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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by sigismund on March 15, 2011, at 14:40:18
On Blueberry's recommendation I bought a 500ml bottle of 1:2 lemon balm.
Instead of .25mg Xanax I took 5g of lemon balm, which was great. No cognitive impairment. And I slept well last night which was very unusual. Maybe a coincidence?
Posted by morgan miller on March 15, 2011, at 17:36:08
In reply to lemon balm, posted by sigismund on March 15, 2011, at 14:40:18
Lemon balm can improve cognition:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12888775
Glad to hear it is helping. I really hope it continues to.
Posted by sigismund on March 16, 2011, at 1:47:40
In reply to Re: lemon balm, posted by morgan miller on March 15, 2011, at 17:36:08
>These results suggest that doses of Melissa officinalis at or above the maximum employed here can improve cognitive performance and mood and may therefore be a valuable adjunct in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Their maximum dose was 1.6g. I took 5g. I was in a job that was demanding and I felt I needed some (for want of anything better) Xanax. And I did feel it made it easier to cope with the demands I was facing.
Posted by bleauberry on March 16, 2011, at 16:28:16
In reply to lemon balm, posted by sigismund on March 15, 2011, at 14:40:18
On pubmed I saw one of the clinical studies on lemon balm. In that study they found that high doses caused relaxation, improved sleep, improved mood, and improved cognition. While lower doses were still good for relaxing and sleep, they interfered with cognition and mood.
Personally I didn't find the capsules to my liking. Didn't feel the same. I had been taking the tincture which I liked much better than the capsules. Tincture seemed more potent, rapid acting, and I don't, just better somehow.
Glad the first go of it went well. That's always a welcome good sign. Now to see what happens as days and weeks go by, and what different doses do for you.
It is a very good herb going back thousands of years. Like most plants, it also has a lot of other active ingredients doing good things. For example it is antiviral.
If things aren't perfect with it, keep in mind that in the science of herbal medicine and eastern medicine, combinations of various plants is the norm.
Posted by tea on March 17, 2011, at 1:03:45
In reply to lemon balm, posted by sigismund on March 15, 2011, at 14:40:18
> On Blueberry's recommendation I bought a 500ml bottle of 1:2 lemon balm.
>
> Instead of .25mg Xanax I took 5g of lemon balm, which was great. No cognitive impairment. And I slept well last night which was very unusual. Maybe a coincidence?where di you buy it from? Thanks
Posted by sigismund on March 17, 2011, at 10:23:03
In reply to Re: lemon balm » sigismund, posted by tea on March 17, 2011, at 1:03:45
Hi there
I went down to my local herbalist and (since they know me) just said I wanted 500ml of lemon balm from the herbs behind the counter. She said 'What do you want it for?', so I said 'Nervous disorder', which seemed to do the trick. This wasn't from the Mediherb range. This was from Optimal Rx.
Posted by former poster on March 17, 2011, at 12:14:18
In reply to Re: lemon balm » tea, posted by sigismund on March 17, 2011, at 10:23:03
I have a jar full of bulk lemon balm leaves which I bought at the local health foods store and I make into tea. I do feel the effects. I tried Lemon Balm tincture from Gia. Not sure if I felt any effects from it.
Posted by sigismund on March 17, 2011, at 13:14:37
In reply to Re: lemon balm » sigismund, posted by former poster on March 17, 2011, at 12:14:18
I think we have them at our local health food store.
I should get some.
You just put half a handful in boiling water?
Posted by former poster on March 18, 2011, at 0:13:29
In reply to Re: lemon balm » former poster, posted by sigismund on March 17, 2011, at 13:14:37
Yes, just boil water, remove from heat and throw a handful in. I put in some green tea along with it for flavor and health benefits. Lemon balm grows like a weed indoors or out. I'll have to plant a big plot of it this spring.
Posted by psychobot5000 on November 29, 2011, at 15:16:55
In reply to Re: lemon balm » sigismund, posted by former poster on March 18, 2011, at 0:13:29
> Yes, just boil water, remove from heat and throw a handful in. I put in some green tea along with it for flavor and health benefits. Lemon balm grows like a weed indoors or out. I'll have to plant a big plot of it this spring.
Very late to this party, but I thought I'd just chime in with this: I've also tried lemonbalm, and it works. I use Nature's Way Melissa leaves, in capsule form ('Melissa' is another name for Lemon Balm). Their recommended dose is three capsules, but I find that five or six of their .5g capsules has a good effect on mood, anxiety, and sleep, though I haven't tested it for more than a day or two. This dose (2.5-3g leaf) is within the range that has been studied. Most studies use extract, but those that have used leaf give doses between 1.5 and 4.5 grams. Apparently a compound in Lemon Balm in a gaba-transaminase inhibitor, so it temporarily inhibits the metabolism of gaba.
I would add that Lemonbalm seems to interact with GABAergic medications. I take a GABA-b agonist, and lemonbalm dramatically increased the hangover I received from that medication, even though I took them 8 hours or so apart. That prevents me from experimenting extensively with this herb. All I can say is that it works in the short term.
This is the end of the thread.
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