PDR for Herbal Medicines

HERBAL MONOGRAPHS TOBACCO/763

gastrointestinal tract. Tobacco is a stimulant to the respira-

tory and central nervous system.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

Unproven Uses: Nicotine is used to help break the smoking

habit.

Apache Indians use the drug to treat toothache, mosquito

bites and bee stings. In Brazil and Guyana, Tobacco is used

for worm infestation, skin parasites and biliary flow distur-

bances. The drug's use in these conditions is not advised

because of the risk of toxicity.

Indian Medicine: Tobacco is used for toothache, dental

caries, earache, suppurating rhinitis, hernias, and painful

swellings.

Homeopathic Uses: Tobacco is used for angina pectoris, low-

blood pressure and vomiting with diarrhea.

PRECAUTIONS AND ADVERSE REACTIONS

Tobacco leaves are severely poisonous. The chief toxin is

nicotine, a liquid alkaloid, that can be resorbed through the

skin.

OVERDOSAGE

The lethal dosage for nicotine for an adult is 40 to 100 mg,

although this can be considerably elevated through habitua-

tion (with smoking Tobacco, 2 to 7 g of the drug; one

cigarette contains 10 mg nicotine, of which I to 2 mg are

inhaled during smoking). Symptoms of an acute poisoning

include dizziness, salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, trembling

of the hands and feelings of weakness in the legs; very high

dosages can lead rapidly to spasms, unconsciousness, cardiac

arrest and respiratory failure. Poisonings occur in particular

through the ingestion of cigarettes by children, the handling

of insecticides containing nicotine (through skin contact) and

in connection with the harvesting of Tobacco (also through

cutaneous resorption). Nicotine patches also represent a

danger for children.

Following gastric lavage with burgundy-colored potassium

permanganate solution, instillation of activated charcoal and

sodium sulphate solution, the therapy for poisonings consists

of treating spasms with diazepam (i.vl), chloral hydrate for

children (rectal); cardiac massage; administration of orcipre-

naline; and atropine for severe sympathetic excitation.

Intubation and oxygen respiration may also be necessary. No

centrally effective analeptics are to be given.

DOSAGE

Mode of Administration: The nicotine alkaloid is used

internally as a gum and externally as a transdermal patch.

Preparation: Nicorette (chewing gum); also as transdermal
patches.

Daily Dosage: Nicotine as a pure alkaloid in smoker's

remedies; nicotine (2 to 4 mg) bound by polacrilin (8 to 16

mg). Nicorette is an ion exchanger and therefore causes the

slow release of nicotine, which is absorbed in the saliva over

and over again. Eventually, the doses are reduced as the

breaking of the habit progresses.

Homeopathic Dosage: 5 drops, 1 tablet or 10 globules every

30 to 60 minutes (acute) or 1 to 3 times daily (chronic);

parenterally: 1 to 2 ml sc, acute: 3 times daily: chronic: once

a day (HAB1).

LITERATURE

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Anonym, Rauchen wahrend der Schwangerschaft -

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1997.

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