Teas vs. Tinctures vs. ???

its not really a straightforward "this-is-better-than-that" type of scenario

it depends mostly on what one means by "better" or "benefits"

let me try to break it down to shed some more light

in general

teas:
-effort - low effort

-extraction ( lets use as a surrogate for effectiveness ) - have reasonable extraction of most components ( depends on the herb and chemicals involved - but as a general statement )

-cost - generally low cost

-palatability - its generally easy to take a warm liquid - and most - while not necessarily tasty are tolerable

Powders -
effort - could be super low effort if anyone can stomach just necking them in juice etc 9 but most prefer to put into capsules - so more effort

extraction - the human gut probably does a better job of extracting - especially oil soluble compounds vs hot water - so may edge above teas in this regard

cost - generally the lowest cost option -

palatability - some prefer just swallowing pills - others find it difficult


Tinctures - made DIY

effort - highest effort by far - for example - making say 10 or more tinctures every month as per buhner later books is a serious undertaking

extraction - the best extraction - therefore probably the most effective - but doses are often adjusted in each of the forms - so becomes mainly a cost and effort variable - tinctures typically use less powder per dose than just eating the powder would - due to the better extraction - see cost below

cost - similar or lower cost to powders since tincture doses are often lower- but this is compensated by the need to buy alcohol - and the alcohol cost may be high or low - depending on the licensing framework where you live ( i had to apply for a licence to buy it without the excise duty which reduced the cost by 80% )

palatability - often taste strong but quantity is smallish - so usually manageable - but some people struggle with the strong flavours

Tinctures - shop bought

as per above but highest cost by far and lowest effort


i hope its of some help

the usual period of maceration is 4 weeks - but this is a convention and you can cut it to 2 in a pinch

to some extent it depends on the herb and the chemicals you are trying to extract from it - but if the herb is very finely divided ( ie a fine powder - not easy to do with cryptolepis ) and its agitated 2x a day 2weeks is probably enough.

the herb itself does taste strongly of earth / soil - gasolene - not so much

if its not bright yellow - its not cryptolepis!

I am Garzie ( not Girlie) 🙋‍♂️

there is no reason to believe the pattern is one of successive relapsing worse and worse over time

its more likely that illness severity or relapses are governed by things like overall health - and stressors in ones life - particularly things that impact ones immune system - like chronic stress, poor sleep, physical or mental trauma - or not looking after oneself - are more likely to be the cause of relapses.

the goal of treatment is to get to the point where one's immune system can keep the infections in check and you are able to lead a normal life
we do not know yet whether the infections can ever be truly eradicated - but this doesn't actually matter very much if the immune system is able to do its job - as this is exactly what it is doing already with many infectious diseases in our body since childhood

once you have been ill for years - these disease often present as relatively steady state - they are not exactly - as one can develop new symptoms or complications at any time - but it isn't necessarily a steady downward spiral either.

for these reasons i would view treatment as a serious endeavour to get over the hump to where the immune system can keep you well again - and then keep your lifestyle and health in good order to prevent them coming back

i would advise against toying with a bit of this or a bit of that - these diseases are very challenging to get under control and make progress on - even with comprehensive approaches. Dabbling with a few things is a recipe for failure and lost time.

systematic approaches involving lifestyle changes, antibiotics and other proven supportive therapies have the best track record.
people who have treatment overseen by a recognised LLMD also have better outcomes

i am self treating only because there are no real LLMD's in my home country.
i would advise against it unless you are a particular type of person and have absolutely no other option.

I hope its of some help

all the best