KHELLA: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews

Overview

Khella is a plant. The dried, ripe fruit is used to make medicine. People commonly prepare an "extract" by removing khellin, one of the active chemicals in khella, and dissolving it in a liquid that is then used as medicine. Khella is less commonly prepared as a tea.

People use khella for conditions such as asthma and other lung problems, diseases of the heart and blood vessels, diabetes, menstrual pain, and many others, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Be careful not to confuse khella with its less commonly used relative, bishop's weed. The two species contain some of the same chemicals and work similarly in the body, but khella is more commonly used for heart and lung conditions, and bishop's weed is more commonly used for skin conditions.

How does it work ?

Khella contains substances that seem to relax and widen blood vessels; decrease heart contraction; open up the lungs; increase "good cholesterol" (HDL, high-density lipoprotein); and fight bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

Several prescription drugs including amiodarone, nifedipine, and cromolyn have been developed from khella.

Uses & Effectiveness

Insufficient Evidence for

Scaly, itchy skin (psoriasis): Early research suggests that taking khellin, a chemical in khella, by mouth in combination with sunlight exposure helps clear skin sores in people with psoriasis.
A skin disorder that causes white patches to develop on the skin (vitiligo). Some research shows that taking khellin, a chemical in khella, by mouth or applying it to the skin can improve skin discoloration when used along with ultraviolet light therapy. But not all research agrees. Also, some research shows that khellin therapy requires longer treatment durations and higher light doses in order to have a similar effect to psoralen plus ultraviolet light therapy (PUVA). PUVA is an accepted medical treatment for vitiligo.
Stomach cramps.
Kidney stones.
Menstrual cramps.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Asthma.
Bronchitis.
Cough.
Whooping cough.
High blood pressure.
Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmias).
Congestive heart failure (CHF).
Chest pain (angina).
"Hardening of the arteries" (atherosclerosis).
High cholesterol.
Other conditions.

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of khella for these uses.

Side Effects

When taken by mouth: Khella is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when taken in high doses or used for a long time. It can cause side effects including liver problems, nausea, dizziness, constipation, lack of appetite, headache, itching, trouble sleeping, and skin sensitivity to sunlight (photosensitization).

When applied to the skin: There isn't enough information to know if khella is safe to use when applied to the skin.

Special Precautions and Warnings

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: It's LIKELY UNSAFE to take khella if you are pregnant. It contains khellin, a chemical that can cause the uterus to contract. This might cause a miscarriage.

It's also best to avoid khella if you are breast-feeding. There isn't enough information to know if it is safe for the nursing infant.

Liver disease: Khella might make liver disease worse. Don't use it if you have liver problems.

Interactions

Moderate Interaction

Be cautious with this combination

Digoxin (Lanoxin) interacts with KHELLA
Digoxin (Lanoxin) helps the heart beat more strongly. Khella seems to slow the heartbeat. Taking khella along with digoxin might decrease the effectiveness of digoxin. Do not take khella if you are taking digoxin (Lanoxin).
Medications that can harm the liver (Hepatotoxic drugs) interacts with KHELLA
Khella might harm the liver. Taking khella along with medication that might also harm the liver can increase the risk of liver damage. Do not take khella if you are taking a medication that can harm the liver.

Some medications that can harm the liver include acetaminophen (Tylenol and others), amiodarone (Cordarone), carbamazepine (Tegretol), isoniazid (INH), methotrexate (Rheumatrex), methyldopa (Aldomet), fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), erythromycin (Erythrocin, Ilosone, others), phenytoin (Dilantin), lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), simvastatin (Zocor), and many others.
Medications that increase sensitivity to sunlight (Photosensitizing drugs) interacts with KHELLA
Some medications can increase sensitivity to sunlight. Khella might also increase your sensitivity to sunlight. Taking khella along with medication that increase sensitivity to sunlight could increase the chances of sunburn, blistering or rashes on areas of skin exposed to sunlight. Be sure to wear sunblock and protective clothing when spending time in the sun.

Some drugs that cause photosensitivity include amitriptyline (Elavil), Ciprofloxacin (Cipro), norfloxacin (Noroxin), lomefloxacin (Maxaquin), ofloxacin (Floxin), levofloxacin (Levaquin), sparfloxacin (Zagam), gatifloxacin (Tequin), moxifloxacin (Avelox), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Septra), tetracycline, methoxsalen (8-methoxypsoralen, 8-MOP, Oxsoralen), and Trioxsalen (Trisoralen).

Dosing

The appropriate dose of khella depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for khella. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.

View References

REFERENCES:

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Orecchia G, Perfetti L. Photochemotherapy with topical khellin and sunlight in vitiligo. Dermatology 1992;184(2):120-123. View abstract.

Valkova, S., Trashlieva, M., and Christova, P. Treatment of vitiligo with local khellin and UVA: comparison with systemic PUVA. Clin.Exp.Dermatol. 2004;29(2):180-184. View abstract.

Abdel-Fattah A, Aboul-Enein MN, Wassel G, El-Menshawi B. Preliminary report on the therapeutic effect of khellin in psoriasis. Dermatologica 1983;167:109-10. View abstract.

Abdel-Fattah A, Aboul-Enein MN, Wassel GM, El-Menshawi BS. An approach to the treatment of vitiligo by khellin. Dermatologica 1982;165:136-40. View abstract.

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