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You may not have heard of boswellia, but we’ll bet you have heard of frankincense. This dietary supplement has been used for a variety of symptoms including inflammation. This reader reported that it helped ease arthritis pain, but she encountered a most unwelcome side effect.
Pros and Cons of Boswellia:
Q. I wanted to share my experience with boswellia. I read in your column about boswellia being helpful for arthritis pain. I began taking one capsule every morning and after about a week, I noticed some relief from the joint pain.
I am a 58-year-old woman who had a hysterectomy at age 52. The hot flashes I’d had for years had begun to subside several months before starting the boswellia.
After taking boswellia for a couple of weeks, I noticed the hot flashes were back with a vengeance. I was not sure if it was the boswellia or a coincidence, so I eventually decided to quit the boswellia.
On the second day of no boswellia, I realized that the hot flashes had practically ceased. What a relief! It is my belief that boswellia caused the hot flashes to recur.
A. Boswellia comes from the resin of a tree, Boswellia serrata, which grows in Africa and India. It has long been used in Ayurvedic medicine and research has shown that it has anti-inflammatory activity (Journal of Molecular Neuroscience, May, 2016). We had not heard previously that it could trigger the return of hot flashes.
Here is a link to the history, ingredients and uses for boswellia. You can also find out more about its activity for arthritis at this link. There is a somewhat similar story about a woman who developed throat irritation and gastritis after adding this supplement to her regimen. She too got relief from joint pain, but the gastritis price was too high.
Susan in Fuquay Varina, NC, added her story to this complication:
“I also read about boswellia and ordered it online many months ago. I tried it as directed and after a few times the heartburn was horrible.
“I decided to try boswellia again because my osteoarthritis is horrible when the weather changes, before it rains or when I sleep. Again, I could not get past a few days because of the heartburn! Too bad, because this is a good product if you can stand it!”
Carla
Thank you, everyone, for sharing. I was really interested to see this article and the comments. I went through menopause about 6 or 7 years ago without ever a single hot flash. Since taking boswellia daily for about the last 10 days I am having mild hot flashes once or twice a day. After reading, I will cut down the dosage to every 2nd or 3rd day. I appreciate this input.
Natalie
So glad I found this article! Started applying an oil with frankincense to my face nightly, as I had seen it was great for your skin. Within a day, I started having multiple hot flashes out of no where. As this facial oil and electrolytes were the only 2 things I changed in the past week, I looked for a connection between either and hot flashes. This article answered my question! Will stop using this product immediately.
Ariela
I also experienced hot flashes. Stopped Boswellia & they also stopped. Will not resume the herb since the hot flashes were too intense.
Robinella
US
Whatever kind of change you make in your diet to HEAL NATURALLY without man made chemical medications, it is well known in the preventive and alternative medicine community that side-effects are a way of your body getting rid of toxins and reaching its healthy homeostasis. Often a reduced dose, or every other day, or even once a week and build it up from there.
I take Boswellia internally BUT high potency Boswellia pain creams, I find to be a lot more relieving and long-lasting reduced/no-pain effects.
I would encourage anyone to “stay the course” but reduce your amount to a tolerable one and wait and see if it isn’t just the medicinal benefits of it to rid the toxins as well as your pain before you resort to drugs. Any “detoxifying” effect is often accompanied with returning hormonal enzymatic, and/or inflammatory disturbances.
Stave off when/if any kind of detoxing side effect (common side effects: headache, temporary changes in bowel movements and body odors/profuse sweating, heartburn) becomes uncomfortable, especially heartburn! Any of these common side effects will subside as your body gets used to being balanced and levels of good health restored. Cut down to once a week and go up from there in your dose. Personal experience: I take Dong Quai for post-menopause but it is good for hot flashes, I hear but a high-quality Black Cohosh seems to be the most popular herb for hot flash.
Other combos of vitamin/herb, like Resveratrol (very inexpensive too!) can be very good too. I never had hot flashes but when I started taking Dong Quai for the loss of my collagen and such from “no more estrogen” I noticed I got symptoms of menstral cramping ~yet I haven’t had a period in over 10 years. So, I only take the Black Cohosh once a week, for now. A few times I have tried upping my dose and I get the cramp symptom again. Now I am taking the herb twice a week with no trouble.
I don’t take and have never taken any drug related hormone replacement therapy offered by pharmaceutical medicine… so far :) I am 62.
Sharon
Connecticut
I have RA and have had 3 major joints replaced and 4 major joints operated on, I am on a supplement regiment and trying not to take any pain killers. Needless to say I am most always in pain. Thought I would try Boswellia about 4 days ago and I am pleased with the affects. We’ll see in 4 or 5 weeks from now , then I will know for sure
Margot B
Ithaca, NY
I’ve taken boswellia for years for both osteoarthritis and colitis. It cleared up the latter in a week and I noticed that my morning hip pain was gone as well. Here’s my advice for the writers who had stomach trouble with it: take the minimum dosage–I find I can take one capsule every few days or at times weeks–and take it with a full meal. I think that might help.
JuneBug51
Houston, TX
I take FLEXANOL and boswellia (500 mg) is one of the ingredients. I have been taking this since 2005 and it has helped me so much with my osteoarthritis and my degenerative disc disorder. My husband and I believe it has greatly helped to maintain my cartilage and kept the swelling and inflammation down. I have never had a bad side effect, because my dear friend , who introduced Flexanol to me, told me to space out the 5 capsule dosage. I take 2 in the morning, 1 at lunch, and 2 with supper which for me totally eliminates any digestive problems.
Christine
Raleigh, NC
I do want to comment on this story. Boswellia goes back to bible times and is a great herb – if taken in good quality supplement and proper potency. I have chemical sensitivities and am 80 years old and have taken herbs most of my life. I do not take any prescription medications. I take Boswellia in a gel capsule form. My body reacts to many of the fillers in many supplements. I get hot flashes when my body reacts, but it is not hormones – it is my heart racing. The best way to take herbs is in liquid form – one can start with a small amount and increase slowly to see what the body can handle. Boswellia does come in liquid form. Also, in many supplements the potencies are too high and may cause a reaction. As to digestive problems, that is most likely the reaction because of a very acidic diet. Eating more alkaline foods helps the inflammation in regard to arthritis – I know in my own body. There can also be an inter-reaction to prescription drugs. Herbs have been used for thousands of years safely but one needs to educate oneself on the safest way to use them. There are good quality and poor quality herbs on the market – I used to be a buyer when I was young and learned a lot about the supplement industry.
Cathie
MO
I took Boswellia for anti-inflammation. It helped the joint pains, but I developed a dry cough. I went off it for three weeks, then tried to take it again. In about three or four days, the dry cough was back, so I quit it.
Robinella
Rockaway Beach MO
excellent point ~I just posted too and am also from MO :D.
Kathy
Florida
RE: Boswellia – Has anyone with heartburn tried coconut water. I have heartburn but one or two mouthsful of coconut water and it disappears.
HG
Houston
Interestingly, I do get not relief of my osteoarthritis from Boswellia, but neither do I get any noticeable side effects.
Berge
Banner Elk, NC
I took Boswelia for a month for my arthritic fingers and found no help at all. I had also taken other OTC drugs like Aloe Vera, Valerian, EDTA and Tart cherry capsules as advertised on People’s Pharmacy , but did not get any relief except spending money. So I will be very cautious in the future what I read
Yolie
Georgia
My husband and I both recently have experienced issues with osteoarthiritis. My husband will finally be receiving his MRI. He has been unable to walk without severe pain . He was given cortisone shot, prescribed Ibuprofen 600mg.., his pain is so severe around knee area. Dr. accessed severe arthiritis. Have tried dried cherry capsule supplements, grape juice/Certo, Boswellia; nothing seems to work. Tied various forms for ointments e.g. – BlueEmu Arthiriits Cream. Most of the information I gathered was from People Pharmacy. Been doing lots of research on stem cell therapy for arthiritis. Just something we are looking into. All this came on so suddenly; my husband in pain , can barely walk (right leg/knee); me with painful osteoarthiritis in archilles heel and hand.
Robinella
US
high potency boswellia cream for me works a lot better ~what you put on skin does soak into body but different absorption channel than taking orally. It all soaks into your system and does the same thing, though, no matter what channel (through skin or taken orally). NEVER use RANCID oil of any kind and learn to smell rancidity in natural products. if your product doesn’t smell as good as when you bought it, it has probably gone rancid so throw it away. Rancid oil, taken internally or through skin has been found in clinical trials to cause cancer.
Howard
Florida
Without knowing the manufacturer of the boswellia supplement that caused hot flashes to see what other troublesome ingredients they may be adding to it, it’s hard to determine if boswellia itself caused that symptom. For arthritis pain, the supplement that works the best for me and my family has boswellia, but it’s added to curcumin and turmeric essential oil. All three ingredients are anti-inflammatory so pain is greatly reduced and I’ve had no side effects at all. Both curcumin and boswellia have anti-tumor effects as an added benefit.