LICORICE - ANYONE WITH FEEDBACK?

[Dallase1]

I have been researching licorice. Apparently it’s very potent stuff with the ability to increase DHEA, Aldosterone, and blood pressure. All of which I need. Has anyone had success with licorice? I talked with someone who was cured from this herb.

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

@Dallase1
Licorice is also a great potentiator, and works and plays well with a lot of other herbs. You''l see it as part of a whole lot of herbal blends and tinctures.

You will need to watch your blood pressure, because it can boost it considerably, and sometimes dangerously.

I used DGL, deglycyrrizinated licorice root, for stomach and digestive issues during and after chemo, and it really saved my life. You'll have to do a google to see if removing the glycyrrhizin removes some of the qualities you're looing for, but going with herbs can be remarkably effective if you do your homework and are careful. They're not the benign little gentle mother's helpers that a lot of well-meaning folk crack them up to be.

Research is your friend here, and go as deep as you can. Good luck !!!

 

[Wishful]

It didn't have any noticeable effect for me.

 

[Pearshaped]

3yrs ago it helped me quite a bit.Now,i.don't take it anymore bec things have changed but back then it was exactly what i needed.

before i took it i read about an advice an italien doctor gaves about how to use correctly for low cortisol,aldosterone and low BP:

Open a capsule of licorice root in a mug with milk.(it is strongly suggested to take it.w/milk.bec of the sodium in milk)milk should be warm.drink it FIRST THING in the morning. increased the dosage up to 900mg.bit start low and work your way.up.
the good thing is,you'l probably notice if you can't tolerate it or if dosage is too high.(some are getting tachy then)One day i felt that i didn't need it anymore and tapered it off.its definetely worth a try.

 

[IThinkImTurningJapanese]

Has anyone had success with licorice?

I take it everyday and I now have a rather normal blood pressure. But it's not the only thing I'm doing.

 

[PatJ]

I've tried high doses and low doses for varying periods of time. I've tried capsules, raw root, and tea. They all bumped my BP somewhat but nothing near normal and eventually I started getting sensitivity to motion where it felt like the back of my skull would explode if I changed position too quickly. I've tried repeatedly and get the headache effect every time.

Yohimbe is another option for raising blood pressure. So it cayenne powder.

 

[Dallase1]

I've tried high doses and low doses for varying periods of time. I've tried capsules, raw root, and tea. They all bumped my BP somewhat but nothing near normal and eventually I started getting sensitivity to motion where it felt like the back of my skull would explode if I changed position too quickly. I've tried repeatedly and get the headache effect every time.

Yohimbe is another option for raising blood pressure. So it cayenne powder.

So licorice didn’t do anything for you?

 

[Dallase1]

3yrs ago it helped me quite a bit.Now,i.don't take it anymore bec things have changed but back then it was exactly what i needed.

before i took it i read about an advice an italien doctor gaves about how to use correctly for low cortisol,aldosterone and low BP:

Open a capsule of licorice root in a mug with milk.(it is strongly suggested to take it.w/milk.bec of the sodium in milk)milk should be warm.drink it FIRST THING in the morning. increased the dosage up to 900mg.bit start low and work your way.up.
the good thing is,you'l probably notice if you can't tolerate it or if dosage is too high.(some are getting tachy then)One day i felt that i didn't need it anymore and tapered it off.its definetely worth a try.

Can you take it for a long period of time? I got a tincture.

 

[Carl]

Licorice can lower potassium levels and many of us already have low potassium therefore I would urge a big caution before using it. I tend to avoid it because for what it does in regard to efflux pumps, there are other herbs with greater effect.

I seriously doubt that Licorice cured CFS because it is just not that easy. It might partly address some issues but cure using it alone is highly unlikely IMO.

 

[LisaGoddard]

I did great on liquorice's glycyrrhizinic acid for a few days but then it also stimulates parts of the immune system so I got really sick - flu thing, greatly increased pain in lymph nodes etc.. But it is worth a try. i still have a bottle in case my immune system is calm enough to tolerate it.

 

[Celandine]

Licorice was the first thing that made a noticeable positive difference for my daughter. I'd read the paper by Dr. Baschetti, the Italian physician who claims to have cured himself of what he calls CFS with liquorice, and decided it was worth a try. I just bought some licorice sweets with real extract to start and even those made a positive difference with fatigue and general symptoms. At that point I had very little understanding of what was going on with my daughter and so licorice was part of a fairly scattershot approach to trying stuff. I now know that the positive effect was likely because of it's effects on what I later learned was my daughter's PoTS. It's a pretty ideal supplement for non-hyper PoTS. Increases fluid retention/volume and raises bp. I'd say if you suspect PoTS and don't have high bp issues, give it a try. She now takes 1tsp powdered licorice root (bought from Amazon UK) + 1/8 tsp salt in a cup of coconut or other plant milk every morning. If she starts skipping it, I can see a difference, so we continue on with it. Also mildly anti-viral, so win win.

 

[PatJ]

So licorice didn’t do anything for you?

Nothing positive.

Here are some notes about licorice that I've collected:

* Negatives: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3498851/

Interaction: "Grapefruit seeds contain a chemical called naringin that increases the effect of licorice on mineral balance. If you're taking these two together, get your blood potassium checked."

From CFS Treatment Guide (Verrillo):
Licorice extract has been shown to increase fluid retention in a manner similar to cortisol. It can be taken in lieu of Florinef – with the same precautions.

Success, anxiety, pulsing; From Dreambirdie on PR:
My BP was chronically 90/50, sometimes even lower. After taking licorice for 4 years, it went all the way up to 125/80. At that point I began having anxiety a few hours after taking it, so I stopped for several months, and now take only a third of the dose a few times/week. My BP has been in the 105/65 range most of the time now, which is my ideal.

Dr. Baschetti; From Living Dead on PR:
An italian doctor who got CFS treated himself with daily licorice powder in milk (an electrolyte solution), and this supposedly kept him healthy for the rest of his life. He thought that an infection had destroyed some of his receptors in the brain that regulated blood pressure.

More information from Dr. Baschetti:
http://www.encognitive.com/node/15023

Interviews with Dr. Baschetti:
https://web.archive.org/web/2013032...eatments.org/fromweb/licoriceconversation.txt
"The herb is effective only in the treatment of CFS with neurally mediated hypotension"

 

[Dallase1]

Licorice was the first thing that made a noticeable positive difference for my daughter. I'd read the paper by Dr. Baschetti, the Italian physician who claims to have cured himself of what he calls CFS with liquorice, and decided it was worth a try. I just bought some licorice sweets with real extract to start and even those made a positive difference with fatigue and general symptoms. At that point I had very little understanding of what was going on with my daughter and so licorice was part of a fairly scattershot approach to trying stuff. I now know that the positive effect was likely because of it's effects on what I later learned was my daughter's PoTS. It's a pretty ideal supplement for non-hyper PoTS. Increases fluid retention/volume and raises bp. I'd say if you suspect PoTS and don't have high bp issues, give it a try. She now takes 1tsp powdered licorice root (bought from Amazon UK) + 1/8 tsp salt in a cup of coconut or other plant milk every morning. If she starts skipping it, I can see a difference, so we continue on with it. Also mildly anti-viral, so win win.

That’s great. I am going to try the licorice. I have taken it for three days and nothing yet - blood pressure still is too low. I’m trying to get it above 120. Does your daughter have CFS?

 

[MTpockets]

It gives me insomnia. Real bad.

 

[Celandine]

@Dallase1 She had moderate to mild/severe ME/CFS when she started the licorice. She had very bad PEM, lymphatic pain, severe headache, chest pain, awful insomnia and disturbed sleep patterns, spine pain, inability to read, light sensitivity, sound sensitivity, poor temperature regulation etc. Basically, everything except digestive issues. Some of those could be put down to PoTS, but not all. The PEM and lymphatic pain seem distinctly in the ME camp. Her BP runs low but not extremely low. Licorice was one part of a multi-pronged long-game approach that has worked for her. She's now back in f/t education with all above symptoms gone. Hoping as hard as I can that this isn't just a remission. Only the PoTS tachycardia remains, but it's controlled by Ivabradine and she is basically asymptomatic with PoTS. She was ill for 2 years but I figured out it was ME and started trying to treat within the first 6 months, so caught things early. Lots and lots of rest.

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

@Celandine
You're a terrific mother and a stellar human being !!!

Thank you for sharing this with us. We all need a little upper from time to time, and this did very, very nicely .

 

[Celandine]

Thanks so much for your lovely words, @YippeeKi YOW !! Mothers don't often get much credit...for anything! I've endured so many medical appointments where a doctor treated me like the villain or like I was puppeting my daughter. Just awful.

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

@Celandine
The words were well-deserved.

I've endured so many medical appointments where a doctor treated me like the villain or like I was puppeting my daughter. Just awful.

Yeah, for reductionist thinking and general bloody-mindedness, ya' can't beat an MD. It was Drs who invented the medical phrase 'exquisite pain'. Says it all.