Buckthorn

Buckthorn is a plant whose berries are used to make medicine. Buckthorn is used to treat constipation.

How does buckthorn work?

Buckthorn contains chemicals that stimulate the digestive tract to relieve constipation.

How effective is buckthorn?

Buckthorn is likely to be effective when used to relieve constipation. Buckthorn works about as well as sagrada alder for constipation.

Safety and side effects

Buckthorn is potentially safe and harmless for adults when standardized preparations are used for short periods of up to 10 days. Standardized preparations of buckthorn contain a consistent and accurately measured amount of active ingredients. However, it may not be safe to use these preparations for longer than 10 days. One should also avoid using non-standardized preparations. Buckthorn may cause some side effects such as stomach cramps, watery diarrhea, discoloration of the urine, muscle weakness, heart problems and blood in the urine.

Precautions and warnings

Children: Buckthorn is not safe or safe for children under 12 years of age and should not be administered to children in this age group.

Pregnancy and lactation:

Buckthorn is not safe or safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding and should be avoided. Stomach pain or intestinal problems such as intestinal obstruction, appendicitis, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome or ulcerative colitis: You should not use buckthorn if you suffer from one of these diseases.

Interactions

Buckthorn should not be used in combination with the following medicines:

Digoxin

Buckthorn is rich in fiber. Dietary fiber can reduce the absorption and therefore the effectiveness of digoxin. As a general rule of thumb, all oral medications should be taken either one hour before or four hours after buckthorn to avoid this interaction.

Medication taken orally

Buckthorn is a laxative. Laxatives can reduce the amount of active drug ingredient absorbed by the body, which can reduce the effectiveness of the medication taken. Care should be taken when combining buckthorn with the following medications:

Warfarin

Buckthorn can act as a laxative. Buckthorn can cause diarrhea in some people. Diarrhea can increase the effect of warfarin and increase the risk of bleeding. For this reason, excessive amounts of buckthorn should not be used when taking warfarin.

Diuretics

Buckthorn is a laxative. Some laxatives can lower potassium levels in the body. Diuretics can also lower potassium levels, which means that combining buckthorn with diuretics could lower potassium levels in the body too much.

Dosage

The following dosages have been investigated in scientific studies:

Oral

As a laxative for constipation: A cup of tea is usually drunk in the evening and, if necessary, in the morning and afternoon. The tea is prepared by steeping 2 to 4 grams of buckthorn in boiling water for 10 - 15 minutes and then straining. One should use the smallest amount needed to induce soft stools and discontinue the use of buckthorn if diarrhea or watery stools occur. Do not use buckthorn for more than 8 to 10 consecutive days. Buckthorn should only be used when a change in diet does not relieve constipation.

References

Nusko G, Schneider B, Schneider I, et al. Anthranoid laxative use is not a risk factor for colorectal neoplasia: results of a prospective case control study. Gut 2000;46:651-5.