Bois Puant, Orme de Samarie, Pickaway Anise, Prairie Grub, Ptelea trifoliata, Ptéléa Trifolié, Scubby Trefoil, Stinking Prairie Bush, Swamp Dogwood, Three-Leaved Hop Tree, Wingseed.
Wafer ash is a plant. The root bark is used to make medicine.
People take wafer ash for stomach problems, gallstones, poor appetite, and joint and muscle pain (rheumatism). Some people also take it as a tonic.
Wafer ash is sometimes applied directly to the skin as a wound dressing.
How does work?
Wafer ash contains ingredients that can fight yeast and certain bacteria.
Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...
- Loss of appetite.
- Joint and muscle pain (rheumatism).
- Stomach problems.
- Wound dressings, when applied to the skin.
- Other conditions.
It is not known if wafer ash is safe to take by mouth.
Contact with the skin can cause the skin to become extra sensitive to the sun. This might increase the risk of getting sunburned and developing skin cancer. If you take wafer ash, wear sunblock and protective clothing outside, especially if you are light-skinned, and stay out of the sun as much as possible.
SLIDESHOW
Vitamin D Deficiency: How Much Vitamin D Is Enough? See SlideshowThe appropriate dose of wafer ash 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 wafer ash. 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.
Mitscher LA, Bathala MS, Clark GW, et al. Antimicrobial agents from higher plants. The quaternary alkaloids of Ptelea trifoliata. Lloydia 1975;38:109-16. View abstract.