Guaiac wood

Guaiac is a tree whose wood and resin are used to produce medicinal extracts. Guaiac wood and guaiac resin should not be confused with guaiac wood oil. Guaiac wood is used to treat rheumatic muscle and joint pain, respiratory problems, skin diseases and syphilis. It is also used to prevent gout. Guaiac wood is used in mouthwashes to kill bacteria. In the laboratory, guaiac resin is used in tests to detect blood in urine and stool. Guaiac wood is used as a flavoring agent in foods and edible oils and fats.

How does guaiac wood work?

There is not enough information available to say how guaiac wood or resin might work as a medicine.

How effective is guaiac wood?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of guaiac wood in the treatment of rheumatism, gout, lung problems, skin problems and syphilis, as well as its use in mouthwashes. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of guaiac wood in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Guaiac wood and guaiac resin appear to be safe and harmless for most adults in the amounts found in food and in low medicinal doses. Higher doses may cause some side effects including diarrhea and gastrointestinal problems. Guaiac wood and guaiac resin can also cause skin rashes.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Not enough is known about the use of guaiac wood and resin during pregnancy and lactation. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid these products.

Inflammatory swellings: One should not use guaiac wood and guaiac resin if suffering from a medical condition that involves inflammatory swelling.

Interactions

Care should be taken when combining guaiac wood and guaiac resin with the following medications:

Lithium

Guaiac wood and guaiac resin may have a dehydrating (diuretic) effect. Taking guaiac wood and guaiac resin may interfere with the body's excretion of lithium, which could result in increased lithium levels and serious side effects. For this reason, it is important to consult your doctor before using guaiac wood and guaiac resin if you are taking lithium. The lithium dosage may need to be adjusted.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of guaiac wood depends on various factors such as age, health status and others. At the present time, there is insufficient scientific data to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for guaiac wood. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.