Slippery Elm Bark
Botanical Description & Habitat
Ulmus fulva
Family
Urticaceae
Common Names
Red elm
Slippery elm
Habitat
Perennial tree throughout North America. It flourishes in high open places and in firm, dry soil.
Description
Grows from 50 to 100 feet high, and has red-brown, deeply furrowed bark. The leaves are petiolate, pubescent, oblong-ovate, and unequally serrate with an olive green upper surface and a lighter, downy underside. Small flowers grow in axillary clusters during March and April. The fruit is a long, flat membranous capsule containing a single seed.
Medicinal parts
Inner bark, dried
Historical Properties & Uses
Slippery elm bark continues to be used internally to relieve, by its highly mucilaginous nature, problems like soreness of the mouth and throat, irritability and inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, and to ease similar problems in the urinary tract. Externally, it is used to salve wounds and inflamed surfaces.
The soothing nature of this unique bark is utilized in numerous proprietary preparations for coughs, sore throat, and hemorrhoids.
Method of Action
The copious, non-toxic, non-irritating mucilage from slippery elm bark undoubtedly accounts for both its internal and external applications.
Drug Interactions & Precautions
Possible Interactions
Any of the following drugs may be imperfectly absorbed if slippery elm is being used on a daily basis: tetracycline derivatives, oral anti-cholinergics, phenothiazines, digoxin, isoniazid, phenytoin, and warfarin.
In addition, slippery elm bark should be used with caution in conjunction with CNS depressants or stimulants.
The urinary excretion of alkaline drugs, such as amphetamines or quinidine, may be inhibited by the antacid nature of slippery elm bark. The antacid nature of the herb may also decrease or delay the absorption of nalidixic acid and the sulfonamides.
The tannin in slippery elm bark may potentiate the antibiotic activity of echinacea. The tannin in tea made from the herb may be inactivated by the addition of milk or cream.
The anti-inflammatory activity of slippery elm can be seriously inhibited by phenobarbital and certain other sedatives and hypnotics, such as chloral hydrate and meprobamate. This is also true of beta-adrenergic blocking agents, such as propranolol.
Comments
The antacid properties of slippery elm may enhance the renal tubular resorption of the antiarrhythmic drug, quinidine, leading to increased quinidine serum levels.
In the absence of other hard data, it may be assumed observable interactions occur between the many central nervous system drugs and the psychoactive principles in slippery elm.
Safety Factors & Toxicity
Slippery elm bark can cause dermatitis while the pollen is allergenic.
Preparation & Administration
Three times a day
Dried inner bark
3-6 grams
Tea
made from 1-2 tsp of dried inner bark, typically after meals
Fluid extract
1:1 in 60% alcohol, 4-8 ml
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
Am Hospital Formulary Service. Am Soc of Hosp Pharm. Wash, D.C.
Bressler, R., M.D. Bogdonoff & G.J. Subak-Sharpe. 1981. The Physicians Drug Manual. Doubleday & Co, Inc. Garden City, NY. 1213 pp.
Clark, T.H., A.H. Conney & B.P. Harpole, et.al. 1967. Drug interactions that can affect your patients. Patient Care, 1(11). pp. 33-71.
Claus, E.P., V. Tyler & L. Brady. Pharmacognosy, 6Th Ed. Lea & Febiger, Phila, 1970, 518 Pages.
Committee on Pharmocopaeia of the Am Institute of Homeopathy, The Homeopathic Pharmacopaeia of the United States. 8th ed., Vol 1. Otis Clapp and Son, Agents, Boston, l981.
De Martinis, M., et.al. Milk thistle (silybum marianum) derivatives in the therapy of chronic hepatopathies. Clin. Ter., 94(3). pp. 283-315.
Facts and Comparisons. The Lawrence Review of Natural Products. Mar, 1991.
Goodman, L.S. & A. Gilman. 1975. Pharm Basis of Thera. MacMillan, NY.
Hansten, P.D. 1979. Drug Interactions, 4th ed. Lea & Febiger, Phila.
Hartshorn, E.A. 1968. Drug interaction. Drug Intel. 2(7). pp. 198-201.
Hyde, F.F. British Herbal Pharmacopoeia. British Herbal Medicine Assoc: West Yorks, England. 1983.
Kastrup, E.K., ed. 1981. Drug Facts and Comparisons, 1982 edition. Facts and Comparisions Division, J.P. Lippincott Co, Phila(St. Louis).
List, P. & L. Hoerhammer. 1969-1976. Hagers Hanbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, vols. 2-5. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Martin, E. Drug Interactions Index, 1978/79. J.B. Lippincott Co., Phila.
Melmon, K., H.F. Morelli, J.A. Oates, et.al. 1967. Drug interactions that can affect your patients. Pat Care, Nov. pp. 33-71.
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.
Neuvonen, P.J., et.al. 1970. Interference of iron with the absorbtion of tetracyclines in man. British Medical J, 4. p. 532.
Ramstad, E. Modern Pharmacognosy, Mcgraw Hill Book Co., Inc. N Y, 1959.
Riesterer & Jaques. Interference by beta-adrenergic blocking agents with the antiinflammatory action of various drugs. Helv Phys Acta, 26. p. 287.
Scientific Committee, British Herbal Pharmocopaeia, British Herbal Med Assoc, Lane House. Cowling, Na Keighley, West Yorks, Bd Bd220lx, l983.
Stuart, D.M. 1968. Drug metabolism Part 2. Drug interactions. PharmIndex. 10(10). pp. 4-16.
Trease, G.E., W.C. Evans. 1978. Pharmacognosy. Cassell and Collier MacMillan Publisher Ltd. p. 784.
Vincent, D. & G. Segonzac. 1953. Comptes Rendus des Seances de la Societe de Biologie et de ses Filiales, 147. pp. 1776-1779.
Zinn, M.B. 1970. Quinidine intoxication from alkai ingestion. Texas Medicine, 66. p. 64.
Multimedia
Ulmus fulva
Slippery Elm Leaf.
© Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
| Signup Free Applied Health Journal |
||||
|
FREE Sample Issue Your email address is all we need to start you on a better path to health. We respect your privacy.
|
