Wormwood plant
No, I’m not talking about wormwood’s dire biblical implications … even if they are a little scary.
My doctor put me on a parasite cleanse because “everyone has parasites.” I don’t know if that’s true, but I trusted him and went along with it. (Yes, it’s the same doctor I’m no longer seeing.) The cleanse consisted of a few herbs, one of which was wormwood. He assured me there were no side effects.
Hmmm … if it can kill parasites, it must be pretty potent. I should have done my due diligence by reading up on it.
After starting the cleanse, I couldn’t sleep for days. Days turned into weeks with insomnia. Not a pretty picture. I finally got some sleep medication, but it didn’t work. Got a different kind, and that didn’t work. Third try, no cigar.
Then it dawned on my delirious little mind, “Hmmm … the beginning of my sleep troubles strangely coincided with starting the parasite cleanse.” I looked up the ingredients and discovered one of the side effects of wormwood is insomnia.
I stopped taking it, but still can’t sleep. So I looked up how long wormwood stays in your system. All I could find was a doctor’s comment in a forum, “For a long time.” Not very helpful.
WebMD says wormwood is also used to increase sexual desire, and to stimulate the imagination. So if you want to be a highly imaginative, sex-crazed insomniac for an indefinite period of time, have at it.
As for me, lesson learned: An herb can have side effects. Read about it before swallowing. Wormwood – for me, at least – is very bad.
Truthing It 
October 17, 2011 at 2:18 pm |
That’s pure torture. The few times I have had sleep issues I became a crazy woman. Bring on the parasites! Hope you rebound sooner than “a long time.”
October 17, 2011 at 8:58 pm |
Yes, in most parts of the world, “torture” is the word for sleep deprivation!
October 17, 2011 at 6:06 pm |
Herbs can be even more dangerous than prescription drugs, vitamins, and over-the-counter meds because they are not regulated at all. You should be careful with anything you take, of course, but people many times mistakenly think because herbs are “natural”, that they cannot experience side effects from them. Remember, for several thousand years, before “modern” medicine, herbs were the only medications. People grew them and knew how to use them so much better than we do nowadays. Unless you really know about the laboratory in which they are processed, you never know how much actual herb is present, what preservatives, and other chemicals were used in the processing. And because herb laboratories are not regulated, they may not be processed under clean conditions, much less sterile. Thanks for sharing your story, Judy. I believe people really need to be educated about herbs & other “natural” supplements.
October 17, 2011 at 9:03 pm |
I’ve known a little of what you’ve said for years, Sherry, but let it slip from the forefront of my mind. Thank you for all those details … yikes, especially about possible chemicals and preservatives, and the conditions of the laboratory where the herbs are processed! I’ve heard Germany is the place to get the real thing when it comes to herbs, but I’m not sure.
March 9, 2017 at 7:45 pm |
Herbs are not more dangerous than prescription drugs…. how many prescription pills would it take for a baby to take to die, compared to how much herbs a baby would have to take to die…… the difference is pretty big.
Wormwood is a detox and cleanse product, it is medicine. And was not properly explained on how to take this herb. This is not a reason to scare people into thinking herbs are more dangerous then psychotropic medications and how many people I’ve personally known who have almost killed themselves because of one or two pills.
November 19, 2016 at 10:43 am |
The insomnia was actually a clue that the wormwood was killing parasites in your body. When parasites are killed they release ammonia and other toxins into your body that cause insomnia. You should have been doing flushes to get those toxins out as fast as possible. I usually take strong herbal sleeping pills when taking wormwood to also counteract the insomnia effect.
March 9, 2017 at 7:37 pm |
Worm wood is a medicine and should be taken as such. I only take worm wood in the morning and while fasting. By the end of the day exerting energy from the day fast you should be tired. This is a cleanse, so you will feel the cleaning out process happen inside and it does not feel great all the time depending on how much cleansing actually happens.
People should not thinking that herbs are more dangerous then prescription. That is just ridiculous, however one as you said must do their research and conclude when and how best to use the medicines or hopefully know someone who teaches these medicines, no offense but doctors are horrible at giving advice in the holistic area
March 10, 2017 at 7:47 pm |
Good points, Rob. Thank you!
September 21, 2017 at 1:33 pm |
wormwood is great stuff, repairs your digestive system, and coupled with probiotics is so good for you, it would likely make a doctor sick to think he would lose a patient to being too healthy..
January 30, 2018 at 11:32 am |
Thank you so much! I just started it and I haven’t slept more than 2 hours a night in 4 days. You’ve solved my problem. I’m not sure how long it will be before I sleep again, but at least I know NOT to take anymore Wormwood!
March 28, 2018 at 2:41 pm |
Take charcoal or bentonite clay to soak up the ammonia and other toxins then take some psyllium to help you poo it out. This will keep your liver and kidneys from being over taxed with toxins. The toxins make you feel sick and it is hard to sleep but you will be amazed how well you will feel once you are done with your cleanse. See DR. Axe for more details.
November 5, 2019 at 4:09 pm |
Judy, exact same thing is happening to me! 8 days insomnia, my body is going crazy! How long does this last??? The side effects of this thing has been a nightmare 😭 took for 2 weeks before I connected the dots. My heart is also beating faster all day long, I feel like I am poisoned 😭😭