Salvia divinorum: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews

Overview

Salvia divinorum is an herb in the mint family. It has been used for centuries in religious ceremonies by the Mazatec Indians, a native people who live in Oaxaca, Mexico. The Mazatecs believe it is an incarnation of the Virgin Mary. Salvia divinorum possession and use is legal in most states in the US, but it has been labelled as a "drug of concern" by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Salvia divinorum is most commonly used as a recreational drug. It produces hallucinations when inhaled, when the leaves are chewed, or when extracts are placed under the tongue.

Salvia divinorum contains chemicals that can cause hallucinations when inhaled or taken by mouth. There isn't much information about how Salvia divinorum might work as a medicine.

How does it work ?

Salvia divinorum contains chemicals that can cause hallucinations when inhaled or taken by mouth. There isn't much information about how Salvia divinorum might work as a medicine.

Uses & Effectiveness

Insufficient Evidence for

Producing hallucinations.
Diarrhea.
Depression.
Headache.
Rheumatism.
Bloating.
Regulating urination and bowel movements.
Use as a tonic.
Other conditions.

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

Side Effects

When taken by mouth: Salvia divinorum is POSSIBLY UNSAFE. It can cause serious side effects including dizziness, slurred speech, confusion, paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions.

When inhaled: Salvia divinorum is POSSIBLY UNSAFE. It can cause serious side effects including dizziness, slurred speech, confusion, paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions.

Special Precautions and Warnings

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if Salvia divinorum is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Schizophrenia: Salvia divinorum has caused hallucinations and delusions in some people. It is not known if this risk is increased in people with schizophrenia or in people with a family history of schizophrenia. Until more is known, do not use Salvia divinorum if you have schizophrenia or are at risk of schizophrenia.

Interactions

We currently have no information for Salvia divinorum overview.

Dosing

The appropriate dose of Salvia divinorum 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 Salvia divinorum. 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.

View References

REFERENCES:

US Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Agency, Diversion Control Program. Drugs and Chemicals of Concern: Salvia Divinorum, ska Maria Pastora, Salvia (Salvinorin A, Divinorin A). 2002. Available at: https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drugs_concern/salvia_d/summary.htm

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Gonzalez D, Riba J, Bouso JC, et al. Pattern of use and subjective effects of Salvia divinorum among recreational users. Drug Alcohol Depend 2006;85:157-62.

Singh S. Adolescent salvia substance abuse. Addiction 2007;102:823-4.

Roth, B. L., Baner, K., Westkaemper, R., Siebert, D., Rice, K. C., Steinberg, S., Ernsberger, P., and Rothman, R. B. Salvinorin A: a potent naturally occurring nonnitrogenous kappa opioid selective agonist. Proc Natl Acad.Sci U.S.A 9-3-2002;99(18):11934-11939.

Butelman, E. R., Harris, T. J., and Kreek, M. J. The plant-derived hallucinogen, salvinorin A, produces kappa-opioid agonist-like discriminative effects in rhesus monkeys. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2004;172(2):220-224.

Bucheler, R., Gleiter, C. H., Schwoerer, P., and Gaertner, I. Use of nonprohibited hallucinogenic plants: increasing relevance for public health? A case report and literature review on the consumption of Salvia divinorum (Diviner's Sage). Pharmacopsychiatry 2005;38(1):1-5.

Pichini, S., Abanades, S., Farre, M., Pellegrini, M., Marchei, E., Pacifici, R., Torre, Rde L., and Zuccaro, P. Quantification of the plant-derived hallucinogen Salvinorin A in conventional and non-conventional biological fluids by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry after Salvia divinorum smoking. Rapid Commun.Mass Spectrom. 2005;19(12):1649-1656.

Capasso, R., Borrelli, F., Capasso, F., Siebert, D. J., Stewart, D. J., Zjawiony, J. K., and Izzo, A. A. The hallucinogenic herb Salvia divinorum and its active ingredient salvinorin A inhibit enteric cholinergic transmission in the guinea-pig ileum. Neurogastroenterol.Motil. 2006;18(1):69-75.

Ansonoff, M. A., Zhang, J., Czyzyk, T., Rothman, R. B., Stewart, J., Xu, H., Zjwiony, J., Siebert, D. J., Yang, F., Roth, B. L., and Pintar, J. E. Antinociceptive and Hypothermic Effects of Salvinorin A Are Abolished in a Novel Strain of {kappa}-Opioid Receptor-1 Knockout Mice. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2006;318(2):641-648.

Addy PH, Garcia-Romeu A, Metzger M, Wade J. The subjective experience of acute, experimentally-induced Salvia divinorum inebriation. J Psychopharmacol. 2015;29(4):426-35.

El-Khoury J, Sahakian N. The association of Salvia divinorum and psychotic disorders: A review of the literature and case series. J Psychoactive Drugs. 2015;47(4):286-92.

Vázquez-León P, Arenas-Martínez U, Córdova-Maqueda D, Fregoso-Aguilar T, Ramírez-San Juan E, Miranda-Páez A. Salvia divinorum increases alcohol intake and tonic immobility whilst decreasing food intake in Wistar rats. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars) 2021;81(1):34-42.

Doss MK, May DG, Johnson MW, et al. The Acute Effects of the Atypical Dissociative Hallucinogen Salvinorin A on Functional Connectivity in the Human Brain. Sci Rep 2020;10(1):16392.

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