Prepared Aconite Lateral Root — Safety & Interactions

Fu Zi · Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata

Contraindications

  • Pregnancy
  • Heat patterns, Yin deficiency with heat, or true interior heat without cold
  • Raw or inadequately processed aconite for internal use
  • Unsupervised use in children or frail patients

Cautions

  • Fu Zi is one of the most toxic medicinals in the Chinese materia medica; even prepared forms require expert dosing, authenticated sourcing, and pre-decoction.
  • Toxicity symptoms can begin within 30 minutes to a few hours and include numbness, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, hypotension, and life-threatening arrhythmias.
  • Traditional incompatibility cautions remain for Ban Xia, the Gua Lou group, Tian Hua Fen, Bai Ji, Bai Lian, and the Bei Mu group.
  • MSK page not found - drug interaction data not available from Memorial Sloan Kettering integrative medicine database

Drug Interactions

Drug Class / Substrate Mechanism Severity Source
Cardiac glycosides such as digoxin - additive arrhythmogenic risk
Class I and III antiarrhythmic drugs - unpredictable electrophysiologic interaction
Beta-blockers or other rate-slowing agents - may worsen bradycardia or mask early toxicity
QT-prolonging medications - additive risk of malignant ventricular arrhythmia

Pregnancy

Not recommended during pregnancy. Consult a qualified practitioner before any use.

This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using herbal medicines, especially if you take prescription medications.