Belladonna is probably not the name you are familiar with. If I said “nightshade” you would probably know that it’s poisonous and deadly. Belladonna and deadly nightshade are one and the same, so you probably are not going to have any in your medicine cabinet.
Belladonna is a perennial, native to Europe and Asia Minor but now is grown in the States as well as Europe and India. When in full bloom the plant is harvested, dried and processed into a liquid that is used for medicinal purposes.
Atropine is the primary use for this liquid. This is the drops that eye doctors use to dilate your pupils. Years ago women thought that dilating their pupils made them sexier and more attractive. This is the reason for the name belladonna as it means “Beautiful Lady” in Italian.
I don’t know about being sexier, I just wounder how they saw their date? I can’t see much after the doctor puts those drops in my eyes. I guess on some dates not being able to see who you’re with might be a blessing.
They also use atropine in some cough syrups used for bronchitis and whooping cough. It can be used to soothe the stomach lining before an anesthetic and it’s also used for peptic ulcers.
Another use of belladonna today is to dry up bodily fluids like saliva, breast milk, mucous and perspiration. The alkaloids in belladonna are used for gastrointestinal disorders such as colitis, diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome, colic, diarrhea, and peptic ulcer. It also works for asthma, excessive sweating, excessive nighttime urination and incontinence, headaches and migraines, muscle pains and spasms, motion sickness, Parkinson’s disease, and biliary colic.
Belladonna is never given straight. It is usually added to other types of drugs or by itself give in sugar pills to greatly reduce the hazards of the “nightshade effect”.
Needless to say when belladonna is used especially in homeopathic uses it must be greatly diluted in order to be safe. No one should determine on their own how much to dilute. It should only be used under the supervision of a doctor or Pharmacist who have experience using belladonna.
Belladonna can be very beneficial but once again I remind you that it’s also very dangerous so use with extreme caution. A little belladonna can go a long way.
