Reserpine, << REHS uhr pihn or ruh SUR pihn, >> is a drug used to treat mild hypertension (high blood pressure). It is obtained from a shrub called Rauwolfia serpentina, which grows in India and Southeast Asia. Extracts from this plant have been used for centuries in that part of the world to treat such disorders as hypertension, insomnia, mental illness, and poisoning from snakebite.
In the 1950’s, physicians in Western countries used reserpine to treat hypertension and to calm emotionally ill patients. Since the 1960’s, it has been used mainly to lower the blood pressure of people with mild hypertension. Other, more effective drugs have largely replaced reserpine in the treatment of emotional illness.
Reserpine may produce harmful reactions. Small doses can cause drowsiness, severe depression, and peptic ulcers. Larger doses of the drug may result in abnormally low blood pressure and loss of consciousness.
