Wild Indigo (Baptisia tinctoria or Sophora tinctoria)
Side
effects:
May cause nausea/vomiting, cramping/ diarrhea and mild intoxication at
higher doses.1,2
Adverse events: One case report of
hallucinations and urticaria has surfaced.16 Overdose may lead to respiratory
failure secondary to muscle paralysis, seizures, incoordination, sedation,
headache and coma.2
Precautions/contraindications: Contraindicated
in pregnancy and lactation due to the presence of the alkaloids.2Baptisia
should be avoided in conditions of gastric irritation and hyperemia.17
It should not be substituted for antibiotics for septic conditions.2
Any herb with purported immunostimulating effects should be avoided by
those with any autoimmune or proinflammatory disorder, including rheumatoid
arthritis and asthmarecommended for pregnant or nursing women or for children,
due to lack of safety data in these groups.(3,4)
Interactions with disease states: Persons with known liver disease should probably avoid black cohosh (see adverse events). Physicians should use caution in patients with breast cancer. Studies have shown conflicting results, with one trial suggesting that black cohosh increases the incidence of breast cancer metastasis in the MMTV-neu mouse model, but no increase in primary tumor incidence.(3)