<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
I had asked about the danger of Veratrum Album. Below are a list of responses I got. I found this discussion fasinating.
Ginny Mingolla
If this is a homeopathic remedy, the actual amount of the veratrum per
million molecules is very small. I would offer that any dilution above (ie
higher numerically) 3x by general rule is safe for almost any homeopathic
remedy, even one originally based upon a toxic substance.
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You may have misunderstood the postings. The "remedy" Veratrum Album that one list member constantly recommends is homeopathic, which is to say it contains no active ingredient. The plant Veratrum Album is poisonous. The premise of homeopathy is that, if a substance at full strength causes a particular reaction, a substance that contains an extract so diluted that none of the original substance remains will cure any reaction that has the same symptoms. E.g., a substance that
causes vomiting if taken at full strength will prevent vomiting if used in dilution containing 1 part in 1 million parts of water. See
<http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/homeo.html> for a complete explanation and debunking of this belief system.
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Homeopathic remedies can't hurt you no matter how much you take. Some real fanatics say it's always bad to take the "wrong" remedy, but others say it doesn't matter.
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I wouldn't take it. I know there's someone on this list who recommends it for every ailment under the sun, though.
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I agree with you that a lot of people seem to be taking veratrum album, but I would share the concerns in the post you found. It is from a highly toxic plant and while that in itself is not necessarily a problem, I chose not to use it for my son, although it had been recommended by others on the CD list.
An example of another highly toxic plant which has been shown to be useful re human health is digitalis - from foxglove - a lifesaver for people with certain heart conditions. However, one difference between the two is that digitalis has been properly studied & refined for human health purposes. Veratrum album has not been put through this same process, at least not in Canada [it is restricted from sale here]. I did discuss this with our pharmacist. When I first mentioned it he did not recognize it but eventually found it in one of his reference texts, where it was listed as not safe for human consumption.
These 2 webpages may be of interest:
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/kings/veratrum-albu.html
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/kings/veratrum-viri.html
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I was the one who origianlly posted Veratrum Alb 30c...my md was the person who recommended it
yes, it works. it STOPS all gluten reactions....cold. If you take it at
the first gurgle, cramp etc..that will be the end of it...period, end
discussion. The earlier you take it, the better...so learn to listen to you
body
it is homeopathic and safe. it costs $5 a vail in health food stores or if
you lead in the boonies, call 1800homeopathy and they will ship it to you.
I recommend that you always carry one with you and keep another at home.
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My husband is the celiac and does take homeopathic dosages of veratrum album when he feels that he has ingested gluten. He is very careful, however and doesn't take a high dosage, nor does he take it very often (every couple of weeks at the most). It helps him immensely. What is normally a 24-48 hour painful period of time is reduced to only an hour or so.
I have attached information on veratrum album that is located in the Physician's Desk Reference (PDR) online. My company has a subscription to this reference, so I doubt that you will be able to access the webpage. I strongly urge that you talk to a doctor about taking this homeopathic medicine prior to recommending it. We believe that the dosage in the homeopathic remedies is very small, so my husband decided to use it. I am in no way a medical professional.
http://www.thomsonhc.com/pdrel/librarian/PFDefaultActionId/pdrel.HerbalSearchTranslator
I will copy and paste this article if anyone wants to read it and can not get to it.
Visit the Celiac Web Page at Http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html
Archives are at: Http://Listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?LIST=CELIAC
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