Female Herbs

 Case 36
o Takes a while for body to get back to normal rhythm (re: period)
o Approach
 Couple that is thinking about starting a family - reason they
stopped being on the pill
o Use a different form of birth control for a while, until she’s in a normal
form of self-regulated menstrual cycle instead of that of a hormone pill
regulated cycle
o Oral contraceptives alters your relationship with your ‘femaleness’ in a
certain way
o Women is always falsely elevated in an external way when she’s on the
birth control pill
o Surrender your own natural rhythm to an external more powerful source
o Able to assist with dysmenorrhea
o Progesterone
 Believed that it’s not healthy for you
 If take it naturally in the right proportion (8:1:1), then no risk
 As the information is coming out – it seems to be saying that any
form of hormones that are being added to the mix without brining
the body back into balance then increase the susceptibility to
pathology – particularly cancer.
o How to create normal picture for this couple to conceive?
 Vitex anus-castus
• Works partly through pituitary gland
• Difficulty arises b/c it does so many things
• Normalizer – amphiteric remedy that raises low levels and
depresses high levels. Brings back balance. Don’t
understand mechanism
 Actea racemosa (Cimicefuga racemosa)
• Normalizer
• Estrogenic – not proven
• Doesn’t appear to increase levels of estrogen, but does
appear to have normalizing effect
• Secondary amenhorrhea
o Missing period from time to time
• Primary
o Have not had menses
• Pituitary/Estrogen mimetic
o Increase estrogen levels, but not by being estrogenic
 • If using as part of tonifying regiment – practice other forms
of protection from conception, then proceed with trying to
become pregnant after.
• If do become pregnant while taking actea, not teratogenic
 Angelica sinenseis
• Menstrual regulator
• TCM: great female herb
o Increases flow of Qi
o Warming tonic
o Harmonizes blood and disperses cold
o Important for people who’s reproductive tract is
deficient for one reason or another
o Not functioning as well as should be
o Menses may be sporadic, delayed, or cramping…
o Would pick up in conjunction with low KI pulses
o Find other pelvic functions that were diminished
o Have to urinate a lot
o Constipation and diarrhea
o Fear of growing up, becoming woman
• Has a lot of effects
• Robust supporter of female aspect in all it’s female
representation
• Will find this herb useful in many occasions
• Antispasmodic
• Useful in inflammatory conditions
• Useful in digestive problems
 Angelica archangelica
o Shouldn’t be in this group but is a related plant
 Caulophyllum thalictrodies
• Probably wouldn’t use
• When first growing purple-blue color – very strange
looking
• As it grows turns green
• Good as a uterine tonic
• Used to prevent miscarriage, partus preparer
• Creates tone and vigor
• Acts differently at different stages of pregnancy
• Don’t use at 1st trimester of pregnancy
• Can use for preparation of pregnancy
• See a lot of molecules that have hormone-like effect
• Historical use as a woman’s herb
• Used two weeks prior to parturition
 • Also used as a contraceptive
• Powerful herb unless threat of miscarriage
• Can be used to prevent conception while getting uterine
ready for conception.
 Crocus sativa
• Mostly used now as a food colouring/decoration
• Doubt if ever see it in a western setting
• Used as a carminative, emmennogogue,
• Used in treatment of cancer
o Don’t know if it’s ever been tested
• Causes bleeding (purpura, epistaxis…)
• Can cause death in a lethal dose
 Senecio aureus
• Female regulator
• Susun Weed has written a lot about it
o Dramatic speaker
• Daisy
• Native to NA
• Use the aerial parts
• Used for internal hemorrhage
o b/c of it’s astringent effect
• contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids
• Dr. G probably wouldn’t use it in his practice
 Tanacetum vulgare
• Very toxic
• Would need to know how to use it
o Herbs that Dr. G expresses some nervousness about are those that he’s not
used, or not in any western text
o If come from that tradition where it’s used, could be mainstream herbs for
you
 Case 37
o Key info:
 Two fetuses lost appeared to grow normally
• Body not rejecting abnormal fetus
o as soon as begin to get intrauterine pregnancy mid-pregnancy – may be
having a miscarriage
o if comes in with a threat if miscarriage, how do you counsel her
 Refer to specialist
 May be successful using natural medicine, but introduced to
mainstream medicine in a way that they are on alert then it can be
managed
 Will have regular gyn exams
o What if anything can be done to reduce the risks?
 Look at a holistic naturopathic approach
 Reduce anxiety about this
o Herbs:
 Cause
• Rubus idaeus – treat the cause (support her assuming
everything is normal)
o Strengthens uterine tone
o not in first trimester
o Causes – as pregnancy is already under way
o Astringent b/c of its tannins
o Very nutritive
o May accelerate coagulation
o Give it if a person is having a very violent labour
o Herbs that slow down contraction, softer, gentler
and less abrupt
o Wouldn’t use it suddenly at end of pregnancy
 Symptoms
• Vibernum Pernafolium – treat the symptoms
(antispasmodic, muscle relaxant)
• Muscle relaxant
• Actea Racemosa
• Chamaelirium luteum
• Rhubus ideaus
• Rhubus villosa
• Dioscorea villosa (wild yam)
• Rhubus colossus
• Want a reduction in blood flow escaping
• Don’t want to cause contraction
o Case 38
 SP – worry and pensiveness
• Worry damages the SP Qi
• Overactivity of the mind
• Worry not the same as anxiety
o Anxiety – more akin to fear
 Expecting the worse
• Fatigue and SP Qi deficiency
o To some extent all organd depend on strong KI Qi
o So when have fatigue and depletion of KI essence
have tendency to have SP Qi not to be properly
supported
• If have clots in menses then blood vessels in uterine wall
not recoiling
 o Not enough uterine tone
 Case 26
• Uterine fibroids
• Expect uterine bleeding and clots
• Fibroid tumors/fibromas in the uterine wall are distorting
the blood vessels from closing in the normal way
• Interferes with the normal attachment of the endometrial
lining
• Use styptics
 Can use styptics here too, but not the first thing we think about
 Want to address both the low KI energy and essence and the
deficient SP Qi
 Symptoms
• Spotting and clotting
 Need astringents and uterine tonifiers
 Herbs
• Symptoms
o Alchemilla vulgaris - symptoms
 Styptic
 Astringent to uterus and intestine
 A lot of tannins in this herb
o Mitchella Repens
o Vitex agnus-castus
 Works right on the spot
o Rhubus
o Capsella versat (Sheppard’s purse)
o Geranium maculate
• Causes
o Tonify uterus
o Mitchella Repens
o Chamaeilirium luteum
o Caulophyllum Thalictrodes
o Vitex agnus-castus
o Strychnos ignatia
 Stimulant and tonic
 Homeopathic preparations commonly used
• Common to put herb in 4 oz of water
and deliver it in tsp amount – if take
some won’t kill them
 Antidote
• Belladonna
 Tonify SP Qi if needed
 Increase energy
 Case 39
o To remove symptoms of abnormal menopause is to strengthen the KI
essence
o If the adrenals are functioning optimally, that’s all you need to do
o Peri menopausal years
 Should be an effortless transition
 Many women are toughing it out and trying to be brave
 Many would be thankful that you’ll be able to help them so that
they can enjoy going through the transition
o Herbs
 Symptoms
• Loose control of internal thermometer
• Diaphoretics
o Cup of black tea or peppermint tea
o Allows you to loose more perspiration
o Warm peppermint tea/black tea will not keep you up
as you come down from the diaphroesis
 Causes
• Strike out: adaptogens
• Poligimum multiforum – ho shou wu
• Lycium chinenseis (wolfberry)
• Da Bu Yin Wan
• Liu Wei Wan
• Zhi Bai Ba Wei Wan
• Chiu Pai
• Zho Kwei Pills
• Yao Rwoi
• Best place to learn about them is in ‘Chinese Tonic Herbs’
• Vitex agnus - castus
• Actea Racemosa
o These two are for hormonal regulation of
menopause (1:1)
o Really seems to help
• Alectris farinose
o Use with guidance
o Didn’t work for her until she had stopped working
 Case 40
o Very common scenario
o Colour of blood
 Normal colour of menstrual flow
• Should be bright red
• Bright bluish blood
 o Suggests congestion
o Purplish discolouration
o Should taper off 2/3rd day – pink
 Less and less blood pigment
 Less blood and more mucous secretion
• Rusty coloured discharge
o Blood stagnation from iron in hemoglobin
o Breakdown of blood
o Blood is being decomposed in uterus
 Stagnation of Qi in blood and pain
 Dysmenorrhea and cramping
 Herbs
• Symptoms
o Class of herbs
 Antispasmodics
• Muscle relaxants
• Vibernum opulus
• Vibernum pruinfolium
• Fish fuddle/Jamacian Dogwood
• Angelica Cinensis
o Always think of as a mover
of blood
o Moves Qi as well
o Breaks blocks and breaks
stagnation
o Salvia (Sage)
• Piscidia erythina
o Good for dysmenorrheal
• Actea racemosa
• Vitex agnus

 Side note: look at ‘Justisse’ (google it)

o Woman’s organization
o Helpful for women who want natural contraception
o To know when they are fertile
o To begin to get back their sense of control in a natural way
Male Herbs
 Looking at treating benign prosthetic hyperplasia/hypertrophy
o Enlargement of the prostrate
o Causes increase in numbers and size of prostrate
o Not a tumour
o Capsule of prostrate is fairly inelastic and puts pressure on urethra
o As prostrate gets bigger have urination problem and urgency
  Tendency to need to urinate more often go to washroom and
nothing happens
 Or wait a while to pee and when do, find that there’s been some
incontinence
 Will also get some dribbling
• b/c bladder doesn’t empty out as it should
• get extra drops
 Saw Palmetto
o Grows in Florida
o Stinky berry
o Helps to shrink prostrate by converting testosterone to dihydrotestosterone
 Pingeum Africans
o Does some useful things to the prostrate itself
o Assists in a number of different ways
 Impotence
o We have unrealistic expectation sex
o Moved out of realm of being a sacred relationship of two people involved
in procreation
o Become more of a performance
o Out of line with deep spiritual values
o We’ve gone into a place where men and women of all ages idolize
sexuality and there are all kinds of psychological problems that come with
that
o See sexual dysfunction in young people resulting from psycho-spiritual
disharmonies
o Erectile dysfunction
 Occurs as men age
 Not any more natural than menopausal symptoms are in women
 Believes that impotence does not exist
 No limit for a man to function sexually if he’s spiritually
enlightened
 As men age they don’t respond to women as spontaneously as they
once did
 Prostate
• Associated with erectile dysfunction
 Most herbs that are mentioned for aphrodisiac are those that artificially stimulate
erection by either irritating the genitals or causing stronger blood flow or stronger
muscle contraction
 Get better erection but not necessary more sexual interest
 Similar to Viagara
 Having confidence that able to maintain erection
 Herbs that are used to help with erectile dysfunction for the most part are not helping
directly
 Help in different ways
 The ones that reportedly do, are toxic
o Have stimulating effects that are contraindicated
 Improving circulation, testosterone, helping the prostrate can be very useful