Lobelia inflata
(Indian tobacco, Puke weed)

Therapeutic Actions:

• Inhibits cardioactivity (slowing pulse rate and blood pressure) followed by increased pulse and blood pressure in small doses
• Lowers carbon dioxide threshold to increase respiration
• Produces pain and nausea in moderate doses
• Promotes gastric secretions and is a stimulant in small doses
• Promotes mucous secretions in respiratory passages
• Powerful and exhausting emesis followed by profound relaxation in large doses
• Sialagogue
• Stimulates autonomic ganglia followed by depression
• Stimulates preganglionic nicotinic receptors and secondarily depresses them
• Stimulates respiratory centers in small doses and paralyzes respiration in large doses
• Thins tenacious mucous

Clinical Indications:

• Asthma
• Bronchitis
• Cholecystitis
• Cholelithiasis
• Rheumatoid arthritis - pain
• Angina pectoris pain
• Bradycardia
• Contact dermatitis from poison oak, insect bites and stings (use topically)
• Contusion pain
• Dyspnea
• Emetic
• Gastric stimulant to augment appetite and stimulate peristalsis
• Muscle spasms
• Muscular rigidity during labor
• Neuralgia
• Nicotine withdrawal due to the similarity to nicotine on autonomic ganglia
• Orchitis pain
• Pharyngitis pain
• Pleurisy
• Pleurodynia
• Tonsillitis pain
• Whooping cough

Contraindications:

• Asthma of cardiac decompensation,'hypertension' sinus arrhythmia or bundle branch block
• Avoid in the very young and elderly
• Decompensation
• Dyspnea from enlarged or fatty heart
• Hydropericardium
• Hydrothorax
• Hypertension
• Nervous prostration
• Paralysis
• Poisoning with a depressing substance
• Pregnancy due to similarity of lobeline to nicotine
• Shock
• Valvular incompetence of the heart

Drug/Nutrient Interaction:

• Limited data

Chemical Constituents:

• Chelidonic acid
• Gum
• Lipids
• Lobelic acid
• Pyridine alkaloids:
  
  Lobelanidine
  Lobelanine
  Lobeline
• Resin
• Volatile oil

Toxicity:

• 1 drop of lobeline alkaloid causes vomiting
• Toxic levels usually product vomiting, lessening the results
• Symptoms include:
  
  Convulsions
  Diarrhea
  Hypothermia
  Mental confusion
  Nausea and vomiting
  Pinpoint pupils
  Paralysis
  Salivation
  Stupor
  Tachypnea
  Tremors
  Death due to respiratory paralysis
• Antidote:
  
  Activated charcoal in water by mouth
  Atropine: 2 mg. subcutaneous
  Gastric lavage
  Saline cathartics and fluids

Copyright 1998 - 2008 by L. Vicky Crouse, ND and James S. Reiley, ND. All rights reserved (ISSN 1527-0661).