Canna, Canna Root, Channa, Kanna, Kaugoed, Kauwgoed, Mesembryanthemum tortuosum, Phyllobolus tortuosus, Poudre de Sceletium, Racine de Kanna, Racine de Sceletium, Sceletium Powder, Sceletium Root, Sceletium tortuosum, Skeletium.
Sceletium is a plant from South Africa. It has a long history of use as a traditional medicine by tribes of South Africa. It has been used to enhance mood, cause relaxation, and euphoria. Traditionally, the roots and leaves were fermented and then chewed. It has also been used as snuff, smoked, or made into a tea or tincture.
How does work?
Sceletium contains chemicals that are thought to work in the brain to cause sedation or sleepiness. However, there is very little reliable scientific information about how sceletium might work when taken by people.
Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...
- Alcohol withdrawal.
- Anxiety.
- Colic.
- Decreasing appetite.
- Depression.
- Pain.
- Relaxation.
- Other conditions.
QUESTION
Next to red peppers, you can get the most vitamin C from ________________. See AnswerThere is not enough information available to know if sceletium is safe.
Some people who have used it report side effects including headaches, loss of appetite, and depression. There have also been reports of intoxication in people who use too much or who chew it shortly after fermentation.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the safety of using sceletium during pregnancy or while breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid using. **SpecialPrecautions**Sedative medications (CNS depressants)Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.Talk with your health provider.
Sceletium might cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Medications that cause sleepiness are called sedatives. Taking sceletium along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness.
Some sedative medications include clonazepam (Klonopin), lorazepam (Ativan), phenobarbital (Donnatal), zolpidem (Ambien), and others.
The appropriate dose of sceletium depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for sceletium. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Patnala S, Kanfer I. Investigations of the phytochemical content of Sceletium tortuosum following the preparation of "Kougoed" by fermentation of plant material. J Ethnopharmacol 2009;121:86-91. View abstract.
Smith C. The effects of Sceletium tortuosum in an in vivo model of psychological stress. J Ethnopharmacol 2011;133:31-6. View abstract.
Smith MT, Crouch NR, Gericke N, Hirst M. Psychoactive constituents of the genus Sceletium N.E.Br. and other Mesembryanthemaceae: a review. J Ethnopharmacol 1996;50:119-30. View abstract.
Smith MT, Field CR, Crouch NR, Hirst M. The Distribution of Mesembrine Alkaloids in Selected Taxa of Kanna and their Modification in the Sceletium Derived `Kougoed.' Pharm Biol 1998;36:173-9.