One Herbalist's View of Herbal Dosing

So you have found your herb or your formula and there are some general recommendations, on the bottle or the article you read, now how do you decide how much to take, how frequently and for how long so that you can maximize the therapeutic effect you are hoping for?

In my years of clinical practice and talking to people, many people really are as confused by this conundrum as they are what herbs to include in their repertoire.

I want to share some guidelines that have proved true over time for me and in my practice. I hope that with more knowledge under your belt you can feel more comfortable about using herbs everyday and in occasional need.

Here are some questions I usually ask. And then we can play some scenarios so you can see how this might play out in normal life.

• What is the purpose the herbs are being used for? Is it to be used for general strengthening (tonic) OR with a more focused impact (acute) for a particular situation or organ system?
• How old is the person taking the herbs and what is their body weight (40 pound child or 160 pound adult?
• How sensitive in general is the person regardless, of weight and age.
• What is the person’s day like or lifestyle? Can they take their herbs multiple times or are they traveling or too busy?
• How strong is the herb or formula? How much is usually used to treat for this purpose?

Just today we filled prescriptions for:

1. A woman on a tonic formula for her tendency to high blood pressure.
2. A child bitten by a tick, where ticks were tested and found to have Lyme and Babesia (which does not mean the child has contracted those pathogens just that they were present.)
3. Another child bitten by a tick who with different co-infections who did contract illness, discovered by her doctor via testing.
4. A runner looking for some herbs to help prepare for a marathon.
5. An older person having over-worked looking for support for her nervous system and burnout.
6. A woman newly menopausal experiencing the natural instability symptoms of menopause.

Let’s look at each one and see how to use the guidelines.

1. This woman is average adult weight and in her 60’s and just need a little support so she will take an average TONIC DOSE Daily of 4-6 droppers of her formula. She is being followed by a nurse practitioner so she can be monitored and dosage changed if necessary. She has used this formula for years and has found it effective at that dose so she continues safely knowing there is support with safety.
2. This is a child weighing around 50 pounds so the dose will be about a third of an adult recommended dose. He lives in a very tick active environment and his mom protects him as best she can using tick spray, gives an all around tick formula to keep his system ready but several of the ticks they tested at the University lab came back with pathogens so she wants to treat him as if he may have contracted pathogens at least for a few weeks. The adult dose is 5 droppers 3 times per day, so she will use Babesia formula 1.5 droppers 3times per day and same dosage with Lyme 1. She will continue for 2-3 weeks, stop and see how he feels over the course of a week and decide whether to continue or return to the tick bite formula as protection because of where they live.
3. This is a 4 year old who was sick and has already used antibiotics. She has been diagnosed with testing by infectious disease doctor and is being treated with herbs as well by a naturopath. She because of age and weight will take 10 drops 3 times per day for 2 weeks and then re-consult with her doctors for further treatment.
4. This is a male runner of average weight, health and conditioning. He will tonify himself during the rigors of training leading up to his race and even use the day of the race. Because this is a tonic dose to keep all his systems optimal, he will take 3 -5 droppers once per day or as an option 3 droppers twice per day of a training formula for endurance and stamina and support. He can continue for a week after the race at that dose during recovery as well and then halve the dose after that after a rest period as he returns to his normal more relaxed training schedule.
5. This is an older woman who still works hard in her own business and gardens intensively as part of her work. She has worked many hours and carries a lot of responsibility and is feeling a bit overwhelmed and used up. Too much thinking and doing has created some fatigue and loss of enthusiasm and vitality. She has decided to use herbs to strengthen her nervous system and support adrenals. It will take at least 4-6 weeks to get herself reset so she is taking 3- 6 droppers of a formula to nourish and rebuild her nervous system and adrenals every day. And of course she is trying to go to bed earlier, take weekends off from work, eat well and hydrate. This is another version of a more short term tonic use of herbs.
6. This woman has moved from perimenopause into full menopause and wants to use herbs to smooth the instability of hormones during this phase of her life. The symptoms vary and shift intensity so she can shift her dosage accordingly. Daily she might use anywhere from 2-5 droppers 2-4 times per day based on severity of symptoms. When she goes on vacation and can play and rest she may abandon them all together as her symptoms largely decrease but when she returns to daily life where she has a lot to hold up and do she may increase her dosage. She will probably take them for quite awhile so she can flex with the progression of her menopausal period. She can also add other herbs or change herbs as she goes through menopause over the course of several years.

These are a few examples that I hope help you see the importance not just of the right herbal choices but the importance of dosage. Of course until one feels comfortable you can work with a ND, doctor, acupuncturist, or clinical herbalist or nurse practitioner, to help you learn the ropes.