Loading...Q. I tried taking cinnamon capsules so as not to waste them after my husband gave up on them. Overnight I felt like something was biting me when I went to sleep.
It got worse and worse. Even during the day I felt like I had bugs crawling all over me. I bombed the house and spent a fortune at the doctor’s getting blood work done.
I asked my doctors and my pharmacist if cinnamon would cause this since it is the only thing that I could think of. They mostly laughed at me.
I finally stopped taking the capsules and the next night I was 80 percent better. Within a week the sensation was completely gone. I eventually found someone else on the Internet who had the same reaction. So I discovered on my own how a seemingly innocuous spice could cause such havoc.
A. There are numerous reports of rash occurring where cinnamon comes in contact with the skin (contact dermatitis). Reactions like yours seem to be relatively uncommon, except when people take high doses.
Your experience might serve to alert someone who is taking cinnamon capsules to moderate blood sugar or lower serum cholesterol. How fortunate that stopping the capsules made the biting, crawling sensation disappear!
Liz
Malaysia
I started taking cinnamon powder 1 or 2 tsp daily for 4 days now to stable my blood sugar. I don’t know if it’s Cassia or Ceylon, is not written on the package, it just mention organic. I think on the 3rd day I have very bad runny nose and since yesterday until now I have tired sore eyes, my lips is starting to have minor dry-up too. I am suspecting is cinnamon. Will stop now and see what happens.
Arlene
Florida
OMG…I have been taking 2,000mg of Ceylon cinnamon to help regulate my sugar and BP…after a week I woke up with eyes so red and swollen I could not see. First they itched and burned for a few days, then they kept tearing up…then…boom…headache from hell and I couldn’t see I was so swollen. Went to the ER because I thought I had pink eye…Dr said NO but gave me cortisone drops…kinda helped but not much. I am now going to stop the cinnamon and see what happens. It’s been 2 weeks of swollen baggy eyes…plus Dr suggested no make-up for a while. So I pretty much look like hell.
Shree
Westborough
I applied cinnamon mask to my face just to give a try after reading contents online…but…OMG..at the next moment my face started burning..I quickly washed it thoroughly but it was too late…it left my skin beet red and burning..horrendous experience..
Zania
Fl
I am experiencing this exact same situation after only shy of a week taking it, totally done.
Tiffany
Santa Monica
I am having that same reaction. I stumbled on to your post and I felt like I was reading my own experience.
I’ve spent much time and money at the doctor’s office, and stress over the pass few months thinking it was something it wasn’t.
Thank you for your posts, I’m not crazy!
I have an allergy to cinnamon.
Zania
fl
*Done with this, thanks so much for this!
mildred p.
United States
I would like more about cinnamon could send something more about cinnamon or do u have to go threw ur doctor ?
Sherrie.
Hillsboro, OR
After reading your column about using cinnamon to help regulate blood sugar, I bought Nature’s Bounty High Potency 2000mg Cinnamon plus Chromium. I took one capsule with water before breakfast for four mornings. My mouth is scarlet inside with tiny blisters, tongue is sore and thick feeling and corners of the mouth are cracking.. What in the world can I do to alleviate this reaction…it has been three days since I stopped but with no improvement. I use Allerest-D in case that could be part of the problem. My doctor is an Internal medicine guy who has always disliked hearing from me about various and sundry articles I’ve read in magazines and/or newspapers….I share anyway. ?
Carri
I’m very allergic to the fake cinnamon, particularly the fake dollar store candles. And I live in an apartment building where someone who lives near my bedroom will light one of these horrors a few times a year. My entire apartment will fill up with the fake cinnamon. It burns my lips, tongue, mouth. Nothing gets the taste of it out of my mouth. And nothing stops the burning. I’ve even tried rinsing with peroxide. Doesn’t help.
When it has come in here very strong, I’ve gotten sinus headaches so severe they turn into cluster migraines with a swollen eye that last for days, even though they only lit the candle for a few hours on one day, I will be sick from it for several days.
These things should be banned from sale. It’s not fair to anyone who cannot be around it. It’s not the real cinnamon we all grew up with. It’s some fake garbage that is completely toxic.
Jean
United States
I used cinnamon stick in green tea it caused me to break out in welts and my lips to swell. How can you tell if is real or fake cinnamon? This tea was past the use by day by 2012, I have been using cinnamon sticks in coffee and did not have a reaction.
cg
I usually was fine eating cinnamon until I decided to try this honey, nutmeg, and cinnamon face mask I got of Pintres. Immediately after I applied the mixture on my face it started to burn and itch so I washed it off because it hurt so badly. Well after I washed off the mask my face was horrible I had a rash all over my face, bright red, sensitive to the touch it was just nasty. Well time went by and tried eating cinnamon again and my tongue swelled and it started to hurt so much, and ever since then every time I eat cinnamon my tongue starts to hurt and my mouth feels like its on fire or my lips are tingly.
Glly
I’m so glad to see I’m not the only one allergic to cinnamon. This allergy started up less than 2 years ago. I had chai tea one day. 2 days later I was cooking with cinnamon and my hands, face and lips started swelling and blistering.
I’m so sensitive to cinnamon that body sprays, cologne air fresheners, and candles cause my tongue to go numb and cause me to have a hard time breathing. I used to be able to take a couple of allergy pills and start to feel better.
Now I’m using allergy pills and epi-pens. Fall it’s nearly here again, and I’m already becoming depressed because of my allergy. It’s hard to get co workers to understand that the slightest traces of cinnamon even in the air makes me very sick. I know cinnamon is in make up, it can be used to give color. It’s in coke, it doesn’t seem to be in Pepsi, if it is it hasn’t made me sick yet. It’s also in incense and the scented pine cones that stores start getting in this time of year. I also get sick if my fiancee has cinnamon and then kisses me.
If any one has tips that have helped them cope with cinnamon allergy I would be very grateful. I’m to the point of trying to get disability or saving up to get a dog trained to sniff out cinnamon. There were several days last winter when I was so depressed that I wanted to kill myself because I was do sick.
DS
Supplemented with Ceylon Cinnamon capsules and loose cinnamon in protein shakes.
A week later I thought I had bug bites around my waist and it seemed like I was getting more daily.
I purchased all these insect repellent devices, but then the rash began to spread and I realized it was not
a bite or sting. I googled Cinnamon and Rash and found a scary number of instances.
Threw away both cinnamon products immediately.
Used some Grapefruit Seed Extract to speed the rash recovery.
Done with all supplements!
LS
I ate cinnamon like crazy as a kid, but in my early teens, after chewing one stick of Big Red gum, I had horribly painful mouth swelling. This gradually got worse over the years, each time I’d accidentally eat something containing cinnamon or I’d “test” (I know, stupid) to see if I still had a reaction. The last test, half a Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tart, had my throat starting to close.
Autumn is so hard, with the cookies, breads, coffees…I love pumpkin bread, but can’t eat it unless I make it myself. And, what I find most annoying is when things that “shouldn’t” have cinnamon do. I ordered a piece of plain cheesecake at Baker’s Square…guess what the second to last ingredient in the crust is…I took one bite and could immediately tell as I was already swelling. I wish better food labeling was required. I’ve just learned to expect that “spice” means cinnamon.
kittisue
Beaverton
This bread company makes pumpkin bread and bagels. But I found in a little Asian market some cinnamon that is the color of dirt (brown). It doesn’t bother me at all. There is ep. of Good Eats that talks about the different kinds of spices and herbs.
Kto
I also used to eat cinnamon like crazy as kid! Elephant ears, those pecan pinwheels, cinnamon rolls etc… Then I ate a stick of Big Red gum and immediately my tongue swelled like a cartoon character and I had what looked like blisters on my gums and inner checks.
Now, even if I get any sort of cinnamon liquid on my skin I break out and the smell of cinnamon scents; candles/perfumes and my throat closes. Fall is the worst because of the pumpkin spice craze. Especially when coworkers bring in donut holes that look plain but nope they are indeed little balls of death! Boo to this allergy!!
Mc
I started using cinnamon sticks to help me stop smoking and eating cinnamon candy. I thought I was having a reaction to medicine Effient with new skin issues. Now I am wondering if the cinnamon is causing the rash.
People’s Pharmacy response: Cinnamon can cause a rash in some people. If you are eating the sticks, you are getting a strong exposure. Try doing without and see if the rash goes away.
megan
I chewed cinnamon gum, Trident, and instantly my mouth started burning. My tongue swelled and painful bumps developed in my mouth and on the sides of my tongue.
Lis
Hi, I was wondering, for those that had a rash/hives with the cinnamon, how long it took to go down and if there is anything you can do to help it go down. I used a honey and cinnamon mask yesterday and my face looks a mess. It’s blotchy and has raised lumps on it. I know I should have done a patch test first but I guess it takes stupid mistakes like this to actually learn from it.
Thanks
Tamara
I tried the cinnamon and honey mixture to boost metabolism a few days ago, I do believe it boost my metabolism, however, I had an allergic reaction to it. My face started itching along with swollen eyes. I will be not using this mixture anymore.
Lar
I seem to have a cinnamon allergy of some kind. My symptoms do not resemble the person at the start of this column. I get diarrhea. And if the cinnamon is still far up in my digestive tract, I seem to get a low grade fever. At least, cinnamon MIGHT be the cause.
Once it reaches the end of the line, my colon can eject it and I need fluids to replace lost fluids. It is the only thing I can think of. Yesterday, I had 3 tablespoons of peach cobbler which contained cinnamon. It didn’t seem to be much. I have been able to tolerate it before, cheating you know. Today, I feel lousy, like I have a mild cold or flu except no stuffy head.
Chris
After drinking cinnamon tea made from cinnamon sticks I woke up the next morning feeling like bugs were crawling all over my back and my head. The itching was awful! I thought
Dee
I’ve been using cinnamon in my coffee and oatmeal every day. I’ve also been having a lot of itching on my head, neck and back. I just realized today that it could be the cinnamon. The thought just popped into my head and I googled it and found this blog. Now I will stop the cinnamon and see what happens. Thanks for all you comments. It helps to know other people are experiencing the same things. Wish me luck!!
Paula
Okay, I have enjoyed cinnamon my entire life…. until about 15 years ago. I started chewing cinnamon gum and began developing severe migraines afterwards. I tested this theory one time after having lox and onions and sucked on a piece of cinnamon gum – instant migraine. I am so upset that I now have cinnamon allergies. I cannot have the smell in my home if it’s strong. I can have pumpkin pie on occasion if the cinnamon levels are not too high. When it comes to going into certain stores in the spirit of the season… I have to ban certain stores due to their cinnamon pine cones or cinnamon candles placed right in front of their entry ways because I actually get instant migraines and have to call friends to come pick me up. It’s not how I want to live my life.
I grew up with cinnamon…. snicker-doodles and sugar cookies with those cinnamon red hots… hot tea with a cinnamon stick…
If anyone can advise me of over coming this, it would be highly appreciated.
DKC
Several years ago I had a facial. The products were not commercial. At one point, the skin care specialist said she was applying a solution with cinnamon and other items, within a few minutes, she asked “How long have you had a problem with skin breakouts”…… I never had. I touched my face and knew they were hives and requested water ASAP.
I ended in the ER with blistered skin, and and eyes were be swollen shut. After days on Benadryl, my blistered skin peeled off. Since then, a tiny touch of cinnamon in my eye will result in swelling. I have been careful for years. Alas, I made cinnamon rolls 2 days ago… not careful enough… skin is tight, hives and scalp itches. The bizarre thing, I can eat cookies with cinnamon in recipe without a problem. (Cinnamon candy/gum are out.) My fear is this will escalate to breathing problems, etc.
emf
Alert: do not chew cinnamon gum. The cinnamon has been increased in Dentyne and
it is a synthetic cinnamon. Developed a mouthful of sores, went to my dentist and he prescribed an antibiotic mouthwash for 10 days. Had this aha moment about the gum….looked up on internet…many people have adverse reactions such as mine and much worse. I did report this to my dentist and it was news to him…hopefully, he will think of cinnamon gum before he puts a patient on medication.
Cindy
I started a liquid diet and mixed cinnamon in my shakes to make them taste good because I LOVE cinnamon. I began to have problems. A rash around my mouth, itchy eyes, and constant congestion but only in my throat. I had no idea it could be the cinnamon. I kept mixing it in my drinks.
Over the course of 8 months I went down hill almost seemed like an autoimmune disorder. I felt horrible and pretty soon it attacked my joints. My dr ordered all kinds of testing. At this point I wasn’t mixing the cinnamon every day, just occasionally. I would have these raging flareups and but still really did not connect it to the cinnamon because I’d eaten cinnamon all of my life and if I’d had reactions they were mild. It was like poison to me this time. This was 3 years ago.
I knew that contact to cinnamon burned my skin and I started trying to figure this out. I had allergy testing done and had an anaphylactic shock response to the testing. They did not test cinnamon at this time but the test reaction had the same symptoms as I’d had previous. The cracked corners of my mouth, the itching in my throat, my swelling ears, my blurred vision, and my aching joints and more especially my hip joints. So, I decided to do a patch test and the cinnamon is def a trigger to allergies with me.
I casually thought that I ought to stay away just in case. Well, last week I forgot and popped a cinnamon disk in my mouth from a dish. My hip joints (bursitis) flared up like crazy that night. Finally I put it together. I wondered why it seemed to flare up when I had a Coke now and then and come to find out, Coke has cinnamon in it!! OMG I have to give up my weekly Coke?? It’s my favorite treat : (
I’m going cinnamon free until I feel better and then I’m going to take a good dose of it to make absolutely positive that this is it> I’ll come back in a week or two to post. OMG I had MRIs because I was having double vision and felt so drained and sick! I had a CT scan. I’ve been to the bone and joint drs. I’ve been to the allergist. I’ve been killing myself with cinnamon until it seriously caused my body to act like I had Lupus or something horrible. Cinnamon is in so many things and is often not even listed. So sad that one of my favorite tastes may be killing me!
SW
My husband is British and has had a cinnamon allergy all his life, although the worst of his battles did not occur until his life in Texas. He suffers severe breathing problems almost instantly after smelling it or tasting it. After Benadryl he typically has a bad cough and itchy skin for days. It is hard to avoid, especially during the holidays, so he now carries Bendryl and an EpiPen with him at all times.
Sarhome
I had been taking cinnamon for 2 weeks and was itching all over! I tried Benadryl pills, Benadryl spray, Ativan, lotions, nothing worked. It was so bad that I was using cold pads to ease the itch for a little while. It was keeping me awake. My husband asked if I had started taking anything new and I told him the cinnamon. He suggested I stop, so I did. That was 3 days ago and I have finally almost stopped itching. I couldn’t believe that cinnamon could cause such horrible itching. but I won’t be testing it out again =)
People’s Pharmacy response: Thanks for the reminder that just because it is natural doesn’t mean a product won’t cause you trouble. People can develop allergies to lots of natural products.
Allen P
After some research on internet sites I have found that there are 2 types of cinnamon. The true cinnamon comes from Ceylon ( now called Shri Lanka ) and the other type is called cinnamon CASSIA. It is grown in other areas of Asia. Cinnamon Cassia contains coumarin, which it seems can cause some health problems.
Peoples Pharmacy response: Coumarin is why we suggest a water-based extract of cinnamon if people are going to take it regularly. Cassia cinnamon is the variety that has been linked to better blood sugar control. Here is a link to an abstract of a scientific review:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21480806
D J D
I, also had a bad reaction to the cinnamon capsules that I took to regulate my blood sugar. I started to sweat profusely and felt like I was having hot flashes. I stopped the cinnamon and all this went away.
THOMAS
SAN DIEGO
Sad but true!!! I`m on a lot of medications. Why??? Failed back surgeries.neuropathy issues… Most of all cancer (non-hogkins lymphoma) recently i told cinnamon was great for blood pressure issues etc. So i started to eat or consume special k cinnamon cereal.. Especially !!! At nite for a late nite snack.. Well over the last several weeks (summer heat) i begin having extreme hot flashes with sweating (cold chills )..oh i forgot to mention i`m 69 year old male (normally males do not have hot flashes). The hot flashes were sometimes 4 a day (soaking wet).. What could it be ???? So of course !!! Research the last mediations or food (cinnamon). So today i`m going to stop all cinnamon intake… I pray this stopping of cinnamon will decrease the hot flashes..i will keep u guys updated…Thomas
Sara C.
I heard that cinnamon could be a good thing against heart disease, which runs in my family. I starting putting a nice, tasty amount on my english muffin every morning, since I like the taste.
Soon a strange skin sensitivity developed all over my body. My skin is normally sensitive, but this was different, and very uncomfortable. I finally figured out it might be the cinnamon, stopped it, and the sensitivity went away.
I guess the powerful taste is linked to a powerful action. Not for me! Just because something isn’t a “drug” doesn’t mean it doesn’t have side effects.
Joyce
I learned to be very careful of spices. Eating cinnamon can make me high. Needless to say, I avoid cinnamon. I also must avoid Rosemary, just being near the plant causes a three day migraine. Don’t assume if you are ultra sensitive,!
LD
I became ‘pre-diabetic’ after being prescribed masses of Prednisone for many months. I had allergic reactions to generic Metformin [went into convulsions with first dose] and started researching Cinnamon, Benfotiamine, Kaipo [a Japanese true sweet potato -being studied in Germany for 15 years] and found an interesting fact about the cinnamon: If taken in the high volumes necessary to help with the glucose insensitivity, a secondary ‘chemical’ in the cinnamon can cause harm to the liver and kidneys.
This property, however is NOT water soluble while the beneficial components ARE; so I then found Cinnulin PF and found that this preparation extracted by a water process contains none of the problem component and all of the benefits. I began using Cinnulin PF [along with other foods] and no longer am ‘pre-diabetic’. I would suggest that further research into that separation process would be of help to anyone wanting to try cinnamon for it’s properties of helping the body better control insulin resistance.
JR
Many years ago I followed a cinnamon/honey regiment just because I had read that it was a cure all. As a result of that, I developed a rash that to this day makes me susceptible to rashes every time I eat sweets. My Chinese doctor told me that cinnamon is heat producing and makes the body suitable for parasites which manifest in rashes.
frenagd
It may well be, as often seems to happen, that eating cinnamon with other food (cinnamon sprinkled on honey toast, for example) would take care of this, just as fish oil needs to be eaten as — well — fish, for maximum benefit.
sh
I have started drinking cinnamon tea, I felt something biting me when I am in bed, so I changed all sheets, vacuumed mattress, sprayed whole bed room, still the same biting sensation. For some reasons for several days I did not drink cinnamon tea and it stopped.
Suzanne W.
I have never had a problem with cinnamon before, but last week I sprinkled some in my oatmeal and I had a definite flushing response to the cinnamon. First my face became red and itchy, then my arms and hands became hot, red, and itchy. It was a similar feeling to the uncomfortable flushing that I’ve had with niacin in the past.
EMF
My severe reaction to cinnamon resulted from chewing cinnamon gum. They have added more of the cinnamon flavor to make it spicier. I developed a row of very painful, white sores in my mouth – my dentist diagnosed it as something that would be healed by rinsing my mouth in an antibiotic dissolved in water.
On my own I discovered that it was the Dentyne cinnamon gum – I did research that confirmed some people are allergic to the synthetic cinnamon flavoring. and I informed him – because I did not need to have used antibiotics – just never chewed that gum again.
Ellen Teeter, AP
Cinnamon Twig is a warm and acrid herb. In Chinese medicine it warms the channels and releases the exterior. This means it has a warming action on the skin and muscle layer of the body and energetically moves outward.
Different constitutions will react differently to the nature of the herb. If a person is uncomfortable in warmer weather and lower in the cooling, nutritive aspect then cinnamon will be too warm and acrid and could cause such problems.
Someone who feels chilled easily, dislikes sitting in drafts, sweats slightly on exertion would tend to feel better with cinnamon.
Generally in Chinese medicine herbs are not used by themselves, they are put in balanced polyherb formulas and the dosages are adjusted for the individual’s condition/constitution.
michelle shanley
I used to sprinkle cinnamon over apples for a snack years ago and I was fine. Last year I used cinnamon and I felt an allergic reaction, my eyes became very irritated and itchy. That never happened before. I wondered if the cinnamon sticks were possibly treated with some kind of chemical and maybe I was allergic to a chemical and not the actual cinnamon. AS I mentioned, when I used cinnamon years ago, I did not have this problem so I am not sure what to think.
s.h.
When I take too much of some kinds/brands of cinnamon, I itch all over.
I assumed that since cinnamon works somewhat like insulin, I was itching like insulin could make a person itch.
I try to use water-extract cinnamon, when possible.