What Is Belladonna? Other Names: Atropa belladonna, Atropa acuminata, Baccifère

What is Belladonna?

This post was written with Consensus AI Academic Search Engine – please read our Disclaimer at the end of this article. Belladonna, also known as Atropa belladonna, is a perennial herbaceous plant known for its medicinal and toxic properties. It has been used historically in various traditional medicine practices and is recognized for its potent alkaloids, such as atropine, scopolamine, and hyoscyamine, which have significant physiological effects. Other names include: Atropa belladonna, Atropa acuminata, Baccifère, Belladona, Belladone, Belle-Dame, Belle-Galante, Bouton Noir, Cerise du Diable, Cerise Enragée, Cerise d’Espagne, Deadly Nightshade, Devil’s Cherries, Devil’s Herb, Divale, Dwale, Dwayberry, Grande Morelle, Great Morel, Guigne de la Côte, Herbe à la Mort, Herbe du Diable, Indian Belladonna, Morelle Furieuse, Naughty Man’s Cherries, Poison Black Cherries, Suchi.

Medicinal Uses of Belladonna

Belladonna has been utilized in several medical applications, particularly in homeopathy and traditional medicine. In homeopathy, Belladonna is often used in ultramolecular dilutions, such as Belladonna 30C, to treat various symptoms, although studies have shown that these dilutions do not produce effects different from a placebo2 4. Additionally, Belladonna has been used in combination with opium in rectal suppositories to manage postoperative pain, although its efficacy in reducing pain or narcotic use significantly has not been confirmed5.

Applications in Respiratory and Viral Conditions

Belladonna has been explored for its potential effects on respiratory conditions. For instance, it has been used to prevent airway obstructions during sleep in infants with breath-holding spells, showing effectiveness in some cases by possibly influencing the autonomic nervous system3. Furthermore, Belladonna 200C has been studied for its impact on viral replication in Japanese Encephalitis, where it was found to reduce viral loads in certain tissues, although it did not completely inhibit viral replication6.

Effects on Wound Healing

In Slovak folk medicine, Atropa belladonna is applied topically for treating skin wounds. Research has indicated that Belladonna extract can enhance the tensile strength of skin wounds in rats, suggesting a positive effect on wound healing7.

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Adverse Effects of Belladonna

Constipation and Urinary Retention: Studies involving the use of belladonna and opium suppositories in postoperative settings have reported constipation and urinary retention as common adverse effects. These effects were similar to those observed with placebo, indicating that they are consistent side effects of belladonna use in this context1 2 5.

Gastrointestinal Motility: Belladonna can affect gastrointestinal motility, although its impact is less pronounced compared to other agents like Banthine. It may cause a slight delay in gastric evacuation and intestinal movement, but these effects are generally mild3.

Dry Mouth and Sore Throat: In studies comparing belladonna with other substances, side effects such as dryness of the mouth and a scratchy or sore throat were noted. These symptoms were more prominent with other drugs but still present with belladonna3.

Lack of Observable Effects in Homeopathy: In homeopathic trials, belladonna at ultramolecular dilutions (30CH) did not produce symptoms different from placebo, suggesting that at these dilutions, belladonna does not have significant adverse effects or clinical activity4 6.

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How has Belladonna Improved Patient Outcomes?

Ureteral Stent Pain: A study found that preoperative administration of belladonna and opium suppositories improved quality of life and reduced urinary-related pain after ureteroscopy with stent placement, although it did not reduce overall analgesic use1.

Robotic Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy (RALP): Preoperative belladonna and opium suppositories significantly decreased postoperative pain and reduced morphine consumption in patients undergoing RALP, indicating improved pain management8.

Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Children: In a study on homeopathic treatments, belladonna was one of the most frequently used medicines, contributing to a significant reduction in mortality and neuro-vegetative states compared to standard treatment protocols2.

Limited or No Improvement

Vaginal Surgery: Multiple studies found that belladonna and opium suppositories did not significantly reduce pain or narcotic use post-vaginal surgery, although they were safe to use3 4 6.

Intravesical Onabotulinum Toxin A Injection: The use of belladonna and opium suppositories did not significantly reduce pain during bladder injections, nor did it increase patient satisfaction with pain control5.

Orthodontic Pain: Belladonna was found to be as effective as ibuprofen in controlling orthodontic pain, with no significant difference in pain relief between the two treatments10.

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Belladonna Mechanisms of Action

Anticholinergic Effects: Belladonna contains alkaloids such as atropine, which block the action of acetylcholine on muscarinic receptors. This leads to a reduction in involuntary muscle movements and secretions in the body, such as those in the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory system1 2.

Gastrointestinal Impact: In studies comparing belladonna with other agents, it was found to slightly delay the movement of substances through the gastrointestinal tract, although not as significantly as other anticholinergic drugs like Banthine. This suggests a mild effect on reducing gastrointestinal motility1.

Respiratory System: In infants with breath-holding spells, belladonna was shown to reduce airway obstructions during sleep. This effect is likely due to its action on the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary functions such as breathing2.

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Common Complaints Associated with Belladonna Use

Constipation: The use of belladonna and opium suppositories can lead to constipation, which is a common side effect noted in the study1.

Urinary Retention: Another reported adverse effect is urinary retention, which was observed to be similar among patients using belladonna and opium suppositories compared to those using a placebo1.

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Disclaimer

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