Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): Pregnancy- and Lactation-Friendly Herb for Depression/Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Digestive Troubles, and More...
Melissa officinalis is an herbal remedy commonly used for depression and anxiety. It can be used during pregnancy as well as while breastfeeding. Because of its safety in both pregnancy and breastfeeding, this is an essential herb to have in your medicine cabinet for the relief of not only depression/anxiety, but also of digestive problems, sleep problems, fever, and more. During breastfeeding in particular, lemon balm can be especially useful for the treatment of digestive complaints since peppermint generally should be avoided during lactation due to its ability to reduce milk supply.
One study done on women undergoing Cesarean section observed that lemon balm administration successfully helped relieve symptoms of the “Baby Blues”. While the Baby Blues isn’t the same condition as postpartum depression/anxiety, it is related, which is why I’ve chosen to include the information about this study here. The women were given 500mg of Melissa officinalis 3 times per day (in capsule form) for 10 days immediately following their babies’ births by C-section. The incidence of depression was dramatically lower in the groups that received treatment with lemon balm; according to one test, the incidence of the “Baby Blues” was only 3.3% on the 3rd-5th days following C-section (compared to 43.3% in the control group), 3.3% on the 10th day (compared to 50% in the control group), and 0% by the 14th day (compared to 33.3% in the control group).
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A different study compared the efficacy of Melissa officinalis and Lavandula angustifolia in the treatment of depression in comparison with the commonly prescribed pharmaceutical drug fluoxetine. The study demonstrated successfully that both of these herbs are at least as effective as fluoxetine in the treatment of regular depression; better yet, they carry little to no side effects. While not the subject of discussion here, I want to note that this particular study indicated that Lavandula angustifolia is effective in the short-term, immediate treatment of postpartum depression/anxiety, but that its effects don’t necessarily last if the woman stops taking the herb.Melissa officinalis may also provide value to new mothers in terms of diminishing after pains following childbirth. One study even found that lemon balm administration was ultimately more effective than the pharmaceutical drug mefenamic acid. In this study, extracts of Melissa officinalis were found to diminish pain both before and after the first 15 minutes of after pains, and women had overall lower pain levels 6 hours after childbirth when taking lemon balm compared to women who had been given mefenamic acid.
Other important medicinal applications of Melissa officinalis include the following (note that this herb is safe during both pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as for babies and young children; it can be used at any age and at any stage in both men and women):
- Stress
- NOTE: Lemon balm combines well with oats (Avena sativa), ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), and skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) for stress reduction.
- Insomnia / Sleep problems and disorders
- Colic
- Poor appetite
- Indigestion
- Gas / Bloating
- NOTE: Catnip (Neptea cataria) and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) partner well with lemon balm for digestive complaints; a tea that combines all three is excellent during breastfeeding to help treat digestive complaints not only for mom, but also for treating colic in babies.
- Viral infection
- Oral herpes (topical application; Melissa officinalis is specifically indicated for oral HSV-1 outbreaks, though it may also be used to treat HSV-2 and genital herpes)
- HIV infection
- Bacterial infections
- Listeria monocytogenes (essential oil)
- Staphylococcus aureus (essential oil)
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Wounds (topical application)
- Venomous insect bites and stings (topical application)
- Fever (lemon balm is a diaphoretic, meaning that it lowers fevers by causing sweating)
- Tension headaches
- Restlessness
- Panic attacks
How to Take Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Lemon balm can be taken in capsule form, as a tea, as a tincture, or applied topically. Follow the dosing indications below to use Melissa officinalis in adults (including in pregnant and breastfeeding women):- Lemon Balm Tea - Use 1.5-4.5 grams of dried herb in boiling water. Steep for at least 10 minutes. Drink up to 4 times per day.
- Lemon Balm Capsules - Take 300-500mg of lemon balm in capsule form up to 3 times daily, or take this dose on an as-needed basis.
- Lemon Balm Tincture - Take up to 60 drops of standardized lemon balm tincture/extract each day. This can be taken all at once, or it can be divided into separate doses depending on your personal preference.
- Lemon Balm Topical Application - For the treatment of herpes outbreaks, wounds, insect bites and stings, and some types of external infections, lemon balm should be applied topically. Steep 2-4 teaspoons of dried Melissa officinalis in 1 cup of boiling water for 10-15 minutes. Let this cool, then strain. Use a cotton ball or something similar to carefully apply the infusion directly to the affected area throughout the day.
- Lemon Balm Essential Oil - Melissa officinalis essential oil should be diluted with a carrier oil like coconut oil or apricot kernel oil before application. The essential oil should only be applied topically and should NOT be taken internally.
Women with hypothyroidism should be aware that Melissa officinalis can, in some cases, lower thyroid hormone levels.
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Resources:
• Beihaghi, Maliheh, et. al. (2019). The Effect of Melissa Officinalis on Postpartum Blues in Women Undergoing Cesarean Section. Retrieved November 25, 2023 from: https://web.p.ebscohost.com/abstract?direct=true&profile=ehost&scope=site&authtype=crawler&jrnl=23454792&AN=135953526&h=Gy5dSVhU%2bSdmN2lqQQqqWRl9oasRaHqYfh2TDIvB50EXwUYHup%2fOmCHB2lsN1Sj%2bcgoXYzv4XCVervUu41dXug%3d%3d&crl=c&resultNs=AdminWebAuth&resultLocal=ErrCrlNotAuth&crlhashurl=login.aspx%3fdirect%3dtrue%26profile%3dehost%26scope%3dsite%26authtype%3dcrawler%26jrnl%3d23454792%26AN%3d135953526
• Araj-Khodaei, Mostafa, et. al. (2020). A double-blind, randomized pilot study for comparison of Melissa officinalis L. and Lavandula angustifolia Mill. with Fluoxetine for the treatment of depression. Retrieved November 25, 2023 from: https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12906-020-03003-5
• Dastjerdi, Mojgan Naderi, et. al. (2019). Investigating the Effect of Melissa Officinalis on After-Pains: A Randomized, Single-Blind Clinical Trial. Retrieved November 25, 2023 from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6778308/
• Mount Sinai (n.d). Lemon balm. Retrieved November 26, 2023 from: https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/lemon-balm#:~:text=Lemon%20balm%20(Melissa%20officinalis)%2C,%2C%20as%20well%20as%20colic).
• Blankespoor, Juliet (2023). The Medicinal Benefits of Lemon Balm. Retrieved November 26, 2023 from: https://chestnutherbs.com/the-medicinal-benefits-of-lemon-balm/
