What is Phytolacca decandra?
Phytolacca decandra is a single homeopathic remedy. It is made from poke root. The Latin name of the plant is Phytolacca americana.
People take it for a sore throat, sore swollen glands in the neck, and breast pain. Homeopaths also give it for aching joints and for mumps.
The remedy is made by diluting the plant again and again. At 30C, so many steps have been used that no plant material is left. What you swallow is sugar, water or alcohol that was wetted at an earlier step.
Trials do not show that it works better than a dummy pill. Poke root has a long record of folk use. Long use is not the same as proof, and this is the only time we will say so on this page.
One more point matters. Raw poke root is a poison, so the tincture and the low dilutions are not safe to play with.
How does Phytolacca decandra work?
There is no known way this remedy could act in the body.
Homeopathy rests on an old idea. A plant that causes signs of illness in a big dose is given in a tiny dose to treat those same signs. Big doses of poke root cause a raw throat and sore glands, so homeopaths give it for those signs.
The second idea is that shaking and diluting make the remedy stronger. This does not match what we know about chemistry. At 30C there is nothing of the plant left to act.
So any relief people notice is most likely placebo. That means a real feeling of getting better that comes from the care and the act of taking something, not from the pill itself. Time also plays a part, since sore throats often ease on their own.
What forms does Phytolacca decandra come in?
Common forms:
Sugar pills and pellets, sold at 6C, 12C, 30C and 200C.
Liquid drops in alcohol or water, at the same strengths.
Low dilutions such as 1X, 2X and 3X, which may still hold real plant matter.
Mother tincture, a strong alcohol extract of the fresh root. This is the most dangerous form.
Creams and ointments for the skin, often mixed with other remedies.
High dilutions are sold over the counter. Low dilutions and the tincture should only be handled by a trained practitioner.
Where it comes from:
Poke root grows wild in eastern North America. Native peoples used the root on the skin, and as a drug to make people vomit.
In the 1800s, American folk doctors used it for a sore throat, swollen glands, sore joints and skin rashes. They knew the root was risky and used small amounts.
Homeopaths took it up in the middle of the 1800s. Their notes describe a dark red throat, sore glands and pain that shifts from place to place. It became a well known remedy in that tradition and is still sold today.
If this is an emergency
Some reactions to Phytolacca decandra need urgent care. Call your local emergency number or go to an emergency department straight away — do not wait to see whether it passes.
Who should avoid Phytolacca decandra?
- Never eat raw poke root, poke berries or the fresh leaves. The plant is poisonous and has killed children.
- Never swallow the mother tincture or dilutions below 6X unless a qualified practitioner has prescribed and supervised it.
- Do not use if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant. Poke root can irritate the womb and has been linked with miscarriage.
- Do not use if you are breastfeeding, and never put poke root cream or tincture on a nipple your baby will feed from.
- Do not use if you are giving it to a baby or young child without advice from a doctor.
- Do not use if you have heart disease or a heart rhythm problem, as fluid loss from the raw plant can affect the heartbeat.
- Do not use if you have kidney disease, liver disease or inflammatory bowel disease (long-term swelling and soreness of the gut).
- Do not use if you take digoxin (a heart medicine), water pills (diuretics) or medicines that suppress your immune system.
- Do not use if you have a sore throat with a high fever, drooling, or trouble swallowing or breathing. Get medical help instead.
- Do not use if you have a new breast lump, a red hot breast with fever, or a lump that is growing. See a doctor first.
- Do not use if you are relying on it in place of antibiotics or other treatment your doctor has advised.
- Do not handle the fresh root or the tincture with bare hands, as it can burn and blister the skin.
When should you see a doctor?
Call an ambulance or go to an emergency department straight away if someone has eaten poke root, poke berries or the tincture, or if there is vomiting that will not stop, bloody diarrhoea, fainting, a fit, or trouble breathing. Take the bottle or plant with you.
See a doctor the same day if you have a sore throat with a fever over 38.5C, drooling, a stiff neck, or trouble swallowing or breathing. Also go the same day for a red, hot, painful breast with a fever.
Book a normal appointment if a sore throat lasts more than a week, neck glands stay swollen for more than three weeks, or breast pain does not settle. Any new breast lump needs checking, however small.
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