First Time Herb User .... Worried, Confused..Just Not Sure

Good afternoon everyone!

Today I was on one of the groups that I frequent and responded to a post about herbs and how they can affect you,  This person is new to using herbs. The post made me think about how may other people might just have that same question so I though well I'll blog about it and hopefully some can find this useful!

So the post was about if herbs have side effects, allergic reactions, if the ER knows about herbs, and what  herbs can be harmful regarding drug interactions. Today I'm going to cover what I have learned in these areas and what you should have on hand when making medications for yourself or for your family.

The first thing you should get a hold of is a really good reference, that has a lot of herbs listed in it, one that has the names of each herb (or serveral names) and what each one of its properties are so you can learn what each herb can be used for. Some of these books have simple recipes in them but the more you learn about your herbs the better you can come up with new treatments, so having something to refer to is wise.

The next thing, that is a must for everyone who makes medications, is a journal or a notebook so you can write down what you mixed together and how much. Another very useful reason for the notebook is so that when you do complete a treatment you can keep track of how much is used and what side effect it may have, if you treat more than just yourself then keep the reactions of those you gave it to so you are aware of a general side effect for that herb treatment.

Once you have some information about some different herbs and how they can be used, start practicing!

Regarding side effects and interactions; anyone can be allergic to anything it depends on the person. So if you know you have common allergies to plants then I would recommend a scratch test to find out what you should not use but only if you know your have bad allergies. Most herbs don't have side effects or they are very mild but the ones that do have properties that may be harmful are clearly stated in your reference, and do be aware that some herbs that are harmless can still cause problems. Peppermint is one like that, its mostly harmless but should not be taken more than 2 times a day for up to a week or you could hurt your heart, another is thyme; we use this everyday in cooking but when in a medication if you use to much you can over simulate your thyroid. The reference can be very useful.

OK when it comes to drug interactions once again it depends on what you are taking, I am on a medication called Gabapentin its a nerve block and I use herbs for most other things instead of pills because of side effects but if your super worried or you just don't want to risk it you can call your local pharmacy and ask them what herbs would interact with what your currently taking and they will tell you, and you just avoid theses herbs, you can also look this up online.

With any Emergency room as long as you tell the doctor or aid what you have taken then the doctor or aid should know what those plant properties are and will be able to assist you if you need them.

With the study of herbs I recommend that if you are new to making your own treatments find people who have been at the practice for some time as an additional resource. Enjoy the plants that nature gives you and learn to recognize what plants you need in the wild and find a good herb dealer for the herbs you can't find near you!

 I hope that this clears up some questions and please once again feel free to comment add something or write me with questions.

~Blessed Be`