Michael Moore's website has a detailed repertory that tells you exactly which herb to use, depending on your constitution and symptoms, as well as safe dosage (but if you are not a trained herbalist or medical practitioner, you may need to spend some time with a medical glossary as well). Google on "herbmoore" and "clinical manuals". Check the repertory as well as tinctures in clinical practice for differentiation. Be careful with Aesculus -- it can be toxic. An example from the repertory: Legs, inner thighs, from diet or chronic poor fat digestion - Collinsonia, Fouquieria Legs, inner thighs - Aesculus (both) with relaxed tissues, sense of fullness - Hamamelis VARICOSITIES (during pregnancy) Hamamelis (external fomentation) Achillea (fresh plant poultice)

My son has been itchy all over, ever since he went to college this fall. He saw a dermatologist, who wasn't much help. He has psoriasis also, but this is different. He's tried just about everything. He's even been on a gluten-free diet for over a month, and it hasn't helped. He's wondering if its the chlorine in the water. He was taking too many showers, and so we told him to cut back to only about 5 a week. He uses creams, but feels that they can actually make it worse. He's taking a multi-vitamin and flax seed oil capsules, in case that might help. He's going to try a different dermatologist, and also maybe an allergist. He's tried Zyrtec too, and that didn't help. So you might try everything he's tried, to see if that helps. Are you on any meds for anything else? I actually get a very itchy neck, if I consume too much milk or ice cream. I think its a whey protein allergy-type thing. Do you use a humidifier and drink lots of water? I would start using a food diary, to see if something you're eating is the culprit. Do you have any varicose veins? Good luck to you. I know it can drive you crazy!

I was diagnosed with varicose veins about four years ago, don't recall how, as I don't have much if anything showing on my legs. I've had blue veins on my feet for quite some time, but they don't seem large. They prescribed a diuretic to reduce some of my water. Anyway, they felt that I needed some vein reduction, so I was slated for a series of four shots, using MRI to guide the needle carrying a foamy stuff that was to shrink the vein. After the first shot, I was to walk for a half hour, and two half-hour walks daily for two weeks. On the day after the last one, I did one half-hour walk, and on the next day another. On the following morning, I was wakened early by a pain in my chest. I could take a small intake of breath without trouble, and when I pulled in a little more, there was some pain, which increased as I pulled in more, until I couldn't stand it. Thinking that I needed to do something, without delay, I headed for the living room ... but, first things first, of course, visited the bathroom ... and, while sitting on the john, found that I could breathe without pain. So - back to bed ... but couldn't breathe there without pain! Didn't have handy the 800-number of the consulting nurse, so called police, they gave me hospital number, they gave me nurse's number. Called it, we had a discussion covering various aspects ... did I have pain all the time, had I had it for 5 min., etc., she said the decision was up to me, but she recomm. calling 9 1 1, I said that I didn't like to dispute an expert's testimony, but (sitting upright and having no pain) I didn't think that it was that bad, so she said that I should go to a hosp. emergency room, I agreed. Sun. morning, I had some veggies to take to a couple of churches, had some tomatoes unpicked that were near death, I figured that whatever didn't get taken to church that morning were dead, so picked some, paying close attention to what my body was doing. It has spoiled me, over the years, seldom, gives me trouble over anything that, within reason, I ask of it: rarely tells me, "Listen, you darned old fool - I can't do that for you, any more!". Dropped the veggies off at two churches, at 10:30 the choir and minister ready to process up the aisle of the second when I went in, I went to hosp. emerg. After checking in, I sat for some time, was taken to a cubicle about 2 ... so figured that I should have signed in, then gone back to church. They did an X-ray and some tests, including of blood, plus MRI, I think, and I sat for some more time, a nurse came in about 7, saying that they had found something in my blood, and gave me a shot, telling me that I should give myself some for several days, with a nurse to come to my home the next day to get me started, and with several blood thinness tests. Also told that I was to go on pill-style blood thinner, Warfarin, and have been on it since, with tests of blood thinness, about every two-three months. Scheduled a CT-scan the next day. When the folks who'd done the shrinking of the veins heard of it, they took no time at all in cancelling the other three slated vein-shrinking sessions: convenience is one thing; life-threatening is another! Seldom have needed adjustments in dosage for upwards of a year and a half or so, and it's to be the third anniversary of the blood clots in the lungs late this coming September. If cut or scratched, I bleed a little more than I used to, but nothing of consequence ... thus far, at least ... but haven't had a major cut with which to deal. I'm still on the diuretic pill for the veins that I began using well before the clot trouble. I've had next to no reduction in lifestyle since those problems - for which I'm very thankful. I said on here some time ago that I hoped that, if I were on the Warfarin for a long time, that I wouldn't start looking like a rat ... ... and one of the habitués here said that her Dad had been on it for (5+?) years ... and they hadn't seen any sign of a tail sprouting, thus far. Having some osteo-arthritis, my doc put me on Glucosamine Sulfate, that I've been using for over a year ... and it has helped my arm movement substantially. ole joyful

practigal-oddly enough, I have pretty much completely given up the diet pop and the issues are worse than ever. I'm still on the hunt for figuring out why I am having so many issues. Oddly enough, a Workmans Comp agent called me today (I have an open case due to a minor fall in the field) and she noted she may have connected the dots that the further issues I've had (the MRSA, and the blood clot) may be related to the fall-since they occurred right after. So who knows how that will all work out-it is rather curious-but with the lymphedema that I have, all it would do is to take a scratch and infection sets in-and who knows, maybe the fall could have triggered a clot. The gout-if indeed that is what it is, could also have been triggered.