Overview

Sceletium is a succulent, ground-cover plant from South Africa. It has a long history of use as a traditional medicine by native peoples of South Africa. Some people also use sceletium to get "high."

People use sceletium for anxiety, depression, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

How does it work ?

Sceletium contains chemicals that are thought to work in the brain to cause sleepiness and other effects.

Sceletium contains chemicals that are thought to work in the brain to cause sleepiness and other effects.

Uses & Effectiveness

Insufficient Evidence for

  • Athletic performance. Early research shows that taking sceletium extract for 8 days does not improve reaction time or agility in healthy, trained adults.
  • Alcohol use disorder.
  • Anxiety.
  • Depression.
  • Obesity.
  • Pain.
  • Stress.
  • Other conditions.
More evidence is needed to rate sceletium for these uses.

Side Effects

When taken by mouth: There isn't enough reliable information to know if sceletium is safe. Some people who have used sceletium report side effects including headache, loss of appetite, and depression.

When inhaled: There isn't enough reliable information to know if sceletium is safe or what the side effects might be.

Special Precautions and Warnings

When taken by mouth: There isn't enough reliable information to know if sceletium is safe. Some people who have used sceletium report side effects including headache, loss of appetite, and depression.

When inhaled: There isn't enough reliable information to know if sceletium is safe or what the side effects might be.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if sceletium is safe to used when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid using.

Interactions

    Moderate Interaction

    Be cautious with this combination

  • Sedative medications (CNS depressants) interacts with SCELETIUM

    Sceletium might cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Medications that cause sleepiness are called sedatives. Taking sceletium along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness.

    Some sedative medications include clonazepam (Klonopin), lorazepam (Ativan), phenobarbital (Donnatal), zolpidem (Ambien), and others.

Dosing

The appropriate dose of sceletium 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 sceletium. 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.
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CONDITIONS OF USE AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This information is meant to supplement, not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider and is not meant to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects. This information may not fit your specific health circumstances. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified health care provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor or health care professional before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your health care plan or treatment and to determine what course of therapy is right for you.

This copyrighted material is licensed from Therapeutic Research Center, LLC. Information from this source is evidence-based and objective, and without commercial influence. For professional medical information on natural medicines, see Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Professional Version.
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