Bot Med Car Mi Natives Chart

BOT MED Carminatives (K Patrick) A couple hints for studying bot med… for some herbs I’ve included general “DDX” hints to help distinguish between when you would use one particular carminative over another. After all, since the exam is multiple choice, it will be mainly picking the “most correct” answer—and if all the answers to choose from are carminatives, you have to know which carminative is the most indicated for in the case given. An example: both Matricaria (chamomile) and Foeniculum (fennel) are both carminatives, but there are vastly different times in which to use them. If the case presented is a woman with digestive upset and bloating/burping etc due to nervousness, for example (ie., whenever she eats out in public this happens), then Matricaria chamomilla would be indicated since it is a type of carminative but also a nervine. On the other hand, Foeniculum vulgare would be more beneficial in situations involving spasm with gas —ie., colic—since it is antispasmodic and carminative. Also, another quick note—I’ve bolded the “key” actions (those which Dr G has in “bubbles” the monographs)—these are essentially the most important actions of the herb—every other action is secondary. One last note—don’t go wild over memorizing dosage. General doses for infusions (tea made of aerial pts) or decoctions (root boiled down in water) are pretty much always the same (with the exception of potentially toxic herbs) of 1-2 tsp herb/cup water. Tinctures are usually 2-4 ml tid (but of course exceptions with toxic herbs and some others) —memorize the exceptions and you will be fine. Plant Name & Constituents Acorus calamus (sweet flag) [volatile oil—asarone]

Artemisia drancunculus (Tarragon) [volatile oil, coumarins, tannins] Carum carvi (Caraway) [vol. oil—carvone]

Parts Used

Actions (KEY actions bolded)

Dosage

Cautions/CIs

Rhizome (look at the picture—this is a water dwelling herb like a cattail—so usu root is used)

Carminative (oil), bitter tonic & stimulant, also antispasm. to smooth muscle, diaphoretic (induces fever), demulcent, anti-inflamm (most demulcents are soothing so you would expect this), vermifuge Digestive tonic (mild sedative, mild emmenagogue)

2 tsp/cup decoction OR 2-4 ml tincture

Pregnancy, self prescribing (since there is a toxic [I think it’s iris versicolor] lookalike) Pregnancy; take for < 4 wks

Aerial parts, also root

Seeds & ess oil

Carminative, antispasmodic, expectorant, emmenagogue, galactogogue, astringent, antimicrobial,

Chew fresh plant/make infusion (1 tsp/cup h20) 1 tsp/cup h20; 1-4 ml tincture tid

Allergic hypersensitivity to Apiaceae

Cinnamomum zeylandicum (Cinnamon) [volatile oil— cinnamaldehyde, eugenol], tannins

Bark (easy, think about what cinnamon is), also ess oil

Coriandrum sativum (Coriander) [volatile oil, coumarins]

Seeds & ess oil

Cuminum cyminum (Cumin)

Seeds (most carminative herbs’ seeds are both carminative & antispasmodic—a memory hint!) & fruits Seeds & fruits

Elettaria cardamomum (cardamom) Fillipendula ulmaria (meadowsweet)

Aerial parts

Foeniculum vulgare

Seeds (this is most often

breath freshener, antifungal DDX: use for colicky pts/ conditions involving spasm & gas Antiemetic, antidiarrheal, carminative, astringent, aromatic, stimulant, spasmolytic/warming/rubefacient [promotes blood flow to periphery] (most herbs that are warming are also spasmolytic and rubefacient—think about it—makes sense), antifungal, stomachic, larvicidal (yuck), antiviral, antiseptic, analgesic, sedative, emmenagogue, hypoglycemic (used often in diabetes tx now, by the way) Carminative, aphrodisiac, antirheumatic, antispasmodic DDX: this is antispasm & carminative, so use in colicky situations/sitns involving gas and spasm Carminative, Antispasmodic, Stimulant, larvicidal, antibact, galactogogue, cancer protectant Same DDX as above Carminative, stomachic, stimulant, warming, antispasmodic, aromatic, emmenagogue Anti-inflamm., Anti-rheumatic, carminative, stomachic, antacid, antiemetic, astringent, diuretic, antipyretic (anti-fever), antimicrobial etc DDX: this is used for ST inflammation –ie gastritis—but gen. not other non-ST inflammation [ie, an inflamed toe] unless due to rheumatism Carminative, stomachic, aromatic, anti-

5-20 gr pwdrd bark OR .05-.2 ml ess oil OR 2-4 ml tincture tid

Pregnancy, allergic hypersensitivity to cinnamon/balsam; ST/intestinal ulcers; acid reflux & possibly prolonged use

5-20 g pwdrd seeds OR 0.05-.2 ml ess oil this is the same as for cinnamomum zeylandicum 1-4 gr OR 5-10 drops tincture/5-10 fruits (note this is different than the norm) 0.5-2 gr powdered fruit OR 2-4 ml tinct tid

Obviously no ess oil taken internally

1-2 tsp/cup H20 OR 2-4 ml tincture tid

Possible allergies with sensitivity to salicylates

1-2 tsp herb/cup /H20

Pregnancy, don’t use

Can be photosensitizing

Pregnancy

(fennel) [volatile oils]

Matricaria recutia OR Chamomilla recutita (Chamomile) [volatile oils & sesquierpene lactones]

used), also herb & fresh bulb

Flowers

Mentha piperita (peppermint) [vol, oils & tannins]

Aerial pts & distilled oil

Nepeta cataria (catnip) [volatile oil]

Aerial parts (these are fuzzy like cat fur)

Piper nigrum (Black pepper) [volatile oils, alkaloids]

Fruits (obviously)

Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) [volatile oils & phenolic A’s]

Leaves

Trigonella foenumgraceum (Fenugreek)

Fresh leaves & seeds

inflamm, anti-spasmodic, expectorant, increases LV regeneration, hepatic, mild stimulant, slight estrogenic activity, galactogogue, diuretic DDX: gas with spasm (ie colic) Antispasmodic, nervine/mild sedative, carminative, stomachic, antiemetic, analgesic, antiseptic, vulnerary (wound healer), diaphoretic, mild antimicrobial, anticararrhal DDX: gas due to nervousness etc Carminative, aromatic, antispasmodic, antitussive, decongestant, analgesic, choleretic, nervine, diaphoretic etc etc etc (also relaxes esoph sphincter) Carminative, emmenagogue (weak), antispasmodic, antidiarrheal, astringent, diaphoretic, nervine, mild stimulant Stimulant, aromatic, digestive/N.S. tonic, stimulant to mucous membranes/tastebuds (think about what happens when you eat too much black pepper), carminative, stomachic, diaphoretic, raises body temp, antibacterial, rubefacient (topical) Stimulant (nervine & circulatory), aromatic, carminative, antispasmodic, antiseptic, rubefacient, parasiticide, stim hair follicles (this is why rosemary shampoo is popular), stim LV metabolism to convert estrone to C2 estrogen, blocks cell replication/stim apoptosis of cancer cells Expectorant, demulcent, tonic bitter, galactogogue [most health foods stores

tid or b4 meals for flatulence

ess oil with infants, prolonged use, acid reflux

2 tsp herb/cup H20 OR 1-4 ml tincture tid

Pregnancy

1-2 tsp/cup H20 OR 1-2 ml tincture OR 0.2 – 0.6 ml/day ess oil (in capsules

Pregnancy, gallstones, hiatal hernia, possibly for acid reflux, also ess oil on kids’/infants’ faces Pregnancy

2 tsp/cup h20 OR 2-6 ml tincture 300-600 mg dried fruit

Pregnancy

50 ml infusion every 3 h for headaches (total 1 cup tid) OR 2 ml tincture bid in h20 (for stress)

Pregnancy

1-2 ml tincture tid OR

Pregnancy

[mucilage, alkaloids, volatile oils]

Zingiber officinalis (Ginger) [volatile oil]

Root/rhizome

sell fenugreek capsules for this], antidiabetic, emollient, anti inflamm, tonic, bitter, carminative, stomachic, nourishing, oxytocic, lowers chol & blood glucose in diabetics, loweres LDL/VLDL cholesterol & TG Warming stimulant/tonic, anti inflamm, antiemetic, carminative, cholagogue, decreases cholesterol, cardiotonic, vasomotor stimulant, rubefacient (since it’s warming), respiratory stimulant, diuretic, spasmolytic, antiemetic, antiseptic, carminative, sedative, diaphoretic, analgesic

1.5 tsp seed per day

1 tsp/cup H20 OR 1.5-5 ml tincture tid (1”5 ratio of herb to alcohol)

> 2 g/day during pregnancy, pregnancy, gallstones, prior to surgery (could cause hemorrhage)