A few studies have shown a drop in inflammation and tender joints in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who take this thunder god vine. A large government-funded study that compared this root with sulfasalazine, a traditional drug used to treat RA, found that symptoms improved more with the use of thunder god vine. Side effects may include stomach upset, headache, hair loss, upper respiratory tract infections, and sterility in men. Pregnant women and women at risk of getting osteoporosis should not take it.
Keep in mind that it’s hard to get safe and high-quality thunder god vine made in the U.S. The safety and effectiveness of thunder god vine from outside the U.S., for example from China, can't be verified according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.