Question and Answer: Rosacea

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In every issue of Herbs for Health, professionals from a variety of health-care fields answer your questions about using medicinal herbs. In this issue, Rosemary Gladstar and Robert Rountree answer your questions on treatments for low blood pressure, rosacea, and boils.

Rosemary Gladstar, author of Herbal Healing for Women (Simon & Schuster, 1993) and several other books on herbalism, runs Sage Moun-tain Retreat Center and Native Plant Preserve in East Barre, Vermont. Her experience includes more than twenty years in the herbal community as a healer, teacher, visionary, and organizer of herbal events. 

Robert Rountree, M.D., is a physician at the Helios Health Center in Boulder, Colorado, where he practices integrative medicine. He is coauthor of Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child (Avery, 1994) and an Herb Research Foundation advisory board member. 

Please send your questions to Herbs for Health “Q & A,” Herb Companion Press, 201 E. Fourth St., Loveland, CO 80537-5655; fax (970) 669-6117; or e-mail us at HerbsForHealth @HCPress.com. Provide your name and full address for verification, although both will be kept confidential.

The information offered in “Q & A” is not intended to be a substitute for advice from your health-care provider.

Hypothroidism and Low Blood Pressue

I’m fifty-three years old and I’m taking medicine for hypothyroidism. My blood pressure has always been low, but for the past few years it’s been very low (80/50). Please help me with this problem.
Also, can I eat yogurt when I take my vitamins and herbs?
Z. C.
Reading, Pennsylvania

Gladstar responds: Recently both the medical and herbal communities are waking up to the fact that there is an epidemic of thyroid disorders in this country. It is estimated that between 1 and 4 percent of the adult U.S. population have moderate to severe hypothyroidism and another 10 to 12 percent have mild hypothyroidism.

For your low blood pressure, I would suggest herbs that are adrenal tonics and gentle stimulants such as hawthorn (Crat-aegus spp.), garlic (Allium sativum), peppermint (Mentha ¥ piperita), gotu kola (Centella asiatica), and rosemary (Rosmar-inus officinalis). These herbs are not generally known to interfere with thyroid medication. Hawthorn can be used in rather large amounts—three to four cups of tea a day or 1 teaspoon of the tincture three times daily. Garlic is a blood pressure regulator and is effective for low blood pressure. It is best to eat it raw, added to salad dressings and other food. Rosemary, peppermint, and gotu kola can be combined as a tea or ­powdered and encapsulated. Try these herbs/herbal combinations for six to eight weeks before expecting results.