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Chinese skullcap & dropping Danshen (red sage)

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Posted 8/15/2018 11:24 PM (GMT 0)
Since first starting Buhner's protocol in June 2017, I have used the combination formula of Chinese skullcap/Danshen.

I recently ran out of my danshen/skullcap combo and decided to order the herbs individually. I taste tested them and had a negative response to danshen and an interestingly positive response to Chinese skullcap. So I left the danshen out and have been feeling better since.

Just thought I'd pass this on in case it helps someone else.
Posted 8/15/2018 11:57 PM (GMT 0)
I didn't share this in my initial post, because I thought it was too weird, but I just have to tell about my "interestingly positive" response to Chinese skullcap. The first time I did the test, within a few seconds I inhaled deeply, let out a sigh of relief, closed my eyes and started to sway back and forth like I was dancing.

I've done the test a couple of times since. I did it a few minutes ago with about 1/4 dropperful. I felt the same relief, peace, and joy and again started dancing. Strange but awesome!

I also felt something like my old self and just feel better in general. I cant't tell any specific symptoms it improves, since my noticeable symptoms like joint stiffness are still there. I can't quite put my finger on it. I need to read up on this herb again to find out more about what it does, but it certainly seems to brighten and lighten my mood, relax my insides, and make me feel more like me.
Posted 8/16/2018 1:25 AM (GMT 0)
I have done this taste test with most of them. I read about it in the Buhner conference notes under How to Tell Which Herbs Are Right for You - www.betterhealthguy.com/buhner-conference-notes.

I could tell there were a few I responded very positively to. Lion's Mane was one. I haven't taken that in a long time. I do the test again every now and then and find that my responses change over time and are not always reproducible. I do think it's a good, though subjective, way to gauge your response to different herbs.

Even those I responded negatively to I kept taking if they were in the bartonella protocol, as I felt it was important for me to do as much as I could. I found in most cases that those were the herbs I had a hard time increasing doses on.

I do not personally think taking only herbs I respond to in a noticeably positive way is a good policy. To me, it would be kind of like eating only foods that bring you pleasure rather than what you need. Hope that makes sense.
Posted 8/16/2018 8:09 AM (GMT 0)
Chinese skullcap works like magic for me, when I run out I can tell a noticeable difference in my anxiety levels. I take 3 capsules a day but might order the tincture next time
Posted 8/16/2018 8:25 PM (GMT 0)
Walkingbyfaith - I have never heard of taste test but I’m very interested! I read the buhner notes and then tried it with cats claw and felt nothing. Looking forward to trying it with other herbs. Do you have any other types of reactions when tasting?
Posted 8/16/2018 8:52 PM (GMT 0)

k07 said...
Walkingbyfaith - I have never heard of taste test but I’m very interested! I read the buhner notes and then tried it with cats claw and felt nothing. Looking forward to trying it with other herbs. Do you have any other types of reactions when tasting?

Negative reactions - usually I make a face like I just ate something that tasted bad, LOL!! But I wait to see if I feel noticeably relaxed after the initial grimace. If I do, then the grimace is likely due to the taste of the herb and not my reaction to the constituents. Probably a third to half are just neutral.

You want to notice if you feel more relaxed or more tense, basically. Don't try to read too much into it. If it's a really noticeable response, you'll feel it.
Posted 8/16/2018 8:56 PM (GMT 0)
Can Chinese skullcap cause a herx?

That great experience last night was followed by a meltdown today with brief expressions of wanting to die again. I also remember crying a couple of times in the last few days. I figured it was hormones since I've also been having hot flashes and night sweats. Who knows????
Posted 8/17/2018 9:49 AM (GMT 0)
Herx is very misunderstood.....to be precise, it's a reaction to die off of the spirochetes, so if you're not taking antimicrobials, it's not a herx.

That said, we all have lots of reactions to different herbs, and they are not all positive. Given your initial very positive response to Chinese skullcap, I would think about 1) figuring being emotional is more related to perimenopause, or 2) see the emotions as having some lessons for you and ride it out, observe, breathe, and let go. Or both.
Posted 8/17/2018 10:41 AM (GMT 0)
I was just wondering about this very topic.
I have read about Buhner's taste test and the section in his book that mentions the fallibility of muscle testing. If I remember correctly, he said that the "bugs" are intelligent and can give false responses because they don't want you to take certain things.
So, where does this leave us in trying to figure things out?
Posted 8/17/2018 12:03 PM (GMT 0)

Hoosierhousewife said...
I was just wondering about this very topic.
I have read about Buhner's taste test and the section in his book that mentions the fallibility of muscle testing. If I remember correctly, he said that the "bugs" are intelligent and can give false responses because they don't want you to take certain things.
So, where does this leave us in trying to figure things out?

It leaves us with what I said right here.

"Even those I responded negatively to I kept taking if they were in the bartonella protocol, as I felt it was important for me to do as much as I could. I found in most cases that those were the herbs I had a hard time increasing doses on.

I do not personally think taking only herbs I respond to in a noticeably positive way is a good policy. To me, it would be kind of like eating only foods that bring you pleasure rather than what you need. Hope that makes sense."
Posted 8/17/2018 2:17 PM (GMT 0)

sandyfeet said...
Did you explore trying substitute herbs for the ones that cause you trouble WalkingByFaith? I'm assuming it's the ones like Sida which are hard to replace but I have spent some time going through Buhner's lists of cytokines exploring the idea of selecting different combinations of herbs, especially when I was traveling and unable to bring everything I normally take with me and I think it would be possible to select a different combination of herbs if necessary.

No, I didn't. I just take smaller doses. In the case of danshen, I'd been taking it with Chinese skullcap for over a year. For now, I'm leaving it out.

Things change as time goes on, though, so it's always good to revisit options later on.
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