Herbal Remedies

[Medea]

..sort of.

I just thought that I'd extend my rather decent collection of knowledge to those who wish to go the holistic route.

I know herbs fairly well. I can reccomend for ailments, as well as hair/skin treatments, even good relaxing salves.

Just ask your questions.

[JaneDead]

-eczema

-allergies - mostly to mold and dust, some seasonal as well

-sinus issues

-cronic body pain - if you want specifics i will pm them to you rather than post

it here. still looking for a remedy for this

-acid reflux/indigestion/heart burn/upset stomach - pretty cronic as well, no matter what i eat.

-sleep problems. as in can't go to sleep most nights and tired all day.

ok i think that is enough for you to handle eh?

[Saephyr]

Fucking mosquito bites from hell!!!!!!!!! HELP :doh

[Onyx]

Fucking mosquito bites from hell!!!!!!!!! HELP  :doh

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Baking soda paste at first (baking soda and water) and then a few hours later wash it off and put on calamine lotion. (ok, that wasn't herbal but it works for me)

[Head Wreck]

what about amputation?

[Medea]

-eczema

-allergies - mostly to mold and dust, some seasonal as well

-sinus issues

-cronic body pain - if you want specifics i will pm them to you rather than post

it here. still looking for a remedy for this

-acid reflux/indigestion/heart burn/upset stomach - pretty cronic as well, no matter what i eat.

-sleep problems. as in can't go to sleep most nights and tired all day.

ok i think that is enough for you to handle eh?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Okay, you have quite a list!

-eczema

First, avoid topical antihistamines and any product ending in "-caine" such as benzocaine, lidocaine, etc.

Second, I would reccomend poultices of Calendula, Comfrey, or Yarrow. Spearmint can be good as well, but it may be too intense and end up causing more inflammation.

To make a poultice, just take one or two ounces of said herb, chop up into bits (you can use a food processor) and apply it to the skin. Use a cloth or bandage to hold it on, probably for no more than 15 minutes at a time.

Also, you can make an herbal bath using these same herbs. You can probably find comfrey and yarrow tea (maybe even calendula) at a local Whole Foods store or GNC. Just dump 3 or 4 bags in your bathwater and rock and roll.

Allergies I won't be able to help you with, unfortunately. As for sinus problems, what kind do you mean? Like nasal discharge, getting clogged up, sinus headaches?

-indigestion/gas

Make or buy a tea of any of the following herbs: Catnip (use the leaves, also sold as catmint, and it is also a fantastic source of vitamin C), fennel (seeds or leaves), lemon verbena (leaves), chamomile (flowers) or peppermint.

-sleep problems

Make or buy a tea with the following mild sedatitives -chamomile, catnip, lemon balm, fennel.

If you have access to loose herbs, a really good night time tea is lemon balm and lavender. I know you think of lavender as just a pretty flower, but it can really put you to sleep as well.

And pm me about the body pain...

[Medea]

Fucking mosquito bites from hell!!!!!!!!! HELP  :doh

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As for the mosquito bites, Onyx is right. The baking powder paste will really soothe a lot of the itch.

[CheezIts]

How can I make myself more palatable? Any herbs go well with cheese crunchies like myself?

[unchaste]

How can I make myself more palatable? Any herbs go well with cheese crunchies like myself?

Cheese is awesome....I find cheese goes well with may things....chicken, garlic, crackers....are you a soft, runny brie or a nice, firm gruyere?

[gothicmom]

how about the headache from hell??

I've had pain for over a week. Today it's unbearable!

[Paper Hearts]

Scotch.

[wheresmypiggy]

Inflamation of the tissue around the heart?

[Medea]

how about the headache from hell??

I've had pain for over a week.  Today it's unbearable!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Feverfew tea. Brew it up fairly strong, letting it seep for 4-5 minutes.

You can also try a milder tea of rosemary. Let this one only steep for 1 or 2 minutes.

Also, and this is more a wiccan thing, so you can choose not to do this, but Amethyst jewelry really help with headaches. It balances the energy of the third eye chakra.

[Medea]

How can I make myself more palatable?  Any herbs go well with cheese crunchies like myself?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually, I have quite a tasty recipe that would probably go quite well with you.

Get some plain, unflavored, yogurt. Dump all or part of it onto a piece of muslin cloth (AKA cheesecloth), tie the muslin to a stick, that you can suspend it over a container. Or you put the muslin wrapped yogurt into a colander, and put that over a container.

Let the fluid drain out over night. When you wake up, the yogurt should be the consistency of soft cream cheese.

You can divide the yogurt-cheese into different containers, and try mixing in these herb combos:

garlic and basil

garlic and chives

sage and chives

dill and lemon balm

basil, garlic, oregano

Or other flavors you may want to experiment with

[Guest Game of Chance]

sore tooth

[Medea]

sore tooth

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Get clove essential oil. Make sure that it is NOT synthetic. Place some oil directly on the tooth. Avoid placing it on the gums, else burning gums will be the thing distracting you from a sore tooth. The clove oil helps with numbing the tooth.

[Medea]

And another thing that I thought some of you gothic types might find useful:

Parsley is a skin whitner. You can buy empty tea bags or sew some out of muslin, chop up enough to fill about 4 or 5 tea bags, toss 'em in the bath for the first ten minutes about two or three times a week, and it'll help get the redness out of your skin.

It's also good for dry hair and dandruff.

[gothicmom]

Feverfew tea.  Brew it up fairly strong, letting it seep for 4-5 minutes. 

You can also try a milder tea of rosemary.  Let this one only steep for 1 or 2 minutes.

Also, and this is more a wiccan thing, so you can choose not to do this, but Amethyst jewelry really help with headaches.  It balances the energy of the third eye chakra.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thankyou! I'll look for some tea to keep in the cupboard for next time.

It's also good for dry hair and dandruff

How would you prepare the parsley for this?

[Medea]

How would you prepare the parsley for this?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There are a couple of ways. One, find a really gentle shampoo, unscented if you can. Baby shampoo works rather well. Then brew up a very strong parsley tea (about 4 or 5 teaspons worth of parsley for a small kettle, steeped for five minutes or more)

Pour enough shampoo out for what you use on your hair, then add two teaspoons of the parsley tea. Mix together, and use like that.

Or you can make an herbal rinse to be used after you wash your hair.

Add about a half cup of the herbal tea to a pint of water, and rinse it through your hair after washing.

Another dry hair/dandruff solution is to use herbal vinegar. The vinegar also helps to balance your scalp's pH, as well as help with the dandruff.

To make herbal vinegar, get a glass jar of whatever size, and fill it with chopped up herbs. Pour white vinegar over it to cover the herbs, and then close the jar and let sit overnight or longer (longer obviously leading to stronger potency). The herbs will cover the scent of the vinegar.

After letting the herbiness soak into the vinegar, strain out the plants. Bottle up the vinegar and use!

Other good herbs you can substitute for parsley:

Dry hair- Comfrey, Marsh Mallow (yes, it's actually a plant) or Sage.

Dandruff control- Chamomile, Rosemary, and Southernwood

One thing about the Chamomile though, it is a also a hair lightener, so good for blondes, not so great if you're a brunette.

Opposite goes for sage. Brunettes should adore it, blondes should stay away, unless they want a darker blonde.

[Medea]

Get clove essential oil.  Make sure that it is NOT synthetic.  Place some oil directly on the tooth.  Avoid placing it on the gums, else burning gums will be the thing distracting you from a sore tooth.  The clove oil helps with numbing the tooth.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can also try peppermint essential oil. Be careful though, some people are allergic to the undiluted menthol.

[Medea]

Inflamation of the tissue around the heart?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sweetheart, that is something way beyond herbal remedies. Is there some sort of medication you have for that?

[Medea]

Also, dynomiiite, for your insomnia, a nice hot bath with a few bags of lavender tea thrown in before bed should really help.

[Guest Game of Chance]

You can also try peppermint essential oil.  Be careful though, some people are allergic to the undiluted menthol.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

awesome, thanks =)

[unchaste]

know any good aphrodisiacs? :whistling

[wheresmypiggy]

Sweetheart, that is something way beyond herbal remedies.  Is there some sort of medication you have for that?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nothing they can do for me. Just relax they say.