Conclusion: We have not found any convincing evidence that aromatherapy (or exposure to fragrant plant oils) is beneficial for people with dementia although there are many limitations to the data. Conduct or reporting problems in half of the included studies meant that they could not contribute to the conclusions. Results from the other studies were inconsistent. Harms were very poorly reported in the included studies. In order for clear conclusions to be drawn, better design and reporting and consistency of outcome measurement in future trials would be needed.
Lemon Balm side effects
Across 459 first-hand reports, people mentioned a side effect 24 times (about 5 per 100 reports). The most common: drowsiness, fatigue, dizziness. User reports show what people notice — they can't tell you whether Lemon Balm is safe for you.
Reported side effects
drowsiness11
fatigue6
dizziness2
heart rate1
tolerance with1
rebound1
brain fog1
restlessness1
What got worse for some people
In their own words
“I’ve tried lemon balm, b vitamins, magnesium glycinate, weed, so many things for anxiety. Nothing came close to that drip!”
“Pretty amazing for stress/anxiety... but for me it seems to work inconsistently. Especially if I'm trying to use it for acute episodes.”
“Lemon balm also works but it’s sedative and makes me feel a bit drowsy in the morning.”
“If I take lemon balm at night to help me sleep I feel very tired the whole day after.”
Is Lemon Balm safe? What the research covers
AResearch: Strong14 meta-analyses · 28 randomized trials on PubMed
Cochrane Database Syst Rev · 2020
Aromatherapy for dementiaCochrane Database Syst Rev · 2024
Interventions for postburn pruritusConclusion: There is moderate to low-certainty evidence on the effects of 21 interventions. Most studies were small and at a high risk of bias related to blinding and incomplete outcome data. Where there is moderate-certainty evidence, practitioners should consider the applicability of the evidence for their patients.