Botanical Index No. 367

Echinacea

echinacea

Medicinal Actions

Colic, antiedemic, antiinflammatory, Modestly antibacterial against Proteus and Staphylococcus, Antibacterial, antiviral

Primary Conditions Treated

Abscess Acne Adenopathy Allergy Arthrosis Bacteria Bite Boil Bronchosis Bug Bite Burn Cancer colon liver Candida Canker Sore CFS Chemotherapy Cholecystosis Cold Cold Sore Conjunctivosis Cough Cramp Crohn’s Disease Cystosis Dermatosis Diabetes Diphtheria Dysentery Dyspepsia Eczema Fever Fit Flu Fungus Furunculosis Gastrosis Gingivosis Goiter Gonorrhea Headache Hemorrhoid Herpes HIV Immunodepression Infection Inflammation Leishmaniasis Leukopenia Listeria Lyme Disease Mastosis Measles Meningosis Migraine Mumps Myalgia Mycosis Neck Nephrorrhagia Ophthalmia Otosis Pain Pertussis Pharyngosis Psoriasis Pyorrhea Radiotherapy Respirosis Rheumatism Rhinosis Scarlet Fever Septicemia Sinusosis Smallpox Snakebite Sore Sore Throat Spider Bite Staphylococcus Stomachache Stomatosis Swelling Syphilis Thirst Tonsilosis Toothache Trichomoniasis Tuberculosis Tumor Typhus UTI Vaginosis Varicosis VD Virus Worm Wound Yeast Activates immunity against herpes influenza and vesicular viruses immunostimulating activities inhibit Trichomonas in vitro Inhibits bacterial formation of hyaluronidase Inhibits viral integrase Stimulates macrophages to produce interferon-beta interleukin 1 IL-6 IL-10 TNF-alpha as well as T cell production in vitro

General Dosage

1–2 tbsp fresh root; 3 g dry root; 3 g dry root:15 ml alcohol/15 mg water; 2 tsp root/cup water to 3 ×/day; 1–2 g root as tea 3 ×/day; 0.25–1 ml liquid root extract 3 ×/day; 10–30 drops root tincture 3 ×/day; 1–2 droppers tincture; 1–2 ml herb tincture 3 ×/day; 300–400 mg solid extract; 2 capsules 2–3 ×/day; 2–3 capsules 2–3 ×/day.

Safety & Contraindications

Class 1. I don’t worry about levels of pyrrolizidine alkaloids as low as 60 ppm; isotussilagine and tussilagine have been reported at levels of up to 60 ppm in pallid and purple coneflower. Commission E reports contraindications: progressive systemic diseases. No side effects or interactions with other drugs reported. But, “There are no contraindications or adverse effects reported for echinacea products taken orally”. People with asthma, eczema, or hay fever may prove allergic to Echinacea. Should not be used for more than 2–8 weeks, according to many authors. Other sources report contraindications: inclination to hypersensitivity, pregnancy; adverse effects: metabolic worsening in diabetic patients, dose-dependent chills, fever, nausea, vomiting, acute allergic reactions. O’Brien contraindicates for autoimmune disorders. According to Parnham, doses 1000 times greater than normally used may be immuno- Commission E reports contraindications: progressive systemic diseases. No side effects or interactions with other drugs reported. But, “There are no contraindications or adverse effects reported for echinacea products taken orally”. People with asthma, eczema, or hay fever may prove allergic to Echinacea. Should not be used for more than 2–8 weeks, according to many authors. Other sources report contraindications: inclination to hypersensitivity, pregnancy; adverse effects: metabolic worsening in diabetic patients, dose-dependent chills, fever, nausea, vomiting, acute allergic reactions. O’Brien contraindicates for autoimmune disorders. According to Parnham, doses 1000 times greater than normally used may be immunosuppressive. CAN reports polysaccharide as allergenic and irritant. Positive and negative concern has been expressed about the overproduction of tumor necrosis factor production, which is stimulated by Echinacea. TNF, in addition to its antitumor activities, is said to mediate cachexia and the manifestation of endotoxic shock.

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