Cryptolepis & Sida Acuta Powders Sources

i cannot help with sources in the USA - as i am in Europe

i buy most of my buhner lyme herbs from www.lymeherbs.eu - based in Poland - the quality and customer service are both good

i think another member wrote that its still cheaper for them to buy from there even with international shipping so it could be worth a look

most Chinese herbs places do not tend to stock cryptolepis because its an African traditional herb - not Chinese
similarly sida acuta is more ayurverdic in origin - though it is used in many countries now

in terms of jars - i find 1 litre jars or just under to be ideal
i tend to make 1:5 or 1:4 tinctures - and 100g to 125g of herb powder per batch
this gives enough space left in the jar to shake the tincture effectively
and 100-125g of wet herb is manageable for pressing out the remaining tincture

in terms of storage - just store the unused portions of dry herbs in a cool dark place - and reseal the bags to prevent air from getting at the herbs as far as possible - heat light and air are the main things that degrade herbs over time.

give some thought to how to press the tincture out of the herb when tincturing is complete
up to around 1/3 of the tincture remains in the wet herb matter even after you have drained it and wrung it out in a cloth as hard as human possible by hand - so there is a lot of tincture to be saved by employing some form of mechanical press

if only doing 1-2 batches per month something simple with some wood and a few bits of all thread can work
if doing more it might be worth buying something more substantial

i hope its of some help

those jars will be fine

4 weeks is plenty - in reality most extraction will take place in the first week or so

the more finely powdered the more extraction will occur ( its a function of surface area and time )
but fine powders also settle to the bottom - so shaking regularly becomes v important.
if no air gap shaking does little or nothing to mix the contents

anything over 25% alcohol will prevent any mold or bacterial growth - air or no air

i prefer to use a sheet of LDPE (clear polythene sheet) as an inert solvent proof layer under the lid - my main concern was to prevent breakdown of the plastic lining on the jars lid, or the plasticisers etc in it from entering the tincture - LDPE is v inert, impermeable and safe as far as we know.

the reason for adding vinegar or other organic acids is to help the solubility of many plant compounds - alkaloids especially ( the compounds attributed with the antimicrobial effects in both sida and cryptolepis are alkaloids) are significantly more soluble in acidic alcohol solutions than neutral ones. 15ml in the above batch size is sufficient.

OK - hope its of some help

yes - i generally buy powdered herbs where available - but if not i grind them in a kitchen blender

cryptolepis is pretty tough so needs a decent blender - and i cut it to 1cm pieces first to give the blender a fair chance

its more work - but you get a better idea of quality in the whole / cut form

sometimes i grind / blend then herbs dry - then add the liquid and grind/blend some more when wet as this seems to get a finer consistency - which is better for extraction

BTW - i use a blender with a glass jug for the same reason as above - all that friction is otherwise bound to abrade off plastics into the mix

Thank you for this interesting thread. I m also buying cryptolepis from lymeherbs and making tincture with supposedly 65 percept alcohol as they recommend. Still i m not sure about right ratio/proportion of how many grams of grinded root eg 100g and amount of alcohol - eg - say 0,5 liter - in this case is it 1:5 tincture? Or is 1:2 more recommended, eg 100g with only 0,2 liter?

My second question is that that applying tincture, to make alcohol evaporate, so as not to intervene with antibiotics, in your experience, is it enough to mix it with boiling water, or do you boil the tincture itself? I mean it is said that liver, by metabolising alcohol, produces enzyme that is taking away tetracycilne from the body, and alcohol, even small amoiunt like in the tincture, can have influence on azihtromycin, since it is present in the body for many many hours (taken 500mg every 2nd day). I dont know if these doubts are relevant or not and what is your view and experience on that.

Bye, best regards, B

the herb to liquid mix is calculated on a weight for weight basis

so a 1:5 ratio would be 100g of dry herb to 500g of liquid
( you can measure this out with a kitchen scale quite easily)

this is typical for cryptolepis - it is not necessary or even advisable to make the ratio less than this
( your overall yield will go down in volume and % terms - and the extraction will also go down)

many compounds in tinctures are sensitive to high heat - especially temperatures over 60 degrees Celsius - so in general would avoid boiling water - and certainly avoid boiling the tincture itself

instead you can gently warm the tincture on the kitchen counter for a few hours before taking it

i mix the dose right after taking my previous dose and place it in a glass on a small inexpensive reptile warming mat from amazon for a few hrs before taking it -
these mats are only at body temperature or a little above - and this allows the majority of the alcohol to evaporate without damaging the herb
a flat bottomed open mouthed glass or jar works best - ideally place out of direct sunlight


with cryptolepis specifically - buhner advises you can make a medicinal tea that is almost as powerful as the tincture by steeping the ground herb in acidified boiled water overnight ( 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar per 500ml is fine )
i have tried this and can confirm its almost as effective as the tincture - so this is an alternative for anyone who is super intolerant to any amount of alcohol

i have not read of significant adverse effects from small amounts of alcohol to the mechanism of action of most common antibiotics - like doxycycline - or azithromycin - can you provide links or references for those sources?

some antibiotics - like metronidazole - are known to be able to produce what's called "Antabuse reaction" where they interfere with the bodies ability to process alcohol - in some people - but not doxy or azithro as far as i know

i hope its of some help

Dear friends, thanks for your answers, especially Garzie, thanks for your information on not heating up the tincture to evaporate alcohol. Do you think pouring boiled water on the tincture can still reduce its effectivness?

Garzie, probably you are right, it seems more correct what you are saying, that there are not that many interactions with alcohol for most of the abx, as it says here:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7038249/

Probably I read some slightly incorrect informations somewhere, or like it says here:
___
Reduced effectiveness: Although there isn’t clear scientific evidence of this, alcohol consumption may reduce the effectiveness of doxycycline. It is important to prioritize the effectiveness of the medication by avoiding alcohol during the course of treatment.

Liver toxicity: Although many people diagnosed with liver disease do not drink alcohol, in the United States, alcohol is the second most common cause of liver cirrhosis. Alcohol causes fat to accumulate in the liver, which in turn may cause liver inflammation, cirrhosis, fatty liver disease, and liver cancer11. Since doxycycline may also put a strain on the liver, combining it with alcohol can potentially increase the risk of liver toxicity. This can lead to liver damage and may manifest as elevated liver enzymes, jaundice, or liver inflammation.

Digestive problems: Both doxycycline and alcohol tend to cause digestive issues such as indigestion, stomach pain/cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Therefore, it is safe to assume that consuming alcohol while taking doxycycline may worsen these symptoms.

https://miiskin.com/acne/medications/doxycycline-and-alcohol/

Garzie, would this 0.7 mil polyethylene sheet work for the under the lid barrier? Or is that too thin/thick for the lid to close?
https://a.co/d/1W1edDO

for info

heavy duty low density polythene bags - eg for sharp edge items like nut and bolts are typically 100microns thick

medium duty - eg for things like cereals, nuts, seeds etc - are typically 50 microns thick

either of these would be fine

Dear Garzie,

as always, thank you for your very useful informations. Especially this advice,

"dosing is often highly individualised - so just experiment to find what works best for you - its a feeling your way type thing - rather than a totally prescriptive approach"

resonates with me, since I have been following a trial-and-error appraoch since the beginning. Having said that still I d like to gain more clarity on the process - since symptoms, herxes, ups n down, sudden pain coming and going - sometimes I feel a little lost in interpreting what to adopt and what is not useful.

What I m telling now is far from original posts topic, but still - I can feel difference in terms of how Abx work - taking tetracyclines gives different feeling (say 1-2 hours there is a dull pain, that I m attributing to herx like response) and taking Herbs - Cryptolepis, Hammer on Gu/Su He Tang, Ch.Skulcup, Teasel, - these herbs give a kind of more immediate response, but the feeling response in my body is different. Then other I do not see anything at all still I keep taking these herbs like Cats Claw, Jap.Knotweed, etc.
In any case, I dont assume there always have to be immediate observable benefit, it can work silenty - or it is only my belief, but somehow I find combining them helpful. I m however not able to track the effectiveness clearly. Rather - in the long run, having more vitality, feeling overally better while continuing the protocol and treatment, while gradually getting worse, after suspending Abx and herbs, - it typically becomes evident after 2-3 weeks.
Best wishes, good luck, B

Hello,

thank you, yes it helped. Which from the Lyme herbs do you consume directly, which you prepare as tinctures and which do you boil as tea or decoction?

(I have been wondering, if, eg. someone has tried to brew cryptolepis as a tea or perhaps consume it directly)...

I m having few other questions but I will open another thread for the sake of clarity.

Best regards
B

Garzie, do you think this plastic cereal bag and the plastic packaging around the mason jars will work for under the lid?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14RtC75CX-tiwDkCc5kdhahx1odWH5HyN/view

The clear, very thin produce aisle bags at my grocery have #2 recycle codes and are labeled hdpe. Should these works?