Licorice-associated blood pressure normalization
Blood pressure after stopping regular licorice consumption typically improves over days, but persistent elevation can occur for months in severe cases. (nature.com)
Expected time course after cessation
- Rapid decline within 1–2 days has been reported in licorice-associated hypertensive urgency, with blood pressure falling to ~140/80 mm Hg within 36 hours after stopping licorice extract and starting short-term antihypertensive therapy. (nature.com)
- Slower recovery over weeks is consistent with a dose–response effect that can persist during exposure and the known need for time to reverse mineralocorticoid-like physiology after withdrawal. (nature.com)
- Prolonged elevation for months has been documented when licorice exposure was prolonged or severe; in one case, after 6 months of abstinence, laboratory abnormalities had normalized but blood pressure remained elevated. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Prolonged hormonal/metabolic effects contributing to persistence
Licorice (via glycyrrhizin) can suppress the renin–aldosterone system and sustain mineralocorticoid-like effects beyond stopping intake. (nejm.org)
- Renin–aldosterone suppression can persist for months, with one NEJM case describing suppression for nearly 4 months after cessation. (nejm.org)
- A clinical review notes that reversal of licorice-induced mineralocorticoid-like effects may take up to ~6 months due to long biologic effects affecting the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Practical clinical implication
Persistent or worsening hypertension after stopping licorice should be treated as a potentially ongoing secondary hypertension mechanism rather than expected to resolve immediately in all cases. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)