Native Lobelia as medicine?

[Alchemica]

Has anyone explored Native Lobelias?
 

I have a special place of understanding of really disconnecting experiences eg mental health concerns. For me, plants are the stable way that I learn to re-connect, with myself, community and others and grow in life. It's like a loving influence in your life that you grow with, that teaches you, that inspires you on a holistic level, evolves you in a healing way.

 

Gradually propagating some Native Lobelia anceps. It tests positive for alkaloids, that's all I know. I've got my Lobelia laxiflora but if we can use a Native that grows quickly and easily, all the better. Nicotine spray/gum is one I haven't been able break yet. On and off with stress etc. Plants like Lobelia inspire me as medicines. More in the relationship you can have with it in a healing way rather than a using it as Western medicine way. I don't like smoking things but this is one I want to attune with on a low dose tincture level or something.

Lobelia allows for an opening to the reality of the present moment which contributes to the sense of safety that allows
for the relaxation of constriction.

 

On the medicinal level.

 

Lobeline or similar nicotinic receptor ligand may have therapeutic potential as an adjunct for the treatment of major depression. It may have some benefit in ADHD - it could improve working memory in adults

 

One of the alkaloids in lobelia, lobeline, has effects on humans similar to those of nicotine and can be helpful in treating the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. These same properties may perhaps also explain the use of the plant to treat hangovers and alcoholism.  Lobeline produced antidepressant-like effects, likely by targeting brain β2-containing nAChRs, serotonergic neurotransmission, and/or hippocampal cell proliferation. Lobeline may have therapeutic utility to treat alcohol abstinence-induced depression. It has anticonvulsant and neuroprotective actions that may be mediated by antioxidant-like mechanisms

 

More recently, lobeline has attracted the attention of researchers as a possible treatment for methamphetamine addiction.

Edited February 15, 2018 by Alchemica