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Licorice root?

IThinkImTurningJapanese

Senior Member
Messages
3,492
Location
Japan
@YippeeKi YOW !!
Of course, numbers are easy to read.

BP.jpg


How much licorice do I take? That's pretty good, especially considering my age.

But before the licorice my readings were dangerously low. It got me into the Hospital in the U.S. without waiting for hours, I was a liability risk. My blood pressure indicated I would be likely to pass out and crack my skull falling.
 
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YippeeKi YOW !!

Senior Member
Messages
16,047
Location
Second star to the right ...
@YippeeKi YOW !!
I bought a similar one at Walgreens, that has English writing on it, for about $40, as I recall.
Thanks @Learner1 ... I'm still not sure exactly what it monitors or measures, but it looks a lot better made than my BP/pulse meter ....


AHA !!! I looked very closely at the gizmo's monitoring screen, and it's def a BP cuff. And it does look well-made. How did yours hold up ?
 

hapl808

Senior Member
Messages
2,109
Now I kind of want to buy some real licorice. I don't have major blood pressure issues, but licorice is tasty so I'd be pretty happy if candy cured ME/CFS. :) :)

(More likely to help than GET or CBT, so there's that!)
 

Judee

Psalm 46:1-3
Messages
4,494
Location
Great Lakes
Like @IThinkImTurningJapanese I also need to use licorice everyday to help with faint feelings.

It is antiviral and estrogenic.

It helps with the OI I experience but it did not really raise my bp all that much. My bp went from 86/58 to 92/59 after I started using it. (Actually Mutaflor is what got my bp into the "normal" range of about 105/69.)

So, I'm not sure why I need it but I do and feel it if I miss a day or two.

https://cfsremission.com/treatment/symptom-mitigation/core-licorice-glycyrrhiza/

As some had said, it can cause high bp and lower potassium to dangerous levels but some "adrenal fatigue" doctors I've read said people with "adrenal fatigue" (not ME) have high potassium anyway. I haven't found anything to back that up but am just mentioning it.

I've had hyponatremia (low sodium) several times but never tested positive for low potassium. ??
 

Rufous McKinney

Senior Member
Messages
13,377
High blood pressure would be a red flag.

interesting, I am a high bp version (of some POTS)...my chinese herbalist knows that, as we've treated higher bp with herbs.

Licorice root is usually always in my mix. So he is just using the other herbs to balance the use of licorice root.

My practioner is an herb expert, so he knows how to do this.
 
Messages
312
Location
USA
I know that in nutritional health, Licorice root is often used to help replenish depleted adrenal glands along with adaptogenic herbs. Adrenal glands are how the body stores reserve energy. If you experience prolonged stress over many months or years the adrenals can become worn out beyond repair. Some people think that adrenal fatigue, if it goes unhealed, passes the point of no return and becomes Chronic Fatigue, meaning you can no longer produce any reserve energy in the body. Again, it’s just a theory, although a long standing one. But as for licorice (in diluted tea form without any additives or sugar in it ) it is said to slowly repair the adrenals AND is anti-viral AND helps with digestion, all of which could help us. But yes dosage matters - just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s harmless, take all things in moderation and consult a doctor.

A small warning not to get your hopes up: Licorice is good for a lot of things but it’s a slow healer, like you might feel stronger over the course of a year, maybe two so it’s still helpful but I don’t think you will suddenly feel fantastic within a week. I’d say its more of a help than a cure.
@nina22 Thanks for this. It's encouraging, and I don't even mind it takes a year or two. It's totally worth a try. And it's good to know that going slow it the way to do it. Otherwise, it's tempting to overdo it.