What is Ipecacuanha?

Ipecacuanha is a single homeopathic remedy. It is made from the dried root of a small shrub from Brazil. The root is also known as ipecac root.

Its Latin name is Cephaelis ipecacuanha. You may also see it written as Psychotria ipecacuanha.

Homeopaths pick it for sudden nausea and vomiting that will not stop. They also use it for a wet cough with gagging, and for bright red bleeding.

The remedy is made by watering the root down again and again. At 30C strength, none of the plant is left in the pill. Trials have not shown it to work better than a dummy pill (placebo).

Long use in a tradition is not proof that a remedy works. This page gives you both: what the tradition says, and what studies show.

How does Ipecacuanha work?

Homeopathy runs on the idea of "like cures like". Raw ipecac root makes people vomit. So homeopaths give tiny doses of it to people who are vomiting.

The root is watered down step by step. Each step is one part root to 100 parts liquid, with hard shaking. A 30C pill has been through that step 30 times.

After about 12 steps, no piece of the plant is likely to be left. A 30C pill is sugar. A 30C liquid is water and alcohol.

Homeopaths say the water holds a trace or "memory" of the plant. There is no accepted science for that idea. In trials, the pills act the same as placebo (a dummy pill).

What forms does Ipecacuanha come in?

Most people take small sugar pellets that melt under the tongue. Liquid drops in alcohol and water are also sold.

Both come in strengths such as 6C, 30C and 200C. The number tells you how many times the root was watered down. A higher number means more dilution, not more plant.

A mother tincture and raw powdered root also exist. These are not homeopathic doses and can cause real harm. Do not take them on your own.

Where it comes from:

Indigenous peoples in Brazil used this root long before Europeans arrived. Portuguese traders brought it to Europe in the 1600s.

Doctors there used it to make people vomit. They also used it for dysentery (severe diarrhoea with blood).

Samuel Hahnemann tested it on healthy people in the early 1800s. It has been a staple of homeopathy ever since. It is not a staple of other healing traditions in this diluted form.

What does Ipecacuanha help with?

• Nausea and vomiting that will not stop: This is the main use in homeopathy. The classic picture is steady sickness with a clean tongue, and no relief after being sick. No human trial has tested the remedy for this.
• Morning sickness in pregnancy: Homeopaths often suggest it in pregnancy. There is no trial evidence that it helps. Talk to your midwife or doctor first, since heavy sickness in pregnancy needs proper care.
• Cough with gagging or retching: Tradition points to a rattling, wet cough that ends in gagging. This use goes back to the raw root, which loosened phlegm. A 30C pill has no plant in it, so that link does not carry over.
• Wheezing and a tight chest: Some homeopaths use it for sudden wheezing. Never use it in place of an inhaler or asthma medicine. Wheezing that gets worse is an emergency.
• Motion sickness: Used in tradition for sickness in cars, boats and planes. No trial supports it. Proven travel sickness medicines are widely sold.
• Bright red bleeding: Old homeopathic texts list it for bleeding of fresh red blood, such as nosebleeds. There is no evidence for this. Bleeding you cannot stop needs a doctor, not a remedy.

Which foods are rich in Ipecacuanha?

You cannot get this from your diet, and there is no reason to try.

What are the side effects of Ipecacuanha?

• No effect at all in most people, because a 30C pill holds no plant
• Sugar in the pellets, which matters if you have diabetes (high blood sugar)
• Alcohol in the liquid drops
• A short flare of symptoms, which homeopaths call an aggravation
• Rash or itch, if you are allergic to the plant
• Violent vomiting, watery stools and heart damage from the raw root or ipecac syrup, not from 30C pills
• Delay in getting care that works, which is the main risk

Good to know:

Side effects from a 30C pill are rare. The pill has no plant in it. It acts like a sugar pill.

The bigger risk is what you might not do. If you use this in place of care you need, a treatable problem can get worse.

The raw root and ipecac syrup are a different story. Used again and again, they have harmed the heart muscle. People have died this way, most often people with an eating disorder.

How much Ipecacuanha should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been shown to work, because trials find no effect beyond placebo. What follows is common practice, not proof. A usual adult dose is 3 to 5 pellets at 30C strength. Homeopaths often give this two or three times a day. For a sudden bout, some repeat it every 15 to 30 minutes. They stop after about 2 hours. Liquid drops are usually 5 drops in a little water. Follow the label on the pack you buy. Ask a doctor before giving any remedy to a baby or young child.
• Best time of day: There is no set time of day. Homeopaths suggest taking it away from food, drink, coffee and strong mint. Leave about 15 minutes clear on either side.
• With or without food: Take it with an empty mouth, away from food and drink. Let the pellets melt under your tongue rather than chewing them.
• Time to effect: Homeopaths expect a change within minutes to a few hours for sudden symptoms. Trials have not shown any effect beyond placebo. If you are no better within a day, get medical advice.
• How long to take it: Stop after 2 or 3 days if nothing has changed. Do not keep repeating it. Vomiting that lasts more than a day can dry you out fast. Children and older people dry out quickest. See a doctor at that point instead of taking another dose.