Many people also have questions about the safety and efficacy of complementary therapies. For some mesothelioma survivors, herbal treatments seem like a preferable route as they’re seen as more natural and believed to therefore be less likely to cause any serious side effects.
This is Part 2 of a two-part series looking at ways to help mesothelioma survivors manage their anxiety symptoms. Part 1 explores medication options and therapy.
Many people also have questions about the safety and efficacy of complementary therapies. For some mesothelioma survivors, herbal treatments seem like a preferable route as they’re seen as more natural and believed to therefore be less likely to cause any serious side effects.
However, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration explains, there can be concerns with supplements as well. Ask your doctor about independent safety certification organizations’ marks on supplements to look for, such as those from non-profit NAF.
Many supplements contain ingredients that can have strong effects in the body. …some supplements can interact with medications, interfere with lab tests, or have dangerous effects during surgery. …The FDA does NOT have the authority to approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness, or to approve their labeling, before the supplements are sold to the public.” – FDA
The agency explains further: “Since companies can often introduce a dietary supplement to the market without notifying the FDA, the agency’s role in regulating supplements primarily begins after the product enters the marketplace.”
Before taking any supplements or trying an alternative treatment, speak with your mesothelioma specialist. Ask about possible interactions, risks and potential benefits and how medicinal plants may play a role in alleviating anxiety or stress.
Lavender Oil
Lavender oil is obtained from lavender flowers. It’s sometimes recommended for the relief of mild stress and exhaustion, as well as for use as a sleep aid.
Essential oils can vary in their composition because of the way they’re processed and the type of lavender grown. As such, studies are hard to replicate.
In Germany, a standardized formulation (known as Silexan) had been tested. Those results were sufficient for the authors to recommend its use for anxiety.
In the U.S., Silexan can be found as an over the counter remedy called Calm Aid. While there are no long-term studies, most research shows lavender to be safe to use with no major reported side effects.
Lavender can come in pill form, as with OTC Calm Aid. It can also be used in the forms of herbal tea and massage oil.
St John’s Wort
St. John’s Wort is a plant with yellow flowers grown in the wild. It’s commonly sold as a dietary supplement in the US.
In Europe, it’s used to treat mild depression. It’s also used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Most studies conducted have been short-term so we don’t know how effective St John’s wort is long-term. The limited research is promising, however.
Unfortunately, St John’s wort does interact with a number of medications. You must check with your doctor if you’re taking certain chemotherapy drugs, antidepressants, statins, birth control or other medicines.
Valerian
Valerian is a perennial flowering plant native to Europe and Asia. It’s sold as a dietary supplement in the form of pills or capsules and is also available as a tea.
Most studies on valerian focus on mild insomnia, but there is limited research to show it can be helpful with anxiety. As with most research on herbal supplements, there are no long-term safety studies.
As a sleep aid, it’s recommended to try taking Valerian for at least 2 weeks. It can be taken either as a supplement or as a tea 30-60 mins before bedtime.
The European Medicines Agency has approved Valerian “for relief of mild symptoms of mental stress and to aid sleep.” The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Institutes of Health notes, “The evidence on whether valerian is helpful for sleep problems is inconsistent.”
Chamomile
Chamomile is an herb belonging to the daisy flower family. The essential oils of chamomile are taken from the flower parts.
It’s available in many forms – as a tincture, as a dried powder and as an essential oil. Limited research does show camomile to be effective for treating anxiety, but more studies need to be conducted.
As there are few side effects noted, chamomile can be used as a herbal tea or for massages using the essential oil. Depending on the extent of your anxiety, it may potentially be helpful in promoting relaxation and sleep quality.
Please consult with your physician prior to using herbal supplements to make sure they don’t interact with any other medications you might be taking. Discuss possible allergies and other contraindications. Additionally, most supplements are not approved in children under 12 years of age.
via asbestos.com
Original article by admin, if reproduced, please cite the source as: https://www.tcmha.com/tcmnews/can-medicinal-plants-safely-help-with-anxiety.html
相关推荐
-
Traditional Chinese winter medicine is just the tonic
Traditional Chinese medicine plays an important role in disease prevention, treatment and control. It can not only treat diseases but also work as a tonic. It even assists the treatment for coronavirus and has a positive function while coordinated with Western medicine. Gaofang With the onset of winter, it is the season to take gaofang. According to traditional Chinese medicine concepts, taking gaofang can enhance health, especially for those with weak immunity and chronic diseases. Tuesday is marked as dongzhi, or winter solstice, under the Chinese lunar calendar. It is…
-
Coronavirus: team of mainland traditional Chinese medicine specialists to advise Hong Kong on Covid treatments, infection control in elderly care homes
A team of traditional Chinese medicine experts arrived in Hong Kong from the mainland on Tuesday to advise the government on how to strengthen infection control in care homes for the elderly and better treat Covid-19 patients. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and local health officials received the team of seven specialists – the fourth batch of medical experts dispatched from the mainland since the city’s fifth wave of coronavirus infections began – at the Shenzhen Bay border point on Tuesday morning. Among the officials there were health minister…
-
China turns to lemons, peaches and traditional medicine in wake of Covid wave
Covid cases in China saw a spike following the country’s relaxation of strict Covid rules. Also rising: the prices of traditional Chinese medicine and lemons, as Chinese citizens scramble for protection from the virus.Prices of fruits rich in vitamin C and antioxidants are seeing surges due to higher demand.Shares of Chinese pharmaceutical companies involved in the production of traditional Chinese medicine also notched their highest figures in a year in early December.
-
Researchers Unlock the Evolutionary Secrets of a Cancer-Fighting Chinese Medical Herb
UK and Chinese researchers have unlocked the evolutionary secrets behind the medicinal herb barbed skullcap’s ability to produce cancer-fighting compounds.
-
European, Chinese scholars join hands to advance traditional Chinese medicine
TCM, with its holistic and multifaceted approach to healing, is different from Western medicine’s treatment methods. Collaboration between TCM and Western medicine offers new opportunities for development in both medical systems.
-
Top scientist suggests plan on traditional Chinese medicine development to avoid external blockade at two sessions
Citing a lesson from the Iraq war in which the full embargo launched by the US seriously hurt ordinary people’s lives in Iraq, a deputy to the National People’s Congress suggests China formulate a scientific plan on its traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) development and encourage other disciplines, such as biological information technologies, artificial technologies, chemical and material sciences, to better integrate with TCM development to prevent a scenario where the country’s medical field would be “chocked from the neck” one day. “When the US launched a war against Iraq and…
-
Special Report – “Dangerous” or “effective” treatment?
Although it’s not known whether anyone has been cured of COVID-19 using only traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), in the last year and a half dozens of scientific articles have been published on the merits of TCM in combating the pandemic. According to the paper Traditional Chinese medicine for COVID-19 treatment, “COVID-19 treatment practice has shown that early intervention with TCM is an important way to improve cure rate, shorten the course of disease, delay disease progression and reduce mortality rate. Furthermore, the reasons why TCM works could include not only…
-
Sunbathing increasingly popular due to link with TCM therapy
In fact, some of the Chinese fans of sunbathing wear head-to-toe sun-protective clothing when enjoying the sunshine as their aim is not to tan their skin, but to boost their yang qi – a vital energy in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
-
Fever reduction rate of more than 95% in 3 days! Eight Questions and Eight Answers” of Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine for COVID-19
Traditional Chinese medicine has always played an important role in the treatment of COVID-19. On March 31, a medical team from Longhua Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine assembled and 201 people went to the temporary centralized isolation and treatment site of the New International Expo Center to carry out their work. The reporter invited Zhang Wei, a member of the Shanghai Expert Group on Prevention and Control of COVID-19 in Chinese Medicine and Director of the Department of Respiratory Medicine of Shuguang Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University…
-
Traditional Chinese medicine treatment by grandma leaves baby girl in hospital with serious injuries to her face
A grandmother has used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat her 10-month-old granddaughter’s cough and caused serious injury to the infant in the process. The baby girl’s forehead festered and she was sent to Hunan Children’s Hospital in Changsha, capital of Hunan, central China, after her grandma applied a TCM treatment called gua sha to the child’s face, news website rednet.cn reported. With over 2,000 years history in China, gua sha is a practice in which people use a tool, such as a comb, spoon or a coin, to scrape…
