And I found this recipe for an Herbal Headache Remedy this evening. I'll be trying this one next - I've had an awful headache all day!
Headache Tincture Ingredients — Fresh Herbs
I include a recipe here for fresh herbs and dried herbs, following the lead of
herbalist Henriette Kress in Practical Herbs. She advises using a high-proof
alcohol with fresh herbs and a lower-proof alcohol with dried herbs. Basically,
you want to ensure a sufficient water quantity in your tincture so that the water
soluble components of the herbs make it into your tincture along with the
alcohol-soluble components. Dried herbs contain no water and you basically make up
for that issue by using a lower-proof alcohol that essentially brings a bit of
extra water to the tincture.
•High proof alcohol (150+ proof; 75% alcohol)
•3 ounces of fresh herb: One ounce each of feverfew, lemonbalm, and peppermint
leaves
•Quart-sized mason jar
Headache Tincture Ingredients — Dried Herbs
•Commercial vodka or bourbon (80 proof; 40% alcohol)
•1.5 ounces of fresh herb: One-half ounce each of feverfew, lemonbalm, and
peppermint leaves
•Quart-sized mason jar
Headache Tincture Steps
1.Measure your herbs. For fresh herbs, mince well to increase the surface area.
2.Place herbs in glass jar.
3.Pour alcohol over the herbs, completely covering the herbs and adding about 2
inches of alcohol above the level of the herbs.
4.Cover the jar with a lid, securing well, and give it a good shake.
5.Keep the jar in a dark, cool storage area that also allows you easy access.
6.Shake the jar daily for a few weeks.
7.Strain the herbs from the liquid — give the herbs a bit of a squeeze to get all
of your tincture out.
8.Strain the liquid through cheesecloth.
9.Bottle in a dark glass bottle and store in a cool, dark place. Your tincture
should stay useful for several years if you store it properly.
Suggestions for Usage
When you feel the onset of a headache, take 1/4 of a teaspoon. Take an additional
1/4 teaspoon every 20-30 minutes. There is no literature on how much to take but
if you don’t get relief from a teaspoon, then your type of headache may not
respond well to the constituents of these herbs and you may want to try a
different remedy. In the meantime, a teaspoon of herbal moonshine is not going to
make you drunk. When I say, “you,” I assume you are an adult since we are talking
about alcohol, even if it is a tiny bit of alcohol.
As for the safety of these herbs, James A. Duke in The Handbook of Medicinal Herbs
reports no known side effects of lemon balm. As for peppermint, Duke warns that it
is “Not to be used in patients with achlorhydria, biliary or gallbladder
obstruction, or gallstones. Concentrated oil may induce dermatosis, flushing and
headache, if rubbed on profusely or inhaled. Leaf contains much astringent tannin
that can damage the liver and intestine with prolonged use.” As for feverfew, Duke
reports: “Oral feverfew may cause mouth ulcers in ca. 10% of patients. Should not
be taken by pregnant women because the leaves have emmenagogue activity.” If you
have ragweed allergies, you may react to feverfew as well.
If you have these conditions, adapt your recipe accordingly. This tincture is not
considered high consumption of any of these herbs, but it is good to be mindful of
how they could be interacting with other conditions you may have. You certainly
don’t need new problems.
Some Research
Lemon balm and peppermint have long traditional use in treating migraines. There
is some research on the effectiveness of peppermint. Feverfew has been studied
fairly extensively in migraine prevention. Taking daily capsules of dried feverfew
leaves has been found to be effective in reducing migraine occurrence and
severity.
