Ipecac Syrup Shows Promise As A New Chemo Drug
Ipecac syrup, an erstwhile staple found in many families’ medicine cabinets, shows promise as a new chemotherapy drug for bladder cancer, according to a study conducted by Loyola University Medical Center near Chicago.
The study found that emetine dihydrochloride, an active ingredient in ipecac syrup, used alone or used with a standard chemotherapy drug called cisplatin, inhibited the proliferation of bladder tumor cells. The study also discovered that emetine has little effect on normal cells.
The study was published online in The Journal of Urology.
Years ago, ipecac was used to induce vomiting after ingesting a poison. That practice is no longer recommended.
