Herbs And Supplements That Help

[Guest maia]

wondering if we can start a single topic dedicated to just listings of the herbs and supplements we use and how and/or why they benefit us ...so there is one place we can look to just scroll through for ideas and references to discuss in other topics.. Ill start with some i use and edit it with more later...

Caffeine - vasoconstriction - adenosine antagonist, dopamine agonist, energy, mood enhancer, etc

Kava - nervine- Calms my HR and breathing difficulties before bed- dopamine agonist, antispasmodic, relaxing, mood elevating

Astraxanthan - Antioxidant

Digest - pretty fab digestive enzymes, autoimmune regulation

Colloidal silver - because getting sick is the last thing i need - Antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal

Horsetail - gut tissue healing

Ginger/Yarrow- nausea, stomache bloating, etc, palpitations

Licorice- Sodium retention to boost fluid volume, adrenal alterative

[puppylove]

Melatonin- for sleep

[issie]

Ohhhh, a subject I know a good bit about. . . .Ha!Ha! (People that know me are laughing right now. They knew I'd jump in on this one.)

Motherwort - helps tachy and supports vein integrity

Turmeric - pain relief and may affect NO (conflicting ideas about which direction it works - increase or decrease)

Ginger - assist Turmeric with pain relief and helps nausea

Parsley - high in potassium and helps when I have edema or when there is a urinary or kidney issue

Astaxanthin - pain relief, strong in antioxidant properties

Olive leaf - natural antibiotic, helps with NET issues, Helps with MCAS issues

Black Strap Molasses (unsulfured) - high in potassium and helps tachy

Integra Lean - helps with leptin resistance and weight loss

GTF Chromium - helps to balance out blood sugar levels

Magnesium - helps function of heart and helps with muscle spasms, helps elimination, helps lower blood pressure, can help with depression (in the right form)

Vit C - helps with collagen issues and vein integrity

Astragalus - helps with autoimmune function

Yucca - breaks down proteins and supports BH4 function, dilutes ammonia

Methyl B-12 - energy

Methyl Folic acid - helps sooo many things - brain function, helps sleep

Quercetin - helps vein integrity. Calms down MCAS issues

Suma - supports hormonal metabolism and balance, increases oxygen levels, improves libido

Immune Formula Colostrum - supports immune function - calms CNS down - helps to balance out responses

Vit D3 - helps with calcium assimilation, helps with pain, can help with depression

Benfotiamine - B1 ---gives energy - treats symptoms that are comparable to POTS - helps nerve transmission

Red Clover - balance out hormones - helps with hot flashes

Milk Thistle - helps with liver function, liver detox and liver regeneration

EstroSense - balances out estrogen and prevents conversion into bad ones

CQ10- energy and mito function

Enzymes - digestion, pain relief, inflammation

Probiotics - good intestinal flora - digestion - yeast killer

Full spectrum Vit E - antioxidants - helps with heart, lung function, helps hot flashes

Hibiscus Tea -high in antioxidants and helps with high blood pressure

I don't use all of these - all the time. Some are used, as needed.

I know about a whole lot more things and have tried a whole lot more things. These are just the ones that have been somewhat successful for me.

Issie

[Hoosierfan]

Go Issie! I'm waiting for you to open up your own supplement / natural foods store!

It would be helpful too if people listed doses that they found effective. I just started trying supplementing w/ licorice, 450 mg 1 x day and haven't found any difference so I wonder if I'm using too little.

[weathermandj]

Question...Is Kava safe long-term for the liver? I've read stuff that goes both ways in regards to that.

I take Melatonin nightly and Valerian Root. Valerian Root does have a sedating factor to it to help with sleep. I take a couple grams of Valerian Root nightly. It smells really bad though. lol

[Jennij]

I too would love to know dosage amounts and types to take for many of these supplements. Is the reccommended dose on the bottle often the right ammount? (For example is the ammount of B1 in my balanced B-Complex enough....? Is the citrate form of Mag. the best one?) Any thoughts?

[issie]

Question...Is Kava safe long-term for the liver? I've read stuff that goes both ways in regards to that.

I take Melatonin nightly and Valerian Root. Valerian Root does have a sedating factor to it to help with sleep. I take a couple grams of Valerian Root nightly. It smells really bad though. lol

I've never used Kava - so cant comment on that.

But,. . . .studies are showing that more then 1mg of melatonin will cause problems. One thing it can do is suppress the sympathetic system too much and cause a serious case of depression. A person won't un-sedate from the night and it causes depression.

Another thing, I've read from a Dr. ? Can't remember his name right now ---have his book ---If something really, really stinks to you ----you should NOT take it. That's your body telling you it's not the right thing. If something has no smell or it smells sweet ---then it is probably okay. I've experimented with this technique and it seems to work well for me.

Issie

[issie]

I too would love to know dosage amounts and types to take for many of these supplements. Is the reccommended dose on the bottle often the right ammount? (For example is the ammount of B1 in my balanced B-Complex enough....? Is the citrate form of Mag. the best one?) Any thoughts?

The amounts a person uses is so variable depending on the person. But, no your B1 probably is not high enough - IF ---that is one of your issues.

I did a study on magnesium and there is a posted article on it - on this forum. You can do a search and find that info. The wrong type of magnesium can cause depression. Citrate is probably the best absorbed and oxide is okay too.

Issie

[issie]

Go Issie! I'm waiting for you to open up your own supplement / natural foods store!

It would be helpful too if people listed doses that they found effective. I just started trying supplementing w/ licorice, 450 mg 1 x day and haven't found any difference so I wonder if I'm using too little.

I used to help a natural doc and did his ordering and some of his research. I've been around it for many years. LOVE IT!!!

Depends on what you're trying to do with the licorice. You have to be careful with herbs and rotate on and off. Some will use them for 5 days and then off on the weekends. Others will take a break every few months. I personally found that licorice increased my edema --so definitely helps you to hold onto fluids. Realize it will work similiar to florinef.

Issie

[comfortzone]

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate with Black Sea Salt and Caramel - only $1.99 a bar - about 50 cal. a square - will fix just about any bad mood that comes over me..... The bittersweet chocolate - the crunch of the black salt and the oozey rich caramel that flows out of each square as you bite it - well it's just good medicine.... Not an herb exactly - but from plants and the earth like anything else if you break it down far enough I suppose.......YUM. Salty, Sweet, Chocolate, Caramel - yep it's good stuff indeed ;-)

[issie]

Ohh, noooooo ---nowwhat . . .it's too late in the night to go get some and now I want some. Ha!Ha!

Actually, trying to stay off sugar. So, will have to pass. Sounds YUM though.

Issie

[weathermandj]

Question...Is Kava safe long-term for the liver? I've read stuff that goes both ways in regards to that.

I take Melatonin nightly and Valerian Root. Valerian Root does have a sedating factor to it to help with sleep. I take a couple grams of Valerian Root nightly. It smells really bad though. lol

I've never used Kava - so cant comment on that.

But,. . . .studies are showing that more then 1mg of melatonin will cause problems. One thing it can do is suppress the sympathetic system too much and cause a serious case of depression. A person won't un-sedate from the night and it causes depression.

Another thing, I've read from a Dr. ? Can't remember his name right now ---have his book ---If something really, really stinks to you ----you should NOT take it. That's your body telling you it's not the right thing. If something has no smell or it smells sweet ---then it is probably okay. I've experimented with this technique and it seems to work well for me.

Issie

Interesting info..Thanks! I need to lower my dose of Melatonin.

[Guest maia]

weathermandj, I think kava is safe if not used in obsene amounts. there was a pretty well put around story of a man dying of liver failure and it was blamed on kava. turns out he was using obscene amounts of it including the arial parts. nothing is good in the amounts he was apparently taken and who knows what else was going on... since then its been proven safe.

there were also issues years ago because the chromatography machines that were being used to analyze the chemical constituents could not differentiate between some of most active properties. They were not aware of this at the time, because of this determined the supposed hazards.

The roots are entirely safe as are traditionally prepared beverages. I would avoid the stems, leafs, arial parts;I wouldn't take it in pill form. actually, in my opinion it would be best that any herbal would not be taken in pill form. For dried, brew, infuse, decoct, or tincture them.

I enjoy it often - though only a few sips at a time because my body really takes to it - makes a tea bag last a long time

Enjoy!

Edit: the only thing you should watch out for- and this is a pretty safe bet for any herbal or medication with sedating properties-and actually any herbal or medication with properties that alter your hormones, anxiety, responses to internal or external stimuli, neurotransmitters, etc- is a rebound effect where if you stop suddenly taking something you have taken regularly it can exacerbate or seem to exacerbate the original issue because the herb/med is no longer there masking/minimizing it.. so if you use it all the time, taper when you stop...

Edit again: i had to get up because this was bothering me... just to claify about the above edit. you are taking a lot of things for sleeping/antxiety/adrenals... and this isnt a medical recommendation, just my personal opinion... i have heard these things can have effects when they wear off/when taken together/odd reactions depending on your physiology, etc. i would personally really look into med reactions/interactions/side effects/etc. and how adding something else might affect you or react with what you are already taking before trying something else...

Edited October 13, 2012 by maia
medical advice

[Guest maia]

Issie, where have you heard these?

'You have to be careful with herbs and rotate on and off. They will stop working if used indefinitely.', and 'If something really, really stinks to you ----you should NOT take it.' (sorry, still cant figure out the multi quote thing)

I agree rotating is good with many herbs, and some do change the way they affect you to the point of sometimes no longer having the desired or original effect, and sometimes an herb that seems revolting should not be taken, but as blanket statements, i dont think they are really accurate.

there are always buffeing or synergystic herbs that can alter the effects, there is ones own body chemistry that changes, there are possibilities of environmental interactions, etc... and as you know, herbs dont always work like western meds that are prescribed forever because the body naturally changes and as it changes supplements should change based on that instead of drug the symptoms forever western theories... and of course western meds can stop working too... though the use forever practice works in herbals too sometimes, lol... anyway im babbling... just wondering.

ps, ws looking over your list.. so glad to see you posted re quercetin and mcas. quercetin (and tri salts) is so good for allergic reactions.

[weathermandj]

Thanks @maia.

[issie]

The doctor who proposes the idea with smells is Dr. Lendon Smith, MD. The book I have from him is called "Feed Your Body Right - understanding your individual body chemistry for proper nutrition without guesswork." It's a pretty old book, but info is timeless. He takes individual blood work and dissects it and shows how if you have a normal - in range - reading that doesn't necessarily mean things are okay. His suggestion is the smell test on supplements. He mostly talks about vitamins and minerals, amino acids ---not so much herbals.

As for the herbal rotations and time usage - some of my books and some of the people I've been associated with over the years - have given me this advice. You are right however, that with time probably corrections will occur and we wouldn't need that herb and would need another based on our body's response. Our bodies are like onions and as we start to peel away the layers and correct one thing - something else may show up later. Then we may require a different approach.

The scary thing is that people that really don't know what they are doing with alternative treatments ---THINK ---that you are supposed to get on something and continue to take it ---like docs giving you a med and you being on it for the rest of your life. That's not how it works with herbs. I've known of people who were uninformed do this and instead of it helping them ---in the long run it hurt them. They thought they were doing themselves a great favor - but, their bodies started having issues with the effects of the herbs/supplements. Herbs are very potent --they are like medicines. If you don't know what you're doing with them ---you can mess yourself up. One herb may be beneficial for one issue ---but, the absolute wrong thing for another issue. I guess I get on my soap box about this one! I've seen some people have some real issues from things they were taking, and not being able to figure out what the problem was. I can even give you an example ----I know this man that was having sleep issues. He was told to take melatonin at night before bed. He bought the strongest one there was and started on it. After a time period he started having depression ---not just low moods ---but, a very deep, to the depths of the earth depression. None of the antidepressants used on him worked. Nothing. If you research melatonin - it is a depressant - sedative. With some people their bodies won't come out of this depressed state from sleep and it stays with them through the day. It suppresses the sympathetic nervous system. Just recently Dr. Oz did a show on this - and gave warnings to not take over 1 mg. because of this very reason. Well, the man got off the melatonin and is fine now. Depression lifted and they finally figured out the proper meds for him and his issues. I know this is a fact - cause the man is one of my family members. If he had asked me about it ---I would have known to tell him these things. But, I found out after the fact and after the drama and figured out that he needed to get off the melatonin.

Now, I'm babbling - got me on my soap box . . .so will get off now. Just have to be careful with alternative things. Educate yourself well and know what you're doing.

Issie

[Guest maia]

Oh i have a sneaking suspicion we would enjoy picking eachothers brains a bit!

im very glad your family member got the melatonin thing straightened out! its a scary thing when those situations happen. been there too. its a whole mentality that was taught and neeeds unteaching-i think.

Ill edit this tomorrow with my soap box, which is in pretty much agreement with yours. gtg...

[issie]

Weathermandj,

Notice that there is an edit on maia's response to you. Be careful of adding something as potent as Kava to all the meds you are on. It could be way too much for your body. You really have to be careful adding HERBALS, especially with a whole lot of meds on board. They are VERY potent.

Issie

[ramakentesh]

Food for thought:

kava kava is a potent inhibitor of the norepinephrine transporter which is implicated as a causal factor in a portion of POTS patients. has the potential to make one feel worse rather than better.

[ramakentesh]

have personally found licorice the most helpful herb EVER for POTS. And it has man actions.

Eucommia, astragalus, valarian, rhodiola rosea and rehmannia also helped a little over the years (prescribed by a herbalist ofcourse).

[issie]

have personally found licorice the most helpful herb EVER for POTS. And it has man actions.

T M I LOL

Issie

[kds]

Thanks for this thread. Does anyone know anything about horse chestnut extract, which is apparently used in Europe to treat varicose veins? I'm wondering whether it might help my pooling, but haven't been able to find any docs that know about it and how it might interact with my other meds and supplements.

[issie]

Thanks for this thread. Does anyone know anything about horse chestnut extract, which is apparently used in Europe to treat varicose veins? I'm wondering whether it might help my pooling, but haven't been able to find any docs that know about it and how it might interact with my other meds and supplements.

Rama, tried it and said it was very, very potent and not a good fit for him. Maybe, he will tell what his experience was with it. I've read that it could have some potential problems --as to safety. Not something I wanted to experiment with personally. There is another product from sweet orange rinds (can't think of the name right now ---Life Extension has it) that is supposed to help with the veins. Also, any that helps vein issues - like Vit C and quercetin, rutin. Seems many of us have had issues with varicose veins ---I had mine removed at age 26 ---best thing I ever did. Now they do it with laser - rather then cutting them out. But, I just had the branches of bad veins taken out and left the main one in tact ---in case there is a heart problem later in life.

Issie

[kds]

Thanks for the advice. I had my right greater saphenous vein laser ablated in 2005, at age 35 & before things really went south & I ended up with all my other diagnoses. Ablation definitely helped for a while. My right leg still looks better than the left - no snake river over the foot and ankle, and the toes don't turn black as on the left. But the foot and ankle appear to swell just as much as the left if I don't use compression. My cardiologist opposes another ablation, and I've not talked to a vein specialist since my EDS & other diagnoses. My questions about the varicosities tend to get buried amidst all my other issues, especially because the one's they can see don't look that bad (as these things go), and most of the docs I've talked to think of this as a cosmetic issue. Yet there's a clear link between my arrhythmias, worst potsy symptoms, and pooling. I'll look into the lemon rinds, quercetin and rutin. My veins seem to be rapidly getting worse all over, and I would love to slow the process.

[issie]

I looked that product up from Life Extension it's from sweet orange and is called Diosmin 95 and is used in Europe for varicose veins. I've read good things about it. I have tried it and it did help the appearance of my veins - but, I'm sensitive to citrus - except for lemon and that's why I didn't continue it. Having EDS myself - makes me think that the vascular issues with us could be because of the collagen problems. Working on strengthening collagen structure may be more beneficial then working on veins ---but, then what will work on collagen will work on veins too. So, WIN - WIN.

Issie