Gelsemium Side Effects

In homeopathy, a type of complementary or alternative medicine, practitioners evaluate your symptoms, then treat them with very highly diluted amounts of a homeopathic medicine. They choose a particular medicine for you because it will cause a healthy person to feel the same symptoms you do. This is referred to as "like cures like." One of the remedies they use is gelsemium. When prescribed in homeopathic doses by a trained, experienced homeopathic practitioner, it's considered safe. But in untrained hands, gelsemium is dangerous and can even be fatal.

Identification

• Gelsemium's scientific name is Gelsemium sempervirens. It grows in the south and southwestern United States and in Mexico. An evergreen climbing plant, it's used in landscaping because of its deep green foliage and profuse, fragrant yellow flowers. It is also known as evening trumpet flower, Carolina jessamine or yellow jasmine, although it is not related to the traditional jasmine plant.

Features

• Gelsemium's active ingredients are two alkaloids: gelseminine and gelsemine. Alkaloids affect the central nervous system in varying degrees, depending on what the alkaloid is and how much you take. For example, caffeine is an alkaloid. Gelsemium's alkaloids are related to strychnine, and all parts of the plant are poisonous. Bees have even been killed by collecting the nectar from its flowers.

Function

• Because of its action on the central nervous system, homeopathic practitioners use gelsemium to treat certain types of nerve pain and headaches, as well as specific muscular pain, menstrual pain, sore throats and summer colds, among other conditions. The parts of the plant used medicinally are the rhizome and root, which are usually collected in the fall, dried and then processed with alcohol into a tincture which is then diluted in a prescribed amount of water and taken as directed by the practitioner.

Warning

• In any amount but the very, very weak preparations used in homeopathy, gelsemium is poisonous. It acts on the central nervous system, slowing breathing, causing relaxation and muscle weakness. This weakness will eventually become paralysis if the dose is high enough. Temperature and pulse rate decrease, the face becomes slack, pupils dilate and double vision will develop. These events usually begin within a half hour but can occur even sooner. Without treatment, death usually occurs within 7 1/2 hours.

Solution

• If you suspect gelsemium poisoning, you should go to the hospital immediately. There, doctors will induce vomiting and help you breathe. They may also give you a shot of a drug to stimulate your heart, such as digitalis.