Botanical Index No. 95

Belladonna

atropa belladonna l.

Medicinal Actions

Colic

Primary Conditions Treated

Adenopathy Allergy Arrhythmia Asthma Biliary Spasm Bladder Stone Brachycardia Bronchosis Callus Cancer breast cheek eye hand joint lip lymph rectum tongue uterus Carcinoma Cardiac Insufficiency Cardiac Palpitation Cholecystosis Cold Colitis Constipation Convulsion Corn Cramp Dermatosis Diarrhea Enterosis Epilepsy Fever Gastric Ulcer Gastrosis Gout Hemorrhoid Hepatosis Hyperacidity Hyperhydrosis Hyperkinesis Inflammation Insomnia Kidney Stone Low Blood Pressure Mastosis Meningosis Motion Sickness Muscle Myalgia Nervousness Neuralgia Neurosis Night Sweats Pain Pancreatosis Parkinson’s Parturition Pertussis Respirosis Rheumatism Scarlet Fever Sciatica Scirrhus Seasickness Spasm Spermatorrhea Tonsilosis Tumor Ulcer Urethrosis Virus Water Retention Wen

General Dosage

Do not take. Average single dose; maximum single dose; maximum daily dose; 15–60 mg dry leaf extract; 0.5–2 ml herb tincture.

Safety & Contraindications

Class 3. “Hazards and/or side effects not known for proper therapeutic dosages”. Commission E reports contraindications, adverse effects, and interaction of belladonna alkaloids. Canadians do not allow in food. Contraindicated: acute edema of the lungs, mechanical stenoses of GI tract, megacolon, narrow angle glaucoma, prostate adenoma, tachycardic arrhythmias; Side Effects: accommodation disturbances, cramps, decreased perspiration, dry mouth, dry skin, dysuria, flushing, hallucinations, hyperthermia; Drug Interactions: increasing anticholinergic activities of tricyclic antidepressants, amantadine and quinidine. Commission E contrasts: It’s rather disconcerting that two major books, reviewed in JAMA, and claiming to represent Commission E, come out with widely different recommendations. Blumenthal et al. 1998, much better reviewed, approve belladonna leaf for spasms and colic-like pain in the areas of the gastrointestinal tract and bile ducts. Is that the same Commission E that Fleming et al. purports to report too? Fleming et al. contrastingly cite approval of the leaf for arrhythmia, cardiac insufficiency, liver and gallbladder complaints, and nervous heart complaints. Should the allopathic physician believe Blumenthal et al. or Fleming et al.?

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