P
(1; MAB; PHR; PH2); Bug Bite (1; APA); Burn (1; CEB; FNF); Cancer (f; JLH); Cancer, breast
(1; JNU); Cancer, pancreas (1; JNU); Cancer, stomach (f; JLH); Catarrh (2; KOM; PH2; PIP);
Cholecystosis (2; APA; KOM; PH2; PIP); Cholera (f; CEB; FEL); Cold (1; FAD; JNU; PHR; PH2;
PNC); Cold Sore (1; APA); Colic (1; BGB; FEL; MAB; PNC); Colitis (2; BGB; KOM; PH2; SHT);
Congestion (1; APA; BGB); Coryza (f; CEB); Cough (1; APA; PHR; PH2; WAM); Cramp (2; DEP;
FEL; KOM; MAB; PH2; PIP; PNC; WAM); Croup (f; CEB); Dermatosis (1; BGB); Diarrhea (1;
BGB); Diphtheria (f; DEP); Diverticulosis (f; PIP); Dysmenorrhea (f; PED; PHR); Dyspepsia (2;
BGB; FAD; MAB; PH2); Dysuria (f; DEM); Earache (f; MAD); Enterosis (2; KOM; PHR; PIP);
Epilepsy (f; MAD); Epistaxis (f; MAD); Fever (1; BGB; CEB; FAD; MAB; MAD; PED; PHR;
PH2; PIP); Flu (1; MAB; PED); Freckle (f; MAD); Gallstone (f; MAD); Gas (1; BGB; MAD; MAB;
WAM); Gastrosis (2; BGB; KOM; PH2; PIP); Gingivosis (f; SKY); Gout (1; CEB; FNF); Gravel
(f; DEM); Headache (1; FAD; FEL; MAB; MAD; SHT); Heartburn (f; APA; JAD); Hemorrhoid (1;
APA; DEM); Hepatosis (2; PHR; PH2); Herpes (1; APA; FAD; PED); Hiccup (f; MAD); Hypo-
chondria (f; MAD); Hysteria (1; CEB; DEM; FEL; MAB; MAD); IBS (2; BGB; FAD; SHT; SKY);
Impotence (f; MAD); Infection (2; JBU; PHR; PH2); Inflammation (1; FAD; PED); Insomnia (1;
CEB; FAD; MAB; PH2); Itch (1; BGB; CEB; JAD; MAB); Jaundice (f; MAD); Languor (f; CEB);
Mastosis (f; MAD); Measles (f; CEB); Menstrual Cramp (f; PED); Migraine (f; MAD); Morning
Sickness (f; MAB; PHR); Motion Sickness (f; APA); Mucososis (1; BGB; PH2); Myalgia (2; BGB;
KOM; PH2; PIP); Nausea (1; MAB; MAD; PHR; WAM); Nephrosis (f; BGB); Nervousness (1;
CEB; MAB; PH2); Neuralgia (2; BGB; DEM; DEP; KOM; PH2; PIP); Neurosis (1; MAB); Pain
(1; APA; BGB; CEB; DEM; FEL; MAB; PED; SHT); Pharyngosis (2; KOM; PH2); Phthisis (f;
DEP); Pneumonia (f; CEB; DEM; FEL; MAB); Respirosis (2; KOM; PIP; PH2); Rheumatism (1;
BGB; PED); Rhinosis (1; WAM); Ringworm (f; DEP); Satyrism (f; CEB); Sciatica (1; CEB; DEP;
FNF); Sinusosis (1; APA; CEB; JNU); Sore Throat (1; BGB; MAD); Spermatorrhea (f; MAD);
Splenosis (f; MAD); Stomachache (1; BGB; CEB; FAD; FEL); Stomatosis (2; BGB; KOM; PH2;
PIP); Stone (f; MAD); Stress (f; APA); Syncope (f; MAD); Tendinitis (1; APA); Tonsilosis (f; MAD);
Toothache (1; APA; DEP); Typhoid (f; CEB); Ulcer (1; FAD; PED); Urticaria (1; BGB); Uterosis
(f; MAD); Vertigo (f; MAD); Virus (1; FAD; PH2; PNC; WAM); Vomiting (1; PNC); Water Retention
(f; DEM); Worm (f; CEB; DEM).
Dosages (Peppermint) — 1 tbsp (1.5 g) leaf/cup water 3–4 ×/day (APA); 1–2 g leaf/cup 3 ×/day;
0.25–0.5 cup fresh leaf (PED); 6–12 g dry leaf (PED); 6–9 g dry leaf/day (MAB); 1–2 tsp dry
leaf/cup water up to 3 ×/day (APA; SKY); 9 g dry leaf/45 ml alcohol/45 ml water (PED); 2 tsp
(4.4 g) herb in hot tea (MAD); 2–4 g powdered herb (PNC); 1.5–4 ml fluid herb extract (1:2)/day
(MAB); 1 dropper concentrated herb extract or tincture (APA); 1 wineglass gin/herb tincture 3–4
×/day as diuretic (CEB); 5–15 g herb tincture/day (APA); 3.5–11 ml herb tincture (1:5)/day (MAB);
0.05–0.15 g herb oil (MAD); 0.15–0.6 ml (~ 3–12 drops) herb EO (MAB); 0.05–0.2 ml EO (PNC);
1–2 enteric -coated peppermint oil pills 3 ×/day; 6–12 drops peppermint oil (SHT); 10% peppermint
oil in ethanol (transdermal) (SHT); 0.3–2 ml peppermint spirit (PNC); 0.25–1 ml concentrated
peppermint water (PNC); 0.2 ml 3 ×/day for irritable colon (SHT); 1–2 capsules for IBS StX (0.2
ml EO) 2–3 ×/day (SKY).
Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Peppermint) — Class 1 (AHP).“Health hazards
not known with proper therapeutic dosages” (PH2). Not to be used in patients with achlorhydria,
biliary or gallbladder obstruction, or gallstones. Concentrated oil may induce dermatosis, flushing
and headache, if rubbed on profusely or inhaled. Leaf contains much astringent tannin that can damage
the liver and intestine with prolonged use (PED). Commission E reports contraindications for EO:
biliary obstruction or inflammation, and severe liver damage. Since the more widely used tea (Camellia
sinensis) often contains twice as much tannin as peppermint, this recommendation should be doubly
pertinent under tea, or maybe we should name these tannins the more glamorous “OPCs, polyphenols,
and pycnogenols” and declare them antioxidant good guys instead of hepatotoxic bad guys (JAD).
Rats receiving 100 mg/day peppermint oil develop dose-related brain lesions. Because of its ability