RAUWOLFIA ROOT (Rauwolfia serpentina)

RAUWOLFIA ROOT (Rauwolfia serpentina)

Latin: Rauwolfia serpentina Sanskrit: Sarpaghandha African: Numerous (R. vomitoria species)Chinese:
Lu fu mu (various
species)English: Rauwolfia / Indian snakerootWHAT IT DOES: Rauwolfia root is bitter
in taste and cooling in action. It lowers blood pressure, tranquilizes the
mind, and promotes sleep.RATING: Red, due to safety issues. SAFETY ISSUES:
Use only under the guidance of a trained physician or herbalist in proper
dosage. Do not use in pregnancy, breastfeeding, or depression. May
exacerbate symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. Do not combine with alcohol,
barbiturates (Pfeifer et al., 1976), SSRIs, blood-pressure lowering agents such as
beta-blockers, unless under guidance. STARTING DOSAGE: • Tincture
(standardized to 1.0% w/v total alkaloids): two to 12 drops three times per dayRauwolfia is a
reliable blood pressure lowering and tranquilizing agent when used
properly. It is used in traditional medicine in India, China, Africa and
many other countries. In India and Nepal, it is a common treatment for
hypertension and insomnia. Ghandhi took it frequently at night for its calming
actions. It warrants a red rating because of its ability to cause severe
reactions in overdose, including trembling and collapse. Reserpine, the
chief alkaloid in rauwolfia root, seems to be the component
responsible for its blood pressure lowering activity. Doctors began using
reserpine-based hypertension medicines in the 1950's, but they went out of favor
because of the side effects, chiefly depression (Weiss, 1988).
Consequently, rauwolfia can only be acquired from a licensed
health care professional. During the scientific controversy in the 1950's
surrounding the question of whether reserpine by itself was superior to the
whole rauwolfia
root, an Indian physician named Dr. Vakil reviewed all 151 studies available at the
time. He came to the conclusion that the combined action of the whole root
improves tolerance and reduces the risk of side effects that occur with the use
of isolated alkaloids (reported in Weiss, 1988).In collaboration with Western
doctors, I have used a rauwolfia tincture safely to treat dozens of mild to
moderate hypertension patients. We combine 30-50% of a standardized whole
root tincture with other mild herbal tinctures known to lower blood pressure,
such as linden flowers and mistletoe. In mild cases, we start with two
drops three times per day and perform regular blood pressure checks, instructing
the patient to increase the dosage until the blood pressure normalizes or they
reach the limit in dosage. Patients marvel at how effectively they can
control their pressure drop by drop and control the dosage to manage day-to-day
variations - especially important in patients with stress related hypertesnion. We
stop dosing at well below the levels where side effects usually develop.
If it does not sufficiently lower the patient’s pressure, the doctors will
prescribe mild Western medication at a lower-than-normal dosage. This
combination treatment will often work. Rauwolfia root is not curative. Following
traditional Ayurvedic procedure, once we have controlled the
blood pressure we employ other herbal agents and lifestyle changes to resolve
the underlying problems, especially hawthorn. Blood pressure increases are often
the result of plaques in the vessels, reduced kidney function and concomitant
retention of fluids, and diet errors. Research Highlights• The mechanism
of action of rauwolfia root differs from most other
blood-pressure lowering agents, acting on the central nervous system. This
may explain why it works when other medicines fail (Weiss, 1988, Shibuya and Sato, 1985).• In doses
higher than those used for hypertension, rauwolfia alkaloids cause a depletion of norepinephrine, resulting
in a tranquilizing effect. Very high doses can cause a loss of
coordination (reported in Huang, 1999).• Many patients who take medication to
control hypertension still have problems with balance, due to difficulties in
circulatory regulation. Upon examination of blood-pressure lowering agents
available up to 1980, researchers discovered that only Rauwolfia alkaloids and clonidin do not have
an undesirable influence on balance (Teichmann and Vogel , 1980).• In a Chinese study on 200 patients
with moderate hypertension, rauwolfia alkaloids lowered blood pressure was
reduced by as much as 30-40% with minimal side effects (reported in Huang,
1999).• Rauwolfia
root has proven highly effective (89%) in cases of chronic hives (reported in
Huang, 1999).• The pharmacological effects of resperpine were formerly cause for concern that it
might promote breast cancer. However, in epidemiological studies, rauwolfia alkaloids did
not increase the risk of breast cancer (Shapiro et al., 1984, von Poser et al., 1990).• Rauwolfia root has occasionally proven effective in
cases of malnutrition that were unresponsive to high protein or high-energy
diets (reported in Huang, 1999).