Tinctures for Headache

My tinctures for headache(front, back, pressure) just came in and I know what Buhner says as far as dosage, but I'm not sure about formulation. He shows a formulation on the Eleuthero(1:5), but it doesn't show anything for the Kudzu, Uncaria Rhynchophylla, or the Vervain. I started out low with 1/4 tsp, one at a time, and adding the vervain today, but I'm unsure if I have the correct formulation, and unsure if I need to move up to the 1/2 tsp. Any advice?

Buhner has the Vervain listed under headaches also (Back of Head) at 1/4-1 tsp as needed, but my Vervain is 1:5, and the Kudzu and Uncaria Rhynchophylla is 1:3. Do I have the correct concentration? I've not read it yet in his book, and can't find anything on it when I search his website.

You can buy different strengths of tinctures as well as dry herbs (dry herbs are 'concentrated'). I bought kudzu powder that is concentrated to 20:1 - so I will need less than if I was taking the 'unconcentrated' form is all.

You can call (or email) the company that made the tinctures to see what their ratios are, or you can just assume that they are 'regular' strength - either way though, the process is the same, because we all need different amounts of things. Start off slow and low and build up slowly until you get a response. Then, depending on what you are using it for (treatment or symptom relief), you will either continue to raise it (for symptom relief) or be careful in adding more because you don't want to herx badly.

Because you are using these for symptom relief, start off slowly (we always want to be careful that there will be no allergic type of reaction), and as you start to get relief from your headaches, raise your dose even more slowly until you find the "sweet spot", where you are taking enough to control or lower the headaches, without causing any other issues.

"So, what exactly do these ratios mean anyway? They are weight of herb to volume of menstruum. That means that if you are preparing a dry plant tincture with a 1:5 ratio, and you have 1 ounce (by weight) of dried herb, you’ll want five ounces (by volume, in your glass measuring cup) of menstruum (alcohol or alcohol/water). If you are preparing a fresh plant tincture at a 1:2 ratio and you have 5 ounces (by weight) of fresh herb then you will need 10 ounces (by volume) of mentruum.
bearmedicineherbals.com/an-introduction-to-tinctures.html

Just remember to go "low and slow" - and ask questions when you are unsure. That's why we are here!!!

Do let us know how it works for you!!!

ok, Traveler. Fingers crossed! Not sure how long it's suppose to take for headache relief, but I will definitely post it the instant this headache goes away!

Thank you PeteZa - I'm cautiously optimistic. I don't like taking even Advil or Tylenol, but I use to occasionally try different medicine, but never found anything that helped.

I'm hoping for more, but I'd take just one day and not complain. I whine some to my husband at home, but after hearing what some people are going thru on this forum, I will not complain about anything I'm going thru. I may not want to get up and go to work everyday, but I still can!

lol, I guess I should have said, "I still DO". There's days I just want to stay in bed, but I carry the insurance for all my family, so not going to work isn't an option for me right now.

lmlynn, just so you know my migraines meds (Imitrex and Maxalt) did not touch my lyme head pain. Hydrocodone didn't either. And I did try Advil. Nothing medicine wise helped me.

I really think my relief was Japanese Knotweed and Red Root. But who knows..... It was heaven when it was gone and the rest of the aches and pains of lyme seemed so minimal once I did not have that horrible head pain.