What is Apocynum cannabinum?

Apocynum cannabinum is a single homeopathic remedy. It is made from a North American plant called Indian hemp or dogbane. It is not the same plant as cannabis or marijuana.

Homeopaths have used it for dropsy (an old word for body swelling caused by trapped fluid). They also gave it for a puffy belly, a slow pulse and passing very little urine. These are old uses, not proven ones.

The remedy is made by watering the plant down again and again. At 30C almost none of the plant is left, and trials do not show it beats a dummy pill (placebo). Long use in a tradition is not proof that a thing works.

How does Apocynum cannabinum work?

Homeopathy rests on two old ideas. One is that "like cures like". The other is that shaking and watering down a plant makes it act more strongly.

Neither idea fits what we know about the body. A 30C pellet holds no plant matter at all. So there is no known way for it to act on you.

The raw plant is a different story. It holds chemicals that make the heart beat harder and slower. Those chemicals can still be present in very low strengths, such as 1X or 3X.

What forms does Apocynum cannabinum come in?

The safest and most common form is a sugar pellet at 6C, 12C or 30C. Liquid drops in alcohol are also sold.

Some shops sell the mother tincture and low strengths like 1X and 3X. These still contain plant material and carry a real risk of poisoning. Do not buy or use them.

Where it comes from:

Native American groups used the root of this plant as a strong laxative and to make the heart beat harder. They used the stem fibre for rope and thread, which is how it earned the name Indian hemp.

Homeopaths picked it up in the 1800s. Constantine Hering and others tested it and wrote it up for dropsy. It has stayed a small, rarely used remedy ever since.

What does Apocynum cannabinum help with?

• Dropsy (body swelling from trapped fluid): This is the classic homeopathic use, drawn from what the raw plant did to the heart and kidneys. No human trial has tested the remedy for it. Body swelling can be a sign of heart, liver or kidney trouble, so see a doctor.
• Ascites (fluid build-up in the belly): Old homeopathic texts list a tight, puffy belly with thirst. There is no trial evidence behind this. A swollen belly needs a medical check, not a home remedy.
• Passing very little urine: Homeopaths used it when urine was dark, scanty and hard to pass. No study has tested that use. Sudden low urine output can mean your kidneys are in trouble and needs urgent care.
• Swollen legs and ankles: Traditional homeopathic use covers puffy legs that pit when you press them. Evidence for the remedy is absent. Puffy legs with breathlessness is a warning sign that needs a doctor the same day.
• Heavy or flooding menstrual bleeding: Some old texts list heavy bleeding with faintness. This rests on symptom pictures written in the 1800s, not on trials. Heavy bleeding that soaks through pads needs medical review.

Which foods are rich in Apocynum cannabinum?

This is a poisonous plant, not a food. It is never eaten and has no place in cooking.

What are the side effects of Apocynum cannabinum?

• No direct effects are expected from 30C pellets, as they hold no plant matter
• Mild upset from the sugar or lactose (milk sugar) in the pellets
• Rare allergic reaction to the pellet base
• From the tincture or low strengths: nausea and vomiting
• From the tincture or low strengths: watery diarrhoea and stomach cramps
• From the tincture or low strengths: a slow, fast or uneven heartbeat
• From the tincture or low strengths: blurred or yellow-tinged vision
• From the tincture or low strengths: confusion, weakness and fainting
• Skin or eye burning from contact with the raw plant's milky sap

Good to know:

Two very different risk levels sit under one name. A 30C pellet is chemically just sugar and is unlikely to harm you.

The mother tincture and low strengths are another matter. The plant's heart chemicals work in the same way as digitalis, and poisoning can be severe or deadly. Deaths from eating the raw plant are on record.

The bigger everyday risk is delay. Using any remedy instead of care for real swelling or heart trouble can let a serious illness get worse.

How much Apocynum cannabinum should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been proven to work. Homeopathic labels usually suggest 3 to 5 pellets of a 6C or 30C remedy, two or three times a day. Never use the mother tincture or low strengths such as 1X, 2X or 3X. These can still hold heart-acting poison from the plant.
• Best time of day: Homeopaths usually suggest taking it away from food, drink, coffee and mint, often first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
• With or without food: Take it on an empty mouth, about 15 minutes before or after food or drink. Let the pellets melt under your tongue.
• Time to effect: There is no reliable answer, because the remedy has not been shown to work. Any change you notice may simply be your body settling on its own.
• How long to take it: Short use only, and only for mild, passing complaints. If nothing changes in three to five days, stop and speak to a doctor. Do not keep taking it in place of real treatment for swelling or heart trouble.