Castor Oil

• Use For the temporary relief of occasional constipation. Bowel movement is generally produced in 6 to 12 hours.ICD-10: K59.00

Directions Preferably take on an empty stomach. May be taken with juice to improve taste. Adults and children 12 yrs. of age and older: 1 to 4 tablespoonfuls in a single daily dose or as directed by a doctor. Children 2 to under 12 yrs. of age: 1 to 3 tablespoonfuls in a single dose or as directed by a doctor. Children under 2 yrs. of age: Consult a doctor before use.

Warings Do not use when abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting are present unless directed by a doctor.

1. 1Fatigue2313%
2. 2Diarrhoea2212%
3. 3Drug Ineffective2011%
4. 4Nausea2011%
5. 5Constipation169.0%
6. 6Fall169.0%
7. 7Asthenia147.9%
8. 8Headache137.3%
9. 9Off Label Use137.3%
10. 10Vomiting126.7%
11. 11Blood Pressure Increased116.2%
12. 12Pain116.2%
13. 13Anxiety105.6%
14. 14Drug Hypersensitivity105.6%
15. 15Dyspnoea105.6%

Recent PubMed references pinned to Castor Oil as a MeSH major topic. Citations link to pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

• Development of an Optional Preparation Method for Synthesis of Branched Fatty Acid Esters of Hydroxy Fatty Acids by Castor Oil.
  Journal of agricultural and food chemistry · 2026 · Zhen C, Du M, Xu X, et al.
  PMID 42104940DOI 10.1021/acs.jafc.6c02530
• Castor oil-based waterborne polyurethane photodynamic antimicrobial films: Preparation and strawberry preservation application.
  Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.) · 2026 · Zhu Z, Liu L, Sha J, et al.
  PMID 41895946DOI 10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118865
• Castor oil/ZnO-loaded quaternized chitosan nanocomposite with multiple antimicrobials, anti-biofilm and pro-healing functions for advanced wound dressings.
  International journal of biological macromolecules · 2026 · Nabil Y, Atta AH, Abd Elwahab NH, et al.
  PMID 41876024DOI 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.151610
• Development, optimization, and in vitro assessment of abuse-deterrent formulation.
  Journal of opioid management · 2026 · Bhola J, Borkhataria C
  PMID 41774071DOI 10.5055/jom.0973
• The hydroxyl content of biochar mediates the coating structure to dominate the release performance of castor oil-based polyurethane coated urea.
  Environmental research · 2026 · Li Z, Chen Y, Qin R, et al.
  PMID 41690362DOI 10.1016/j.envres.2026.124022
• Highly Sensitive Biosensor for the Detection of Cardiac Troponin I in Serum via Surface Plasmon Resonance on Polymeric Optical Fiber Functionalized with Castor Oil-Derived Molecularly Imprinted Nanoparticles.
  Biosensors · 2025 · Marinangeli A, Hatir PC, Yagci MB, et al.
  PMID 41590264DOI 10.3390/bios16010012
• Vanillic acid reverses castor oil-induced diarrhea in BALB/c mice through cholinergic and calcium channel blocking effects.
  Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences · 2026 · Bashir D, Shah N, Jabbar Shah A, et al.
  PMID 41482797DOI 10.36721/PJPS.2026.39.1.FPS.13871.1
• A Consolidated Saccharification, Fermentation, and Transesterification Process (cSFT) Converting Castor Oil to Biodiesel with Cellulose-Derived Ethanol.
  International journal of molecular sciences · 2025 · Korkus Hamal E, Alfassi G, Rein DM, et al.
  PMID 41465329DOI 10.3390/ijms262411902

The 10 most recently updated of 46 ClinicalTrials.gov registrations naming Castor Oil as an intervention. Registration is not evidence of efficacy or safety — reference crosswalk only.

• CBD Knee Osteoarthritis Study
  Not yet recruiting · Phase 2 · Interventional · 30 enrolled · University of Tennessee
  NCT07638189updated 2026-06-10
• Castor Oil Ingestion and Balloon Catheter for Labor Induction in Nulliparous
  Recruiting · Interventional · 142 enrolled · Holy Family Hospital, Nazareth, Israel
  NCT06325007updated 2026-04-13
• Castor Oil Ingestion and Balloon Catheter for Labor Induction in Multiparous
  Recruiting · Interventional · 216 enrolled · Holy Family Hospital, Nazareth, Israel
  NCT06335017updated 2026-04-13
• Safety, Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetics of ASCT-83 in Healthy Adults
  Not yet recruiting · Phase 1 · Interventional · 72 enrolled · Alcamena Stem Cell Therapeutics
  NCT07363395updated 2026-01-23
• Trans Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Risk Factors
  Completed · Interventional · 46 enrolled · Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement
  NCT00439582updated 2025-11-21
• Injectable DMAU for Male Contraception in Healthy Male Volunteers (CCN015)
  Completed · Phase 1 · Interventional · 106 enrolled · Kimberly Myer
  NCT02927210updated 2025-10-31
• Study of Spermatogenesis Suppression With DMAU Alone or With LNG Versus Placebo Alone in Normal Men
  Completed · Phase 2 · Interventional · 92 enrolled · Premier Research
  NCT03455075updated 2025-10-30
• Effectiveness of Castor Oil in Preventing Formal Induction of Labour in a Tertiary Institution
  Completed · Interventional · 100 enrolled · Assumpta Nnenna Nweke
  NCT06841939updated 2025-02-24
• A Study of Perturbation of Human Small Intestinal Colonic Permeability
  Completed · Early phase 1 · Interventional · 24 enrolled · Mayo Clinic
  NCT06033222updated 2024-09-19
• The Effects of Topical Almond Oil and Tretinoin on Facial Wrinkles
  Recruiting · Interventional · 90 enrolled · Integrative Skin Science and Research
  NCT06571721updated 2024-08-28

Frequently asked questions

What is Castor Oil used for?

According to FDA labeling, Castor Oil carries indications including: Use For the temporary relief of occasional constipation. Bowel movement is generally produced in 6 to 12 hours.. This is a reference summary of labeled uses, not medical advice or a treatment recommendation.

What class of drug is Castor Oil?

Castor Oil is classified as Contact laxatives.

What are the brand names for Castor Oil?

Castor Oil is marketed under brand names including Optase, Venelex.