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La Bruja's Remedies
I have seen many symptoms relieved by simple acupressure. This includes joint and muscle aches and pains, menstrual cramps, and toothache. The toothache was so bad the jaw was swollen, yet the person totally relieved his symptoms by massaging the appropriate acupressure points. He has not had trouble with the tooth since. The following is a list of herbal remedies that I have personally used and were effective for me. They may or may not be effective for you. I'll add more as I remember them. If anyone has anything they'd like to add, e-mail me at
Bronchitis/Asthma
Symptoms: Chronic cough, difficulty breathing.
Remedy: Ephedra and stinging nettle. I make a strong tincture of these two herbs in brandy and water and put several drops under my tongue. Ephedra has a stimulant effect in some people and should not be taken before bed.
Constipation
Symptoms: Difficult or painful bowel movements.
Remedy: Senna leaf or Cascara Sagrada tea. I find that Cascara Sagrada is less harsh than Senna. Some commercially prepared herbal laxatives contain both. Eating raw, grated beet helps.
Diarrhea
Symptoms: Watery bowel movements.
Remedy: White oak bark tea.
Earache
Symptoms: Pain in the ear.
Remedy: Garlic and mullein oil. Steep mullein flowers in olive oil for about 2 weeks. Strain and store in the refrigerator. Squeeze garlic juice in a little bit of the oil. Make sure to strain it--no chunks! (I use a paper coffee filter). Put a few drops in the ear and stuff with cotton. This smells, but it works! If you need an antibiotic, take oil of oregano or oil of thyme gel-capsules.
Gas/Indigestion
Symptoms: Abdominal bloating, pain, passing gas.
Remedy: Catnip tea. Works well mixed with peppermint.
Gout/Arthritis
Symptoms: Pain and swelling in joints.
Remedy: Black cherry juice. Joint-be-nimble. Any oil suppliment (fish oil, linseed oil etc.).
Insect Bites and Stings
Symptoms: Swelling and itching.
Remedy: Immediately put something on it to draw out the poison. If nothing else is available, make a mudpack (clay is best). The most effective pack is Adolf's Meat Tenderizer and water. It's the papaya enzyme in the tenderizer that does the trick. It breaks down the poison. Alternatively, I have ground up papaya tablets (sold as a digestive aid) and made a poultice out of that. Both work well. The sooner the poultice is applied the better. For older bites and stings, crush a plantain leaf with a little water and tape to the area. I once did this on my foot where a bumble bee stinger was still in the foot. It was so swollen that I couldn't remove the stinger (I am allergic). The area was red with purple and blue streaks. The plantain leaf cleared it up completely in about two days.
Influenza
Symptoms: Throwing up; pain in stomach, especially after eating.
Remedy: Ephedra tea.
Leg Cramps
Symptoms: Leg cramps or "restless leg syndrome", often at night.
Remedy: Oats. My husband suffers from leg cramps. He wakes at night and can't get back to sleep. He makes his own bread (with a breadmaker) and adds lots of oats. When he gets up in the night he makes himself some toast and goes right back to sleep. Commercially made bread with oats does not seem to work. If you like oatmeal, eat that for breakfast every morning.
Menopause
Symptoms: Hot flashes, irregular menstrual periods, irritability.
Remedy: Dong Quai, Black Cohosh, Evening Primrose Oil, Wild Yam cream, Valerian.
Sinus Infection
Symptoms: Pain in sinuses, congestion, sinus headache.
Remedy: Garlic or salt water. Irrigate sinuses with either warm salt water or strained garlic juice. The garlic juice hurts but is much more efficacious than the salt water.
Urinary Tract Infection
Symptoms: Painful and frequent urination, blood in urine.
Remedy: Corn silk, uva ursi (a.k.a. Kinnickinnic and bearberry), cranberry, birch bark. I don't use cranberry juice because the sugar can make the infection worse. I use a gel-capsule form of cranberry. I take two at least 3 times per day. I make tea out of the other three and drink all day (no sweetener). In addition, I use a commercially available herbal tincture made especially for kidney function that contains all of the above plus some other stuff.
Sources:
1. C.W. Fetrow and J.R. Avila, Herbal Medicines, Simon and Shuster, 2000.
2. J.A. Duke, The Green Pharmacy, Rodale Press, 1997.
3. J. Rose, Herbs and Things, Grosset and Dunlap, 1978,
4. J.E. Meyer, The Herbalist, 1918.
5. M. Grieve, A Modern Herbal, Harcourt, Brace & Co, 1931 (two volumes).
6. The Rodale Herb Book, Rodale Press, 1974.
7. N. Culpepper, Culpepper's Complete Herbal, W. Foulsham & Co. Ltd., London (I can't find a date).
--disclaimer--
I do not have any medical training. None of this should be construed as medical advice. If you have a medical problem, consult your health care practitioner.