Feverfew: migraine: dosage, botanical names.

Caro Watkins, Ken Brown, Conrad Richter, BJ Attwood, Marylin Kraker, Diane Smithers, Barbara Blanton, Oct 1994, afh

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs
Subject: Re: Migraines and Feverfew
From: cwatkins.orion.didata.co.za (Caro Watkins)
Date: 23 Oct 1994 19:35:51 GMT

Erica Friedman (n9443853.gonzo.cc.wwu.edu) wrote:
: Thanks to all of you who wrote about the virtues of Feverfew in combatting migraines. Now, I have another favor to ask. I would appreciate it if someone could write back about Feverfew, the type of herb it is, what it does, dosage and side effects. I would be delighted if this could be done rather quickly, as I had a lovely little migraine on Friday evening.
: Thanks in advance,
: Erica

Hi Erica,

Feverfew's official name is Tanacetum parthenium. It is a lacy-edged, yellow-green herb. My husband (who used to sufffer from migraines), takes a piece the size of a small finger nail once a day. Generally, it doesn't cure migraines, but rather prevents them. We grow the plant in the garden, and although it is an annual, it self seeds itself, so plants spring up all over. It is also possible to purchase it as a medicine from a herb shop or the likes. I haven't come across any side effects, and can't find anything written about them.

Hope it helps you like it has helped us!

Caro

From: rkjb.cix.compulink.co.uk (Ken Brown)

mcdaniel.notis.com (Lori) wrote:
> <oatstraw.twain.ucs.umass.edu> writes:
> > : Feverfew's official name is Tanacetum parthenium. It is a lacy-edged,
> > The herb books I read call it "Matricaria parthenium". Tanacetum vulgare, however, is tansy.
> Am I missing something, or does this mean there are different kinds of feverfew (I get the feeling it's the former). The bottle I got from my doctor's office says Tanacetum parthenium. It seems to work well for excruciating sinus (migraine?) headaches.

As far as I know there is only one feverfew. However there has been a lot of disagreement about the proper classification of it.

There are a lot of similar daisy-like plants including tansy, feverfew, chamomile, cudweed, mayweed & so on. Most of the books I've seen put feverfew in with Tanacetum (tansy) but some in Matricaria (mayweed). I've also seen it in Chrysanthemum (it's related to the wild ancestor of the garden chrysanthemum).

The name "parthenium" tells us that it's the same plant. When you re-classify a plant from one genus to another you don't change the species as long as Genus + species together are still a unique pair.

From: conrad.richters.com (Conrad Richter)

> > The herb books I read call it "Matricaria parthenium". Tanacetum vulgare, however, is tansy.

The current botanical name is Tanacetum parthenium, but it is also widely known as Chrysanthemum parthenium. Tansy, Tanacetum vulgare, is a different animal altogether.

Conrad Richter

From: bja.ice-nine.dorm.virginia.edu (BJ Attwood)

Feverfew Herb is wonderfully effective for migraines. If it doesn't work, you aren't taking enough. Take it in capsule form instead of tea. There are no side effects.

From: Marylin.Kraker.bbs.c4systm.com

> There are no side effects. attwood.liii.com

Actually, my sources say feverfew can cause mouth sores, but maybe that's if you eat the raw leaves. I take it dried in a capsule and have never had any problems. As a migraine PREVENTIVE, taken daily, it seems to work quite well. At the least, it makes them much less severe. When I got careless and didn't take any for a couple of months, I got a WHOPPER of a migraine and had to go to prescription stuff to get through. I started taking 2 caps a day to build back up, and had no side effects at all. (Also, no more migraines in the last 6 weeks.) My migraines started several years ago, soon after I started the dreaded hot flashes, and are definitely hormone-cyclical. Of course, when I'm under more stress, the hormones flip and I'm more likely to have a migraine at the right time. The other BIG help is Vitamin E, which keeps away the hot flashes. Anyway, even the medical establishment agrees that feverfew really does help prevent or moderate migraines. Feel better!

Marylin Kraker

From: kira.ice-nine.dorm.virginia.edu (Kira Attwood)

: My migraines started several years ago, soon after I started the dreaded hot flashes, and are definitely hormone-cyclical.

I've had great success with black cohosh for premenopausal symptoms. It also catches the migraines and kills them before they start. Dong quai is also really effective. I've got friends who've totally stopped using the estrogen patch and now only use black cohosh. Feverfew leaves, dried, in capsule form also help my 13 year old son get rid of migraines when nothing else helps.

bj attwood

From: dsmither.superior.carleton.ca (Diane Smithers)

: Actually, my sources say feverfew can cause mouth sores, but maybe that's if you eat the raw leaves. I take it dried in a capsule and have never had any problems.

The dried herb in capsules can also cause mouth ulcers, which is what happened with me, with a dosage of 3/day. This is a side effect, and if it happens, you should discontinue use.

Diane

From: K.prodigy.com (Barbara Blanton)

I've been taking 2 caps of feverfew morning and evening for a year now. My daily little headaches are gone...never take ASA any more. My migraines are spaced farther apart, they don't last as many days and are less severe when they come. I'm very pleased I started with feverfew!

Barbara