Everyone said that this folk remedy for rhinitis was good, but it almost cost me my life

Many patients with rhinitis suffer from repeated recurrences, so they embark on the road of no return of "trying folk remedies".

Some time ago, a mother in Fuyang, Anhui heard that "Xanthium sibiricum water" can cure rhinitis, so she gave her 6-year-old daughter Xanthium sibiricum water for 4 consecutive days.

As a result, the little girl developed symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, pale face, and even fell into a coma for a while.

The doctor diagnosed it as liver failure and myocardial damage, which could be life-threatening if not treated urgently.

1. Is Xanthium sibiricum a medicine or a poison? This oval fruit covered with small thorns is Xanthium sibiricum.

Many people have seen it when they were young, but they didn’t know it was poisonous.

The main toxic component of Xanthium sibiricum is xanthin, as well as some toxic proteins. There may also be combined effects among the multiple toxic components.

The most typical poisoning reactions are dizziness, headache, nausea and vomiting. In severe cases, they may also be accompanied by convulsions, hypoglycemia and other symptoms.

The damage to the liver and kidneys is more serious, and in severe cases it can even lead to death.

Then why can it be found in many medicines for treating rhinitis?

This is because Xanthium sibiricum is indeed a medicinal material that can be used to treat nasal diseases.

However, in medicine, the use of Xanthium sibiricum to treat nasal diseases requires a series of operations such as drying and frying in accordance with the requirements of the pharmacopoeia operating specifications.

These processes such as heating and thorn removal are critical to reducing toxicity, and the dosage is also strictly regulated for clinical use.

2. Do not take homemade Xanthium sibiricum casually. However, many ordinary people who are not aware of the situation have begun to make this "special medicine for rhinitis" at home.

Pick mature Xanthium sibiricum directly, boil water, dry it, grind it into powder, or fry it with sesame oil to make Xanthium sibiricum oil for family members to take internally or externally.

Therefore, in recent years, there have been more and more reports on the toxicity of Xanthium sibiricum. Among these poisoning cases, there are: eating fresh Xanthium sibiricum, drinking Xanthium sibiricum decoction, and applying Xanthium sibiricum mixed with sesame oil externally...

The main cause of poisoning or even death is often excessive consumption and improper preparation.

For example: undercooking due to uneven heating, insufficient frying time, and failure to remove spines can easily cause poisoning.

Although our power is small, we still hope to draw everyone's attention and not eat the Xanthium sibiricum seeds and buds picked by themselves.

In fact, many plants with medicinal value are not what everyone thinks:

You can collect pure and natural wild ones and take them directly after boiling them at home. Most of them need to be processed professionally.

If you feel unwell, you still need to go to the hospital for regular treatment and follow the doctor's advice.

What other folk remedies have you heard of? Please leave us a message.

References:

1. Zhang Tingting, Yan Liangchun, Zhao Junning, Cheng Lin. Research progress on the toxicity of Xanthium sibiricum and modern toxicology[J]. Drug Evaluation Research, 2010, 33(05): 361-366.

2. Nie Anzheng, Gao Meimei, Jia Wenrui, Zhu Chunsheng, Zhang Xiaochuan, Zhou Zheng, Zhang Bing. Discussion on the safety issues of Xanthium sibiricum and thinking on rational use of the drug[J]. China Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2019, 44(24): 5336-5344.

3. Chinese Pharmacopoeia Committee. Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China[M]. Beijing: China Medical Science and Technology Press, 2015.