Milkweed
Botanical Description & Habitat
Asclepias syriaca
Family
Asclepiadaceae
Common Names
| cottonweed | silkweed |
| silky swallowwort | swallowwort |
| Virginia silk |
Habitat
Common in fields and waste places of North America.
Medicinal Parts
Rootstock
Historical Properties & Uses
Milkweed is used in North America as a diuretic, purgative and emetic. Some of the conditions for which it is recommended include: asthma, dropsy, kidney ailments, any form of water retention, gallstones, and stomach problems.
Some herbalists have limited success using milkweed juice to remove warts and cure athlete's foot. Milkweed is less often recommended as an alterative, anodyne, nervine, emmenagogue, expectorant and diaphoretic.
One can find reference in the folklore literature of uses for milkweed including respiratory problems like asthma, bronchitis, coughs, catarrh and pneumonia, gastrointestinal problems like gall stones, dyspepsia, and dysentery, inflammatory diseases such as rheumatism and pleurisy, venereal disease, and a host of skin ailments including warts, ulcers, wounds, tumors and sores.
Milkweed is often combined with marshmallow in the treatment of gall stones.
Homeopathic uses include anti-edemic, emmenagogue, dropsy and dysmenorrhea.
Method of Action
The Potential Pharmacology of Milkweed is Good
The latex of milkweed contains considerable caoutchouc, plus digitalis-like substances called alpha- and beta-asclepiadins, beta-sitosterol. The seed contains oil containing various vegetable acids, condurangin, cardenolides and other active principles.
With such a wide range of active substances, it is surprising milkweed has not been serious considered a plant worth scientific investigation on a medicinal basis. But it hasn't, therefore a potential method of action at this time has not been worked out.
Many of the folklore uses appear logical in light of the plant's constituents, but confirmation has not been attempted.
Drug Interactions & Precautions
Known Interactions
Milkweed, insofar as its diuretic action increases the renal excretion of sodium and chloride, may potentiate the hyperglycemic and hyperuremic effects of glucose elevating agents.
Diuretics may potentiate the action of antihypertensive, ganglionic or peripheral adrenergic blocking drugs, tubocurarine and norepinephrine.
The effects of dopamine and diuretic agents are additive. Diuretics may potentiate the action of antihypertensive drugs, ganglionic or peripheral adrenergic blocking drugs, tubocurarine and norepinephrine.
Milkweed, due to its cathartic activity, may potentiate anticoagulant therapy by reducing absorption of vitamin K from the gut. It may also inhibit absorption of dextrose from the intestines.
This cathartic may increase intestinal transit time of digitalis glycosides, inhibit their absorption and cardiac action. But cathartic-induced hypokalmia increases toxicity and potency of absorbed digitalis.
Cathartic-induced hypokalemia potentiates muscle relaxants. In addition to the specific interactions listed, the cathartic action of this herb tends to hasten the passage of all oral medications through the gut and thereby inhibit their action.
Possible Interactions
In conjunction with ACTH or corticosteroids, this diuretic is more prone to produce hypokalemia.
The use of diuretics may require dosage adjustments of antidiabetic drugs. The diuretic action of this herb may reduce renal clearance of lithium.
An initial dose of captopril (an antihypertensive) may cause a severe drop in blood pressure within three hours if the person is also using a strong diuretic.
Laxative-induced diarrhea may result in decreased absorption of isoniazid. The same is true with sulfisoxazole, but it appears to be a clinically unimportant interaction.
Comments
Prolonged use of this diuretic may affect certain lab test results such as electrolytes (esp. potassium and sodium), bun, uric acid, glucose, and pbi.
Strong diuretics such as this in conjunction with indomethacin may produce natriuretic effects. Laxative induced increased speed of intestinal emptying may result in decreased absorption of vitamin K and/or anticoagulants.
Safety Factors & Toxicity
Milkweed has been found, even in folklore applications, to be poisonous in large doses. Caution should therefore be exercised in its use. Learn from an expert if you must learn at all.
Preparation & Administration
Use 3 cups over course of day
Infusion
steep 1 tsp in 1 cup boiling hot water
Note: This Herbal Preparation information is a summary of data from books and articles by various authors. It is not intended to replace the advice or attention of health care professionals.
References
Duke, J.A. CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, Florida, 1985.
Mowrey, Daniel B., Ph.D. Exper. Psych., Brigham Young University. Director of Nebo Institute of Herbal Sciences. Director of Behavior Change Agent Training Institute. Director of Research, Nova Corp.
Multimedia
Asclepias syriaca
© Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
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