Pleurisy Root - Asclepias tuberosa

Pleurisy Root, Asclepias tuberosa, is known to gardeners as butterfly milkweed. It grows in dry, sandy areas and has bright orange flowers perched on top of a leafy stem. It is native to North America and was used extensively by indigenous peoples.

It has been used traditionally for respiratory ailments, diarrhea, snow blindness, swelling, rash, tapeworm, snakebite, and sore throat. In contemporary times it is used to relieve lung inflammation. It is a bronchodilator. It may have a diaphoretic effect, inducing sweating to lower fevers. It contains flavonoids, which are antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory.

Pleurisy root was one of the herbs used by physicians to fight the 1918 influenza pandemic. They found it to be safe and effective in small to moderate doses.¹

Suggested dosing: Tincture: 1-3 ml 2-3x day.

Possible side effects: Skin rash, nausea, vomiting. May have an estrogenic effect. May interfere with the action of diuretics (water pills).

Contraindications: Do not use it if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Do not use it if you are a cardiac patient as it contains cardiac glycosides.

¹Abascal, Kathy, Yarnell, Eric, 2006/10/01, 214, 221, Herbal Treatments for Pandemic Influenza: Learning from the Eclectics' Experience, 10.1089/act.2006.12.214, Alternative and Complementary Therapies.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose or treat any disease. I am not a medical professional and cannot diagnose or treat any medical conditions.