Wormwood plant
No, I’m not talking about wormwood’s dire biblical implications … even if they are a little scary.
My doctor put me on a parasite cleanse because “everyone has parasites.” I don’t know if that’s true, but I trusted him and went along with it. (Yes, it’s the same doctor I’m no longer seeing.) The cleanse consisted of a few herbs, one of which was wormwood. He assured me there were no side effects.
Hmmm … if it can kill parasites, it must be pretty potent. I should have done my due diligence by reading up on it.
After starting the cleanse, I couldn’t sleep for days. Days turned into weeks with insomnia. Not a pretty picture. I finally got some sleep medication, but it didn’t work. Got a different kind, and that didn’t work. Third try, no cigar.
Then it dawned on my delirious little mind, “Hmmm … the beginning of my sleep troubles strangely coincided with starting the parasite cleanse.” I looked up the ingredients and discovered one of the side effects of wormwood is insomnia.
I stopped taking it, but still can’t sleep. So I looked up how long wormwood stays in your system. All I could find was a doctor’s comment in a forum, “For a long time.” Not very helpful.
WebMD says wormwood is also used to increase sexual desire, and to stimulate the imagination. So if you want to be a highly imaginative, sex-crazed insomniac for an indefinite period of time, have at it.
As for me, lesson learned: An herb can have side effects. Read about it before swallowing. Wormwood – for me, at least – is very bad.
October 17, 2011 at 2:18 pm |
That’s pure torture. The few times I have had sleep issues I became a crazy woman. Bring on the parasites! Hope you rebound sooner than “a long time.”
October 17, 2011 at 8:58 pm |
Yes, in most parts of the world, “torture” is the word for sleep deprivation!
October 17, 2011 at 6:06 pm |
Herbs can be even more dangerous than prescription drugs, vitamins, and over-the-counter meds because they are not regulated at all. You should be careful with anything you take, of course, but people many times mistakenly think because herbs are “natural”, that they cannot experience side effects from them. Remember, for several thousand years, before “modern” medicine, herbs were the only medications. People grew them and knew how to use them so much better than we do nowadays. Unless you really know about the laboratory in which they are processed, you never know how much actual herb is present, what preservatives, and other chemicals were used in the processing. And because herb laboratories are not regulated, they may not be processed under clean conditions, much less sterile. Thanks for sharing your story, Judy. I believe people really need to be educated about herbs & other “natural” supplements.
October 17, 2011 at 9:03 pm |
I’ve known a little of what you’ve said for years, Sherry, but let it slip from the forefront of my mind. Thank you for all those details … yikes, especially about possible chemicals and preservatives, and the conditions of the laboratory where the herbs are processed! I’ve heard Germany is the place to get the real thing when it comes to herbs, but I’m not sure.