White willow bark tincture question

LaurieLovesLearning

@lmrebert Tell me more about white willow bark tincture. Is it effective for occasional migraines? My season is fast approaching with cold air keeping certain pollutants (including Chevy vehicle exhaust...no kidding) close to the ground in the (valley in the) city we frequently go to.

Only ibuprofen has (mostly) worked for me and has to be taken at the first subtle sign. Is this tincture comparable in giving relief? What are the side effects of white willow tincture, dose? Do you know what ratio it is?

I would prefer to not use the ibuprofen. My teen daughter would like something else too. Cigar & cigarette smoke and another mystery thing that we haven't pinpointed yet are her triggers.

shllnzl

I used to eat ibuprophen like candy for migraines and menstrual pain. I switched to extra strength acetaminophin as a less toxic alternative. (Of course, now it is shown that acetaminophen affects the empathy centers of the brain.)

Removal of female parts took care of some of my problems.

Severely reducing intake of white flour, sugar and nightshade vegetables has helped with some of my headaches.

Barometric pressure changes are my main migraine triggers: weather changes and trips to our cabin bring on the headaches. Extra strong cheese does too. Allergies and stress can cause regular headaches.

I tried willow bark tablets from the health food store but the recommended dosage was not enough for me.

Luckily (??) I have optical migraines: as soon as my vision gets weird, I take one extra strength acetaminophin to keep the bad pain away. Sometimes there is still residual pain. I use topical CBD cream for normal headaches and that works most of the time.

I will be closely following this thread for my own uses.

VickiP

@shllnzl I have optical migraines as well. One thing that has helped is getting a tint on my glasses, I went with brown on one pair and grey on the other. It isn't dark but it does seem to help. My Dr prescribed a drug, which I tried, but it wasn't really effective enough to continue taking. I have read that the blue light blocking lenses can help. I haven't tried those. Now I don't have pain so much, just the flashes of light and floaters that make driving out of the question when they flare up.

merlin44

White Willow Bark is an analgesic and anti-inflammatory containing salicin (where the chemical that became aspirin originated from). It can be found in tea, tincture or capsule form and is an effective pain reliever.

Specifically for migraines, a combination of Feverfew, Skullcap and Valerian can be used as a preventive or for relief. Once again, can be found in tea, tincture or capsule. I keep a supply of Peppermint and Spearmint on hand as a "taste cover" for some teas, White Willow's taste can be covered by adding honey but Valerian needs lots of help to make it palatable. All three herbs are simple to grow if one has room in the garden.

shllnzl

@merlin44 Thanks for herb advice; I plan on obtaining them as soon as I can.

@VickiP I just got glasses through Costco and they gave me a blue tint for free. Generally, I have very few headaches these days, although a trip to our cabin at altitude is guaranteed to give me one at least the first day. I did not know I would have an issue when we bought the cabin, so I am just sucking it up as it is my husband's favorite place.

VickiP

@merlin44 have you found something to help with taste of Valerian? We use quite a bit of it and would like to use it as a tea but the taste is like gym sock soup. Maybe something that would mask the smell? I hadn't thought to tincture it maybe that would be a solution. We just want something that would get it into our system a bit quicker.

I have a sensitivity to aspirin (stomach ache) I looked up white willow and found that people with aspirin sensitivity would probably be better off using other herbs. It is very effective for pain but like all very effective herbs it should be taken with care. There is also evidence that there are several medical conditions and pharmaceuticals that contraindicate taking it. Not trying to discourage the use of it, as it is an effective and generally safe herb, but we all need to exercise care when using any herb, especially if we have chronic health conditions and/or are taking medications.

@shllnzl The things we do for love!

Obiora E

I have also found Lemon Balm (as a tea) to be effective in dealing with migraines, if Peppermint tea and ginger do not work.

shllnzl

@Obiora E Goody, as I have lots of lemon balm on hand, plus peppermint and ginger.

merlin44

@VickiP Hard to believe but the flower of Valerian smells absolutely divine, how the root smells like an aged smelly sock is beyond me. I usually make a tincture but have gotten the tea down by adding peppermint and a ridiculous amount of honey. A dose of tincture held under the tongue for a few moments is probably the quickest route that's gag-free.

Leslie Carl

Here's a link to some more info that includes some other herbs that are not mentioned in this thread. Just in case you'd like to check it out. "10 Fantastic Herbs For Migraine Relief"

https://www.honeycolony.com/article/migraine-relief/

lmrebert

@Laurie so sorry for the late response this week/weekend has been nuts... 74 hour work week and 5 soccer games and a football game... anyhow. I made a tincture with 50% etoh filled jar about 1/3 full of bark and the rest with alcohol. Sat for a couple months given a shake and a pray daily. I use 1 teas every 4-6 hours like an aspirin. I’ve read it’s way better than aspirin because it’s all the compounds not just salicylic acid like the pharma type.. there are GI protectant properties in whole plant med so not as much concern for bleeding... my daughter gets migraines and sometimes it helps and sometimes not... catch it early, you may also consider feverfew added to that... I feel like it does not work like an 800 Motrin... and I think it would be fine to up the dose.. I would and have with added relief... they say not to use if you take blood thinners... but my MIL MD prescribed her aspirin when she was also on Coumadin then changed to eliquis ... so they are Hypocrites ... more importantly what is causing the migraines... my daughters is skeletal/muscular with a jaw issue and A type personality ... she knows the nerve that is affected and brings on the migraines... since she was 11 and she has done EVERYTHING for them. The most important thing to do is find the origin... food diary, vision testing, allergy testing, stress relief, tooth or mouth issues, posture chiropractic issue... so many possible sources but it’s really difficult to deal with them!

shllnzl

I didn't know I had TMJ jaw issues until I was in my forties. That explained all the headaches I had while doing heavy lifting in the military and before I had my wisdom teeth removed. (Wisdom teeth were closing before the rest of the jaw; I tend to clench my jaw when lifting.)

Then I got braces in my fifties -- I could see my cheekbones! I apparently had a misaligned jaw that couldn't close properly. Braces removed 75% of my neck pain and tension headaches.

So skeletal issues were a big factor for me. Now if I could just get that barometric pressure thing under control....

LaurieLovesLearning

@lmrebert Thank you!

Obiora E

@lmrebert With regards to your daughter and TMJ I had a TMJ issue some years back and he told me some really good advice with regards to it. He said that most (90% or more, if i remember correctly) of TMJ is caused by stress! Furthermore he said that if the stress (from whatever causes it) is not resolved the surgery will not help but make things worse. He also told me that it was more common in women than men so he was shocked to see that I had that issue.

Since he gave me that word of wisdom I have been more diligent about removing stress from my life (work and family), getting stuff off my chest, and the like. I haven't had any issues with TMJ since I started becoming more aware and resolving my stress issues.

nksunshine27

@shllnzl i used to have migraines till i got all the mercury nickle fillings removed and replaced with porcelain. i'm also alergic to all metals except gold and silver

shllnzl

@nksunshine27 Interesting. I think I have one filling left, the rest are crowns now. Luckily, migraines don't happen too often anymore. I got one last week when the weather turned to rain after 5 months of drought. Barometric pressure seems to be my main trigger now.

Thanks for the information. Dentists and doctors both experiment on us. I had to turn down a flouride treatment again when I had my teeth cleaned a couple of weeks ago.

alindsay22

Merlin 44 - I do a work around for valerian - I make a valerian tincture with glycerin and then use it either in cold or hot herbal teas, elderberry or just water depending on what's going on. My son has some brain differences that makes sleeping very hard (6'1" not for small children) so I always have valerian and other calming herbs on hand. Glycerin is sweet so it is pleasing to children in teas. Valerian steeped in a tea is pretty awful.

For headaches, cramps, flu like symptoms, I often combine St. John's Wort with Willow Bark in a tea or tincture, and then depending on the symptoms, add complementary herbs.

wbt.affiliates

What is the difference between using white willow and using red willow? Both work for headaches. The red willow is so much easier to get for me. Why should I use white willow instead?

Torey

@wbt.affiliates

In my area, First Nations use the name red willow for Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera). Not sure if that is the same in your area. It also has analgesic properties so that's why they would both work for your headache. My experience with the use of Red Osier Dogwood is for "barking" coughs. It's good for helping to break fevers as well.

wbt.affiliates

I don't know about Red Osier Dogwood. Maybe it's what I see growing in the ditches around here. They're willows, and may grow to about 12' tall. They look like clumps of red sticks growing on roadsides and in ditches, wherever they can find water. Someone told me not to use them, but never gave me a reason to use white willow instead.

Anyway, Torey, thanks.