The Dangers of Nux Vomica
You can have me read this article to you instead of reading it yourself…
Or you can read it the old-fashioned way below…
While this isn’t the case with most of the articles that I write, I am writing this article for one sole purpose: to discourage anyone and everyone from using the product known as Nux vomica. I’m not here on the attack, and I am not here to make any enemies. My goal is simply to promote each person’s safety and best health. And unfortunately, there is no safety or best health to be had with this product.
What is it?
Nux vomica is the dried seed of a plant called Strychnos nux-vomica, which is where it gets its name. It has been used in ancient Eastern medicine as a remedy, and more recently people have attempted to use it for a range of issues, including impotence, GI conditions, migraines, depression, and more.
Nux vomica is actually provided as a homeopathic product. This means that it has been diluted down over 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 times. Ideally, this means that there is none of the original ingredient left by the time it reaches your mouth. The theory behind homeopathy is that the liquid works by “memory” – remembering the original ingredient. There has never been any evidence that this is actually possible, and for the most part, homeopathic products have been shown to be completely ineffective.
But if that was the whole story, I wouldn’t be so worried about safety. The worry comes from when these products are not made properly (and there have been many, many cases of this occurring over the years). Because when the product is not made properly, then it has not been diluted down over 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 times. And that means that there IS some of the original ingredient left when it reaches your mouth. And that’s where we have a problem.
What Does it Do?
When truly provided in a homeopathic form, nux vomica has never been shown to do much of anything. It’s basically the equivalent of drinking water.
However, when nux vomica the ingredient is taken, it has been shown to do very bad things. The seed that it comes from contains strychnine, which might sound familiar to some of you. Strychnine is a traditional poison, and when nux vomica is taken consistently, the poison starts to take effect. At best, some very serious side effects can occur, including severe contractions of the muscles, seizures, and difficulty breathing. At worst, these side effects can lead to death.
What Does This Mean?
Nux vomica does not serve a purpose for treatment of any condition, for any person. It has not been shown to be helpful for any reason, and yet it can be incredibly, irreversibly harmful. If there is no potential for benefit, it is hard to justify any risks. And in this case, the risks are too extreme to justify for almost anything.
I’ve seen this product recommended most commonly for gastroparesis, but also for IBD and IBS. There is no reason to ever consider using it for these conditions.
Please use caution with any products that are recommended to you online or by other people. Research them thoroughly and never take anything without consulting with your doctor. There are not many products out there that are quite as frightening as nux vomica, but it is a strong example of why we should always tread lightly around new treatments that are recommended by others.
If you’re looking for better options to treat your conditions, check out the different pages on each condition linked above. Or look here if you’re not quite sure what is causing your symptoms.
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