Opiate addiction is a physical and mental dependence on a synthetic or natural opium drug, such as heroin, morphine and codeine. Discontinuing the drug leads to side effects like anxiety, insomnia, tremors and pain. Conventional treatment for opiate withdrawal can involve using an artificial opiate to reduce cravings, but they can have unpleasant side effects. Herbs may be effective as home remedies to relieve some symptoms of opiate withdrawal. If withdrawal is severe, treatment should take place in a medical facility. It is important to consult with a health care professional before starting herbal therapy for withdrawal.
California Poppy
California poppy, or Eschscholzia californica, is a bright orange member of the poppy family and the state flower of California. Herbalists use it as a sedative for adults and children, especially in cases of insomnia. The active ingredients are several isoquinoline alkaloids, such as sanguinarine, chelerythrine, californidine, californine, berberine and protopine, and the plant acts to reduce pain, spasms and anxiety. Clinical herbalist and Ayurvedic practitioner Todd Caldecott states that the plant has three important uses: to relieve anxiety and nervousness, promote sleep and relieve pain. He cites the successful work of herbalist Donna Odierna, director of the H.E.A.L.T.H. Needle Exchange clinic in Oakland, California, who uses the plant as one component of a formula for treating patients undergoing opiate withdrawal. Botanist Ben-Erik van Wyk and pharmaceutical biologist Michael Wink state that the alkaloids in poppy affect the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, or gamma-Aminobutyric acid, which may explain the anti-anxiety action. Due to the sedative effect of the poppy, patients should not drive when taking the drug.
Purple Passionflower
Purple passionflower, or Passiflora incarnata, is a perennial vine with purple flowers whose petals resemble fine threads radiating around a white center. Historically, it was used as a central nervous system depressant to treat nervousness, sleeplessness and epilepsy. The leaves and stems contain flavonoids, glycosides and alkaloids, and the plant has nervine, sedative, anti-pain, hypotensive and antispasmodic actions. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's website, mskcc.org, notes that patients use the plant to relieve opiate and benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms. Herbalist David Hoffmann states that purple passionflower is an important herb for insomnia, one of the major symptoms of opiate withdrawal. A study by O. Grundmann and colleagues published in the December 2008 issue of "Planta Medica" found that a flavonoid-rich extract of purple passionflower was comparable to diazepam in relieving induced anxiety in test animals. The mechanism of action was the plant's effect on GABA receptors. Purple passionflower can potentiate the effects of other sedatives. If patients experience any adverse reactions, the drug should be discontinued.
Bacopa
Bacopa, or Bacopa monniera, is a perennial succulent native to India. In Ayurvedic medicine, bacopa, also known as Brahmi, is considered a brain tonic and used to treat anxiety, epilepsy, poor memory and rheumatism. Bacopa contains potent alkaloids, saponins and flavonoids, and has a tranquilizing action possibly due to its effect on GABA receptors. The Institute for Traditional Medicine, on its website itmonline.org, states that bacopa is part of an Ayurvedic herbal formula called Brahmyl, which is used to treat drug withdrawal symptoms. A study by T. Sumathi and colleagues published in the October 2002 issue of the "Journal of Ethnopharmacology" tested an extract of bacopa in vitro on animal tissue exposed to morphine and naloxone, a drug used to stimulate contractions in cases of drug overdose. The study found that administering bacopa prior to morphine reduced the need for naloxone and alleviated the morphine withdrawal symptoms. Bacopa may enhance the effects of other depressant drugs.
References
- Todd Caldecott: California Poppy
- "Medicinal Plants of the World"; Ben-Erik van Wyk and Michael Wink; 2009
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Purple Passionflower
- "Planta Medica" : Anxiolytic activity of a phytochemically characterized Passiflora incarnata extract is mediated via the GABAergic system.
- Institute for Traditional Medicine
