Echinacea tincture & tablets

What are Echinaforce^® Echinacea drops and tablets

Echinaforce^® is a licensed medicine made from fresh extracts of Echinacea purpurea herb (95%) and Echinacea purpurea root (5%). It is available as drops (tincture in 15ml, 50ml & 100ml bottles) and as tablets (42 tablets & 120 tablets):

• Echinaforce^® Echinacea drops: This is the original Echinacea extract formulated by Alfred Vogel and contains the tinctures of Echinacea purpurea herb and root. 0.6ml drops contains the equivalent of 285mg whole fresh plant. Also contains 65%v/v ethanol.
• Echinaforce^® Echinacea tablets: This is the tabletted version of Echinaforce^® Echinacea drops. Each tablet contains the extract of Echinacea purpurea herb and root equivalent to 270mg whole fresh plant. Also contains lactose, starch, magnesium stearate.

Echinacea is a plant native to America but is now cultivated extensively in Europe. The plants used to produce Echinaforce^® are cultivated organically in Switzerland at our own herb farms.

Up to 10 species of Echinacea have been identified, but only three (Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea pallida) are used medicinally. Echinacea purpurea, the species used in Echinaforce^®, is considered to be the most widely researched.

Dosage of Echinaforce^® Echinacea drops & tablets

Echinaforce^® Echinacea drops (tincture) and Echinacea tablets may be used by adults and children over the age of 6 years to fight the symptoms of colds and flu.

Dosage of Echinaforce^® drops:
Adults: 15 drops (0.6ml) of tincture in a small amount of water, 2 to 3 times daily.
Children (6-12 years): 7 drops (0.3ml) of tincture in a small amount of water, 2 to 3 times daily.
Dosage of Echinaforce^® tablets:
Adults: Two tablets, 2 to 3 times daily.
Children (6-12 years): One tablet, 2 to 3 times daily.

• Echinaforce ^® Echinacea drops and tablets are for oral use only. For external use of an Echinacea extract, please see our page on Echinacea cream.
• Do not take more than the recommended dose. Taking too much (overdose) is unlikely to be harmful.

Echinacea in pregnancy or when breastfeeding

There is no evidence to suggest that using any Echinacea product during pregnancy or breastfeeding will be harmful to the unborn or newborn child.

However, only a few scientific studies have been done on the use of Echinacea during pregnancy or breastfeeding and because of this, the UK Department of Health considers that the benefits of using Echinacea in these situations are outweighed by the risks and does not recommend the use of Echinacea drops or tablets in pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Echinaforce^® Echinacea side effects

Do not use Echinaforce^® drops or tablets if you are:

• Allergic to products containing Echinacea
• Pregnant
• Breastfeeding

You should also be aware that Echinaforce^® Echinacea drops, like all herbal tinctures, contains ethanol (alcohol). Each dose of tincture contains up to 350mg of ethanol - equivalent to 8.8ml of beer (less than a tablespoon) or 3.7ml of wine (less than a teaspoon). If you suffer from alcoholism, the alcohol content of Echinaforce^® Echinacea drops may be harmful. If you are in a high-risk group (eg. patients with liver disease or epilepsy) you should consider the alcohol content before taking this product.

FAQ Echinaforce ^® Echinacea drops & tablets

1. What are the health benefits of Echinaforce^® Echinacea?

Echinaforce^® Echinacea drops and tablets may be used to relieve the symptoms of the common cold and flu, helping the body fight these and other similar infections of the upper respiratory tract.

2. How does it work?

Echinaforce^® works by strengthening the body's immune system - the benefit of this is that the body is able to fight infections better.

3. Are summer colds different from ordinary common colds experienced during the winter?

No, these are similar infections. However, summer colds may give rise to more symptoms relating to the throat (irritated, sore or tickly throat) because of the prevalence of air-conditioning. Nevertheless, summer and winter colds behave in the same way and there are no differences seen with the benefits of using Echinaforce^® Echinacea.

4. How do I know if I have the flu?

It can sometimes be difficult to tell. Flu (or influenza) produces similar symptoms to the common cold but these are usually more severe. In addition, you may experience fever, sweats and muscle aches.

5. Can I take Echinaforce^® if I've had the flu jab or vaccination?

There are no contraindications to the use of Echinaforce^® Echinacea drops or tablets either before or after the flu vaccination.

6. What about swine flu, bird flu and any other new flu infections that may come our way during the winter?

Swine flu, avian flu (bird flu) and other variants of flu are all infections caused by the influenza virus. Echinaforce^® will help strengthen the immune system and relieve the symptoms of these infections in the same way it does with other flu infections or the common cold.

7. What is a head cold?

There really is no proper definition for the term 'head cold'. It is a commonly used expression usually indicating that symptoms, such as a blocked nose or sore throat, are confined to the head.

8. Can I take Echinacea when pregnant or breastfeeding?

The use of Echinacea during pregnancy or whilst breastfeeding is not recommended in the UK. If you wish to take Echinaforce^® in these situations, it is recommended that you consult a doctor or other healthcare professional.

Although there is no evidence that use of Echinacea by pregnant or breastfeeding women will be harmful, only a few studies have been performed to demonstrate that it is safe to do so. In the absence of this evidence, the UK Department of Health takes the view that the benefits of using Echinacea in pregnancy or breastfeeding are outweighed by the risks.