Condurango

Condor-vine bark, condurango bark, condurango blanco, condurango cortex, eagle vine, Marsdenia condurango

The medicinal components of condurango are found in the bark of the branches and trunk of Marsdenia condurango and include numerous glycosides such as condurangin, which stimulates saliva and gastric juice secretion. Condurango can be found in many homeopathic preparations as a liquid extract, powdered bark, or tincture.

Reported uses

Condurango is used to stimulate appetite, alleviate dyspepsia, promote diuresis, and, in folk medicine, to treat stomach cancer. It may also be used to increase peripheral circulation. It's commonly used in South America as an alternative treatment for chronic syphilis.

Administration

• Aqueous extract: 0.2 to 0.5 g daily
• Bark: 2 to 4 g daily
• Liqueur, tea: 1 cup of liqueur or tea 30 minutes before each meal; liqueur prepared by steeping 50 to 100 g of bark in 1 qt (1 L) of wine for several days
• Tincture: 2 to 5 g for alcohol content (1/2 to 1 dram as needed).

Hazards

Safety Risk There's a potential cross-sensitivity between condurango and natural rubber latex. Patients who have a severe allergy to latex and who use condurango may experience cutaneous reactions or respiratory compromise (shortness of breath, hypotension, tachycardia, or anaphylaxis).

Adverse effects associated with condurango overdose include vertigo, visual changes, seizures, paralysis, and anaphylactic reaction. Herbal products prepared with alcohol may cause a disulfiram-like reaction. Tannins may bind iron and other drugs in the gut if taken simultaneously.

Pregnant and breast-feeding patients should avoid using condurango because it has an alkaloid component that resembles strychnine. Children and geriatric patients should also avoid use.

Clinical considerations

• If patient is taking condurango to allviate dyspepsia, find out how serious his condition is and whether he has tried other therapies to treat it.
• If patient is taking condurango to stimulate his appetite, evaluate possible causes of his condition and whether he has also experienced significant weight loss because this may indicate a more serious condition.
• Patients who also report melena or hematemesis should be referred for further workup.

Safety Risk Warn patient that overdose of condurango may produce dizziness, visual changes,seizures, and paralysis. Tell him to seek medical attention immediately if any adverse reactions occur.

• If patient has a latex allergy, discourage use.
• If patient is pregnant or breast-feeding, advise her not to take the herb.
• If patient has a history of alcohol abuse or liver disease or is taking disulfiram or metronidazole, advise him to avoid taking preparations that contain alcohol.
• Warn patient to avoid using condurango with other drugs because information regarding interactions is lacking.
• Advise patient to report continued weight loss, GI bleeding, or worsening dyspepsia to his health care provider.
• Tell patient to remind prescriber and pharmacist of any herbal or dietary supplement that he's taking when obtaining a new prescription.
• Advise patient to consult his health care provider before using an herbal preparation because a treatment with proven efficacy may be available.

Research summary

The concepts behind the use of condurango and the claims made regardinits effects have not yet been validated scientifically.