H1N1 experience... interesting herbal discovery and REMEDIES!

[goatlady]

Thank you, BB!

[grower]

I realize most of the meds listed here are herbal, which is good, but I wonder if y'all recommend Mucinex for lung congestion, or if you have experience with an herbal remedy that works better. (Looking for real experience here, not hearsay...)

[Summerthyme]

OK, I'm back. Three days completely away from the farm, cows, herbs and the 'net! And the youngest son is safely married off to a lovely girl. Life is good!

Grower... Mucinex IS herbal... sort of! Believe it or not, guaifenesin is just a clone of an extract from the guaiac tree. Sort of like aspirin and willow bark.

It's very useful for making sticky mucous more liquid, and shouldn't ever be used WITH a cough suppressant. If we have some type of lung infection (very rare for us), we'll use Mucinex in the daytime, and only use a cough suppressant at night so we can sleep.

Believe it or not, a well spiced (lots of onions, garlic and black pepper, and maybe a bit of cayenne pepper) chicken soup is at least as effective as Mucinex for loosening phelgm!.

Other herbal anti inflammatories which may be useful for H1N1, especially for folks who find they simply can't take curcumin are Omega-3 EFA's, licorice root, and possibly ginger and nettle.

Gotta get busy in the garden. I'll pop in and out and try to catch questions. I've got some PM's to catch up, too.. I'll get there, guys!

Summerthyme

[hunybee]

i have heard that benedryl is effective in calming the reaction to this flu. has anyone used this yet?

[goatlady]

Benadryl is an anti-histamine = gets rid of allergy reactions and skin itches, i.e. insect bites, hives, etc. It can also be used as a mild sleep aid as it can and does make some folks sleepy. I take one 25-mg tablet at night every now and thento "take the edge off" so to speak so I can get to sleep and stay there for the night. Useful for dogs also when they get insect bites/stings especially on their faces/noses! One 25-mg tablet always help the doggies! Got that one from my Vet.

[just living]

pitbull, here's HER recipe with variations> EVERYBODY copy and save this!

Elderberry Syrup Recipe

7 cups elderberry juice
8 ¾ cups honey
3 cups 80 proof vodka


(if you're starting with dried berries, to get "juice", put 1 cup of berries in a quart jar and pour 2 cups of boiling water over them. If they soak it up, add a bit more. Stash in the fridge or a cool, dark place for 24-48 hours.Then strain, and squeeze every bit of liquid you can out- you can twist the berries in a muslin towel and get most of it. You'll need three "jars" of the stuff to get enough for 7 cups. )



Warm the elderberry juice to “hot, but not boiling” temp… between 150° and 180°F should be plenty. Stir in the honey and stir until it’s completely dissolved and blended.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the vodka.

Pour into sterile jars or bottles (sterilize them by boiling for 5-10 minutes in boiling water, then let drip dry upside down until filling)

Cap and LABEL. Store in a cool DARK place (or bottle in dark brown glass)

Standard dose for adults would be:

Prophylaxis (prevention) 1 tablespoon (15 mls, or 1/2 ounce) 2x a day. If there is active flu in your office or family, double that, or take more often.

Treatment: 1-2 tablespoons every 3-4 hours

Children under 12: half the adult dose

Toddlers and infants: Talk to your doctor! But, lacking that, 1 tsp at similar intervals to the adult dose should be adequate.

There is NO way to overdose on this! Put it in juice, jello, pour it over ice cream- any way you can get the kids to take it is fine.

Alternatives:
If you do not want to use any alcohol in the syrup, use
7 cups elderberry juice
14 cups honey

Proceed as above, ignoring the reference to the vodka.

If you don’t want to use honey (probably best to NOT use it for babies under 1 year)


7 cups elderberry juice
11 ½ cups sugar

Stir until the sugar is dissolved in the hot juice, then bottle.

How long does this store for? The one with the vodka and the one without?TIA

[Summerthyme]

Just living... Our experience is the one with the alcohol will store for *at least * three years, sealed in a cool, dark place. I probably wouldn't try to store the plain syrup, even though it should have enough sugar in it to preserve it very well, for more than 2 years.

Once opened, refrigerate the syrup without alcohol. And if you're not going to use up the version with alcohol within a week or less, refrigerate it as well.

Summerthyme

[just living]

Just living... Our experience is the one with the alcohol will store for *at least * three years, sealed in a cool, dark place. I probably wouldn't try to store the plain syrup, even though it should have enough sugar in it to preserve it very well, for more than 2 years.

Once opened, refrigerate the syrup without alcohol. And if you're not going to use up the version with alcohol within a week or less, refrigerate it as well.

Summerthyme

Thanks summer.....

My concern with the 1 with vodka is...my DH is a recovering alchohic (clean for 16 years) and he is VERY nervous about taking anything with alchol in it. Does the alcohol evaporate or what?

Thanks!!

[heiwa]

Probably the most overlooked flu remedy. Garlic - as much as you can stand - fresh. You can't overdose and it is one of the strongest antivirals on the planet. 6 cloves a day, or as much as you can stand. Chew it. Chop and put in orange juice - whatever it takes...

Here's a great tonic that will knock out anything.

In a blender, combine equal parts by volume:

garlic
white onion (the strongest you can find)
horseradish
cayenne peppers (or the hottest peppers you can find)
ginger

Use fresh ingredients. Cover with apple cider vinegar and blend until an applesauce consistency. Pour into a glass jar and add more vinegar until you have 3/4 parts veggie mix and 1/4 part vinegar on top (again by volume). Put in a dark place and shake several times a day.

After two weeks you can strain it or leave it in the jar and take off what you need. Take 1/2 to 1 ounce per day - swish it in your mouth before swallowing. You will know you are alive!!

This is courtesy of Dr. John Christopher and Dr. Richard Schulze - two of the greatest herbalists I have ever studied.

Another recommendation is that as soon as you start to feel ill, stop eating. Get a juicer and juice - add ginger, and you guessed it... garlic!

Everything you need to heal quickly grows on this dear planet. Coincidence? <smile>

[goatlady]

No, sorry, the alcohol in a tincture does NOT evaporate, it's what is holding the medicinal properties in suspension for the body's use.