Contraindications of Digitalis

As a traditional Chinese medicine, digitalis has a cardiotonic effect and is effective in enhancing blood circulation and treating myocardial diseases. Due to the high ornamental value of Digitalis, many families also grow it as a potted plant at home. However, when using digitalis to treat diseases, you must understand that digitalis contains certain toxins, and eating too much digitalis can easily lead to poisoning. Today we will learn about the contraindications of digitalis.

The main indications of digitalis:

1. It can be used for heart failure caused by other reasons except heart failure induced by digitalis poisoning.

2. Rapid supraventricular arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation and flutter with rapid heart rate, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, etc.

The main contraindications of digitalis:

1. Heart failure with digitalis poisoning;

2. Preexcitation syndrome accompanied by atrial fibrillation or flutter;

3. In patients with obstructive cardiomyopathy, digitalis can aggravate left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, so it should not be used, but it can still be used when accompanied by heart failure;

4. Atrioventricular block can be used with caution only when accompanied by heart failure. When complete atrioventricular block is accompanied by heart failure, digitalis should be used after a ventricular pacemaker is placed;

5. Sinus bradycardia with a ventricular rate below 50 beats per minute, atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter accompanied by complete atrioventricular block or a ventricular rate below 60 beats per minute.

Digitalis: Also known as foxglove, poison weed, purple foxglove, and bellflower, it is a biennial or perennial herb densely covered with short hairs. The basal leaves are ovate to ovate-lanceolate, with blunt teeth on the margins and long petiolate. In the spring of the 2nd or 3rd year, flower stalks emerge from the center of the leaf cluster, up to 1-1.5 meters high. The stem leaves are long oval, with fine teeth on the edges, and short petioles or nearly sessile. The raceme is terminal, the corolla is bell-shaped, drooping, leaning to one side, purple-red, with dark purple spots inside.

The capsule is conical and the seeds are small. The flowering period is May-June, and the fruiting period is June-July. It is native to the mountainous areas of central and southern Europe. It is now cultivated in large quantities in Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Shandong in China.