Podophyllum peltatum
- Podophyllum is a plant. The root and underground stem (rhizome) are used to make medicine.
Contents
Uses
- Podophyllum peltatum is used as a homeopathic remedy.
- Podophyllum is highly poisonous when taken by mouth. Nevertheless, some people take it orally for yellowed skin (jaundice), liver ailments, fever, syphilis, hearing loss, and cancer. Podophyllum is also used to empty the bowels, kill parasitic worms in the intestine, and counteract snakebite. Some women take it to cause an abortion.
- Podophyllum has been used as a laxative. (It was an ingredient in Carter’s Little Liver Pills.) But it has been removed from the market due to safety concerns.
- Podophyllum is applied directly to the skin for removal of warts, including plantar warts and sexually transmitted (venereal) warts. It is also used topically for treating pre-cancerous white patches on the tongue and mouth (oral hairy leukoplakia).
- Intravaginally, podophyllum is used to treat gynecologic infections.
- Podophyllum can stop cell duplication and new growth. It can also have laxative effects.
Cautions
- This is a homeopathic remedy. Please consult your doctor before administering homeopathic remedies and proceed with caution.
- When applied by medical professionals in low concentration to unbroken skin, podophyllum is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people. It should be washed off within 4 to 6 hours. Podophyllum should not be used in higher concentrations or over large areas of the body. It is absorbed through the skin and can cause the same serious harmful effects as taking podophyllum by mouth. Podophyllotoxin, a chemical found in podophyllum, is safer and has largely replaced podophyllum as a treatment.
- Podophyllum is LIKELY UNSAFE when taken by mouth or applied to the skin in higher concentrations over large areas of the body. It is poisonous. It may cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, spasms, fever, visual changes and hallucinations, low blood pressure, bone marrow problems, paralysis, coma, liver problems, and kidney problems. It can take up to 13 hours for symptoms of poisoning to appear. Some deaths after taking podophyllum by mouth or applying it to the skin in large amounts have been reported. Podophyllum poisoning has been successfully treated in some cases by using activated charcoal.
- Pregnancy and breast-feeding: It is LIKELY UNSAFE to take podophyllum by mouth or apply it to your skin if you are pregnant. There have been reports of death and multiple birth defects in babies whose mothers used podophyllum during pregnancy.
- It is also LIKELY UNSAFE to use podophyllum if you are breast-feeding. The poisons in podophyllum can endanger you and your nursing baby.
Other Names
American Mandrake, Citron Sauvage, Citronnier, Devil’s Apple, Duck’s Foot, Ground Lemon, Himalayan Mayapple, Hog Apple, Indian Apple, Indian Podophyllum, Ipécacuanha de la Caroline, Mandrake, Mayapple, Pa Giao Lian, Pied de Canard, Podófilo, Podophyllin, Podophyll Pelati Rhizoma/Resina, Podophylle, Podophylle en Bouclier, Podophylle à Feuilles Peltées, Podophylle Indien, Podophylle Pelté, Podophyllum emodi, Podophyllum hexandrum, Podophyllum peltatum, Pomme de Mai, Raccoon Berry, Sinopodophyllum emodi, Umbrella Plant, Vegetable Calomel, Vegetable Mercury, Wild Lemon, Wild Mandrake.
Reference
Source: WebMD, “Podophyllum”, www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/
See Homeopathy for more information.