Talk:Syrup of ipecac

Does popular culture have to ruin everything?

In very small doses, ipecac will induce vomiting and is useful when a significant amount of a poison has been ingested. An exception might be the ingestion of a corrosive substance that might cause damage to the esophagus and naso-pharengeal area on 'the way back up.' Keep in mind that this would be for emergency use, ONLY. You are not likely to have a handful of activated charcoal around to neutralize poisonous stomach contents. Like everything, it can be over-used and abused--and the stupid will follow 'direction' from entertainment cues. Don't be an idiot......store poisonous substances high and with locking caps--away from small curious children. Your highest medical risk is probably that of prompt blindness from the methanol in windshield washer fluid. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Homebuilding (talk • contribs) 16:12, 16 October 2022 (UTC)

Video Links

On several occasions, I've removed links to videos of some guy being offered money to drink ipecac, and to the scene from Family Guy where they have a bet that involves drinking ipecac. While clips like this may be funny, I don't think that they really add much to the article, or are appropriate content for an encyclopedia. They provide no information that isn't already present in the article (ipecac makes you vomit; here's footage of someone drinking ipecac and then... vomiting), and they're obviously not intended to be particularly informative. They're also quite disgusting if you're not a big fan of vomit. I've got no problem with disgusting or offensive if they're serving an informative purpose, but I really don't think these videos pass muster. --Clay Collier 20:15, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

I won't put it back in now, but I think it is borderline suitable. The fact that it is disgusting is certainly irrelevant. I found the video rather informative in that it showed the intensity and the length of the vomiting. However it certainly was not filmed for informational purposes, and I have no idea if the effects shown are typical. Depending on how diluted the ipecac in the bottle was he may have received an overdose. My main problem with the video is its exploitative nature, not the fact that it is disgusting or "humorous." NTK 22:02, 21 March 2006 (UTC)

Again, I have no problem with disgusting (and certainly not with humor) as long as (in this context) it's serving some sort of informational purpose. Your post about the live-action clip points out the problems with it: we have a guy drinking an unmeasured amount of ipecac- possibly receiving an OD- in an uncontrolled setting. There is no way to tell if the response is typical, if the dosage is appropriate, etc. --Clay Collier 01:38, 22 March 2006 (UTC)

I find this video rather funny and informative in that it shows the effect of the ipecac on someone: the intensity and length of the vomiting. Also note that this is an _external link_ which means they aren't included in the wikipedia itself, no one is forced to see it if one doesn't want too. And wikipedia's reputation isn't spoiled either. 85.59.114.10 17:22, 9 August 2007 (UTC)

How about an in popular culture section? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 125.236.141.78 (talk) 06:12, 22 December 2009 (UTC)

Again, 'funny' is not a criteria for inclusion of external links. , and the link provides little or no information outside of 'ipecac makes you puke a lot', which the article already covers. There are 10,000 sites on the internet for finding funny clips of people doing stupid things. Wikipedia doesn't need to be one of them. --Clay Collier 10:19, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I was curious about ipecac because of the Family Guy episode, and half expected the article to reference it, as a "common culture" thing. 65.190.163.162 04:08, 23 November 2005 (UTC)

Second the above. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.27.182.16 (talk) 22:50, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Thirded the above. While it may not have educational value, it's hard to argue that most people know of the existance of ipecac through a single episode of Family Guy. Perhaps it can be weaseled into why you shouldn't just do stuff you see on T.V. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 56.0.143.24 (talk) 21:29, 14 May 2009 (UTC)

That's also after watching Family Guy that I checked what was Ipecac. Correjon (talk) 06:15, 18 March 2010 (UTC)

Move

I propose to move this to Ipecac Syrup because that is the name it is known as.--Adam ^(talk) 18:06, 27 March 2006 (UTC)

Nope. I've only heard it called "Syrup of ipecac." Google shows twice as many hits for this form. However I have added a redirect from Ipecac syrup, which may be useful. NTK 04:16, 3 April 2006 (UTC)

Thanks- that's fine.--Adam ^(talk) 11:32, 3 April 2006 (UTC)

I recently read a book about the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. It describes that Dr. Rush's cure for the fever, along with bleeding, was a mix of herbs and chemicals used to purge the body of all its contents. It would enduce vimiting and diarrea to do so, just as ipecac syrup enduces vomitting.

"Ipecac (not syrup of ipecac) is also used as a homeopathic remedy for nausea. This should at least be mentioned in this article, even if it is treated as a separate Wikipedia entry." — Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.176.105.138 (talk) 15:53, 20 February 2013 (UTC)

Unless we have reliable sources discussing this, it is trivial. Virtually everything is a homeopathic "remedy" for something: caffeine for sleeplessness, nux vomica for nausea, etc. Yeah, we get it: homeopathy believes that a vanishingly small bit of something that causes the symptom will cure the unrelated underlying problem. That is off-topic here. Adding this nonsense to every conceivable page would be a waste of time. - SummerPhD (talk) 17:21, 20 February 2013 (UTC)

Taste

Is there a taste to it? If so, what does it taste like? Is it foul? Delicious?

It does not taste good. Dark oil that gives a thick coating to your mouth. No matter what you think about it not working, give it time and stay near a bathroom. Also, drink the two glasses of water that it says to. The fluid will mix with the food in your belly and make it easier to expel. Do not do this to lose weight! The rest of your day is wrecked and you won't know if you will have to go again after you think you are done till it's to late. Consult a doctor if you think you need to use this product before you do. It is not something to joke about either. Don't know if you have seen the movie "Stand By Me", if not expect explosive results. If you ever have to try this even once you will never want to again, and don't unless you have too. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.254.34.202 (talk) 02:48, 7 May 2008 (UTC)

Remove stub tag?

I'm not sure that there is much more that can really be added to this article; suggest removing the "stub" tag. Thoughts?DC 16:22, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

I agree, removed tag Mr Bungle 04:41, 16 September 2006 (UTC)

What would happen if you simply didn't vomit?

Is the syrup itself harmful? Is it something you MUST get out of your system via vomiting, or else? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.72.21.221 (talk) 00:39, 22 November 2007 (UTC)

No. On the pack, it says "Administer again if vomiting hasnt been achieved for twenty minutes." - Blammo77 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Blammo77 (talk • contribs) 05:45, 29 November 2007 (UTC)

Very wrong. As the article states, Ipecac itself it a poison, it's just that it's impossible pretty much NOT to vomit when you take enough of it, so you don't absorb much, if any, and if you did overdose, the chances are you probably would vomit up enough that you'd be ok, but technically you can overdose on it, and it is dangerous. Just adding this for anyone reading in future, as I know this question is years old and I am necromancing. 213.104.15.98 (talk) 20:51, 13 October 2010 (UTC)

"Dosage" section

I've taken out the "Dosage" section - I was going to put a "how-to" tag on it, but I've realized that it doesn't add anything to the article. At best, it's a "historical" dosage, since the medicine's not widely used anymore and can be harmful. At worst, it's extraneous material and potentially dangerous how-to content. Graymornings (talk) 02:23, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

i have a bottle that expired back in 1988. its a small bottle and says 1 table spoon and 2 large glasses of water. to try again if no results in 20 min. if you have done it and nothing happen give it more time. do not use this unless told to by a doctor or with a doctor. it can be harmful, makeing your heart race and other effects. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.254.34.202 (talk) 02:56, 7 May 2008 (UTC)

Until early C20?

I worked in a pharmacy until six months ago and old-style expectorants still contained ipecac (Boots Honey and Lemon with Ipecac). Is it reasonable to update this to early C21, or just up to present? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 20.133.0.8 (talk) 14:23, 27 October 2008 (UTC)

trowing up

it causes Liver and kidney disease; and Cardiac arrest are not speculation. the continues abuse of this substance will kill u, and it's not maybe. Markthemac (talk) 04:50, 23 April 2009 (UTC)

Bulemia

Bulemia is a eating disorder were purging occurs, I agree. However, purging is also a manifestation of anorexia nervosa. So perhaps it would be more appropriate to say "induce vomiting in eating disorders" rather than just writing bulemia.

AriaNo11 (talk) 13:15, 1 March 2010 (UTC)

In popular culture section

I removed this section because I really don't think it helps the article to document where this happens to pop up. I suggest everyone please remember that this should be encyclopedic. Nicholasm79 (talk) 03:13, 1 September 2010 (UTC)

• Perhaps, but its use in Family Guy's infamous "Who wants chowder" sequence is a vivid (if slightly exaggerated?) illustration of the misuse of the syrup. 70.72.211.35 (talk) 17:34, 30 November 2012 (UTC)

Perhaps, but no independent reliable sources seem to have noted this. - SummerPhD (talk) 21:56, 30 November 2012 (UTC)