Lobelia Inflata Stops Asthma Attacks And More
Have you ever heard of Indian tobacco? It is an old name for lobelia herb (officially lobelia inflata). The herb was commonly prescribed by early North American doctors for healing respiratory ailments such as bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, and coughs. The plant stem has only a few branches. It is smooth on top but rough and hairy down low. The lower leaves are about two inches long. They have stalks, but the upper, smaller ones do not. The pale green or yellowish leaves don’t taste or smell particularly good and the sparse flowers are pale violet-blue.
Lobelia consists of a bitter glycoside (lobelacrin), resin, gum, various alkaloids, a pungent volatile oil (lobelianin), chelidonic acid and fats. Lobeline is its most important ingredient. Others include nor-lobelanidine, lobelidine, nor-lobelaine, lobelanine, lobelanidine, and isolobenine. It also contains fourteen pyridine alkaloids.
Though not addictive, lobeline works much like nicotine in its effect on the central nervous system. This is why it is a main ingredient of many treatments to help people quit smoking. Lobeline is a relaxant and is used to treat muscle and spastic colon problems. It also dilates the bronchiole tubes and this improves respiration.
Lobelia’s target problems deal with the respiratory system, problems like bronchitis and pneumonia. It stimulates the adrenal glands to release epinephrine, causing the airways to relax. Lobelia’s strong relaxant qualities help to clear obstructions. It relaxes the stomach, a common need in asthmatic children. In fact, many use lobelia to stop asthma attacks instead of an inhaler.
Other practical ways to use lobelia’s qualities include these. Rub lobelia tincture or extract on the shoulders of a restless child; this is an excellent way to help him go to sleep. Rub the extract on the gums of a teething baby. Take it internally to expel mucus, remove congestion from the stomach, and to encourage the flow of oxygenized blood. A poultice can be applied for ringworm, bruises, and insect bites. Catnip and lobelia enemas are good for treating mumps in males. As a sedative it is said to rank somewhere between veratrum and aconite.
Ellingwood recommended lobelia for the following pathologies: “spasmodic asthma, whooping cough, spasmodic croup, membranous croup, infantile convulsions, puerperal eclampsia, epilepsy, tetanus, hysterical paraxysms, hysterical convulsions, diphtheria, tonsillitis, pneumonia,” among others. Add to the list a treatment for laryngitis in children and for treating barking coughs.
Lobelia is available for internal use as a dried herb, in a liquid extract form, and as tinctures. Externally, it is available in ointments, lotions, suppositories, and plasters. You can make a tea by mixing ¼ to ½ teaspoon of the dried herb with eight ounces of water. Then let it steep for 30 to 40 minutes. Take two ounces of this four times a day but, be warned, many think it tastes awful! Take .6 to 2 ml of the tincture each day. This is based on a 150 pound adult. Adjust dosage for children proportionately.
Lobelia is a powerful herb and therefore cautions are in order. Taking too much will cause lobelia poisoning. Signs of this will include weak pulse, weakness, difficulty breathing, heartburn, and collapse. People with heart disease, high blood pressure, tobacco sensitivity, paralysis, and seizure disorder should not take lobelia without consulting a doctor. Lobelia is not recommended by some for th ose women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. If the system is highly toxic, lobelia can be a strong acting emetic, even in small doses. The nausea and vomiting that results, though not pleasant, will be beneficial to the patient.
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