Cinchona

See also : Cinchona Officinalis (Homeopathy)
Other Names: Bois aux Fièvres, Cinchona calisaya, Cinchona carabayensis, Cinchona ledgeriana, Cinchona officinalis, Cinchona pubescens, Cinchona succirubra, Chinarinde, Cinchonine, Écorce du Pérou, Écorce de Quina, Écorce de Quinquina Rouge, Fieberrinde, Jesuit's Bark, Kina-Kina, Peruvian Bark, Poudre des Jésuites, Quina, Quinine, Quino, Quinquina, Quinquina Gris, Quinquina Rouge, Red Cinchona Bark.
Cinchona is a tree. People use the bark to make medicine.

Special Precautions of Cinchona

• Cinchona bark seems to be safe for most people when used appropriately. However, in large amounts, cinchona is UNSAFE and can be deadly. Symptoms of overdose include ringing of the ears, headache, nausea, diarrhea, and vision disturbances. Cinchona can also cause bleeding and allergic reactions, including hives and fever.
• Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Don’t use cinchona if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. There is some evidence that cinchona is UNSAFE to use during pregnancy. Not much is known about the safety of using cinchona if you are breast-feeding, so it’s best to avoid it.
• Stomach or intestinal ulcers: Don’t use cinchona if you have ulcers. It might increase the risk of bleeding.
• Surgery: Cinchona can slow blood clotting, so there is a concern that it might increase the risk of extra bleeding during and after surgery. Stop using cinchona at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
• Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs) interacts with CINCHONA
• Quinidine interacts with CINCHONA
• Quinine interacts with CINCHONA
• Carbamazepine (Tegretol) interacts with CINCHONA
• Phenobarbital (Luminal) interacts with CINCHONA

Benefits and uses of Cinchona are

Cinchona bark stimulates saliva and stomach (gastric) juice secretion. It contains quinine, which is a chemical used to treat malaria.

• Cinchona is used for increasing appetite; promoting the release of digestive juices; and treating bloating, fullness, and other stomach problems.
• It is also used for blood vessel disorders including hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and leg cramps.
• Some people use cinchona for mild attacks of influenza, swine flu, the common cold, malaria, and fever.
• Other uses are for cancer, mouth and throat diseases, enlarged spleen, and muscle cramps.
• Cinchona is used in eye lotions to numb pain, kill germs, and as an astringent. Cinchona extract is also applied to the skin for hemorrhoids, stimulating hair growth, and managing varicose veins.