Woodbine

• Overview
• Uses
• Side Effects
• Precautions
• Dosing

Woodbine is an herb. The leaves are used to make medicine.

Despite serious safety concerns, people take woodbine for skin sores, cuts, and itching. They also take it for kidney disease (nephrosis) and fluid retention, tumors and cancer, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), fever, ulcers, constipation, tuberculosis, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck (cervical lymphadenitis).

Don’t confuse woodbine (Clematis virginiana) with American ivy, gelsemium, or honeysuckle. All of these plants are also known as woodbine.

How does it work?

There isn't enough information to know how woodbine might work.

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...

• Skin sores.
• Cuts.
• Itching.
• Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
• Cancer.
• Tumors.
• Fever.
• Kidney problems.
• Ulcers.
• Fluid retention.
• Constipation.
• Tuberculosis.
• Other conditions.

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of woodbine for these uses.

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).

Woodbine is UNSAFE when taken by mouth or when put on the skin. The juice of the leaf is very irritating to the mouth, stomach, and intestines.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Woodbine is UNSAFE for anyone to take by mouth as medicine or apply to the skin. If you use it while pregnant or breast-feeding, you will endanger yourself as well as your baby. Don’t use it.

The appropriate dose of woodbine depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for woodbine. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.