Hydrastis is very well-known and overused in tincture form in healthfood stores, where it is usually combined with echinacea and touted to boost the immune system. However, goldenseal in tincture (like echinacea or any other medicinal herb) should be used sparingly, only in acute colds or flus, and not on a continuous basis as advertised, or else it is bound to backfire and cause the same symptoms it tries to combat.
Hydrastis is a great sinusitis remedy, often following Pulsatilla in our prescriptions as it is effective for thick, yellow, sticky mucus, often associated with burning pains. It is also the greatest remedy for dyspepsia or maldigestion (along with Nux vomica), and for gastritis with dull pains in the stomach and a feeling of emptiness in the pit of the stomach (like Sulphur). In the past, homeopathic prescribers often used this remedy for cancers of the stomach, liver and colon. |
