Medicinal Herbs in recovery

[Firehazard]

I have used every tool I can get to heal up my body(liver) from damage from alcohol abuse and one of the most powerful herbs to use is milk thistle It actually regenerates the cells of the liver if taken for minimum of thirty days. Also Kava Kava really helps the nerves.

[evmdimples]

Dandelion tea is a good liver tonic.

While not an herb, I just found out that B-12 deficiency can be caused by alcohol use, smoking, many prescription drugs, diet, etc. Here's something I posted about it. Could be that a simple B-12 supplement could make a difference in our well-being!

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ealth-etc.html (B-12, mental health, etc.)

Good topic!

[Firehazard]

That doesn't surprise me one bit. Our recovery works in the same realms as we destroyed ourselves: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. So it has helped me tremendously to take things that my body really needs to heal. After all the alcohol leeched alot of nutrients from my body. The intense restless irritability of early sobriety was eased by taking a Calcium Magnesium supplement which is used by the central nervous system and acts as a natural tranquilizer when the daily requirement is met. I am so grateful for these tools

[mistycshore]

My doctor prescribed B-1 (Thiamin) because alcoholism causes B-1 deficiency (a/k/a Beri Beri). It factors into brain function and nerve function. I couldn't find it bottled by itself, and multi-vitamins have it at only 1/50 of the dose he prescribed. So I got a potent B-Complex that has the B-12 too. I'm hoping my results are as good as yours, evmdimples.

[Firehazard]

Thanks, my probiotic vitamins have 9mg of the Thiamin and reads as 600% of daily value. WOW former drunks actually putting something with benifits in us.

[bohemianzen]

great thread!!! i'm taking milk thistle and probiotics right now. am interested in anything that others are taking and what results they have had.

[Firehazard]

Found some new herbs that might help the sufferer/Me but I can't afford them yet. Hops(imagine that) in pill form are a natural mild central nervous system sedative and Valerian root. These both are not only calming agents but also help to promote good sound sleep.

[Texasblind]

I am a big believer in herbal supplements. Probably my southwestern upbringing where we were exposed to native culture all through school.

Yes. A B-1 (Thiamin) supplement is a must for recovering alcoholics, especially if you weren't eating. It helps hold off the Wernicke's disease (wet brain). I also recommend a fish oil supplement which helps with swelling and the heart.

When I first cleaned out, I used an over the counter 30 day liver cleanse. Basically dandelion root and milk thistle, but it seemed to flush a lot of stuff out of me. Best advice: be close to a bathroom if you do this.

Please don't exceed ANY recommended doses. There's usually more than enough vitamin or herb than you need in the pills. All extra will do is strain your liver and kidneys.

[emmanuel2012]

B-12 interestingly is most adequately found in dairy, probiotic enzymes, that is, living bacteri. A strict vegan usually takes a B-12 supplement, unknowingly usually sourced from animals.

Kava Kava does help with nerves, its very relaxational, South American Maca is also immediately beneficial to the nervous system, as well as the endocrine system.

When I made a commitment to sobriety, as a stimulant addict, I gave my large bag of raw ephedra powder to my sponsor to dispose of. Some medicinal herbs can be abused LOL

[Firehazard]

I recently let go of smoking and wanted to speed up the healing and foreign matter removal in my lungs. I found a exhaustive list of useful herbs but ended up getting a combo called respiratory defense and it has done the trick.
Here are the herbs involved:

Osha root............123mg
Oregano leaf..........60mg
Grindelia floral bud...33mg
Irish Moss flakes.....21mg
Hyssopflowers........15mg
Lobelia herb...........15mg
Barberry................15mg
Goldenseal.............12mg
Mullein leaf.............12mg
Oregon Grape root...12mg
St. John's wort.........9mg
Echinacea purpurea root....6mg
Echinacea purpurea flowering top...6mg
Echinacea angustifolia toot 4mg
Echinacea purpurea seed 1mg

I also imbibed five ginger drinks and chewed on some ginger with increased water drinking (60oz/day). This increased my sweating three fold.
I has been said that it takes around twenty eight days to detox from smoking and even though I smoked only american spirits it fells like I have gotten it out in 13 days. Hello clean lungs

[WantToHeal]

B-vitamins are a must. Chronic alcohol use and stress can quickly rob your body of these nutrients. Also, B-vitamin deficiencies are indicated in depression and anxiety.

Please use kava with caution. While I have no personal experience with this supplement, anecdotal reports link it to several cases of liver damage.

As always, best bet is to discuss any current or planned supplement regimen with a trained medical professional.

BTW, firehazard, congrats on quitting smoking and cleaning the toxins from your body. I have been through several unsuccessful quits, and know first-hand that this addiction can be a real bear. Keep it up!