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Taking Herbal Medicines

Herbal Safety

Herbs have a very good safety record when used in an appropriate manner. However if used incorrectly, at too high a dosage or over long periods of time, many herbs can have undesirable or adverse effects. If you experience uncomfortable or unusual symptoms when taking a herbal medicine you are advised to seek advice before continuing to take the product.

You should not attempt to treat yourself for any serious condition without seeking the guidance or assistance of a qualified herbal practitioner.

Herb-Drug Interactions

While there have been very few reported incidents of adverse interactions between herbs and prescription medicines (drugs), such potential exists and caution is urged when combining medicines. Interactions are unlikely to create toxic compounds, but they may affect the way your medication is utilized by the body and can either potentiate (increase) the effect of the drug or block its absorption. If the safety or efficacy of the drug is highly dose dependent then serious problems can occur.  

If you are taking prescription medication, you are advised to consult a medical doctor or qualified herbalist before taking any herbal product. Should you experience any unusual symptoms while taking a herbal product, you should stop taking it immediately and seek advice.

Oral Contraceptives

Some herbs may interfere with the way that oral contraceptives work. Caution is advised when taking St. John’s Wort or herbs which affect hormone balance such as Vitex agnus castus and Black Cohosh.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

While there are a number of herbs that can be very helpful for problems which arise during pregnancy, there are many more herbs which are NOT suitable for use during this time. We strongly advise that pregnant mothers do NOT take herbal remedies unless under the guidance of a qualified herbal practitioner.

Herbs are absorbed into the bloodstream and are therefore likely to be present in breast milk. If you are breastfeeding, please seek advice before using any herbal product.

To find a qualified herbalist in your area, visit the professional association web sites listed in links.

Taking Tinctures (liquid remedies)

Tinctures are a very handy way of taking herbs as they can be easily carried around in pockets or a handbag and taken in a small amount of water or fruit juice. The herbs are usually absorbed in about 15 minutes. The best time to take tinctures is between meals or up to 15 minutes before meals, unless otherwise advised.

The alcohol content of 25-45% may be harmful to those suffering from alcoholism and should be taken into account in pregnant or breastfeeding women, children and high risk groups such as patients with liver disease or epilepsy. To reduce the alcohol content, add the required dose to a cup of freshly boiled water and allow to cool -  much of the alcohol evaporates.

Cough linctus formulas (Coltsfoot & Aniseed Linctus and Wild Cherry Linctus) contain 12.5 % alcohol by volume.  To reduce the alcohol content, add the required dose to a cup of freshly boiled water and allow to cool for 10 minutes before drinking.

Dosage

Guideline doses for adults are given on each product label. Sensitive people or those of small stature may need to adjust the dose downwards.

Kids Doses

Tinctures contain 25-45% alcohol and cough linctus 12% by volume. It is advisable to reduce the alcohol content by adding the required dose to ½ cupful of freshly boiled water and allowing to cool. The cough remedies can be administered while still warm. Add a spoonful of honey or some fruit juice to sweeten the remedy if required.

Children are more responsive to herbal remedies and therefore require smaller doses. A general guideline is reduce the dosage according to body weight. If we use an average adult weight of 10 stone (63 kg) then the dose given to a 2 stone child would be one fifth of the recommended adult dose. For accurate dosing it will be necessary to purchase tinctures in glass bottles, which contain an internal pipette.

1 ml = 18 drops