Erection problems can so often be stress related. With the economic downturn, people are now under a lot of pressure at work and many are having to contend with unrealistic targets. There are also many financial worries. These kind of stresses adversely affect testosterone levels, which dip and this can cause low libido, weak erections, lack of staying power and low energy. It’s common for men with these kind of sexual problems to hit the bottle. Unfortunately, alcohol also reduces testo levels as does being overweight, when a man comfort eats. So you can see that it’s very easy to get into a vicious cycle that needs to be broken.

The good news is that a lot of men are now turning to Herbal Medicine and have experienced the benefits. Medicinal herbs help to support hormone production and also help facilitate stronger erections. Stress levels are also addressed and patients find that this approach works well for them without making them drowsy. In fact, patients report increased energy levels.

There are many over the counter and online herbal products for erection problems but several of these have been tested and were found to consist of the wrong plant of the plant for the required outcome. The best way forward is with prescription only Herbal Medicine, licensed by the UK Government and the EU. This ensures the highest quality Herbal Medicine, which is manufactured to the highest standards. Such high standards help achieve a high rate of clinical success in a marketplace of inferior products.

If you would welcome this natural and safe approach to your erection problems, call for an appointment.

www.herbalist-medicine.com

Now if you have had antibiotics, stress or the contraceptive pill, all of which kill the necessary beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract, chances are you may have an overgrowth of pathogenic or bad bacteria and possibly yeast (Candida). This imbalanced microflora will be given to your little one. If you have a problem with recurrent thrush, it is important that you are tested and treated so that you do not hand it down to your baby.

Seeing as 70-80% of the immune system is in the digestive tract, any imbalance of the flora can affect the immune system adversely. An imbalance can also give problems like colic, diarrhoea and skin problems to name just a few. A child with poor intestinal flora often has a childhood plagued by recurrent infections such as tonsillitis, ear infections, chest infections and skin problems.

The good news is that there are now cutting edge, non-invasive medical tests being offered by the Hale Clinic’s Gastro Clinic, which will diagnose any imbalance. These simple tests help ensure that you give your little one the best possible start in life. If any imbalance is found, it can be treated using Herbal Medicine and dietary advice.

So why leave it to chance and wait until your baby is suffering before doing something about it? You can help ensure that your baby has a great start in life.

www.herbalist-medicine.com

Q: “I haven’t slept properly for months now and it’s getting me down. I am so desperate that I am thinking about getting some sleeping pills. I get to sleep ok but then keep waking up and never seem to get in a deep sleep. I feel so tired all the time. I have a very full on job and lots of pressure. So I must get some sleep. Can you help?”

A: It sounds to me as if you may have been running on adrenaline for too long and your insomnia is a result of prolonged stress. I suggest you are treated for stress and given a tonic to restore your adrenal function, this will improve the quality of your sleep. It would also be beneficial to consider diet and lifestyle to help you manage stress and maintain your health.

Q: “I suffer from lots of migraine type headaches. Sometimes I am laid up for 3 days. Can herbal medicine do anything for this?”

A: Yes, herbal medicine may help. After looking at the patient’s diet and lifestyle and making changes, where necessary, I often prescribe a prophylactic mix (a mix to help prevent migraine). This approach has worked well for a lot of patients.

Q: “My skin is ruining my social life. I have quite bad acne on my face and back, which never goes away. I tried some cream from the doctor but it made my skin red and dry. The spots were less but as soon as I stop using the cream, they come back again.”

A: Herbal Medicine can help. Acne can be caused by hormonal imbalance or a problem with the elimination of toxins by your liver. There are herbs to balance hormones and also to boost liver function (your liver is a filter and if it isn’t working properly, the body tries to eliminate toxins through the skin). Your diet also needs to be looked at in case improvements can be made. Zinc levels are also important as are stress levels. Stress can make this condition worse.

Q: “After years of business lunches and dinners I find myself about 3 stone overweight. I go to the gym twice a week for a thorough workout but the weight just doesn’t shift. I would like to be slim again but maybe it’s too late. I am 52. Can herbs help at all? I read somewhere that they can.”

A: It’s never too late! It sounds as if your metabolism has slowed down for some reason. This often happens after prolonged periods of stress. The stress hormones can cause a hormone imbalance. Blood glucose levels and also thyroid hormone production can be affected. There are herbs to regulate glucose levels and also to stimulate the thyroid gland to boost the metabolic rate. It would also be beneficial to boost liver function.

Q: “My sister is very down and has lost her zest for life. She is often tearful and doesn’t want to go out or do anything that’s fun anymore. I have tried to cheer her up but she can’t snap out of it. She broke up with her fiancé recently but never talks about it.  I read that herbs put people in a better mood.”

A: It seems as if your sister may be suffering from depression and if this is the case, Herbal Medicine is highly effective in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. There are several anti-depressant and mood-enhancing herbs. Herbal treatment usually starts to make a difference within 7-10 days. Lifestyle and nutrition also need to be discussed in order to get the best possible results from the treatment.

Q: “Sometimes when I am in bed, I feel like I have indigestion and then I get a bitter taste and a burning sensation in the back of my throat. It’s very unpleasant and has been going on for about 5 months now. I was given Gaviscon and that does make it better but only for a short time. Is there anything herbal that could help?”

A: Indeed there is. It seems that you suffer with acid reflux from your stomach. This can be caused for a variety of reasons including, stress and eating too late at night. There are herbs, which are excellent for this condition and will help resolve the problem. Diet and lifestyle play an important part too so need to be considered.

Q: “Every month I get really bad PMT. I am on a short fuse for about a week before my period and tend to get very tearful. I am finding it hard to keep it together in the office and have over-reacted to several situations recently. A friend mentioned that herbs can help this sort of thing.”

A: The biochemical changes that occur premenstrually can have quite an impact on the emotions. Herbal medicine can be very effective in the modulation of hormones and in getting a woman back on an even keel. I give patients a menstrual diary to fill out. This keeps a record of any tearfulness, nausea, depression, pain, skin problems etc; that a woman may experience during the month. This information helps me to prescribe the herbs that will best meet each patient’s unique needs.

Q: “I have developed itchy patches of eczema in the crook of my elbows and behind my knees. I have tried a cream I got from the doctor and it helps for a while but then it seems to get worse again. Is there any herbal cream that would do the trick?”

A: Eczema can be an uncomfortable condition and one that cannot usually be resolved but can be managed. Herbal Medicine usually manages eczema well and patients have been pleased with the results. I give patients a liquid tincture to take twice a day and also a cream, which is anti-inflammatory. Diet is also considered and recommendations given.

If you have a questions about how Herbal Medicine could help your health problem, please get in touch.

People are usually surprised to learn the extent of what 21st Century Herbal Medicine can treat. Here are a few of the questions I have been asked through this blog. I f you have any questions about your health and what Herbal Medicine could do for it, please don’t hesitate to ask in the comment section below. I treat the underlying problem as well as the symptoms. High quality Herbal Medicine costs approximately £10 for a week’s supply and is without the sometimes unpleasant side-effects of some pharmaceutical drugs.

Q: “I haven’t slept properly for months now and it’s getting me down. I am so desperate that I am thinking about getting some sleeping pills. I get to sleep ok but then keep waking up and never seem to get in a deep sleep. I feel so tired all the time. I have a very full on job and lots of pressure. So I must get some sleep. Can you help?”

A: It sounds to me as if you may have been running on adrenaline for too long and your insomnia is a result of prolonged stress. I suggest you are treated for stress and given a tonic to restore your adrenal function, this will improve the quality of your sleep. It would also be beneficial to consider diet and lifestyle to help you manage stress and maintain your health.

Q:” I keep getting sore throats and just feel generally run down the whole time. It feels like I am going down with a cold. The last cold I had a couple of months ago lasted for 2 weeks. I suck lozenges from the chemist but only get temporary relief and then my throat feels like I have swallowed razor blades. Is there anything herbal that could help?”

A: It seems that your immune system is not working as well as it should be. You have a chink in your armour! For patients prone to sore throats and cold, I usually make up an Immune Mix, consisting of immune-enhancing herbs. I prescribe an antibacterial, anti-viral gargle, which the patient gargles with hourly. This usually proves to be an effective treatment. Diet and lifestyle are also considered. Some patients come to see me at the start of the cold weather to get a prescription to help their immune system. I feel prevention is the best way forward and I encourage patients to see me every 6 months for health maintenance.

Q: “My doctor says I have irritable bowel syndrome. The tablets help with the pain and the diarrhoea but they haven’t cured it. Can herbs do anything for IBS? My tummy makes strange noises and it’s all very embarrassing and also painful.”

A: Herbal medicine is very effective for IBS, which is an inflammatory condition. There are some very useful anti-inflammatory herbs and also herbs that will stop the painful bowel spasms. If this has been a long term condition, it would be beneficial to take herbs to restore the mucosal lining of the gut too. It is also important to check diet as you may be allergic to certain foods and these should be eliminated from your diet. It would be wise to cut out any inflammatory foods like sugar etc. from your diet. It is also essential to discover what is causing your Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Q: “I suffered a particularly bad attack of cystitis, which I went to my doctor for. After being prescribed antibiotics it improved slightly but not completely. I went back to the doctor and was prescribed different antibiotics. I had 3 separate tests which showed a total absence of any infection. After being on three different antibiotics for a month and still suffering symptoms of urgency and pelvic pain, I was unsure what to do.”

There seemed to be two kinds of patient, those that had gone with traditional drug driven therapies, and those that had chosen herbal medicine. The difference was dramatic between these groups. The patients on traditional drug therapy and treatments from the urologists were totally dependent on the one drug prescribed for interstitial cystitis and suffered many relapses. What the patients that turned to herbal medicine claimed made so much more sense to me. Is this something you could help with?

My doctor told me it was likely I was suffering from interstitial cystitis, a chronic inflammation of the bladder wall that more and more women are suffering with.  He told me that it would be diagnosed with an exploratory operation and then controlled with drugs over a long period of time as there was no cure. I was understandably shocked and upset at this prognosis. I decided to do as much research as I could into interstitial cystitis. I found thousands of women in the UK suffer with this condition due to initial infection, stress, lifestyle and many other factors. If allowed to progress, it can become extremely debilitating.”

A: Yes, this is an area that I specialise in. Treatment is done in stages as this is a very complex condition, involving several body systems. It is misleading to call it IC as it is more of a syndrome. The herbal treatment aims to rebalance the body and calm the inflammation thus allowing healing to take place rather than giving the body drugs to mask the pain and intrusive procedures to merely ease the symptoms. It is very important to stick to a special diet, which will not make the condition worse by causing a flare. Often patients also have IBS as well so are having a pretty miserable existence. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is another area that I specialise in with great clinical success. Patients usually report an improvement within the first six weeks of treatment.

Q: “I wonder if you can help. I seem to be wired the whole time. My job is quite stressful. I can’t relax anymore and now my sleep is affected because I keep waking up and in the morning I feel as if I haven’t been to bed. I feel so tired but can’t seem to get any rest.”

A: It sounds to me as if you have been stressed for a while. You would benefit from a tonic for your adrenal glands and also some herbs to help you relax (without causing drowsiness) and to nourish your nervous system. It is important to eat well and not too late in the evening. Try to cut out caffeine completely because it is a stressor on the body. Perhaps you could try decaffeinated coffee/tea or herbal tea. Drink lots of water (at least 1.5 litres per day). It is important to exercise at least 3 times a week to burn off some of the adrenaline and keep yourself fit, even if it’s just a brisk walk for 30 minutes. I also encourage patients to see me if they know they have a stressful event/situation coming up. Herbal Medicine can support their nervous system it and usually proves to be very effective.

Menopause is the time when periods stops permanently either due to gradual natural processes or abruptly when induced by artificial means (surgery or radiation). Prior to the final menstrual period there is a transitional time, perimenopause, lasting up to eight years.

During this time most women begin missing periods and their menstrual cycles lengthen. A woman is usually considered postmenopausal 12 months after her last period. The entire menopausal process can take up to thirteen years. Menopausal signs and symptoms are due to the body’s inability to respond to a decrease in oestrogen, progesterone and possibly androgens such as testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Other hormonal changes include an increase in follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH).

What are the signs and symptoms?

Menopause symptoms can include any of the following:

• Irregular and/or heavy periods
• Breast tenderness and swelling
• Dry vagina
• Low libido
• Hot flushes
• Night sweats
• Anxiety and agitation
• Depression
• Lethargy
• Mood swings
• Behaviour or feelings, which are out of character
• Impaired memory, concentration and vagueness
• Bloating
• Headaches/migraine
• Heart palpitations
• Itchy skin
• Insomnia
• Thinning and ageing of the skin and/or hair
• Weight gain

In addition to the fluctuations in hormone levels, other possible causes of menopausal discomfort may include adrenal exhaustion and impaired liver function. If you think you may be experiencing the menopause, a blood test will tell you what your hormone levels are.

What is the aim of herbal treatment during the menopause?

• Support of the adrenal glands: As the ovaries slow down, the adrenals are capable of producing oestrogen
• Support of the nervous system to alleviate anxiety, depression and insomnia
• Reduce the number and severity of hot flushes and night sweats
• Increase vitality, where the patient is feeling tired or exhausted
• Boost liver function: Adequate metabolism of hormones by the liver helps to ease many menopausal symptoms

Herbal support for women planning to stop taking HRT

The majority of women begin taking HRT, when uncomfortable or debilitating menopausal symptoms disrupt their life. After the 2002 findings regarding the undesirable side effects of HRT, it is now recommended that for most women HRT only be used in the short term. This recommendation is questionable as it only briefly delays menopausal symptoms. The effect of the initial publications of the WHI, and also the Million Women Study (MWS), resulted in a decline in HRT use of around 50% in the UK. For those who have chosen to stop HRT, the dose should be gradually reduced in order to minimise the effects of hormone withdrawal. Ideally, herbal treatment will begin prior to any change in the
dosage of HRT. This can be done with the co-operation of your doctor. In fact, many GPs are now referring perimenopausal patients to Medical Herbalists.

How to get herbal treatment for your menopausal symptoms

There are many over-the-counter remedies such as Black Cohosh. However, this herb is only a small part of a Medical Herbalist’s prescription for the relief of menopausal discomfort and is never used in isolation. Every woman experiences menopause in a slightly different way to others so a one-size-fits-all over the counter remedy does not always get the best results. A Medical Herbalist’s prescription is tailored to meet each patient’s unique needs. Patients find that this approach gets the best results. This natural approach to the menopause is becoming increasingly popular and the medicine costs just £10 per week.

So why put on a brave face and suffer in silence, when there is now a safe, gentle way forward?

Deborah Grant BSc(Hons) is a specialist in the treatment of menopause and coming off HRT.

We know how precious your dog is to you and as a devoted dog owner, you are probably very keen to help improve your dog’s health and well-being. You may be interested to learn that you can help neutralise those unpleasant doggy smells that come through the skin but originate in the stomach and linger on the coat.

Modern living can affect our dogs too. All the factors below may result in your dog feeling a bit under the weather:

• Being fed a processed commercial diet
• Drinking tap water (containing chlorine and other chemicals)
• Some conventional drug therapies and medication
• Worming and flea treatments containing strong chemicals
• Living in a built up environment (exhaust fumes etc.)

This simple programme may well put the spring back in your dog’s step:

• Detoxify: Doggy De-tox contains three ‘Super Foods’ to boost the system and to detoxify the body, including a pure organically sourced specific type of seaweed known for its detoxification and purification properties. This unique combination of Parsley, Peppermint, Chlorophyllin and Ascophyllum will also help to neutralise those unpleasant doggy smells that come through the skin but originate in the stomach and linger on the coat

• Boost the Immune System: Garlic & Fenugreek tablets are a fully licensed herbal medicine to treat a wide range of conditions. Modern scientific studies have shown that Garlic has antibiotic and antiviral properties. This tablet is used to treat minor infections and when given regularly, increases resistance to infections by stimulating the immune system. We believe that prevention is the best medicine. It is thought that flea and worm infestations are less frequent, when garlic is given on a regular basis

• Lather up: Pennyroyal Shampoo contains Pennyroyal mint, which has a strong minty aroma that helps to deter fleas and mites from your dog’s coat. It will leave the coat clean, with a fresh minty smell and no sticky residue

• Clean the Teeth: Roast Dinner Veterinary Toothpaste is specially formulated for veterinary use, being slightly more abrasive than ordinary toothpaste. Its low-foaming action causes less stress to your dog than ordinary toothpaste and its meaty flavour makes it more palatable. It contains sage oil for its ability to whiten the teeth, freshen the mouth and keep gums healthy. Use it weekly and try to make the experience fun

Find more information here

So why not help your dog enjoy life even more?

Medicine 4 Animals

Recurrent Cystitis is a very painful and unpleasant condition suffered by an ever increasing number of women. Many women do the rounds of GPs and urologists and have been given a huge amount of antibiotics with no success whatsoever.

It seems that this overuse of antibiotics has predisposed them to the very condition that they were meant to treat. This overuse has a devastating affect on both the flora of the gut and the vagina; and also on the immune system.

Some patients have even been told by their doctor to take an antibiotic as a prophylactic (prevention) before having sex. Now if a woman is having sex, say, two or three times a week, that amounts to a shocking amount of antibiotic drugs in a year – and that’s apart from numerous courses of antibiotics she may have already been prescribed in the unsuccessful treatment of her recurrent cystitis. This vicious cycle must be broken and the body strengthened so that the patient can be weaned off this ineffective and damaging antibiotic treatment.

Many women say that they feel let down by the NHS. Women should not have to go to private healthcare to have their cystitis treated. If circumstances do not allow a woman to have private healthcare, she is left to suffer. This is not acceptable.  A woman should not be in a position, where she has to give up sex in case it triggers cystitis. She should not always get an attack of cystitis simply because she has a stressful situation in her life. She should not have to worry about where the nearest bathroom is. A woman’s life should be so much better than that.

Antibiotics should be avoided unless there is a real threat of the infection backing up into the kidneys. The very best way forward is prevention and many patients, who have had recurrent bacterial cystitis, are now firmly in charge of their health and the cystitis has stopped.

The treatment should be undertaken for a minimum of six months. Most women notice a difference early on but the treatment should not be stopped. Remember that it has taken your body many months or years to reach the condition it is in so it goes without saying that it will take quite some time to recover completely. Some women continue the treatment to a lesser extent for maintenance.

Prescriptions are tailored to meet each patient’s unique needs. For patients, who live a long way from London,  follow-up consultations can be by telephone after the initial consultation. Read testimonial here.

London Herbalist Medicine

Did you know that Herbal Medicine can safely treat over 50 common conditions suffered by cats and dogs? Herbal Medicine is becoming increasingly popular and more and more pet-owners are turning to it as a safe and gentle alternative to pharmaceutical drugs with their sometimes unpleasant side-effects.

Many of the common health problems, which you would normally take to your veterinary surgeon, can usually be effectively tackled with a drug-free approach. Common complaints ranging from allergies to arthritis can be helped by using extensively researched veterinarian herbal medicine and cutting-edge herbal supplements, licensed by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. For example, the common problem of anxiety, excitability, nervousness and apprehension, which are the most common cause of travel sickness in cats and dogs rather than true motion sickness, can be helped by giving Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)and Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) to relieve anxiety, calm and relax your pet and to reduce excessive salivation during the journey.

Read more

There are a number of herbal medicines that can make older animals more comfortable in their later years. Arthritis is most commonly seen in the older dog or cat, although it can occur in young animals occasionally.

The first sign is usually stiffness when getting up after sleeping or after exercise. There is obvious pain in the joints, usually with swelling and restriction of movement. It can of course be more noticeable during the winter months. Although there is no cure for arthritis, herbal medicines given in conjunction with the correct diet are effective in relieving pain, making movement easier and appear to delay the progress of the condition. Although some exercise is beneficial for mobility, it should always be gentle.

Mixed Vegetable tablets should be given daily to reduce acidity in the system, relieve the pain and make movement easier. These should be given in conjunction with Garlic & Fenugreek tablets to provide a comprehensive and effective treatment. Mobility problems will usually have developed over a long period of time and improvement therefore will be gradual but should be noticeable within a few weeks of starting treatment. It is recommended that the treatment dosages be given for at least an initial month’s course if starting during the summer, and a two month course if beginning in the winter. As improvement is made the dosage can be reduced to the lower maintenance dose which can be continued for the rest of the animal’s life if necessary, in order to control the condition. Diet appears to play an important part in the maintenance of these conditions. Dairy products and red meat should be omitted from the diet as these tend to aggravate arthritic conditions. While looking at diet, also remember that if your dog or cat is overweight this will lead to more stress being put on joints, so if your pet needs to shed a few pounds, give a suitable low calorie diet and add Kelp Seaweed tablets throughout the dieting period to assist with weight loss.

Glucosamine & Chondroitin  is a very effective supplement to help maintain joint health, when given alongside the herbal medicine. Tablets can be crushed, if necessary, using a pill crusher. Cod Liver Oil capsules also help joint mobility and are a good source of Vitamins A & D.

Help ensure your pet enjoys the best possible health until the end of its life.

Medicine 4 Animals