Pareira

Last Editorial Review: 6/11/2021
Other Name(s):

Chondrodendron tomentosum, Curare, Fleur de Velours, Ice Vine, Pareire, Parra Brava, Pereira Brava, Velvet Leaf, Vigne de Glace, Vigne Sauvage.

Overview

Pareira is a plant. The root is used to make medicine.

People take pareira to treat water retention and to start menstruation.

How does it work?

There isn't enough information to know how pareira might work.

QUESTION

Next to red peppers, you can get the most vitamin C from ________________. See Answer

Uses & Effectiveness

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of pareira for these uses.

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).

Side Effects

There isn't enough information to know if pareira might be safe or what side effects may occur.

Pareira contains tubocurarine, an ingredient in modern intravenous (IV) anesthetics used to block nerve signals and paralyze muscles. However, very little, if any, of the tubocurarine in pareira gets absorbed into the body when taken by mouth. Some people might try to inject pareira into the bloodstream, but this is UNSAFE.

SLIDESHOW

Vitamin D Deficiency: How Much Vitamin D Is Enough? See Slideshow

Special Precautions & Warnings

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: It's UNSAFE to use pareira if you are pregnant. It might start your menstrual period and cause a miscarriage.

It's also best to avoid pareira if you are breast-feeding. Not enough is known about how it might affect the nursing infant.

Dosing

The appropriate dose of pareira depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for pareira. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.

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Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

References

Hardman JG, Limbird LL, Molinoff PB, eds. Goodman and Gillman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 9th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1996.