Re: Allergies or common cold

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/14/00 8:05:38 AM Central Daylight Time,

bonnerm@... writes:

<< Subj: Allergies or common cold

Date: 10/14/00 8:05:38 AM Central Daylight Time

From: bonnerm@... (Bonner McCollum)

Reply-to: hyperthyroidismegroups

hyperthyroidismegroups

AntJoan, if it's raining a lot in your area of the country, mold spores can

be a real problem. We're not getting much rain, so I attribute my symptoms

to allergy-related respiratory problems: stuffed-up, with lots of sneezing

and nose-blowing, coughing and a really sore throat. I don't usually get a

sore throat and am wondering if I have an old-fashioned bad cold. Who knows

the difference? I bought Vitamin C lozenges and Stress B-Complex to try to

boost my immunities. I hope the zinc level is not too high to counteract the

copper. 24:3 mg. Both say they're 150% of the daily requirement. Does

anyone have stories to tell about echinaecea (sp) and whether it really

works?

There is conflicting advice about over-the counter drugs I can take, while

on PTU. My doctor's nurse said I could use Benadryl. When my symptoms got

worse, I asked my pharmacist if I could use " Sudafed Severe Cold Remedy. "

He indicated I could use the " regular " Sudafed. I asked what the difference

was and he said antihystamine ... DUH! Benadryl IS AN ANTIHYSTAMINE! Who

has information on this subject?

=====

Bonner

>>

Bonner, they said me taking echinaecea could have actually made me worse. I

was taking sudafed and my endo and regular MD said no sudafed however

Benadryl is fine...Kim

[Guest guest]

Hi Bonner,

I can definitely beat a cold if I take massive amounts of echinacea, Vitamin

C and zinc lozenges. I have trouble with zinc, but for some reason I can

tolerate the lozenges for a couple of days. I take them every 2 hours

throughout the day, for no more than 2 or 3 days. The key is catching it at

the onset, if you want to stop the virus in its tracks, but once you've got

symptoms these things will still help. They've done studies that show that

echinacea alone will reduce the duration of a cold by half. I'm also doing a

little research on colloidal silver and am pretty intrigued by it's virus and

bacteria fighting abilities. It's a bit controversial, but if you go to the

www.ithyroid.com site, you'll see a couple of threads about it there. It

might be just the thing to stop your cold, and taking it for a day or two,

certainly shouldn't hurt.

Hope you feel better soon.

penny

[Guest guest]

Dear Bonner,

I think Benadryl is OK for us, but Sudafed isn't, although I don't know which

ingredient is the problem. Some people on this board know this, though,

because it's been discussed before. As for eccenacia (sp?) (I spelled it

worse than you did), I found I was allergic to it, even though everyone said

to take it. Then I read an article in a magazine that warned people not to

take it, as some people who hadn't been allergic developed an allergy to it,

and those who were allergic to the daisy family (or is it the the dandelion

family?--botany definitely is not my thing) were allergic to it anyway. This

was yet another time after my hyperT episode that I was correct when I knew

that the symptoms weren't just " all in my head. " Where does this leave us

for colds/allergies? For colds and sinus problems, wild oil of oregano is

supposed to be good--supposedly it kills yeasts, bacteria, viruses, etc. You

can buy it in the health food store and then either gargle with it by putting

a few drops in warm salt water, or put a few drops directly under the tongue.

For sinuses, put a few drops around the nostrils (don't let it get into the

nose--it'll burn like hell!) to breathe in. Just coat the nostrils first

with petroleum jelly. Ginger tea made from shredded ginger root is also good

for colds, as are garlic and onions, which kill viruses and bacteria.

I'm still waiting for a good cure for allergies.

AntJoan

[Guest guest]

Hi, Penny! I used to take zinc lozenges before I had reason to question

whether they were good for my condition. The ones I've been taking are

Hall's Vitamin C, rather than zinc. I always thought echinacea was an " old

fashioned remedy, " but one that worked. I still have a few symptoms, but I'm

MUCH improved, so whatever I did MUST have been right. As I said, I'm not

certain whether I had a cold or allergy-induced symptoms, so my " treatment

plan " may be different each time I'm impacted.

=====

Bonner

Re: Allergies or common cold

> Hi Bonner,

>

> I can definitely beat a cold if I take massive amounts of echinacea,

Vitamin

> C and zinc lozenges. I have trouble with zinc, but for some reason I can

> tolerate the lozenges for a couple of days. I take them every 2 hours

> throughout the day, for no more than 2 or 3 days. The key is catching it

at

> the onset, if you want to stop the virus in its tracks, but once you've

got

> symptoms these things will still help. They've done studies that show that

> echinacea alone will reduce the duration of a cold by half. I'm also doing

a

> little research on colloidal silver and am pretty intrigued by it's virus

and

> bacteria fighting abilities. It's a bit controversial, but if you go to

the

> www.ithyroid.com site, you'll see a couple of threads about it there. It

> might be just the thing to stop your cold, and taking it for a day or two,

> certainly shouldn't hurt.

>

> Hope you feel better soon.

>

> penny

>

[Guest guest]

Echinacea isn't recommended for patients with active autoimmune disease since

it stimulates the immune system. People in remission or who are hypothyroid

can take it for short intervals. Many people have allergies to echinacea

though so you have to be careful with it since more than 50% of GD patients

have allergies and new ones can develop at any time.

[Guest guest]

Hi Bonner,

Imagine my surprise last week when my daughter's pediatrician prescribed

echinacea for her a nasty cold and huge tonsils! I definitely believe it

works. Zinc would probably not be such a great idea for anyone who's hyper,

but perhaps on a very limited basis it would be okay? I don't know. Glad

you're feeling better.

Penny

[Guest guest]

Hi Elaine, I'm hypo but I learn a lot from this list which I found through

ithyroid. I also really appreciate the time you spend sharing your knowledge

with us. I am confused by your statement regarding echinacea not being good

for people with autoimmune disorders, but that hypos can take it. The vast

majority of hypos (other than those who are hypo because of surgery or RAI)

also have the antibodies which places them in the autoimmune category as

well. I know that ATDs work by suppressing the immune system, but I'm not

sure that it's an overactive immune system that's the problem, but more a

symptom of a deeper problem. So I'm wondering if echinacea really is

something to be avoided by people with AI disorders. I know personally I have

no adverse reaction to it. I CAN'T handle any type of ephedra or

pseudophedrine (decongestant, sudafed etc.) at all. I've learned that most

hypos are sensitive to it and that it can cause problems with the heart.

Hypos are advised to never take it, but I've heard no mention o

f problems with antihistamines. I'm curious if you have any additional

information on the subject.

Thanks,

Penny

[Guest guest]

Hi Penny,

I actually was thinking of hypo people like me (post RAI) when I wrote that,

although people with autoimmune hypothyroidism, unlike hyperthyroidism, do

have a lot of cell mediated tissue destruction, besides the antibody effect.

Then again, Dr. Weil doesn't consider echinacea an immune stimulant. He

considers it an enhancer. I took echinacea off and on for many years before

my GD diagnosis and it didn't aggravate what few GD symptoms I had. But ever

since they start putting the autoimmune warning labels on the product, I've

been inclined to think that it could hurt people with active hyper symptoms.

I've never read that echinacea increased autoantibody production but it

apparently causes an increase in CD4 T cells. The problem in Graves' is the

low amount of CD8 suppressor cells, so having increased CD4 cells makes the

balance even worse.

[Guest guest]

I thought Echinacea was off limits for hyperTs!!! I thought I read this

somewhere. Elaine, do you know about this? My allergies are a real bother

right now but I don't take anything. I used to take Rynatan but it was

short acting so I just quit. Also my eyes are " bothering " me a bit for some

reason. I can feel that little annoying " movement " in the forehead and

between my eyes. I get retested in two weeks so hope I'm still in the

normal range....when my levels are hyper my eyes will act up. Anyway, can

someone enlighten me about the Echinacea? Thanks, Mona

Re: Allergies or common cold

Hi, Penny! I used to take zinc lozenges before I had reason to question

whether they were good for my condition. The ones I've been taking are

Hall's Vitamin C, rather than zinc. I always thought echinacea was an " old

fashioned remedy, " but one that worked. I still have a few symptoms, but I'm

MUCH improved, so whatever I did MUST have been right. As I said, I'm not

certain whether I had a cold or allergy-induced symptoms, so my " treatment

plan " may be different each time I'm impacted.

=====

Bonner

Re: Allergies or common cold

> Hi Bonner,

>

> I can definitely beat a cold if I take massive amounts of echinacea,

Vitamin

> C and zinc lozenges. I have trouble with zinc, but for some reason I can

> tolerate the lozenges for a couple of days. I take them every 2 hours

> throughout the day, for no more than 2 or 3 days. The key is catching it

at

> the onset, if you want to stop the virus in its tracks, but once you've

got

> symptoms these things will still help. They've done studies that show that

> echinacea alone will reduce the duration of a cold by half. I'm also doing

a

> little research on colloidal silver and am pretty intrigued by it's virus

and

> bacteria fighting abilities. It's a bit controversial, but if you go to

the

> www.ithyroid.com site, you'll see a couple of threads about it there. It

> might be just the thing to stop your cold, and taking it for a day or two,

> certainly shouldn't hurt.

>

> Hope you feel better soon.

>

> penny

>

[Guest guest]

Regarding Echinacea: I bought a bottle the last time I had a cold, but never

used it because on the label it says: " caution: Not recommended for

individuals with auto-immune conditions " .

[Guest guest]

http://www.lef.org/cgi-bin/library/searchindex/query.pl?keywords=thyroid & det

ail=yes & swishindex=magazine.index

Some interesting articles on Thyroid and Life Extension, if interested!

Might not have anything to do with what your talking about, but wanted the

group to go there!

> Re: Allergies or common cold

>

>

> Hi, Penny! I used to take zinc lozenges before I had reason to question

> whether they were good for my condition. The ones I've been taking are

> Hall's Vitamin C, rather than zinc. I always thought echinacea was an " old

> fashioned remedy, " but one that worked. I still have a few symptoms, but

> I'm

> MUCH improved, so whatever I did MUST have been right. As I said, I'm not

> certain whether I had a cold or allergy-induced symptoms, so my " treatment

> plan " may be different each time I'm impacted.

>

> =====

> Bonner

> Re: Allergies or common cold

>

>

> > Hi Bonner,

> >

> > I can definitely beat a cold if I take massive amounts of echinacea,

> Vitamin

> > C and zinc lozenges. I have trouble with zinc, but for some reason I can

> > tolerate the lozenges for a couple of days. I take them every 2 hours

> > throughout the day, for no more than 2 or 3 days. The key is catching it

> at

> > the onset, if you want to stop the virus in its tracks, but once you've

> got

> > symptoms these things will still help. They've done studies that show

> that

> > echinacea alone will reduce the duration of a cold by half. I'm also

> doing

> a

> > little research on colloidal silver and am pretty intrigued by it's

> virus

> and

> > bacteria fighting abilities. It's a bit controversial, but if you go to

> the

> > www.ithyroid.com site, you'll see a couple of threads about it there. It

> > might be just the thing to stop your cold, and taking it for a day or

> two,

> > certainly shouldn't hurt.

> >

> > Hope you feel better soon.

> >

> > penny

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

THANKS!!

Re: Allergies or common cold

>

>

> Hi, Penny! I used to take zinc lozenges before I had reason to question

> whether they were good for my condition. The ones I've been taking are

> Hall's Vitamin C, rather than zinc. I always thought echinacea was an " old

> fashioned remedy, " but one that worked. I still have a few symptoms, but

> I'm

> MUCH improved, so whatever I did MUST have been right. As I said, I'm not

> certain whether I had a cold or allergy-induced symptoms, so my " treatment

> plan " may be different each time I'm impacted.

>

> =====

> Bonner

> Re: Allergies or common cold

>

>

> > Hi Bonner,

> >

> > I can definitely beat a cold if I take massive amounts of echinacea,

> Vitamin

> > C and zinc lozenges. I have trouble with zinc, but for some reason I can

> > tolerate the lozenges for a couple of days. I take them every 2 hours

> > throughout the day, for no more than 2 or 3 days. The key is catching it

> at

> > the onset, if you want to stop the virus in its tracks, but once you've

> got

> > symptoms these things will still help. They've done studies that show

> that

> > echinacea alone will reduce the duration of a cold by half. I'm also

> doing

> a

> > little research on colloidal silver and am pretty intrigued by it's

> virus

> and

> > bacteria fighting abilities. It's a bit controversial, but if you go to

> the

> > www.ithyroid.com site, you'll see a couple of threads about it there. It

> > might be just the thing to stop your cold, and taking it for a day or

> two,

> > certainly shouldn't hurt.

> >

> > Hope you feel better soon.

> >

> > penny

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Penny, good to hear from you. I'm seeing a pyschologist now to help me deal

with anger and anxiety. Interestingly enough, she recommended B (stress)

vitamins, but ONLY with food. She said they can only be properly

assimilated when there are nutrients in the system. I've always taken them

in the A.M. with coffee and juice, as I'm not a breakfast eater. I'm

thinking of taking them with lunch now. She also suggested I gradually

switch from caffeinated coffee to de-caf. I ususally drink 2-3 mugs per

morning and " turn in " my mug at 10:00 A.M. because I can really feel the

effects of caffeine if I have too much. Thank goodness I don't have to

worry about giving up tea and sodas, as they're not part of my " dietary

plan. "

We're going to work on stress-reduction techniques and cognitive behavioral

therapy as adjuncts to feeling better. I'm looking forward to learning more

new things. I wish there were an " echinecea " for emotional upsets! Take

care ...

Bonner

[Guest guest]

> We're going to work on stress-reduction techniques and cognitive behavioral

> therapy as adjuncts to feeling better. I'm looking forward to learning more

> new things. I wish there were an " echinecea " for emotional upsets!

Like St. 's Wort?

[Guest guest]

Does St. 's Wort REALLY work? I haven't tried it, but would be willing

to do so if I got confirmation that it DOES help symptoms of depression and

anxiety. It's not one which is contra-indicated with HyperT, right? I'm a

bit challenged by certain websites and how to obtain information, so I

depend largely on this board to help me through this process. Thanks for

everyone's participation!

=====

Bonner

Re: Allergies or common cold

> > We're going to work on stress-reduction techniques and cognitive

behavioral

> > therapy as adjuncts to feeling better. I'm looking forward to learning

more

> > new things. I wish there were an " echinecea " for emotional upsets!

>

> Like St. 's Wort?

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

n,

Wow, what a great echinacea report. I saved it to use as a reference. thanks.

[Guest guest]

You can go to www.mothernature.com, access the library and ask about any

health related stuff, they seem to have almost anything. Here's something

from there library.

Clearly St. 's Wort's most prevalent medicinal use is as an

antidepressant. Studies, mostly conducted in Germany,

have found that

St. 's Wort reduces feelings of depression,

anxiety, and apathy.

Researchers are not totally sure how St. 's Wort

chemically acts on

the brain as a treatment for depression, but they

believe that components

of the herb that may impact depression include

hypericin, hyperforin,

xanthones and flavonoids. St. 's Wort appears to

be most effective for

mild to moderate depression rather than for severe

depression.

The only known potential side effect of St. 's

Wort is that it may cause

phototoxicity in fair-skinned people, and it

therefore may be prudent for

these people not to expose themselves to strong

sunlight when taking the

herb. At the same time, however, there have been no

reported cases of

phototoxicity in humans despite its wide use in

Europe. In a study of 3,250

people using St. 's Wort, only 2.4 percent

experienced side effects of

any kind. To date, no studies have examined the

long-term effects of using

the herb.

Due to St. 's Wort's growing popularity,

researchers in the United

Studies have began taking interest in the botanical.

For instance, the

National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently launched

the first U.S. clinical

trial of St. 's Wort. Previous studies on St.

's Wort include:

An oft-cited review of 23 clinical trials in the

British Medical Journal

found that St. 's Wort is more effective

than placebo in treating

mild to moderate depression. The authors also

concluded that St.

's Wort appears to be comparably effective

to many

pharmaceutical antidepressants while producing

fewer side effects.5

The October 1994 issue of the Journal of

Geriatric Psychiatry and

Neurology is devoted to St. 's Wort and

contains more than a

dozen articles on the herb, including

effectiveness, potential side

effects, pharmacology and pharmaceutical quality

of extracts.7

A clinical trial in the United States examined

the antiviral properties

of St. 's Wort.8

A study of comparative analyses of hypericin and

amentoflavane in

St. 's Wort extracts revealed a possible

correlation between the

amentoflavone concentration and the inhibition

of flumazenil binding.

For hypericin, no correlation was observed. This

finding indicates

that amentoflavone may have a role in the

antidepressant effects of

St. 's Wort.9

Researchers isolated four new xanthones from the

roots of a

species of St. 's Wort. Some of these

xanthones exhibited

antifungal activity against Candida albicans.10

A German study found that St. 's Wort

extract caused a 50

percent inhibition of serotonin uptake by rat

synaptosomes. The

researchers concluded that the antidepressant

activity of the extract

is due to an inhibition of serotonin uptake by

postsynaptic

receptors.11

> Re: Allergies or common cold

>

> Does St. 's Wort REALLY work? I haven't tried it, but would be

> willing

> to do so if I got confirmation that it DOES help symptoms of depression

> and

> anxiety. It's not one which is contra-indicated with HyperT, right? I'm

> a

> bit challenged by certain websites and how to obtain information, so I

> depend largely on this board to help me through this process. Thanks for

> everyone's participation!

>

> =====

> Bonner

>

> Re: Allergies or common cold

>

>

> > > We're going to work on stress-reduction techniques and cognitive

> behavioral

> > > therapy as adjuncts to feeling better. I'm looking forward to learning

> more

> > > new things. I wish there were an " echinecea " for emotional upsets!

> >

> > Like St. 's Wort?

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I'm surprised your psychologist hasn't required you to give up tea and sodas

as the have caffeine in them also. There's St. 's Wort and Kava Kava

out there that might help without any side effects, and exercise would take

care of your anger and anxiety, just even going for a walk would be

wonderful for your aura.

> Re: Allergies or common cold

>

> Penny, good to hear from you. I'm seeing a pyschologist now to help me

> deal

> with anger and anxiety. Interestingly enough, she recommended B (stress)

> vitamins, but ONLY with food. She said they can only be properly

> assimilated when there are nutrients in the system. I've always taken them

> in the A.M. with coffee and juice, as I'm not a breakfast eater. I'm

> thinking of taking them with lunch now. She also suggested I gradually

> switch from caffeinated coffee to de-caf. I ususally drink 2-3 mugs per

> morning and " turn in " my mug at 10:00 A.M. because I can really feel the

> effects of caffeine if I have too much. Thank goodness I don't have to

> worry about giving up tea and sodas, as they're not part of my " dietary

> plan. "

>

> We're going to work on stress-reduction techniques and cognitive

> behavioral

> therapy as adjuncts to feeling better. I'm looking forward to learning

> more

> new things. I wish there were an " echinecea " for emotional upsets! Take

> care ...

>

> Bonner

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Have you read the book " Instant Emotional Healing " by Lambrou & Pratt? I

just purchased the book and it's very interesting. It helps people to

overcome anger, phobias, etc. It was someone on this bulletin board that

recommended this book.

Re: Allergies or common cold

>

> Penny, good to hear from you. I'm seeing a pyschologist now to help me

> deal

> with anger and anxiety. Interestingly enough, she recommended B (stress)

> vitamins, but ONLY with food. She said they can only be properly

> assimilated when there are nutrients in the system. I've always taken them

> in the A.M. with coffee and juice, as I'm not a breakfast eater. I'm

> thinking of taking them with lunch now. She also suggested I gradually

> switch from caffeinated coffee to de-caf. I ususally drink 2-3 mugs per

> morning and " turn in " my mug at 10:00 A.M. because I can really feel the

> effects of caffeine if I have too much. Thank goodness I don't have to

> worry about giving up tea and sodas, as they're not part of my " dietary

> plan. "

>

> We're going to work on stress-reduction techniques and cognitive

> behavioral

> therapy as adjuncts to feeling better. I'm looking forward to learning

> more

> new things. I wish there were an " echinecea " for emotional upsets! Take

> care ...

>

> Bonner

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Echinacea

When you catch a cold or wince with the pain of an

ear infection, your

body is like a neighborhood invaded by unsavory

characters.

In your body, viruses and bacteria are the bad guys.

The cops are your

white blood cells, and the S.W.A.T. team is made up

of snuff-out cells

called phagocytes. These specialized cells roam

through your

circulatory system on a special mission, ingesting

and destroying

specific substances, like viruses and bacteria, that

could do harm to

your body. This process is called phagocytosis, and

by the time it's

complete, few foreign invaders are left in the

neighborhood.

If you want to take out a cold virus or prevent an

ear infection, you need

the body's equivalent of a beefed-up police force.

It's time to send out

the call for more phagocytes-and echinacea can help

you do that.

In the Trenches of Germ Warfare

There are several herbs that act as

immunostimulants-botanical

medicines that help your body fight off illness by

bolstering its natural defenses. Echinacea is the

best-known of these herbs and the one with the most

scientific evidence behind it.

This North American plant kicks your immune system

into high gear. Echinacea can stop a cold,

influenza, or bacterial infection before it can

spread in the body. It can also shorten the duration and

lessen the symptoms of the infection, says Alison

Lee, M.D., a pain-management specialist and

medical director of Barefoot Doctors, an alternative

medicine practice in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

" I recommend that people carry a tincture of

echinacea with them and start taking it as the package

directs at the first sign of a cold. It's really

effective right at the beginning of an infection, " says Dr.

Lee.

Echinacea may kill some viruses and bacteria

directly, but it is also known to arm the immune

system to do the dirty work, she says.

Your Immune System on Mocha Java

When you take echinacea, your immune system responds

as if it had just downed several cups of

strong Colombian coffee. It can't sit still.

Echinacea speeds up the process of phagocytosis and

increases the number of white blood cells-natural

killer cells-hunting down foreign particles such

as viruses and bacteria in your body.

" Your natural killer cells are the cops who come and

say, 'Who's in the neighborhood that doesn't

belong here? Let's get rid of them,' " explains

Dentali, Ph.D., a natural products chemist with

Dentali Associates in Troutdale, Oregon, and a

member of the advisory board of the American

Botanical Council.

Echinacea works on another level of the immune

system as well. It seems to prevent the action of

an enzyme called hyaluronidase. When you're sick,

this enzyme breaks down the walls of healthy

cells, allowing the invaders to get inside. By

interfering with this enzyme, echinacea helps the body

maintain its lines of defense in the deadly game of

germ warfare, says Dr. Dentali.

" There's still some debate over the actual

mechanism. Maybe it inhibits the enzyme, or perhaps it

supports the cell wall so it's a more formidable

barrier and harder to penetrate. No one really

knows, " he says, " but the result is that it seems to

slow down the spread of infection in the body. "

SUPPLEMENT SNAPSHOT

Echinacea

Botanical names: Echinacea purpurea, E.

angustifolia, and E. pallida.

May help: Low immunity, celiac disease,

diverticulitis, chronic fatigue syndrome,

colds and flu, genital herpes, bronchitis, ear

infections, laryngitis, and cystitis.

Special instructions: Use at the first signs of a

cold or other infection, not as a

long-term preventive.

Origin: Native to the Great Plains and southern

United States; currently scarce in the

wild but cultivated in the United States and Europe.

Cautions and possible side effects: Not recommended

for people with autoimmune

diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or

multiple sclerosis. Do not use if you

are allergic to plants in the daisy family, such as

chamomile and marigold. Consult

your doctor before using for longer than eight

weeks.

Echinacea has antiviral, antifungal,

anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. Although taken

internally, it can also be used topically on wounds

or inflamed skin. It has been used to treat

candida, a maddening yeast infection, and in some

cases used as a mouthwash to treat gingivitis.

Handy for Bites and Stings

There are several medicinal species of echinacea.

All are native to the Great Plains and southern

United States, but they are becoming scarce in the

wild today due to overharvesting by paid

gatherers. Some medicinal supplies come from

cultivated fields in the United States and Europe.

One species, Echinacea purpurea, is a herbaceous

plant three to four feet in height with reddish,

purple, or pinkish flowers. It is commonly called

purple coneflower, black Sampson, or Kansas

snakeroot. The leaves, roots, and flowers are the

medicinal parts of this plant.

North American Indians were the first to use another

species, E. angustifolia, as a medicine to treat

snakebite, toothache, sore throats, respiratory

ailments, and skin wounds. In the 1700s, European

settlers applied it to saddle sores on their horses.

It wasn't until a century later on the Great Plains

that echinacea became better known as medicine.

In Nebraska, Dr. H. C. F. Meyer created Meyer's

Blood Purifier, a concoction of echinacea root

extract, hops, and wormwood. Dr. Meyer touted his

patent medicine as being " valuable for the bites

of serpents and insect stings, " and it became quite

popular. Within a few decades, echinacea

became the most widely used medicinal plant in the

country. It got an unlooked-for marketing boost

when Louis Pasteur discovered that many diseases and

conditions were caused by germs. Then its

advocates could say that echinacea was a germ

killer.

In that era, echinacea was thought by physicians to

be a treatment for many infectious diseases. By

the 1930s, however, it fell out of favor, partly

because some of its supporters linked it with the

outdated idea that germs were generated

spontaneously within the blood.

Meanwhile, in Germany . . .

While Americans' interest waned, however, Europeans'

continued. Researchers from one German

company started to import echinacea seeds from North

America. Eventually, they discovered that

they were growing and testing E. purpurea rather

than E. angustifolia, which was the most widely

used species. As a result, nearly all of the

scientific research conducted with echinacea in the last

50 years has been on that species. Most of those

studies use a formulated ethanol extract-that is,

an extract mixed with alcohol. The medicinal extract

is made from the aerial parts (leaves and

flowers) of the plant.

In Germany in 1994, there were more than 300

echinacea preparations on the market, and doctors

wrote 2.5 million prescriptions for this herb alone.

" It's funny how, in the early part of this century,

echinacea was widely used by Americans. It was in

most people's medicine cabinets, and then it fell

out of fashion, " says Dr. Dentali. " Now, it's back,

partly because it's been proven safe and effective

in Germany. "

Special Effects

Although dozens of studies prove echinacea's

effectiveness as an immune stimulator, scientists still

aren't certain which active ingredients are

responsible. Some evidence, however, points to a group of

polysaccharides, a combination of different kinds of

sugar molecules. By conducting lab tests and

injecting the plant sugars directly into humans,

researchers have found that polysaccharides

increase phagocytosis.

In addition, echinacea contains many other compounds

that seem to have antiviral properties and a

gearing-up effect on the immune system. " With herbs,

it not always possible to isolate all of the

active ingredients, " says Dr. Dentali. But the

research on echinacea is leading to a better

understanding of how it works, he points out.

As for which species of echinacea is the more

powerful medicine for your immune system, that isn't

known yet. Suffice it to say that the major

medicinal species of echinacea appear to have similar

benefits. Perhaps the species of the future will be

a hybrid.

Picking Your Fighters

In health food stores, you'll probably find dozens

of echinacea products. The herb comes as a

tincture, a freeze-dried extract in capsules or

tablets, and a simple herb powder packaged in

capsules.

Look at the labels carefully, says Brett,

N.D., a naturopathic doctor at the Wilton

Naturopathic Center in Stratford, Connecticut. There

have been problems with adulteration-that is,

replacing echinacea with less potent herbs. The

ground-up roots of Missouri snakeroot are

sometimes passed off as echinacea.

Your best bet is to look for a label that says

explicitly that the product contains the leaves and

flowers of E. purpurea or the roots of E.

angustifolia. Sometimes, you'll find products containing both

varieties as well as E. pallida. If you do, that's

fine.

" Echinacea tincture also has a distinctive buzz to

it. The more root in the mixture, the stronger the

sting, " says Dr. Dentali. " It ought to make your

tongue tingle and numb your mouth. "

A Dose Will Do You

At the onset of a cold or flu, you may want to take

an extra amount to kick your immune system

into overdrive, says Dr. Brett. In the first 24

hours of an illness, she recommends two capsules every

4 hours or 30 drops of tincture every 3 hours.

The revved-up effect, however, is short-lived.

Research suggests that echinacea loses its

effectiveness with continuous use. Consequently, you

will want to use it only when you feel a cold

coming on or when your immune system is weakened by

stress, says Dr. Brett.

" It's not a good idea to take this on a daily basis.

If everyone in your office is sick, however, and you

have no doubt that you're going to get sick, you can

take it as a prophylactic, " she says. " Just

remember that it's most potent in those first few

days that you take it. "

If you have an autoimmune disease such as lupus or

rheumatoid arthritis, you should be cautious,

says Dr. Lee. " These diseases are partly due to an

already overactive immune system. Anything

that stimulates the immune system may, in theory, be

harmful, " she says. " You may be able to use

echinacea really short-term, but I'd consider other

choices, such as zinc. "

Previous Chapter

from the book

Nature's Medicines

Next Chapter

> Re: Allergies or common cold

>

>

> Hi, Penny! I used to take zinc lozenges before I had reason to question

> whether they were good for my condition. The ones I've been taking are

> Hall's Vitamin C, rather than zinc. I always thought echinacea was an " old

> fashioned remedy, " but one that worked. I still have a few symptoms, but

> I'm

> MUCH improved, so whatever I did MUST have been right. As I said, I'm not

> certain whether I had a cold or allergy-induced symptoms, so my " treatment

> plan " may be different each time I'm impacted.

>

> =====

> Bonner

> Re: Allergies or common cold

>

>

> > Hi Bonner,

> >

> > I can definitely beat a cold if I take massive amounts of echinacea,

> Vitamin

> > C and zinc lozenges. I have trouble with zinc, but for some reason I can

> > tolerate the lozenges for a couple of days. I take them every 2 hours

> > throughout the day, for no more than 2 or 3 days. The key is catching it

> at

> > the onset, if you want to stop the virus in its tracks, but once you've

> got

> > symptoms these things will still help. They've done studies that show

> that

> > echinacea alone will reduce the duration of a cold by half. I'm also

> doing

> a

> > little research on colloidal silver and am pretty intrigued by it's

> virus

> and

> > bacteria fighting abilities. It's a bit controversial, but if you go to

> the

> > www.ithyroid.com site, you'll see a couple of threads about it there. It

> > might be just the thing to stop your cold, and taking it for a day or

> two,

> > certainly shouldn't hurt.

> >

> > Hope you feel better soon.

> >

> > penny

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi:

Does anyone know if it is harmful to take st johns wort if you are pregnant?

[Guest guest]

The most common side effects from taking St. 's Wort include

nausea, stomach ache, lack of appetite, and

tiredness.

A minuscule percentage of people taking high

daily doses of St.

's Wort may experience increased skin

reactivity to light from

the sun.

St. 's Wort should not be taken by pregnant

women.

Because the herb's effects on the nervous system

remain unclear,

most experts recommend against combining it with

anti-depressant

drugs, including MAOI's, SRRI's (Prozac, Zoloft,

etc.), and

tricyclics.

St. 's Wort sharply reduces the

effectiveness of anti-HIV

protease inhibitors (indinavir, etc.), and the

organ transplant drug

cyclosporin, and should never be taken with

drugs of these types.

> Re: Allergies or common cold

>

> Hi:

> Does anyone know if it is harmful to take st johns wort if you are

> pregnant?

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Anytime! If your able to go to www.mothernature.com check there library for

articles, they have alot of information.

> Re: Allergies or common cold

>

> n,

> Wow, what a great echinacea report. I saved it to use as a reference.

> thanks.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Mona, I haven't read this book, but will get a copy. Imagine: INSTANT

emotional healing! People with HyperT certainly AREN'T the most patient

people in the world I'm working through Dr. Burns' " Feeling Good "

right now; cognitive behavioral therapy which teaches us different ways to

think about things, therefore changing our feelings and how we deal with

them. As I've said before, expression of anger wasn't allowed in my home

while I was growing up and I've always been terrified of any expression of

anger, so hurt was the feeling I've always had until recently. Now, I seem

mad about so much and instead of avoiding conflict, I'm ready to " go to the

mat " over things. Neither is a good way to be and I HAVE to learn some

better coping skills to achieve balance.

Thanks for all your input. It's great to know such caring " folks " are out

there. Has anyone benefited from group therapy sessions wherein issues of

depression, anxiety, anger, dealing with family, etc. are addressed? I'm

thinking a group dynamic might be beneficial, but honestly don't want to get

enmeshed in a group of " kooks " . I may ask my psychologist about a referral

on Monday, but wanted to see if anyone has explored this avenue before I

bring it up. Thanks again for all the knowledge which is imparted and the

support I receive from all of you WONDERFUL people!

=====

Bonner

RE: Allergies or common cold

> Have you read the book " Instant Emotional Healing " by Lambrou & Pratt? I

> just purchased the book and it's very interesting. It helps people to

> overcome anger, phobias, etc. It was someone on this bulletin board that

> recommended this book.

>