HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Life Extension info on Cat's Claw and my ramblings

Support Forums
>
Lyme Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 1/22/2017 10:56 AM (GMT -5)
Hi folks!

Hope everyone is faring well on their healing journeys. So sorry that my "life stuff" continues to prevent my regular posting here. My healing continues and I'd say I'm at 99.5% Healing has come slowly for me but it's happening thank goodness.

Anyway, I stumbled upon some info about Cat's Claw on the Life Extension site. It's refreshing to read about a herb's benefits from a "non-Lyme" angle. I'd always planned on taking Cat's Claw (and Japanese Knotweed) for the rest of my life and this article reconfirmed to me the reasons why:

www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2007/3/nu_catsclaw/page-01

Based upon its antioxidant actions alone, I'm realizing I probably don't need to be supplementing antioxidants at all. I'd cut back my doses significantly. I think I'm going to experiment life without them for awhile. I get a lot of antioxidants in my diet. And, my wallet will be happy ;)

Healing thoughts and wishes to everyone!!
Posted 1/22/2017 11:19 AM (GMT -5)
Awesome article! I am in agreement for Japanese Knotweed and Cat's Claw as my forever herbs.

I also really love the mushrooms on a daily basis.

Good to see you CD and here's hoping that wee bit more of healing comes your way soon.
Posted 1/22/2017 11:49 AM (GMT -5)
Another good article from the folks at Life extension! Thank you for sharing this, CD!!

And congratulations on being at 99.5%!!! That's really wonderful!! I do hope that you reach 100% soon!!
Posted 1/22/2017 12:03 PM (GMT -5)
Thanks, cd!

Good for you - not stopping at 98 or 99% - that is perseverance!!
Posted 1/22/2017 12:50 PM (GMT -5)
Thanks CD. I have taken cats claw since last March and I don't think it's something I will stop either. One that I definitely know will be a part of my herbs for life is lomatium. I've been using this since December and it has been so so helpful.
Posted 1/22/2017 7:27 PM (GMT -5)
Wow Krimpet, looking up lomatium and it is really something. And if taken with Gumweed it is great for lymph nodes...

always learning here!!
Posted 1/22/2017 7:50 PM (GMT -5)
Can you take cats claw with doxycyline?
Posted 1/22/2017 9:11 PM (GMT -5)
CD, thank you for the link. Can you tell me if you know how I can be sure I'd be taking the right form of cat's claw to ensure my safety?

I am taking Lisinipril and Hydrochlorothiazide for Hypertension as well as Lasix for Congestive heart failure.

This is the paragraph I'm concerned with:

"Editor’s note: Some commercially available cat’s claw preparations contain compounds called tetracyclic oxindole alkaloids (TOAs) and pentacyclic oxindole alkaloids (POAs) at levels that may have an anti-hypertensive effect, and thus should not be used with antihypertensive (blood-pressure-lowering) drugs. This warning does not apply to cat’s claw extracts (such as the one used by Life Extension) that use a patented ultra-filtration water-extraction process to remove high-molecular-weight TOA and POA compounds and limit their maximum concentration to 0.05%."
Posted 1/22/2017 9:20 PM (GMT -5)
I have been . Buhner states that his herbal protocol can be taken with antibiotics. I also told my llmd (he isnt a herbalist)that I was taking it and he said if I could tolerate it , it is a good thing to take.

I am starting slow with it though. I m only now on 2 drops a day trying to build up to 5 drops a day 2 times. I was having an increase of my symptoms/herx after starting it.

I Ordered the tincture from Woodland Essence.
Posted 1/22/2017 10:55 PM (GMT -5)
July I take an Angiotensin II receptor antagonist and took Cat's Claw (uncaria tomentosa). It is TOA free.

Absolutely no problem whatsoever.

But!!!! that is me and we are all different.
Posted 1/22/2017 11:35 PM (GMT -5)
PeteZa - The TOA free Cat's claw is Samento (Cowden), right?
So, that's the one you took?

The others' do have TOA...
Posted 1/23/2017 2:08 PM (GMT -5)
Just to clarify - the only version of Cat's Claw that is TOA free is Samento - none of the others are.

Samento IS cat's claw, but it has gone through a special process to remove the TOA (tetracyclic alkaloids) - there are articles both supporting this and saying that the TOA's are necessary to heal from these infections. From what I've read, I believe that TOA's are necessary, unless you have a specific condition that requires you to avoid them.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply