Sweet Annie

Sweet Annie is an herb. The parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicine.

Sweet Annie is used most commonly for malaria. It contains a chemical that can be changed in the laboratory to make it more effective against malaria. This lab-made product is sold as a prescription drug for malaria in Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Sweet Annie is also used by mouth for bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic infections along with many other uses. Sweet Annie is sometimes applied directly to the skin for bacterial and fungal infections and joint, muscle, or nerve pain. But there is no good scientific research to support any of these uses.

Sweet Annie contains a chemical called artemisinin that seems to be effective against the parasites that cause malaria. Some drug manufacturers make anti-malarial medications from artemisinin that they have modified in the laboratory.

Sweet Annie should not be used alone for malaria since it may only inactivate the parasites that cause malaria, not actually kill them. The amount of artemisinin in Sweet Annie might be too small to kill all the parasites that cause malaria, but large enough to make these parasites resistant to further treatment with more powerful malaria drugs that also contain artemisinin.

Many researchers are investigating new ways to increase the amount of artemisinin in Sweet Annie.

When taken by mouth: Sweet Annie is POSSIBLY SAFE for most adults when taken by mouth, short-term. The tea of Sweet Annie might cause upset stomach and vomiting. Liver damage has also been reported in a small number of people taking Sweet Annie tea or extracts. Sweet Annie might also cause an allergic reaction in some people, including a rash and cough.

When placed under the tongue: Sweet Annie is POSSIBLY SAFE when used appropriately for up to 32 weeks.

When applied to the skin: There isn't enough reliable information to know if Sweet Annie is safe or what the side effects might be.

Special Precautions & Warnings:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Sweet Annie is LIKELY UNSAFE when taken by mouth during pregnancy. Animal studies show that drugs made in the laboratory from artemisinin, a chemical found in Sweet Annie, can cause death of the fetus or birth defects when used early in the pregnancy. The safety of using Sweet Annie during the last 6 months of pregnancy is not known. Nevertheless, the World Health Organization considers drugs made in the laboratory from artemisinin acceptable to use during the last six months of pregnancy, if no other malaria treatment is available.

There isn't enough reliable information to know if Sweet Annie is safe to use when breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Allergy to ragweed and related plants: Sweet Annie may cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to the Asteraceae/Compositae family. Members of this family include ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, daisies, and many others. If you have allergies, be sure to check with your healthcare provider before taking Sweet Annie.

Liver problems: Sweet Annie might cause liver problems, even in healthy people. Taking Sweet Annie might make liver problems worse. People with a history of liver problems should avoid taking Sweet Annie.

The following doses have been studied in scientific research:

BY MOUTH:

• For malaria: Sweet Annie has been prepared into a tea. The tea is taken in divided doses daily for 4-7 days.
• For build up of fat in the liver in people who drink little or no alcohol: Sweet Annie 686 mg twice daily for 8 weeks.

UNDER THE TONGUE:

• For hay fever: Up to 2400 biological units daily beginning 4 weeks prior to pollen season.

Absinthe Sauvage, Ajenjo Silvestre, Annual Mugwort, Annual Wormwood, Armoise Amère, Armoise Annuelle, Artémise, Artemisia annua, Artemisia, Artemisinin, Chinese Wormwood, Ching-hao, Herba Artemisiae Annuae, Herbe aux Cent Goûts, Huang Hua Guo, Qing Hao, Qinghaosu, Sourcil de Lune, Sweet Wormwood.

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