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JAMAICA DOGWOOD
| Other Common Name: | Jamaican dogwood |
| Botanical Names: | Piscidia erythrina, Piscidia piscipula#∧ |
| Family: | Leguminosae |
| Plant Part Used: | Root bark |
∧ Adopted by the American Herbal Products Association as the new botanical name.1
PRESCRIBING INFORMATION
| Actions | Analgesic, spasmolytic, mild sedative | |
| Potential Indications | Based on appropriate evaluation of the patient, practitioners should consider prescribing Jamaica dogwood in formulations in the context of: | |
| Contraindications | Pregnancy, bradycardia, cardiac insufficiency2 | |
| Warnings and Precautions | The recommended dose must not be exceeded. Although Jamaica dogwood has been used as a fish and insect poison (the component rotenone impairs oxygen consumption in these species), the herb has been found to have negligible toxicity in rodents.3,4 | |
| Interactions | None known. | |
| Use in Pregnancy and Lactation | Contraindicated in pregnancy. | |
| Side Effects | Traditional texts suggest that Jamaica dogwood may cause nausea, vomiting, and headache in some patients prescribed even small, therapeutic doses and that overdose produces toxic effects.5,6 | |
| Dosage | Dose per day* | Dose per week* |
| 3-6 ml of 1:2 liquid extract | 20-40 ml of 1:2 liquid extract | |
* This dose range is extrapolated from the British Pharmaceutical Codex 1934, the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia 1983, the British Herbal Compendium 1992, and the author’s education and experience.
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