How does ipecacuanha work

Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing. Do not keep a bottle of ipecac that has been opened. Ipecac may evaporate over a period of time.

It is best to replace it with a new one. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. However, before using ipecac syrup, call a poison control center, your doctor, or an emergency room for advice. In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make.

For this medicine, the following should be considered:. Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully. Infants and very young children are at a greater risk of choking with their own vomit or getting vomit in their lungs.

Therefore, it is especially important to call a poison control center, your doctor, or an emergency room for instructions before giving ipecac to an infant or young child.

This medicine has been tested and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults. Studies in women suggest that this medication poses minimal risk to the infant when used during breastfeeding. Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur.

In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription over-the-counter [OTC] medicine. Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur.

Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco. This idea is thrown out the window, though, by the results of a recent study.

Results based on data gathered from several poison centers around the country show the use of syrup of ipecac does not reduce the number of emergency department visits. The study also showed children who received the syrup after an accidental ingestion of a medication fared no better than children who did not receive ipecac in a similar situation.

This is not to say syrup of ipecac is not effective in some circumstances, but rather its limited benefit does not justify the position it has had as the primary safety net in cases of accidental poisonings at home.

Prevention should be the primary method for steering clear of harm from poisons. A number of steps can be taken to reduce the likelihood of such an accident:.

In the event that an accident should occur, the first step is to call a poison control center. The universal number is ; calls are routed to local centers.

Keep this number by a phone. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. Excretion: Emetine is excreted in urine slowly, over a period lasting up to 60 days. Contraindications and precautions Contraindicated in semicomatose or unconscious patients or those with severe inebriation, seizures, shock, or loss of gag reflex.

Use with caution in patients with CV disease and in bulimics. Interactions Drug-drug. Activated charcoal may be given after patient vomits. Antiemetics: Decreases effectiveness of ipecac. Avoid use together. Phenothiazines: Chlorpromazine has been associated with severe dystonic reactions.