146 Ergot
pause and for experimental treatment of patients suffering from Parkinson’s
disease and from mental deterioration associated with old age, including Alz-
heimer’s disease. After volunteers took an ergot drug called co-dergocrine
they were stimulated and did better than normal on tests of thinking, deci-
sions, and physical movement. That finding is not surprising, given that LSD
is related to ergot and can act as a powerful stimulant.
Drawbacks.Entire communities have been devastated when residents ate
food contaminated with ergot. Such outbreaks of ergotism come in two vari-
eties, convulsive and gangrenous. Both can occur simultaneously. The gan-
grenous kind is characterized by weeks of severe burning pain in appendages,
sometimes called St. Anthony’s Fire or Holy Fire. The convulsive kind can
involve dizziness, ringing in the ears, tingling fingers, hallucinations, vomit-
ing, convulsions, delirium, and a sensation that vermin are crawling under-
neath the skin. Ergotism incidents occurred in Ethiopia in the 1970s, in India
during the 1950s, in Russia during the 1920s, and in the United States during
the 1800s. Some authorities argue that convulsions and hallucinations caused
by ergot were responsible for the Salem witchcraft accusations in colonial
America during the 1600s. Such instances are good examples of why herbal
medicine authorities recommend avoiding the natural product.
Ergot constricts blood vessels in fingers and toes, enough that repeated use
can cause gangrene. Extreme human cases can kill substantial portions of
entire limbs; the same result was seen in cows that grazed in an ergot-
contaminated pasture and in cattle that ate contaminated feed. Less serious
unwanted effects can include nausea, vomiting, chest pain, itching, weak legs,
and numb fingers. Extended dosage can cause difficulty in movement, impair
vision by damaging blood vessels in the eye, and produce inability to use
words.
Ergotamine can cause heart trouble and gangrenous ergotism. Rat tests
show that a wide variety of health problems are caused by chronic consump-
tion of ergocryptine, an ergot chemical.
Abuse factors.Not enough scientific information to report about tolerance,
dependence, withdrawal, or addiction. Deliberate consumption of the natural
product is probably rare.
Drug interactions.Ergot problems can be exacerbated bycaffeine, by to-
bacco cigarettes, by the HIV/AIDS drug ritonavir, and possibly by the anti-
depressant fluoxetine (Prozac). A case report relates instances of bad reactions
occurring when people used ergot products along with “beta blockers,” a type
of drug that is typically prescribed for heart problems.
Cancer.In 1990 a World Health Organization study reported that no infor-
mation was available on ergot’s potential for causing cancer. Research pub-
lished in 1976, however, said that ergotamine and two other ergot chemicals
did not cause cell mutations in mice and hamsters (mutations can indicate
potential for cancer).
Pregnancy.Using ergot during pregnancy and nursing is considered haz-
ardous. Ergot chemicals consumed by a pregnant cow can pass into the fetus
and also appear in the cow’s milk. In pigs ergot can interfere with reproduc-
tion and milk supply. Ergotamine is known to cause human fetal stress, is
known to cause birth defects in animals, and is suspected of causing birth