Prepared Aconite Slices — Safety & Interactions

Fu Pian · Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata

Contraindications

  • Pregnancy
  • Heat syndromes, Yin deficiency with heat, or true fluid depletion without cold
  • Raw, under-processed, or under-decocted aconite for internal use
  • Known ventricular arrhythmia or unstable severe cardiac disease without expert supervision

Cautions

  • Fu Pian remains toxic even after processing; it should be sourced as an authenticated prepared product and typically pre-decocted 30-60 minutes or according to product instructions before the rest of the formula is added.
  • Early aconite poisoning can present with lip or tongue numbness, tingling, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, hypotension, and dangerous ventricular arrhythmias; suspected toxicity requires emergency care.
  • Traditional incompatibility cautions remain for Ban Xia, Gua Lou and its seed or peel, Tian Hua Fen, Bai Ji, Bai Lian, and the various Bei Mu species.
  • 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.