Yohimbe in pregnancy and breastfeeding

What NCCIH says about safety

Yohimbine, a component of yohimbe, has been associated with cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), blood pressure problems, heart attacks, and seizures. Because of inaccurate labeling and potential for serious side effects, yohimbe supplements have been restricted or banned in many countries. Yohimbe caused stomach problems, tachycardia (a rapid heartbeat), anxiety, and high blood pressure, according to a study about yohimbe and other substances that compared calls made to the California Poison Control System over a 7-year period. People calling about yohimbe were generally more likely to need medical care than other callers. Most yohimbe products don’t say how much yohimbine they contain. The amount may vary a lot among products, according to a 2015 analysis of 49 brands of supplements labeled as containing yohimbe or yohimbine for sale in the United States. Some of the yohimbine was either synthetic or from highly processed plant extracts. Most of the supplements did not provide information about known side effects. Do not use yohimbe if you are taking types of antidepressant medications called monoamine oxidase inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants. Yohimbe can interact with these medications. If you take any type of medicine, talk with your health care provider before using yohimbe or other herbal products; some herbs and medicines interact in harmful ways. It might be unsafe to use yohimbe orally (taken by mouth) during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Quoted in full from NCCIH so nothing is lost in summarising. Where they say “little is known”, that means the studies do not exist — not that the herb is known to be safe, and not that it is known to be harmful.

How much is actually known

There is very little research in people on the effects of yohimbe as a dietary supplement. But studies have documented the risks of taking it. There is not enough evidence for definite conclusions to be reached about yohimbe’s effectiveness for any health condition.

What the research has found

The amount of yohimbine in dietary supplements may vary; some yohimbe products contain very little yohimbine. Yohimbe sold as a dietary supplement may not work like the prescription medication that contains yohimbine. It is illegal in the United States to market an over-the-counter product containing yohimbine as a treatment for erectile dysfunction without getting approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to do so. There is not enough research to say whether yohimbe as a dietary supplement is helpful for any condition, including erectile dysfunction, athletic performance, or obesity.

Before you take this

Dose and form change the answer completely. A culinary amount of a spice, a cup of tea, and a concentrated supplement extract are three different things, and most research is done on the last of them.

Supplements are also not regulated like medicines, so strength and purity vary between products. Bring the actual bottle to your midwife, doctor or pharmacist — that conversation is worth more than any page, including this one.