That's a great side effect!

My Rodale's Encyclopedia of Herbs doesn't explain your result, but it mentions tarragon as having some desensitising and antifungal properties, as well as antioxidants. A green tea regimen ought to have had plenty of the latter, though. Aren't there different types of antioxidants; could that have something to do with it? Sorry, I'm reaching a bit, but your post was interesting.

Caffeine reduction is recommended in people with overactive bladders. So maybe your replacing the green tea with tarragon tea did have a beneficial effect on urinary frequency for that reason.

Thanks for the feedback. I got the idea of using tarragon tea for metabolizing bilirubin from articles on the use of a Chinese herbal tea containing an artemisia species for treating jaundice in newborns (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=300765). Although tarragon isn't exactly the same plant, I thought it was worth a try.

Because I reduced my caffeine when I began the tarragon tea, I did think, as Eric, that my not having to get up as often at night might be from that reduction. But I also remember that it was on the first or second night I took the tarragon tea that I first noticed the reduction in the urge to get up to urinate. I hope someone who has a similar problem tries tarragon tea, I am really interested to know if this is repeatable.

This worries me - while you might be helping yourself not to get up at night so much, is your prostatism itself any better, worse or are you just 'masking' the problem by treating symptoms rather than the cause, and could you be postponing a potentially very serious situation that should be treated, but because symptoms are gone, is now quietly getting worse? I would check with your MD every so often, not about the tarragon, but to be sure your prostate is not growing or changing.

Well, by definition his prostatism is better (for whatever reason) because the symptoms are not as pronounced. What lucy is probably getting at is the need to have serum PSA levels checked as recommended, to help make sure the prostatic enlargement has a benign cause.

One thing I wondered about - were you looking for herbs for Gilbert's syndrome in the first place because of obvious jaundice? (Gilbert's is a benign condition that can cause mild jaundice because of elevated bilirubin levels, but doesn't require treatment. Most people who have it find out accidentally when a blood test shows high bilirubin).

That's a good point, Lucy. I do have my Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) level tested regularly, about once a year. So far it comes in about 1 which is comforting. I can't be sure, of course, that my nocturia have to do with the prostate, but that seems to be what my doctor assumes.

My bilirubin levels are not very much elevated --just 1.3 mg/dL with the maximum recommended being 1.2 mg/dL. The alkaline phosphatase is also low at 72 IU/L whereas my test results sheet indicates it should be at least 150. The first time I had a blood test that checked for bilirubin with my present doctor, I was just coming off a 36-hour fast; they called me and seemed concerned. My bilirubin level was really high. But when I told them how long I'd been fasting before they drew my blood, they weren't as concerned and just said I should come in again to have blood drawn after an eight-hour fast. Apparently, fasting intensifies the effect of this syndrome.

Eric, his prostatism per se may not actually be better - he may just have found a way to slow down (or dry out) urine production with the tarragon, but that doesn't mean his prostate has shrunk or even that his kidneys like the new 'med' (a long term check could be more telling). PSA's are important, but not the only thing to keep in mind, but you're smart to bring it up.

Just so there isn't confusion: prostatism means symptoms related to prostate problems. From an an online definition of prostatism:

"A disorder characterized by decreased force of urination and dysuria, usually resulting from enlargement of the prostate gland."

You're right - in that relief of symptoms doesn't necessarily result from a shrinkage of prostate tissue. There's a number of reasons including inflammation/infection of the prostate that could account for urinary problems, and symptom relief doesn't guarantee a benign cause for the underlying condition.

Example: I just diagnosed carcinoma of the prostate in tissue removed for obstructive symptoms (transurethral resection of the prostate, or TURP). There's no indication a malignancy was suspected before the operation based on PSA or other evaluation.

Lucy and Eric, let me provide some more information so that you won't have to base your conversation about my condition and apparent recovery on pure surmise.

One of the symptoms I had before beginning the tarragon tea was a decreased, and sometimes interrupted, stream of urine. Since I began the tea the stream has noticeably strengthened with interruption only toward the end of my unrination --practically as it had been before the onset of my symptoms about 7 or 8 years ago.

I'm not an MD, but it seems logical to me that if the tarragon tea were causing me to retain, rather than pass, water, I would have gained weight, which I have not.

About whether my "kidneys like the new 'med'," good luck at getting money for a large-scale study of any herbal medicine. But if you're talking about simply following my progress, I get blood work done about once a year, and I plan to keep using tarragon, so my own kidneys' verdict should be in about February of next year.

Thanks Eric, for being concerned that the symptoms which have been mainly alleviated by the tarragon tea might possibly be due to other causes. On the basis of the long duration of the symptoms without any indication of anything more serious than prostatism I've decided not to seek radical treatments. I usually take my doctor's advice on health matters, but if I disagreed with him I would not hesitate to get a second opinion.

Regarding studies of herbal medicines and other alternative therapies, there are many that have taken place or are ongoing. Here's a listing on the website of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (under the auspices of the National Institutes of Health).

I didn't see anything mentioned regarding tarragon tea and the prostate, so quite possibly there have not been enough anecdotal reports to stimulate interest in a clinical trial.

It's almost as hard to be a man these days as it is to be a woman! I wonder if we weren't all better off living to age 40 and being done with it, long ago!

That's an interesting list of studies you included as a link in your last post, Eric. It's good to see the Government getting interested in testing some of the herbs and vitamins most commonly used to treat or prevent ailments. The World Health Orginization has also put out a couple of volumes on herbs. Most of the studies they cite seem to be from overseas (v. 1; v. 2). The WHO books don't mention tarragon, either.

We are living longer, aren't we, with the concomitant health problems that flesh is heir to. I try to remain hopeful, though, and also try to base my hope on things that transcend this life. Traditional wisdom says we shouldn't put all our eggs into one basket.

Which Tarragon (tea)is Best.?(Russian, Armenian, Mexican...)where did you get it.?
Tnx
R0ss / Chicago

Why is my e-mail showing on my 1rst post..?

tnx
R0ss

Hi Ross,

I hadn't seen your post until I just now visited the page again. The tarragon I used is the generic kind you can buy in the supermarket (what I bought was of the trademark Badia). I think it is the French variety, although I couldn't guarantee that. I continue to take the tea from time to time whenever I begin to be bothered by nocturia.

I have been using Tarragon to reduce the symptoms of BPH for years now. I found it by accident after having a tarragon chicken salad one day and noticing later that it was easier to urinate. after several of these coincidences I began using it regularly on eggs and salads with continued relief of the BPH symptoms. Does anyone know what chemical in the tarragon might be responsible for the relief. It doesn't have any of the side effects associated with Flomax or other BP.H drugs

It's been almost a year since this thread ran. I wonder if any of the posters are still using tarragon successfully for their BPH symptoms, or if the effects were just temporary? Seems like BPH is just a curse of old age and nothing works for long. I just drank my first cup. I filled half a tea ball with dried tarragon from my wife's spice rack and let it steep for 20 minutes in about 14 oz of water that had been brought to a boil. Doesn't taste bad, sort of like chamomile, but also tastes like it might give me heartburn later on. As it's supposed to be a diuretic and have a calming effect as well, I wonder if it will lower my BP? I saw only one other post on the web about tarragon as a BPH remedy. The poster said someone he knew got it as a remedy from their grandfather and it worked for them.

Bob:

It concerns me when a well-meaning individual such as youself is lead to believe that one particular herb can benefit a complex illness such as the one you describe having.

Imbalances in the body are complex and sometimes the herbal formulas can end up being just as complex on several levels. It takes a trained and experienced herbal clinician to work through these complexities with the patient.

Sorry to be a downer, but don't get your hopes up.

HerbDoctor

....and yet several men report this benefit. interesting anecdotal evidence imo

thanks to those who shared their experience with tarragon and reduced urge to urinate with bph. made a note of that one, might come in handy one day : )

The list of home remedies for prostate-related urinary obstruction is lengthy, and includes (in addition to tarragon):

apple cider vinegar
bee pollen
propolis
cayenne pepper
blackstrap molasses
corn silk tea
watermelon seed tea
saw palmetto extract
pumpkin seeds
pygeum
stinging nettle extract
ryegrass extract

and many more, all with supportive anecdotes but little to no convincing evidence of efficacy. It probably does no harm to try some of these remedies, but it'd be more helpful to turn first to lifestyle changes (including limiting caffeine and alcohol, and avoiding certain drugs such as decongestants and antihistamines). When supplements and other medications fail, surgical options (and there are less traumatic procedures including laser surgery) may be unavoidable.

I've tried many remedies over the past three years including most of the natural ones listed above, flomax, and two prostate procedures (a microwave TUMT and a 180 watt XPS Greenlight Laser enucleation) and still have most of the problems I started with. The solution to Prostate/bladder problems (also known as prostatism or LUTS - Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms - which effects about 40% of older men) must be very complex because some men get only limited relief despite the best efforts of professionals of every sort. And some women experience these same symptoms despite the fact they have no prostate!
I did try the tarragon tea twice twice in the last three days. The first was the dried leaf from the standard spice jar. The second was fresh leaves removed from the stem, purchased at the super market produce section. Both were placed in a wire mesh tea ball and steeped for 20 minutes. The fresh had a better flavor and aroma. It seems to inhibit urine production in some way, but It's a bit early to judge the overall effect. I do know that I do get a bit loopy from this tea. There's a definite sedative effect, a feeling of mental slowness. If I have a drink of alcohol it seems to magnify the impairment factor while taking away the enjoyment factor of the alcohol. I find it a bit unpleasant. If there is a beneficial effect to the tea I'll probably want to drink it just before bed so I won't notice the sedative effect.

This post was edited by bob_spez on Sun, Aug 18, 13 at 20:55