medicinal plants and plant medicines

collection thread that I'll be expanding. feel free to add your own experiences and additional info.

my focus is improving my MCAS & EDS, i.e. nausea, IBS, allergy, muscle and joint pain, RSI, dysautonomia, sleep quality etc.

First off: general explanation of how I do this and disclaimer, please read in full. https://twitter.com/stimmyskye/status/1357861081453060097?s=19

With this disclaimer, I'll link this german language database which I find very helpful in figuring out which plants to try. I also do a lot of googling and digging, this is the only extensive resource I can link ATM.

https://heilkraeuter.de/lexikon/ 

And now, the ever growing list of plant-derived medicines and medicinal plants that I've tried and found helpful...

1. QUERCETIN

I love this shit. yellow powder that gets absolutely everywhere. researched and proven mast cell stabiliser. antihistamine properties. available as a supplement. no known serious side effects or interactions. used as malaria medication, might even work for covid.

my big mcas thread has a bit more on mast cell stabilising supplements. https://twitter.com/stimmyskye/status/985678995420274688?s=19

2. GINKGO

I am allergic to all the ADHD meds so this is my lifesaver.

While no beneficial effects on healthy people have been found, it is known to help with some types of dementia and ADHD, where it improves concentration and executive functioning.

It is not a stimulant and does not do the thing where it feels like your entire way of thinking changes. I find it an entirely pleasant experience.

It does have some medication interactions. Most seriously, it reduces the effectiveness of epilepsy medication. Do your reading.

3. HYPERICUM PERFORATUM

I refuse to call a plant "st john's wort", so weird science name.

often marketed as natural antidepressant, but did you know it also helps many people with chronic pain? it does, even when applied topically instead of taken internally.

when taken internally, Hypericum needs to be taken for a few weeks before it becomes fully effective. it has medication interactions, some of which can be dangerous, so check first.

when used topically as a skin rub, these limitations do not apply.

it's quite difficult to find the red oil infusion for sale, but it's very easy to make yourself if you can find a patch of the plant.

this red oil is applied to the skin for itchy or painful scars, allergy shit, nerve pain, inflammation (I find it great for tendinitis) and more.

i would compare the effectiveness of the skin rub for pain and inflammation with ibuprofen or diclofenac gel, except I'm not allergic to it, it doesn't smell as awful, and it's dirt cheap.

I use it successfully for repetitive strain injuries that cause nerve pain in my hands.

4. BURDOCK ROOT

this is my current favourite, it's just SO good.

topically, it can be used for psoriasis, allergy rash, and other types of skin problems. also works against lip herpes and makes a great face cleanser.

internally, it is really cool

it just improves my overall condition SO much. my interstitial cystitis (bladder pain) is better. I sleep better. my skin is better.

I don't even bother with tincture or decoction, I just swallow a handful of crumbs like tablets. not advisable because germs? but I'm lazy.

5. sage, camomile, calendula

I just throw them all together because they are very comparable to me. general lowkey antihistamine effects, which personally I don't notice if I just drink them as teas, but I absolutely adore them as oil infusions or salves.

they are often used for digestive problems. as a steam treatment they can help with the lungs, and, well, they make an amazing salve or oil for wound care, superficial skin infections, inflamed skin, allergy rash and itchiness, stings and bites.

6. SCUTELLARIA BAICALENSIS

for some unfathomable reason this plant is called "skullcap". it's a traditional chinese medicinal plant which contains baicalein, which is a sibling to quercetin and has similar effects. might be an option when quercetin doesn't help.

when you turn it into a tincture, which I recommend because drinking it with hot water (no boiling water) is awful, you can actually see the yellow powder. it looks precisely like quercetin, I was so confused when I saw this!

I get a bit woozy from it and quercetin works well enough for me, so the only thing I use this for is migraines.

usually it is recommended to take it regularly to prevent them, but I have had good results taking it when needed. I'm allergic to triptanes, so this is all I get.

note that the plant parts that are used are the roots, not the leaves. you can buy both. I haven't found much information on this but I doubt the leaves would be as effective.

this stuff tastes really terrible, so be prepared.

7. LUO HAN GUO / MONKFRUIT

another chinese miracle plant. possibly the most delicious medicine on the entire planet.

helps with allergy stuff, especially hay fever type symptoms, so possibly antihistamine or mast cell stabilising, while being sweet and delicious.

you can get it as powder or as dried fruit. google says that where it grows, it's also available as fresh fruit, which you could eat just like it is.

the dried fruit makes a wonderful sweet tea, the powder is wonderful in desserts and as sweetener.

I totally forgot, camomile and sage are also a lifesaver for me when I got sores in my mouth. I used to just drink them as tea real slowly, now I just rub the oil infusion on it, since all of the ingredients are edible. https://twitter.com/stimmyskye/status/1357870883226935300?s=19