Green Tea: What Should I Discuss With My Health Care Provider Before Using Green Tea

Content provided by Cerner Multum, Inc.

What should I discuss with my health care provider before using green tea?

Do not use green tea without first talking to your doctor if you have

• heart problems or high blood pressure,
• kidney disease,
• an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism),
• an anxiety or nervous disorder, or
• a bleeding or blood clotting disorder or if you take a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin).

Green tea contains a large amount of caffeine and may be problematic if used by people with any of the conditions listed above. You may not be able to use green tea, or your doctor or health care provider may recommend a lower dose or special monitoring.

Before taking green tea, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or health care professional if you have allergies (especially to plants), have any medical condition, or if you take other medicines or other herbal/health supplements. Green tea may not be recommended in some situations.

Do not take green tea without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant. Green tea contains a large amount of caffeine.

Do not take green tea without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. Green tea contains a large amount of caffeine, which may cause restlessness, sleep disorders, and other effects in breast-feeding infants.

There is no information available regarding the use of green tea by children. Green tea contains a large amount of caffeine, which may cause anemia and other problems in children. Do not give any herbal/health supplement to a child without first talking to the child's doctor.

Last updated:	February 13, 2004