What is Ipecac used for?
Traditional/Ethnobotanical uses Brazilian Indians valued ipecac as a remedy for dysentery, and this information was brought to Europe by Portuguese missionaries. The dried root and rhizome are the source of the medicinally useful products. Ipecac has been widely used in syrup form as a potent and effective emetic. Ipecac powder had been used to induce sweating at the onset of influenza, and small amounts of the extract have been incorporated into cough syrups as expectorants. Emetine, derived from the root, has been used for more than a century to treat dysentery. Emetic Ipecac induces vomiting by an irritant action on the intestinal mucosa and produces reflex vomiting and diarrhea. It also exerts a central emetic action. Emetine, one of its principle active components, primarily has a central action on the chemoreceptor trigger zone. The syrup induces vomiting in 15 to 60 minutes and is most effective when accompanied by fluid intake. Debate surrounds the use of ipecac. One study foun
