Vomiting remedies

A 58-year-old man developed nausea, vomiting, anorexia, and weight loss (3). He had taken germanium lactate citrate, illegally purchased in a pharmacy, recommended as a natural antioxidant, anticancer, and immunostimula-tory remedy. He took a total dose of 426 g orally over... 

Ipecacuanha is an extract of the root of Psychotria ipecacuanha, also known as Cephaelis ipecacuanha, a member of the Rubiaceae. It contains the emetic alkaloids cephaehne and emetine. It has often been used as a home remedy for various purposes, and not only as an emetic. It is a traditional ingredient of some expectorants, since expectoration often accompanies vomiting. Misuse of ipecacuanha by patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia has resulted in severe myopathy, lethargy, eiythema, dysphagia, cardiotoxi-city, and even death. Use in infancy generally seems safe. 

Dysosma pleianthum (bajiaolian), a species of mayapple, has been widely used for thousands of years in China as a general remedy and for the treatment of snake bite, weakness, condyloma acuminata, lymphadenopathy, and tumors. Podophyllotoxin is one of its main ingredients. Five people who drank infusions of bajiaolian developed nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, abnormal liver function tests, sensory ataxia, altered consciousness, and persistent peripheral tingling or numbness (6). 

Reported human toxicity occurs from either ingestion of the plant itself or from ingestion of a herbal remedy derived from the mistletoe. Ingestion of the plant, most commonly the berries, may be associated with the development of gastrointestinal distress consisting of nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. Mistletoe berry exposures most commonly occur in children during the Christmas season development of symptoms is rare. 

Anorexia, nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, and the cardiac effects seen in acute toxicity may be seen. In chronic exposures, patients may not demonstrate the classic finding of hyperkalemia, which is frequently seen in acute exposures. Decreased renal function may interfere with clearance of the glycosides. Patients may be more sensitive to the effects of their squill remedies if they are on medication that also slows AV conduction such as quinine, beta blockers, or calcium channel blockers. 

Flavonoids in herbal preparations may also affect the GI tract (e.g., cirkan causes chronic diarrhea [Maechel, 1992]) and a phlebotonic French drug, cyclo-3 fort containing Ruscus aculeatus, herperidin methyl chalcone, ascorbic acid can elicit colitis (Beaugerie et al., 1994). Reports of nausea and vomiting induced by other herbal remedies are represented throughout the chapter. 

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