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Syrup of ipecac (/ ˈ ɪ p ɪ k æ k /), or simply ipecac, is a drug that was once widely used as an expectorant (in low doses) and a rapid-acting emetic (in higher doses). It is obtained from the dried rhizome and roots of the ipecacuanha plant ( Carapichea ipecacuanha ), from which it derives its name.
The most common and familiar preparation is syrup of ipecac, which was commonly recommended as an emergency treatment for accidental poisoning until the final years of the 20th century. [5] Ipecacuanha was also traditionally used to induce sweating. A common preparation for this purpose was Dover's powder.
Developed in 1732 by English physician Thomas Dover, [1] the powder was an old preparation of powder of ipecacuanha (which was formerly used to produce syrup of ipecac), opium in powder, and potassium sulfate. Initially designed to treat gout, it was later recommended for general pains, insomnia, and diarrhea, among others.
Cephaeline in the form of syrup of ipecac was once commonly recommended as an emergency treatment for accidental poisoning, but its use has been phased out due to its ineffectiveness. [ 3 ] References
Paregoric was a household remedy in the 18th and 19th centuries when it was widely used to control diarrhea in adults and children, as an expectorant and cough medicine, to calm fretful children, and to rub on the gums to counteract the pain from teething. A formula for paregoric from Dr. Chase's Recipes (1865): [7]
It describes that Dr. Rush's cure for the fever, along with bleeding, was a mix of herbs and chemicals used to purge the body of all its contents. It would enduce vimiting and diarrea to do so, just as ipecac syrup enduces vomitting. "Ipecac (not syrup of ipecac) is also used as a homeopathic remedy for nausea.
Common side effects include vomiting, black stools, diarrhea, and constipation. [1] A more serious side effect, pneumonitis, may result if aspirated into the lungs. [1] [2] Gastrointestinal obstruction and ileus are less common but serious adverse effects. [1] Use in pregnancy and breastfeeding is generally safe. [3]
Sodium picosulfate is a prodrug. [5] It has no significant direct physiological effect on the intestine; however, it is metabolised by gut bacteria into the active compound 4,4'-dihydroxydiphenyl-(2-pyridyl)methane (DPM, BHPM).