Botanical Index No. 618

Lemonbalm

melissa officinalis

Medicinal Actions

Colic

Primary Conditions Treated

Allergy Alopecia Alzheimer’s Angina Anorexia Anxiety Asthma Atherosclerosis Bacteria Bite Bronchosis Bruise Bug Bite Cancer gum liver spleen stomach throat Cardiopathy Catarrh CFS Chlorosis Cold Cold Sore Cramp Cystosis Debility Depression Dermatosis Dysmenorrhea Dyspepsia Dystonia Earache Eczema Enterosis Fever Flu Fungus Gas Gastrosis Gastrospasm Gingivosis Graves’ Disease Gray Hair Headache Hepatosis Herpes High Blood Pressure Hyperthyroid Hyperventilation Hypochondria Hysteria Infection Inflammation Insomnia Melancholy Migraine Mumps Mycosis Nausea Nervousness Neuralgia Neurasthenia Ophthalmia Otosis Pain Palpitation Respirosis Restlessness Rheumatism Diarrhea Sclerosis Shingles Shock Snakebite Sore Sore Throat Splenosis Sting Stress Swelling Syncope Toothache Tumor Vertigo Virus Vomiting Wound cutaneous lesions of the Herpes simplex virus dystonia hyperexcitability

General Dosage

1–3 tsp herb/cup water; 1.5–2 g/cup tea; 1.5–4.5 g/cup water; 2–3 tsp hot tea/day; 8–10 g herb; 2–6 ml liquid herb extract; 0.5–1.5 tsp tincture 3 ×/day; 2–3 ml tincture 3 ×/day.

Safety & Contraindications

Class 1. None known. Safer than coffee in my book and in AHP’s book as well. People with glaucoma should avoid the EO, citral may raise ocular eye pressure. At high doses. APA advises patients with Graves disease to avoid the herb, while PHR indicates some potential for utility. Most of my readings suggest its use in Graves disease.

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