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Essential Oils

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Replies

  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    I also think it's worth noting that as far as I can tell, no one in this thread is suggesting that essential oils can serve as a magical cure for serious diseases. Helping a disease by reducing the severity of symptoms is one thing, getting rid of the disease altogether is completely different. I don't believe anyone here is claiming that essential oils can do the latter. I tend to think the reasoning behind which some people/sources suggest using essential oils for is being taken out of context.

    However claiming that essential oils through a topical treatment are effective for the colon is a reach. You misread an article on enteric oral treatment of minor relief of peppermint and are trying to justify your use by posting the instructions of a topical application.

    It's spacious reasoning - while I understand that you want to experiment on yourself (and I'm all for it), I do have to point out the inconsistencies and holes and lack of evidence for the general reader.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    I used eucalyptus with my asthmatic child with much success. We also used tea tree oil for cleaning cloth diapers and treating rashes, and gentian violet (not exactly an EO, but a plant extract) for yeast and thrush. I still keep eucalyptus around! I've also got some raspberry oil being shipped for use as sunblock after some rather nasty sunblock reactions.

    I've been having lots of problems with putting lotions and whatnot on my face. Sunscreen has started to burn, so I switched to a physical block that uses zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, and I've had much better luck.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    @EvgeniZyntx so peppermint oil on the belly as a cure for Crohn's is probably a no go? I shouldn't go off my biologic and other meds and get oil instead? ;)

    Well... a nice massage is a nice massage. Nothing wrong with that. ;)

    Full disclosure - the company I worked for prior makes one of the current primary treatments for Crohn's. So take what I say with that in mind. diet and meds. diet and meds.

    I was only joking. My Remicade has been a miracle drug and I am not going off it until I develop antibodies/have a reaction. I'm getting the magical mighty mouse juice tomorrow :)
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    @EvgeniZyntx so peppermint oil on the belly as a cure for Crohn's is probably a no go? I shouldn't go off my biologic and other meds and get oil instead? ;)

    Well... a nice massage is a nice massage. Nothing wrong with that. ;)

    Full disclosure - the company I worked for prior makes one of the current primary treatments for Crohn's. So take what I say with that in mind. diet and meds. diet and meds.

    I was only joking. My Remicade has been a miracle drug and I am not going off it until I develop antibodies/have a reaction. I'm getting the magical mighty mouse juice tomorrow :)

    I know. Still, a nice massage, don't turn that down! :sunglasses:
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    I wish they'd give us a massage at the infusion clinic. Would make the 3 hours go by faster :)
  • ForecasterJason
    ForecasterJason Posts: 2,577 Member
    edited May 2016
    I also think it's worth noting that as far as I can tell, no one in this thread is suggesting that essential oils can serve as a magical cure for serious diseases. Helping a disease by reducing the severity of symptoms is one thing, getting rid of the disease altogether is completely different. I don't believe anyone here is claiming that essential oils can do the latter. I tend to think the reasoning behind which some people/sources suggest using essential oils for is being taken out of context.

    However claiming that essential oils through a topical treatment are effective for the colon is a reach. You misread an article on enteric oral treatment of minor relief of peppermint and are trying to justify your use by posting the instructions of a topical application.

    It's spacious reasoning - while I understand that you want to experiment on yourself (and I'm all for it), I do have to point out the inconsistencies and holes and lack of evidence for the general reader.
    Understood, but I was more so I was going by the book I mentioned and its recommended use of the oil for topical use as well. I used the article (arguably a credible resource) to show that peppermint oil itself has been shown to benefit IBS (when they mentioned abdominal pain, in the context of IBS I was thinking the colon).

  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    I also think it's worth noting that as far as I can tell, no one in this thread is suggesting that essential oils can serve as a magical cure for serious diseases. Helping a disease by reducing the severity of symptoms is one thing, getting rid of the disease altogether is completely different. I don't believe anyone here is claiming that essential oils can do the latter. I tend to think the reasoning behind which some people/sources suggest using essential oils for is being taken out of context.

    However claiming that essential oils through a topical treatment are effective for the colon is a reach. You misread an article on enteric oral treatment of minor relief of peppermint and are trying to justify your use by posting the instructions of a topical application.

    It's spacious reasoning - while I understand that you want to experiment on yourself (and I'm all for it), I do have to point out the inconsistencies and holes and lack of evidence for the general reader.
    Understood, but I was more so I was going by the book I mentioned and its recommended use of the oil for topical use as well. I used the article (arguably a credible resource) to show that peppermint oil itself has been shown to benefit IBS (when they mentioned abdominal pain, in the context of IBS I was thinking the colon).

    And yet, as you stated, it wasn't effective.
    Months ago I tried using peppermint oil to help with my digestion, but the effects I noticed were minimal. However, I know others who have used essential oils for other conditions and have had success. I don't think they necessarily have magical properties, but I do think they can be useful for certain things if used properly.
  • ForecasterJason
    ForecasterJason Posts: 2,577 Member
    100df wrote: »
    Peppermint up the you know what? No thank you. Is it just me or would that burn like the dickens?
    I don't know if the skin is much more sensitive there as compared to other parts of the body, but generally directions for applying essential oils topically say to dilute them.

  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
    100df wrote: »
    Peppermint up the you know what? No thank you. Is it just me or would that burn like the dickens?
    I don't know if the skin is much more sensitive there as compared to other parts of the body, but generally directions for applying essential oils topically say to dilute them.

    Yes, the skin down there is much more sensitive compared to other body parts. *facepalm*

    Source: I learned the hard way.
  • knelson095
    knelson095 Posts: 254 Member
    I use a lemongrass eo spray I make to deter mosquitoes and fleas on myself and my pets...tea tree oil is great for fungal infections and a lot of others just smell nice. Most of health cures are pseudoscience and hype in my opinion, though.

    Also, keep in mind that a lot of the oils are toxic to pets, especially cats. Don't put anything on a cat with researching it first.
  • paulgads82
    paulgads82 Posts: 256 Member
    paulgads82 wrote: »
    paulgads82 wrote: »
    Anecdotal, I've always found peppermint tea good for cramps, but I'd rather not have it up my rear.

    Coffee enema or GTFO!

    You don't want to know how many people have advised this to cure my chronic illness. Ok its 3 but that's 3 too many.

    No way :o And they meant it for real?!?!? Holy buckets!

    No approved treatments. Everything currently still in trial. A charlatan's wet dream.
  • TheDevastator
    TheDevastator Posts: 1,626 Member
    I've used them and felt that they helped.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,811 Member
    MaGrl523 wrote: »
    There are some that beneficial like Eucalyptus.

    Evidently Eucalyptus is supposed to be beneficial in reducing the quantity of dust mites in our environment ... or at least slowing them down and confusing them or something.

    I have a dust mite allergy for which I am being treated by an allergist, but in the interest of helping myself as well, I wash things in a high heat and use Eucalyptus products in my wash. I also spray the bedroom with Eucalyptus spray now and then. I figure at the very least it smells nice ...

    I have also picked up a Lavender spray because it is supposed to be a relaxing scent which might help a person get a better night's sleep. Who knows. But again, it smells nice.

  • CorneliusPhoton
    CorneliusPhoton Posts: 965 Member
    I don't feel like going back and finding the specific post that mentioned it, but your skin can definitely be a delivery method for certain drugs. We know without debate that some chemicals can and do enter your bloodstream through topical application. This is how we can use nicotine patches, birth control/other hormone patches, pain relief patches. Skin is an organ. This is why everybody on earth has triclosan in their bodies. Phthalates, parabens, nanoparticles, hormone disruptors...When you apply personal care products to your skin, many of their constituents appear in your bloodstream. http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/

    That being said, many modern medicines come from plants. I am sure that some holistic remedies may have some beneficial use.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    I don't feel like going back and finding the specific post that mentioned it, but your skin can definitely be a delivery method for certain drugs.

    We know without debate that some chemicals can and do enter your bloodstream through topical application. This is how we can use nicotine patches, birth control/other hormone patches, pain relief patches. Skin is an organ. This is why everybody on earth has triclosan in their bodies. Phthalates, parabens, nanoparticles, hormone disruptors...When you apply personal care products to your skin, many of their constituents appear in your bloodstream. http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/

    That being said, many modern medicines come from plants. I am sure that some holistic remedies may have some beneficial use.

    Yep, please go back and see my post, I did not state that transdermal drug delivery doesn't exist or isn't effective - however, effective transdermal dosage is generally higher than oral and doesn't target specific organs without systemic bioavailability.

    And while many medicines do come from plants and some holistic remedies do have some beneficial use we have here in this thread confusion between oral delivery of a drug and some selective transport mechanism to the colon due to ... either what appears to be a magical method of transport or assumed, but incorrect proximity.

    If someone is going to claim that rubbing a few drops of product x on your skin targets specific organs, I'd expect some strong proof.

    Wouldn't you?
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    Yeah, I have never been told that putting peppermint oil on my stomach will help with my Crohn's (though people who have no clue about this disease have given me lots of wacky "cure" speeches). Rubbing oil on my stomach isn't going to make the pain go away. Peppermint tea helps minimally but that actually gets in your digestive system

    peppermint and ginger can help with indigestion and nausea. i used a tea with those for my ulcers and it helped except for when i had autoimmune flares. but i would never tell someone with chron's or any other disease to use it unless they talked to their dr.
  • CorneliusPhoton
    CorneliusPhoton Posts: 965 Member
    edited May 2016
    I don't feel like going back and finding the specific post that mentioned it, but your skin can definitely be a delivery method for certain drugs.

    We know without debate that some chemicals can and do enter your bloodstream through topical application. This is how we can use nicotine patches, birth control/other hormone patches, pain relief patches. Skin is an organ. This is why everybody on earth has triclosan in their bodies. Phthalates, parabens, nanoparticles, hormone disruptors...When you apply personal care products to your skin, many of their constituents appear in your bloodstream. http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/

    That being said, many modern medicines come from plants. I am sure that some holistic remedies may have some beneficial use.

    Yep, please go back and see my post, I did not state that transdermal drug delivery doesn't exist or isn't effective - however, effective transdermal dosage is generally higher than oral and doesn't target specific organs without systemic bioavailability.

    And while many medicines do come from plants and some holistic remedies do have some beneficial use we have here in this thread confusion between oral delivery of a drug and some selective transport mechanism to the colon due to ... either what appears to be a magical method of transport or assumed, but incorrect proximity.

    If someone is going to claim that rubbing a few drops of product x on your skin targets specific organs, I'd expect some strong proof.

    Wouldn't you?

    Of course. It was somebody else back there who said that the skin only functions as a barrier. I was too lazy to go back and quote them specifically.