This is an herb that’s been on my mind lately due to the COVID-19 crisis but I was on the fence about sharing it. It’s an anti-viral, antibactierial, antifungal herb specific to the respiratory system (also great for urinary system) with historical anecdotal precedence as a flu fighter from the 1917-1918 pandemic. It is said that Native Americans took the root of lomatium to keep themselves healthy and in fact had low rates of the flu because of this herb. It can be taken for its immune boosting effects but is mostly used once respiratory issues start and then ceased once the issues are resolved. Sounds like the perfect COVID-19 herb, right?
The problem is it can give people an all-over rash, so it has not been used widely here because it’s impossible to know who will get the rash and who won’t. Most natural health practitioners who do use it start the dose off very small, such as three drops three times per day, then build up over a week, so the rash is less likely to present. If a rash does present, it goes away in about five to seven days.
I wanted to share this information because I have seen many herbal remedies targeting this virus popping up and if they do include lomatium (which would make perfect sense) you need to be aware that a rash might result. An herbalist I interned with used to make his own lomatium extract that he sold and he didn’t seem to have any customers complain about a rash, so I don’t know how widely the rash aspect occurs. I know Gaia Herbs stopped selling it but Herb Pharm still does, so it seems to be a fairly rare occurrence.
In other news, my move finally happened, so we are home-bound in a brand new location and taking the opportunity to walk our dog all over the area to get to know the ins and outs of our new stomping grounds. As for the house itself, there are not many plants in the yards actually, but a lot of lawn, so I’m hoping I can plant some herbs this spring. I had a couple of pictures I wanted to add here, but for some reason my computer won’t comply, but hopefully it will allow the pics later~ stay tuned for updates.
Here is a prayer for a pandemic that was shared in the New Hope Influencer Co-op of which I am a part. It’s written by a Seattle resident, Cameron Bellm, and has been on social media a few days now, but if you haven’t seen it, here it is:
Prayer for a Pandemic
May we who are merely inconvenienced
Remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we who have no risk factors
Remember those most vulnerable.
May we who have the luxury of working from home
Remember those who must choose between preserving their health and making their rent.
May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close
Remember those who have no options.
May we who have to cancel our trips
Remember those who have no safe place to go.
May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of our economic market
Remember those who have no margin at all.
May we who settle in for a quarantine at home
Remember those who have no home.
As fear grips our country,
let us choose Love.
During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other,
Let us find ways to be the loving embrace of (our higher power) to our neighbors.
Amen
Take care everyone and remember that ‘this too shall pass’. I do wonder though if this is merely the first in a new era of pandemics. With overpopulation, superbugs, and global climate change, I have to wonder if this will become a new natural disaster that we’ll start planning for and dealing with on a semi-regular basis. Just a thought….what do you think?
Good to hear that the move went well! A beautiful prayer!
I’m hoping this crisis will be a wake-up call to all governments to not be caught unaware.
Me too! The slow response shouldn’t be repeated.
I’m glad to hear your move went ok. What a time for stress!! Interesting that you write about lomatium – I used it during the swine flu epidemic (I didn’t catch it). We believe that Léo has had coronavirus last week; he’s on the mend now. We protected ourselves with high doses of vitamin C, but I had shortness of breath for e few days which was greatly helped by Lobelia. What is your opinion of lobelia? Take care and stay healthy!
Glad you guys are OK!! Are you on extreme lock down now like Italy? Yes, the amount of things going on personally and universally right now is a bit overwhelming. Hard to process it all. Lobelia is a great herb- as long as you don’t take too much since it can cause vomiting. (Unless that’s part of the cure like in a lot of Ayurvedic therapies!) 🌿
Yes we’re totally locked down – we have to fill out a form to go food shopping! What about you? You’re in one of the worst-hit areas aren’t you?
We are in a social distancing space, not a formal shelter in place. People are supposed to be voluntarily not going out unless to exercise, buy food, or go to the pharmacy. Some states have bigger restrictions so it’s odd~ we should all be on the same page.
I was wondering about Lomatium for Covid because of the rash. That is caused by a build up of cytokines in the body, which leads me to think that it could lead to a potentially severe cytokine storm in the lungs as well. This virus is so weird and doesn’t behave like other respiratory viruses we’re used to using lomatium for. My inclination is to avoid it until we have more information. I was trying to see if there was any information online about this and haven’t been able to find anything. What are your thoughts on this issue?
I agree, and that is the advice I heard from herbal elders in the beginning of all this regarding elderberry for the same reason.
OK, yeah, that’s what I thought. I appreciate your feedback, thank you!
I got the rash. It was unreal and not for the faint of heart. I havent found a picture on the internet that compares to mine. It was extreme. I had 3 known infections in my body. One was a staph UTI that no medical dr would acknowledge because they are stuck in the past not open to advanced testing which I had done. though all the drs. told me there was no infection after labs, scopes, ultrasounds, and 4 years of dealing with UTI pain, it went away within 3 days of taking lomatium. I had a swollen lymph node from a bad root canal which also went away in a few days. I had a heavy yeast load I fought for years. ALL GONE!!! Lastly, I had covid a year ago and never fully recovered my taste. I was very nauseated during the rash and did not eat for days. When I did eat, i asked my family if what we were eating tasted strong to them. They said no. I realized I was tasting the flavors I had missed for a year! I would use this herb for any cold, flu, covid. I would suggest getting the liver optimal and staying on some supporting supplements, and starting out with low dose for a while. After 7 days on a low dose, my rash started. If you get the rash, be. tough, and be positive because you will need it. Keep your eyes on the end!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I am glad you are feeling better~ sounds like you had a great outcome despite the rash. That’s encouraging! Stay well🌿✨