OT - Tinnitus (Ear Ringing)

[Guest guest]

> ----maybe the comfrey (as one part of a mixture) would create a

> balance that would make the tinnitus go away in a short period of

> time!

 

hi patti

i honestly don't think so

to my knowledge, comfrey isn't used in the ayurvedic tradition, but

its indications and uses are well-established in western herbal medicine

as i mentioned, tinnitus has many causes, but unless its caused by

something like ear wax the treatment is usually medium term or longer

 

> >its indications are basically wound-healing and that's about it

> --internal wounds maybe.

 

both actually - it contains significant amounts of allantoin and

helps promote tissue healing both topically and internally

its truly an amazingly useful herb for its indications, but it needs

to be used with proper guidance and caution

the issue of the pyrrolizidine alkaloids has only come to the

forefront in the last decade or so, and if this is from one of Lad's

older books then its understandable that he might have included it

unknowingly

regardless, there is no historical usage of comfrey in tinnitus - i

suspect what he keyed upon were its mucilaginous properties that

suggest a capacity to reduce vata

however, there are many other much safer herbs to reduce vata, such

as ashwagandha or bala

 

best.... todd caldecott

Caldecott, Dip. Cl.H, RH(AHG)

Ayurvedic practitioner, Medical Herbalist

web: http//:www.toddcaldecott.com

[Guest guest]

cannabis could have a role to play in spasticity of the middle ear

and eustachian tubes

however, there are many alternatives so by no means should one feel

compelled to use it on this basis

 

best...

Caldecott, Dip. Cl.H, RH(AHG)

Ayurvedic practitioner, Medical Herbalist

web: http//:www.toddcaldecott.com

 

_______

> cannabis would make you forget the tinnitis

[Guest guest]

hi

i know people using comfrey for 2 weeks in order to cure ulcer. they didn't get

intoxicated or with hepatitis. i cannot say about longer periouds but 2 weeks

seems safe.

just take care, it might stick on the walls of your stomach, i know someone who

had such experience, it s found with endoscopy when he was checking if the

ulcer was cured. take small amounts, better mixed with other plants

_

>dr. lad needs to update his recommendations on comfrey

all parts of the plant contain potentially hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine

alkaloids, and should be used very cautiously and never long term

[Guest guest]

dear criiii dum,

 

your comment " seems safe " isn't helpful when there is established

research out there discussing the risk of hepatotoxicity in _healthy_

livers - this is an issue that has been researched and debated

exhaustively in the academic and herbal communities, and while there

is a debate about its relative toxicity nobody is suggesting that

comfrey is benign

 

a few links:

 

http://www.comfreycentral.com/research/comfrey_pa.htm

http://www.itmonline.org/arts/pas.htm

http://www.henriettesherbal.com/blog/?p=637

 

please note that this isn't an anti-herb rant because i think its an

exceptionally useful herb at the same time, and have significant

clinical experience with it

 

in teaching herbal medicine for over a decade, i tell my _clinical_

students not to use comfrey for more than 2 weeks at a time, and not

more than 4-6 weeks over the period of a year

 

better yet, use a PA-free source - a few different companies produce

these

 

my point was that tinnitus isn't a short term treatment in most

cases, and taking comfrey for extended periods of time could put you

at risk of veno-occlusive disease, something that shows up decades,

not weeks later

 

best...

Caldecott

todd

_

> i know people using comfrey for 2 weeks in order to cure ulcer.

> they didn't get intoxicated or with hepatitis. i cannot say about

> longer periouds but 2 weeks seems safe.

[Guest guest]

dear dr todd caldecott

thanks for the very interesting links u sent

i respect very much your opinion and experience and i would not dare to

contradict your words, even if i gave u this impression somehow. that's why i

would like to make things little more clear.

 

u say: " my point was that tinnitus isn't a short term treatment in most cases " .

for sure u r right, but there are also other people reading this messages

besides those with tinnitus, and for them i wrote those words. as u also say: " i

think its an

exceptionally useful herb at the same time, and have significant clinical

experience with it " . that's why i didn't want people get the impression they

should completly avoid it.

 

your words again: " in teaching herbal medicine for over a decade, i tell my

_clinical_ students not to use comfrey for more than 2 weeks at a time " . and

mine: " i cannot say about

longer periouds but 2 weeks seem safe. "

 

now i would like to quote from one of the articles u sent: " While there is

extreme variability from one individual comfrey plant to the next[60], there is

also variability dependent on the growth state of the plant. Small young leaves

show higher concentrations of PAs than larger leaves in later stages of the

growing season. " " This variability is not due to lab to lab variation, as

Muertterlein et al analyzed over 300 samples from 150 locations and reported a

comparable diversity in concentrations (450 to 6000 µg/g) "

 

hoping that i cleard the impresion of oposing you,

cri

 

 

 

Caldecott <todd

 

a few links:

 

http://www.comfreyc entral.com/ research/ comfrey_pa. htm

http://www.itmonlin e.org/arts/ pas.htm

http://www.henriett esherbal. com/blog/ ?p=637

[Guest guest]

hi cri

 

i guess its been a policy of mine to be very cautious in recommending

comfrey, and on a group list like this with lots of non-health

professionals i just want to emphasize safety

 

i routinely use toxic herbs such as hyocyamus but would not recommend

them generally either; i have this same opinion for any herb,

ayurvedic product or drug that puts a person at risk and requires

professional guidance

 

best... todd

Caldecott, Dip. Cl.H, RH(AHG)

Ayurvedic practitioner, Medical Herbalist

203 - 1750 East 10th Ave

Vancouver, BC V5N 5K4 CANADA

web: http//:www.toddcaldecott.com

email: todd

tel: 778.896.8894

fax: 1-866-703-2792

 

______________________________

> now i would like to quote from one of the articles u sent: " While

> there is extreme variability from one individual comfrey plant to

> the next[60], there is also variability dependent on the growth

> state of the plant. Small young leaves show higher concentrations

> of PAs than larger leaves in later stages of the growing season. " "

> This variability is not due to lab to lab variation, as

> Muertterlein et al analyzed over 300 samples from 150 locations and

> reported a comparable diversity in concentrations (450 to 6000 µg/g) "

[Guest guest]

I used to make kitcheree with comphrey as the veggie. I don't do it

anymore since I heard about the possible toxins 10 years or so ago.

I never noticed any bad effects though.

 

GB

_

> i know people using comfrey for 2 weeks in order to cure ulcer.

they didn't get intoxicated or with hepatitis. i cannot say about

longer periouds but 2 weeks seems safe.

> just take care, it might stick on the walls of your stomach, i know

someone who had such experience, it s found with endoscopy when he

was checking if the ulcer was cured. take small amounts, better mixed

with other plants