Uses of Ipecac Syrup
- Ipecac is an emetic, which means that it causes vomiting. It also causes diarrhea. These effects are due to two powerful chemicals that are present in ipecac, called emetine and cephaeline. Ipecac may also cause sweating.
- Ipecacuanha was discovered by the Western world in the 1600s in Brazil. According to "Ipecacuanha: the South American Vomiting Root" by Min Ro Lee, it was brought back to Paris and used to treat dysentery, a potentially fatal disease that causes severe diarrhea. It continued to be used for this purpose for over 200 years, when safer treatments for dysentery were discovered. In the 1700s, the physician Thomas Dover mixed the dried powdered root with opium and other ingredients to create a medicinal powder that was used to treat fevers and other conditions.
- In 1965, the FDA issued its first regulation of syrup of ipecac, requiring that warnings and directions be included on over-the-counter preparations. Ten years later, the FDA made a panel review of all over-the-counter laxative, anti-diarrheal, emetic and antiemetic drugs. The panel established syrup of ipecac as a safe emetic. In 1982, the FDA classified ipecac syrup as a safe and effective treatment of acute toxic ingestion (poisoning).
Until recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended ipecac syrup as an emergency first aid for child poisoning. However, in 2003, a study was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics that failed to prove that ipecac syrup improved the outcome of children that had been poisoned. No research has been able to back up the assumption that vomiting removes poison from the body. The AAP now recommends that parents remove syrup of ipecac from their homes. - Ipecac syrup may cause adverse reactions and even interfere with poison treatments. Safely discard any existing syrup of ipecac by flushing it down the toilet.
- If you suspect that your child has ingested a toxic substance, the AAP recommends that you call the universal Poison Control Center number at 1-800-222-1222. If your child is convulsing, loses consciousness, or stops breathing, it recommends that you call 911.