What is Strophanthus hispidus?

Strophanthus hispidus is a homeopathic remedy. It is made from the seed of a climbing plant that grows in West Africa. The seed is also called Kombe seed.

Homeopaths have given it to people with a weak, fast or uneven heartbeat, and for swelling in the legs. The raw seed is a heart poison. Hunters once smeared it on arrow tips.

Homeopathic forms are watered down over and over. At 30C no part of the seed is left. Trials have not shown that it does more than a dummy pill, and long use in a tradition is not proof that a remedy works.

How does Strophanthus hispidus work?

Homeopathy rests on an old idea. A substance that causes symptoms in a well person is said to ease those same symptoms once it is watered down.

The seed is soaked in alcohol and water. That liquid is then shaken and watered down again and again. Each step is called a potency.

By 30C the watering down has gone so far that not one bit of the seed is likely to be left. A 30C pill holds no drug and cannot act like one. Any change you notice is best explained by time, by care and by placebo (feeling better because you expect to).

What forms does Strophanthus hispidus come in?

Most shops sell it as small sugar pills soaked in the watered-down liquid. Drops in alcohol and water are also sold. Labels run from 3X and 6X up to 30C and 200C.

The mother tincture is marked Ø or Q. It is the first strong liquid and is barely watered down. It still holds the heart poison, so treat it as a drug and not as a homeopathic pill.

Where it comes from:

The vine grows in the forests of West and Central Africa. Hunters there boiled the seed for arrow poison. Local healers used tiny amounts as medicine.

Samples reached Britain in the 1860s with explorers on the Zambezi. Doctors made strophanthin from the seed and gave it for a failing heart.

Homeopaths tested the seed later in the same century and wrote it into their books. It stayed a minor remedy rather than a main one.

What does Strophanthus hispidus help with?

• Weak or fast heartbeat (as used by homeopaths): This is the classic use in homeopathic books. It comes from the fact that the raw seed acts strongly on the heart. No trial has tested the watered-down remedy for this. A weak or racing heart needs a doctor, not a home remedy.
• Palpitations (a thumping or fluttering heartbeat): Homeopaths pick this remedy when a thumping heartbeat comes with worry or tiredness. The basis is tradition alone. New or frequent palpitations need checking, because the cause can be serious.
• Swelling in the ankles and legs from fluid: Old texts list swelling that comes with a tired heart. The link comes from the raw seed's effect on the heart and on the flow of urine. There is no trial support for the diluted remedy.
• Breathlessness on effort: Homeopathic books mention breathlessness that goes with a weak heart. This is a traditional match, not a tested one. Breathlessness that is new or getting worse is a reason to see a doctor quickly.
• Shakiness and craving during alcohol withdrawal: A few homeopathic sources suggest it for shakes and craving after stopping drink. We found no trial of this. Alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous and needs medical help.

What are the side effects of Strophanthus hispidus?

• A short flare of your old symptoms after a dose (homeopaths call this an aggravation)
• Feeling sick or being sick, from low strengths or the tincture
• Loss of appetite
• A slow, fast or uneven pulse, from low strengths or the tincture
• Feeling dizzy or faint
• Blurred sight, or seeing yellow or green halos around lights
• Confusion, and in bad cases fits (seizures)
• Rash or itch, if you react to the alcohol base

Good to know:

A 30C pill has no seed in it. At that strength, effects are rare and are much like those of a sugar pill. The alcohol in the drops can matter if you avoid alcohol.

The picture is very different with the mother tincture and low strengths. These hold the heart poison from the seed. They can slow or upset the heartbeat, and a large amount can be fatal.

Signs of poisoning are being sick, a very slow or uneven pulse, yellow or green sight, and confusion. These are not normal side effects to sit out. Get help at once.

How much Strophanthus hispidus should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been proven to work. Homeopathic labels often suggest three to five pills of a 30C strength, two or three times a day, for a short spell. Follow the label on the pack you own, and ask a pharmacist if the label is unclear. Low strengths such as 1X, 3X and the mother tincture are a different matter. These still hold the heart poison and should not be taken without a doctor's care.
• Best time of day: Any time of day. Many labels say to take it away from food, drink and strong tastes such as mint or coffee.
• With or without food: Away from food. Let the pills melt under the tongue about 15 to 30 minutes before or after eating.
• Time to effect: No reliable time can be given, because the remedy has not been shown to work. Homeopaths expect a change within hours to a few days.
• How long to take it: Homeopaths usually stop once symptoms settle. If nothing has changed after about a week, stop and get your heart checked instead. Do not keep taking it for months in place of care.