Re: Bugleweed - need some advice

[Guest guest]

Hi

The Bugleweed that I use comes from a company called "Herb Pharm" It is a tincture that I dissolve in water. It contains 55% alcohol. The directions say 30-40 drops dissolved in water 2-4 times a day. I startrd at 30 drops twice a day. My labs are now in normal ranges and I haven't been taking it.

Hope this helps

Jane

[Guest guest]

Out of curiosity, what does the lemon balm do? I used to know but

forget, and I imagine you have that info right at your fingertip...

Kate

By the way, when I was hypo, my palpitations were worse than I ever

had when I was hyper. If it were me, I would need to know whether

I was hyper or hypo before I took anything. :-)Just a thought...

Kate

Alison wrote:

I

wonder if you can help me? I have

been weaning myself off carbimazole over the last few weeks and am down

to 1.25 mg/day. However, over the last few days I've felt dizzy again

- (I felt as though I was going to fall over the whole time for 18 months

before I was diagnosed last July) - and I've been getting hot and don't

know whether it's the weather or me - and I've definitely started to get

a lot more palpitations again. However,

my pulse rate is only 60-75 beats per minute. And it's not going

up particularly just because I go up the stairs - like it used to. Anyway,

I've just been for a blood draw, but won't get the results for a week -

and even then it will only be TSH - unless it's out of normal range, in

which case, they will graciously do T3 - it's no use protesting about this

- this is the way the NHS works - my doctor always asks for T3, but they

won't do it if I'm within "normal range". In

the meantime I'm so terrified that I've gone hyper again that I want to

do something about it straight away. I have had bugleweed tea and

tincture for a couple of months, but not used them. I'm going to

start using them now. I've just had a mug of the tea - a bit bitter

I thought, but not complaining if it does the trick. But

the tincture, which I gather is a strength of 1:5 in 25% alcohol - I have

no idea how much to take. I telephoned the shop where it was bought

and they just said that the maximum dose was 3 teaspoons a day - which

isn't terribly helpful really. What would

you suggest? All advice is welcome. Right,

I'm off to have a mug of lemon balm now. Thanking

you in advance,

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I am still on PTU. I am waiting to discuss a reduction in my dosage with my endo, who is slow to respond to my phone calls.

Jane

[Guest guest]

Hello Kate

Lemon balm, I think, is a general 'relaxer' and is often used in order to help get a good night's sleep. There are other claims made for it and I have heard people say that it helps to get T4 down. I'll see if I can find a page to quote. Anyway, it's usually found, together with Bugleweed and Motherwort, as a herbal remedy for Graves. I think other things are sometimes put in the mixture too, eg hawthorn.

I'm really hoping that I am hypo - odd though that sounds - but it's the dizziness/giddiness that worries me in that respect - that was the main thing about me being hyper that led me to pursue a diagnosis - apart from the palpitations.

Re: Bugleweed - need some advice

Out of curiosity, what does the lemon balm do? I used to know but forget, and I imagine you have that info right at your fingertip... Kate By the way, when I was hypo, my palpitations were worse than I ever had when I was hyper. If it were me, I would need to know whether I was hyper or hypo before I took anything. :-)Just a thought... Kate Alison wrote:

I wonder if you can help me? I have been weaning myself off carbimazole over the last few weeks and am down to 1.25 mg/day. However, over the last few days I've felt dizzy again - (I felt as though I was going to fall over the whole time for 18 months before I was diagnosed last July) - and I've been getting hot and don't know whether it's the weather or me - and I've definitely started to get a lot more palpitations again. However, my pulse rate is only 60-75 beats per minute. And it's not going up particularly just because I go up the stairs - like it used to. Anyway, I've just been for a blood draw, but won't get the results for a week - and even then it will only be TSH - unless it's out of normal range, in which case, they will graciously do T3 - it's no use protesting about this - this is the way the NHS works - my doctor always asks for T3, but they won't do it if I'm within "normal range". In the meantime I'm so terrified that I've gone hyper again that I want to do something about it straight away. I have had bugleweed tea and tincture for a couple of months, but not used them. I'm going to start using them now. I've just had a mug of the tea - a bit bitter I thought, but not complaining if it does the trick. But the tincture, which I gather is a strength of 1:5 in 25% alcohol - I have no idea how much to take. I telephoned the shop where it was bought and they just said that the maximum dose was 3 teaspoons a day - which isn't terribly helpful really. What would you suggest? All advice is welcome. Right, I'm off to have a mug of lemon balm now. Thanking you in advance,

[Guest guest]

Here's the page I was looking for - but found it in one of my folders and don't know what the URL is...

Lemon Balm officinalis Lemon balm is originally a native of the Mediterranean area and western Asia, but it has long been popular in Western Europe, including England. Lemon balm is frequently used as an attractive edible garnish, and it can be made into tea. The leaves give off a delightful lemony aroma when they are crushed or torn before the flowers appear, but the taste and odor are altered after flowering. Lemon balm, which has also been referred to as bee balm, sweet balm, or common balm, is used as a remedy for mild insomnia or for digestive discomfort and gas. It has traditionally been used in herbal mixtures to disguise less pleasant tastes and smells. This may have given melissa something of a reputation as a cure-all. The leaves, picked before flowering, are the part of the plant that is used. A cream containing lemon balm extract is used to treat cold sores topically. Active Ingredients The leaves of lemon balm contain a relatively small, but variable, amount of essential oil. Agricultural researchers in New Zealand grew plants with approximately 0.02 percent essential oil. Lemon balm grown in Spain contains up to 0.8 percent essential oil. The European standard calls for at least 0.05 percent essential oil. The composition of the oil itself is complex, with more than seventy ingredients. Notable constituents include citronellal, geranial (citral a), and neral (citral , which together offer most of the characteristic aroma. Other components include flavonoids, especially apigenin, kaempferol, luteolin, and quercetin. Rosmarinic acid constitutes between 4 and 5 percent of lemon balm leaves, and there are small amounts of caffeic and chlorogenic acids. Triterpene compounds include ursolic and oleanolic acids. Uses Lemon balm is taken internally (usually as a tea or infusion) primarily for relaxation. Thus, The PDR for Herbal Medicines declares it is used for "nervous agitation, sleeping problems, and functional gastrointestinal complaints with meteorism" [flatulence]. "Functional" problems are those attributed in part to psychological factors such as stress. Lemon balm is known to stimulate the production of bile. A lemon balm extract injected into mice had sedative properties in tests. Very low doses of the extract in combination with a dose of barbiturate too low to sedate a mouse resulted in sleep. Lemon balm also extended the amount of time mice slept after being given a barbiturate. At high doses, the extract had a pain relieving effect. In the test tube, lemon balm extract is active against herpes simplex virus, influenza viruses, Newcastle disease, and several other viruses. It also appears to act as an antioxidant and free radical scavenger. These research results help support the folk use of lemon balm against colds and its modern use against cold sores. A double-blind clinical trial showed that a 1 percent melissa cream was effective for the topical treatment of cold sores, significantly reducing the size within five days. Test tube studies also demonstrated that the essential oil can prevent or reverse smooth muscle spasm such as guinea pig ileum or rabbit aorta. This would make it useful for treating stomach cramps or menstrual pain. Rosmarinic acid inhibits inflammation both in the test tube and in rat-paw tests. Lemon balm lowers TSH levels in animals and has been used to treat Graves' disease (a condition in which the thyroid gland becomes hyperactive). Rosmarinic acid in lemon balm apparently binds to thyrotropin (TSH) and keeps it from connecting with the gland. This action is relatively weak, however. Dose The tea is made by pouring 1 cup of hot water over 2 g (about 2 teaspoons) of dried leaf, steeping five to ten minutes, and straining. Two to three cups daily are usually consumed, and there is no limit on the duration of treatment. For topical use, a 1 percent cream is applied to the spot from the first tingling hint of a cold sore until it heals, not more than two weeks. Special Precautions No studies have established the safety of lemon balm tea or extract for pregnant women and nursing mothers. Because of its antithyroid activity, it is not recommended. People with thyroid conditions should use lemon balm only under medical supervision. Adverse Effects No side effects are reported in the literature. Possible Interactions Because of the animal research showing that lemon balm extract can potentiate barbiturate action, the herb should be used only with caution, if at all, in combination with sedatives such as Ambien or benzodiazepines as well as barbiturates such as Fiorinal.

[Guest guest]

Hello Jane

Thanks for the advice. Glad to hear it worked for you. Did you use ATDs as well?

Re: Bugleweed - need some advice

Hi The Bugleweed that I use comes from a company called "Herb Pharm" It is a tincture that I dissolve in water. It contains 55% alcohol. The directions say 30-40 drops dissolved in water 2-4 times a day. I startrd at 30 drops twice a day. My labs are now in normal ranges and I haven't been taking it.Hope this helpsJane

[Guest guest]

- when I was very hypo I was dizzy - my blood pressure was way down....

Also there is another illness associated with graves that causes dizziness

- vertigo I think it is called. I have had it 3 times at least.

There are some meds that help a bit and it does go away. I guess

what I'm saying is that you need to know where you stand.

Thanks for the info about lemon balm. I grow it in my back yard.

As I had TAI I no longer have a thyroid for it to affect but wondered if

it was a 'feel good' and 'get more energy' sort of thing.

Kate

Alison wrote:

Hello Kate

Lemon balm, I think, is a general 'relaxer' and is often used in order

to help get a good night's sleep. There are other claims made for

it and I have heard people say that it helps to get T4 down. I'll

see if I can find a page to quote. Anyway, it's usually found, together

with Bugleweed and Motherwort, as a herbal remedy for Graves. I think

other things are sometimes put in the mixture too, eg hawthorn.

I'm really hoping that I am hypo - odd though that sounds - but it's

the dizziness/giddiness that worries me in that respect - that was the

main thing about me being hyper that led me to pursue a diagnosis - apart

from the palpitations.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/2/2002 10:47:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time, moocher@... writes:

Dear ,

If you're worried you're a little hyper again, why not up the dose of ATDs a little and see if it helps?

AntJoan

[Guest guest]

Hello Kate

That's interesting - you being dizzy when you were hypo - I hadn't come across that - mind you, I haven't come across other people being dizzy/giddy/like the world is turning too fast around them - with Graves either. I know it wasn't a particular illness because I had it the WHOLE time before I was diagnosed and up until the carbimazole kicked in. You're right - I do need to know where I stand and I hope that I'm hypo. Mind you, I know when I was definitely hypo in Dec/Jan/Feb I wasn't dizzy, but it could change...

I think the main thing about lemon balm is that it should relax you which is great at any time, but especially with hyperT.

Thanks for the thoughts,

Re: Bugleweed - need some advice

- when I was very hypo I was dizzy - my blood pressure was way down.... Also there is another illness associated with graves that causes dizziness - vertigo I think it is called. I have had it 3 times at least. There are some meds that help a bit and it does go away. I guess what I'm saying is that you need to know where you stand. Thanks for the info about lemon balm. I grow it in my back yard. As I had TAI I no longer have a thyroid for it to affect but wondered if it was a 'feel good' and 'get more energy' sort of thing. Kate Alison wrote: Hello Kate Lemon balm, I think, is a general 'relaxer' and is often used in order to help get a good night's sleep. There are other claims made for it and I have heard people say that it helps to get T4 down. I'll see if I can find a page to quote. Anyway, it's usually found, together with Bugleweed and Motherwort, as a herbal remedy for Graves. I think other things are sometimes put in the mixture too, eg hawthorn. I'm really hoping that I am hypo - odd though that sounds - but it's the dizziness/giddiness that worries me in that respect - that was the main thing about me being hyper that led me to pursue a diagnosis - apart from the palpitations.

[Guest guest]

Hello AntJoan

I was hoping that I could use bugleweed INSTEAD of upping the ATDs as I haven't used the bugleweed at all before and I don't want to have come down as far as I have on the ATDs only to go up again. I just would, very much, prefer to used herbs instead of the ATDs because it means it's more under MY control than some doctor or endo who has to issue prescriptions for the carbimazole.

Thanks for your interest.

Re: Bugleweed - need some advice

In a message dated 5/2/2002 10:47:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time, moocher@... writes:

Dear ,If you're worried you're a little hyper again, why not up the dose of ATDs a little and see if it helps?AntJoan

[Guest guest]

,

Yes, this can work, but you need to go real slow, and get labs every 4 weeks. We sure don't want you loosing ground here.

Bugleweed comes in MANY different strengths, so no one can tell you how much to take.

A good NP to help guide you is a good idea.

Jane's bugleweed says 30 and 40 drops. Mine was 3 drops.

Big difference.

True, we needed different amounts, because of being at different stages of the disease, but there is still a difference in the tincture too.

-Pam-

[Guest guest]

,

Be aware the lemon balm also lowers your T4.

Not so innocent... BUT it is much weaker than Bugleweed.

I agree that dizzy can be both hyper AND hypo..I think it lies in the degree of hyper or hypo.

I felt it more when hypo, but that was because before diagnosis, everything was a big blur... then I was kept hypo for years.( on the ATDs) ..and I knew I was sick...so that is why I 'noticed' it more then.

I was black and blue all the time from misjudging and walking into doorways all the time. <sigh> Yes, dizzy 'can' be hypo. :-( And I hated always having to touch or lean on something, to maintain a sense of balance.

Of course my endo said this was NOT thyroid related. And being a fool with no computer, I believed him for a long time.

-Pam-