The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) granted a Traditional Herbal Registration Certificate for the traditional herbal medicinal product Echinaforce Forte Cold & Flu Tablets (Traditional Herbal Registration number: 13668/0013).
This product is available without prescription.
Echinaforce Forte Cold & Flu Tablets are used to relieve the symptoms of the common cold and influenza type infections, based on traditional use only.
The tablets’ active ingredient comes from the fresh herb and root of the plant, Echinacea purpurea.
This product is available without prescription.
Echinaforce Forte Cold & Flu Tablets are used to relieve the symptoms of the common cold and influenza type infections, based on traditional use only.
The tablets’ active ingredient comes from the fresh herb and root of the plant, Echinacea purpurea.
Before you take this product
Do not take this product
- if you are under 12 years of age
- if you are allergic to
- Echinacea or plants of the daisy (asteraceae/Compositae) family. Echinacea is a member of the daisy family.
- Peanuts or soya. This product contains soya polysaccharide
- if you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to products containing lactose. This product contains lactose.
- if you have a tendency to allergies such as hives, allergic eczema or asthma consult your doctor before use. This product may not be suitable for you.
- if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
- TB (the infection tuberculosis
- Sarcoidosis ( a connective tissue disease disorder which causes the formation of clumps of cells mainly in the lymph nodes, lungs and liver)
- an autoimmune disease such as collagenoses (inflammation of the connective tissue) or multiple sclerosis
- HIV, AIDS or any other condition which decreases your resistance to infection
- a disorder which affects your white blood cells such as agranulocytosis (low white blood count due to bone marrow disorders) or leukemia (blood cell cancer)
- If you are having treatment to reduce the response of your immune response (immunosuppresion) e.g. chemotherapy, radiotherapy
- if you are taking ciclosporin or methotrexate, or any other immunosuppressant medicine
- if you have had an organ or bone marrow transplant
Adults, elderly and children over 12 years: 1 tablet two or three times daily.
Start taking this product at the first signs of a cold.
For oral use only.
Side effects
Like all medicines, this product can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Allergic reactions
If you already suffer from allergies, you may be more likely to get them. Allergic reactions which may occur are:
- Skin rash
- Red itchy skin (hives)
- Swelling of the skin due to fluid (angioedema) or swelling of the face (Quincke's oedema)
- Blistering of the skin and mucuous membranes (Stevens-Johnson syndrome)
- Difficulty in breathing (bronchospasm with obstruction)
- Asthma or anaphylactic shock ( a life-threatening allergic reaction)
There have been isolated reports suggesting an association between Echinacea products and autoimmune diseases such as:
- inflammation of the brain and spinal cord (disseminated encephalitis)
- painful lumps on the shins (erythema nodosum)
- low blood platelet count (immunothrombocytopenia)
- destruction of blood cells by antibodies (Evans Syndrome)
- dryness in the mouth and eyes with renal tubular dysfunction (Sjogren syndrome)
The frequency is not known. This means it is not known how often these reactions occur as there has not been enough reports to allow this information to be calculated.
If you notice any other side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
Product description
Each 750mg tablet contains 1,140mg of extract (as dry extract) from fresh Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench herb (1:12) and 60mg of extract (as dry extract) from fresh Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench root (1:11).
Extraction solvent: ethanol 65% v/v. The other ingredients used for the tablet are lactose, pregelatinised starch, magnesium stearate and soya polysaccharide.
