The use of plants for treating symptoms of illness can be traced back many thousands of years and can be viewed as the precursor to modern pharmacology. The Chinese and Indian cultures continue to rely heavily on herbs. Although most herbs are plant-based, some substances are animal or mineral in origin.
The treatments
Since they are less concentrated, herbal medicines can be slower to take effect than some conventional drugs. The herbs tend to be highly specific in their actions, and herbal formulae contain a range of herbs that not only possess different properties and qualities, but also aim to target different aspects of the patient's disharmony. A herbal practitioner has to weigh up many factors when preparing a formula. As a result, any one individual's preparations may vary throughout their course of treatment.
Herbal Remedies and ME/CFS
Whereas there is no doubt that many plants do possess powerful pharmacological properties, to our knowledge there have been no properly-controlled clinical trials carried out to assess the claims made by some herbalists. The only plant product to have been subjected to a proper trial is evening primrose oil, which you can purchase directly from The ME Association.
Safety
You should be aware that just because a herb is natural, that doesn't make it safe or free from side effects. While many are quite safe if taken within the specified dosage range, the dose must be more specific with others and monitored closely. Some are particularly toxic and have been known to lead to organ failure; people with liver complaints should be particularly cautious. Safety of herbs depends on a number of things, in particular what (if any) sort of medication you may already be taking, and your past health. There appear to be problems with the current safety monitoring of herbal remedies; in particular, there is little in the way of a satisfactory mechanism for collecting information on adverse reactions to the vast range of unlicensed herbal products. If you experience adverse reactions to herbal medicines, please notify
- your GP or pharmacist, who can then fill in a 'Yellow Card'. The Department of Health's yellow card scheme, which is designed to identify suspected adverse reactions to both orthodox and alternative treatments, receives about 17,000 yellow card reports each year. The cards provide early warning of drug toxicity and the results can then be used to identify people with conditions who might be at increased risk of suffering such a reaction.
and/or
- Traditional Remedies Surveillance Unit
Medical Toxicology
Guy's and St Thomas's Hospital Trust
London
SE14 5ER
Finding A Herbalist
Always consult a qualified herbalist. A list of qualified herbalists can be found by sending a stamped and addresssed envelope to
The National Institute of Medical Herbalists
56, Longbrook Street
Exeter
Devon
EX4 6AH
Practitioners will have undergone a four-year course at the School of Herbal Medicine and will have the letters MNIMH or FNIMH after their names. Members are required to operate in accordance with a Code of Practice and there are ethics, complaints and disciplinary procedures.
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