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What is Ipecac
Ipecac is an alkaloid emetic agent used to induce vomiting in the early management of oral poisoning and acute oral drug overdose.
The drug is an extract from the dried root or rhizome of Cephaelis ipecacuanha. Ipecac consists of two main alkaloids: emetine and cephaeline.
Emetine has been widely used to treat invasive amebiasis, but treatment for this condition has been superseded by safer compounds.
Although ipecac fluidextract and tincture are not commercially available in the U.S., they are available in other countries. Ipecac fluidextract is 14 times stronger than the syrup and is not recommended because of its high potency and toxicity.
Ipecac syrup may be chronically abused by people with eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, as a means of losing weight.
Chronic ipecac abuse can cause cardiomyopathy, ventricular fibrillation, and death.
Indications
- emesis induction
- overdose
- poisoning
Side Effects
- abdominal pain
- diarrhea
- drowsiness
- GI perforation
- hematemesis
- intracranial bleeding
- pneumonitis
Monitoring Parameters
- laboratory monitoring not necessary
Contraindications
- acid ingestion
- alkali ingestion
- arteriosclerosis
- breast-feeding
- cardiac disease
- cerebrovascular disease
- CNS depression
- coma
- ethanol intoxication
- gag reflex depression
- geriatric
- head trauma
- hydrocarbon ingestion
- infants
- intracranial bleeding
- intracranial mass
- neonates
- neuromuscular disease
- pregnancy
- seizures
- shock
- strychnine toxicity
- vomiting
Interactions
- Antiemetics
- Aprepitant, Fosaprepitant
- Charcoal
- Chlorpromazine
- Codeine; Phenylephrine; Promethazine
- Codeine; Promethazine
- Cyclizine
- Dextromethorphan; Promethazine
- Dimenhydrinate
- Dronabinol
- Droperidol
- Ethanol
- Fluphenazine
- food
- Meclizine
- Meperidine; Promethazine
- Mesoridazine
- Metoclopramide
- Perphenazine
- Perphenazine; Amitriptyline
- Phenylephrine; Promethazine
- Prochlorperazine
- Promethazine
- Serotonin-Receptor Antagonists
- Thiethylperazine
- Thioridazine
- Trifluoperazine
- Trimethobenzamide
