Creating a Homemade Medicine Kit

Image by tracyhunter

…and thus begins a new, and highly requested, mini-series. 🙂  We’ll see how long this one goes on!

I love natural remedies.  I love knowing that I can treat most of the acute illnesses that crop up in my family at home, without need of a doctor or any prescriptions.  In my opinion, that is how it should be!  We save doctors and drugs for serious times (and if you think a situation occurring in your home is serious, please don’t hesitate to seek a doctor’s opinion).

But I know that even though I’ve built up quite a bit of knowledge on what works for various symptoms, I am often at a loss when illness actually strikes.  I have a lot on hand…but sometimes not exactly the right stuff, or sometimes what I have on hand isn’t “prepared” properly.  When you have anti-nausea herbs around but no tinctures or even teas ready to go, and someone says “I need something now or I’m going to throw up,” well…you’re caught off guard.  That’s no good!

So to combat this problem in my home and hopefully in yours, I’m writing this series about how to prepare, store, and use remedies for many common, acute conditions.

I must give you this disclaimer: None of these remedies will be appropriate for chronic or serious conditions, and I am not a doctor nor able to give medical advice.  When I share what works in our home or which symptoms may be aided by a particular remedy, I am not attempting to diagnose, treat, or cure anything you may be experiencing.  If you are unsure what is happening and/or the situation may be serious, please seek advice from trained medical professionals immediately.

Why Create a Homemade Medicine Kit?

I have three small children.  Life with them is busy.  And they get hurt.  They get sick (sometimes).  Mostly, they bounce back in minutes to hours.  But sometimes they’re in pain.  The vast majority of these little bumps and sniffles don’t require any sort of doctor’s care, but I don’t want to just leave my kids in pain, either.

There are many OTC remedies around, but I don’t consider most of these safe.  We don’t even own any Tylenol or ibuprofen.  Children’s cold and cough medicine is no longer approved for children under 6 (and in my opinion, really shouldn’t be taken at all).  I don’t usually consider OTC options when I’m looking for something to help my children feel better.  Or myself, or my husband, for that matter.

There are also many homeopathic and herbal preparations available out there, and they are (usually) safe.  However, they are expensive.  Each little blue tube of homeopathic remedy costs $7 or so, and although it lasts for quite awhile — you really need several different ones.  A tube or tin of ointment could cost $10+.  You get the picture — buying all the prepared remedies you need costs a lot of money.  Plus, you’re limited to what’s available in your area, or what can be ordered on the internet, and the remedy that would work best for your family may or may not even be available!

(For example — my cough and cold syrup has been super effective for my family.  I can’t say that buying a store-bought natural type would have worked so well, and it certainly would have cost more.  I’ve never seen anything on the market that is very close to my homemade version.)

Homemade remedies are cheaper, safer (as long as you’re careful), and customizable!

Safe Home Remedies

Now, I have to say this.  Some people hold the belief that “because it’s natural, it’s safe!”  That is not (necessarily) true.  There are certain herbs that are not safe.  There are herbs which must be avoided by children or during pregnancy.  There are herbs which must not be taken internally.  There are herbs which are safe only in very small quantities.  There are herbs which must be harvested very carefully.

It is naive to assume that because something is natural, it is safe.  Herbal medicine can be very potent, and can have very strong side effects.  Some herbs — those which are known as “adaptogenic” herbs (which includes spearmint, dandelion, red raspberry, nettle, oatstraw, and a few others) are generally safe for most people, in most doses.  That is because these herbs work to balance the body rather than producing any strong effect.  Still, certain people in certain situations do need to be careful.  Red raspberry can, in rare cases, negatively affect pregnancy.  So even with the gentlest herbs, caution is still warranted.

As we go through this series, I’ll point out safe handling and use, and if certain people should not use a particular herb.  If there is a safer substitute, I’ll note that too.

Please be aware that my research will not be extensive enough to cover all situations, and that my research is not a substitute for your own.  Before choosing any remedy, or using any particular herb, research it yourself or talk to a qualified herbalist (which I am not) to see if it is appropriate for you or your family.

Remedies and Information

So what’s coming up?  I haven’t finalized it, for many reasons (one is a surprise you’ll find out about in a couple months; the other main reason is because if things crop up at my house and I’m inspired to create a remedy, you might see it even if I don’t know now that I”ll need it!).  But these are some of my goals:

• Sourcing herbs
• Storing herbs
• Creating teas and infusions
• Creating alcohol-based tinctures
• Headache tincture
• Earache drops
• Men and kids’ multivitamin formulas
• Tummy calm tea or tincture
• Calming/sleepy tea
• …and lots more. 🙂

I don’t want to promise too much in case I don’t get to everything I intend to.  If there’s a particular bit of information or remedy that you’d like to see, let me know.  I’ll see what I can do.

Next week we’ll talk about sourcing ingredients, followed by basic storage tips.  And then…the remedies!  By the way, if you’re curious, you can check out all the home remedies I’ve already posted by clicking that link. 🙂

What are you most wanting to see in the homemade medicine kit series?