergic reaction after chamomile tea. If you have prescribed epinephrine for anaphylaxis, use it as directed and call emergency services. Do not wait to see whether breathing symptoms improve on their own.

If you take warfarin, seek urgent medical help for significant bleeding, bleeding that will not stop, or a serious head injury. Contact the clinician managing your warfarin promptly about new unexplained bruising or other unusual bleeding. These signs need assessment regardless of whether chamomile caused them.

For nausea, vomiting, a rash or other symptoms that persist, worsen or return after chamomile tea, stop drinking it and contact a healthcare professional. Tell them what you drank and which medicines and supplements you take; that information can help them assess possible causes and interactions.