Facial Swelling / Edema From Licorice

[ramakentesh]

Ive been taking a dosage as recommended by my doc of licorice since november and recently my face has suddenly swelled up considerably. basically my cheeks are huge and i have this kinda double chin thing going on, but the rest of my body still looks skinny! Weird eh?

Why cant i get edema somewhere other than my face!!

[firewatcher]

Um, I think there is another supplement/medication to create that edema.

On a more serious note, are you sure it's not an allergic reaction? My son's face swells and he looks like a hot-pink chipmunk when he's having an allergic reaction.

[juliegee]

Florinef causes the same reaction. It's called "moon face" I think. I took it for a while and noticed my face was swollen, particularly at the chin. My son still takes it and has the same swelling. Wow, really lets me know that licorice must be very similiar to florinef. This isn't an allergic reaction, just a weird side effect.

Julie

[mkoven]

If licorice is like florinef, I would just want to make sure that you aren't having problematic side effects. with florinef, you need to make sure your potassium is okay and that your pressure isn't getting too high. Personally, I prefer the idea of florinef to licorice, as it's more standardized and more thoroughly studied. I'm not opposed to supplements in general, but if licorice is like florinef, and florinef is powerful stuff, well you see where I'm going.

[yogini]

I agree with mkoven - at least with florinef, swelling isn't good and means you have to stop or reduce your dose. Talk to your doc.