Ignatia

See also : Ignatia Amara (homeopathy)
Other names : Bean of St. Ignatius, Fiève de Saint-Ignance, Habas de San Ignacio, Ignatia, Ignatia Amara, Lu Song Guo, Saint Ignatius-beans, Strychnos ignatii, Strychnos tieute.
Ignatius bean is gathered from the Strychnos ignatii plant. The bean is used to make medicine.

Special Precautions of Ignatia

• Ignatius bean is UNSAFE. It is poisonous. The danger is due to the strychnine and brucine it contains. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned strychnine from nonprescription drug products in 1989.
• Side effects and toxicities include restlessness, feelings of anxiety, heightened sense perception, enhanced reflexes, dizziness, painful neck and back stiffness, twitching, jaw and neck spasms, painful convulsions of the entire body, increased muscle tension, difficulty in breathing, seizures, kidney failure, and death.
• Long-term use of Ignatius bean, even in amounts so small that they don’t seem to cause side effects, can eventually cause liver damage and be fatal. Laboratory tests on urine and stomach contents can identify strychnine poisoning as the cause of death.
• Since Ignatius bean is poisonous, be especially careful not to take it if you have one of these conditions:
• Pregnancy and breast-feeding: It is UNSAFE to use Ignatius bean if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. It is poisonous, and can harm you and the baby.
• Liver disease: Strychnine builds up in individuals with liver damage, making poisoning more likely. Also, strychnine build-up can cause liver damage.

Benefits and uses of Ignatia are

Despite serious safety concerns, some people use Ignatius bean to keep from fainting. It is also used as a bitter or tonic; and as an agent to invigorate, refresh, or restore body function.