Will comfrey oil implode my liver?

**malsah** · Posted On: 9/02/2012 5:48am

Basically i order comfrey oil off the net to use on my shins as well as a few sprains I've accumulated through training. Now, looking on the net, there's all sorts of nasty things associated with it.

Now I know taking it orally is bad news, but can the oil cause these problems too?

**danno** · Posted On: 9/02/2012 7:48am

As far as I understand, there are only problems when you ingest it. Something to do with alkaloids.

Despite this, there are apparently people who eat it daily and have no ill effects. Or so they claim.

**malsah** · Posted On: 9/02/2012 10:24am

Originally Posted by danno

As far as I understand, there are only problems when you ingest it. Something to do with alkaloids.

Despite this, there are apparently people who eat it daily and have no ill effects. Or so they claim.

Thanks! That's what I was hoping to hear!!

**TheRuss** · Posted On: 9/03/2012 11:24pm

Never heard of the stuff before this thread, but a quick search found this:

Never take comfrey by mouth. Severe liver poisoning and even death may occur.
When using herb and leaf ointments, creams, and other topical preparations, it's important to follow these safety recommendations:
Never apply comfrey to broken skin.
Use only small amounts of comfrey-containing creams for no longer than 10 days at a time.
Do not use any comfrey product for more than 4 - 6 total weeks in a year.

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/comfrey-000234.htm