Doc's Blog!
A Refresher on Covid, Herbs & Ivermectin
Sep
The Recent Covid Resurgence has lead to more questions about herbs, Ivermectin etc…
School is back in session, fall is here and the respiratory viruses are having their annual heyday. And, as coronaviruses influenza viruses always do, the Covid and flu kids have mutated to give us new strains that sometimes don’t give a hoot about previous versions of vaccines. As a result, my inbox is exploding with inquiries about respiratory herbs, Covid-19, Influenza, Ivermectin, and other seasonal queries. Take a moment to revisit the article I wrote last year, packed with valuable information about COVID-19.
I’ve recently received approximately a bazillion emails and texts with questions about the drug Ivermectin and its use in the fight against Covid-19 infections. I often scratch my head a bit when I get these emails as my company is called HomeGrown Herbalist not HomeGrown Pharmacist. But I guess it’s not too surprising. I did spend many years sitting in dark lecture halls getting pharmacology facts crammed into my noggin by professors in veterinary school. Add to that the fact that I’ve used hundreds of gallons of Ivermectin over the past 30 years on cattle, horses, pigs, goats and dogs but am also a naturopath and clinical herbalist (which should put me squarely in the camp of folks that eschew such pharmacological interventions) and I guess it becomes an interesting question.
So, what do I think about Ivermectin? Well I think it’s a great wormer for livestock. It’s also good for lice or mange. You can use it in dogs too. I’ve treated lots of dogs for mange with Ivermectin over the years. Just don’t give it to collies. It melts their brains. It’s much safer in other dog breeds either because their brains are too hard to melt (Schnauzers and dachshunds) or they don’t have brains (Labradors and beagles).
Ivermectin is also approved for oral use in humans as a little pill for worms and mange and lice and such. Taken properly with a prescription for those conditions, it’s pretty safe. Taken improperly it’s good for causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypotension (low blood pressure), dizziness, ataxia (problems with balance), seizures, coma, and death. But don’t feel too bad about that. Lots of other “safe” pharmaceuticals have similarly bad effects if used improperly. Another important benefit of having a doctor prescribe it is that he’ll make sure that any other meds you’re taking don’t interact badly with it.
But what about Covid-19? Doesn’t the Internet say Ivermectin kills Covid-19?
Yes, it does but the internet says a lot of really stupid and dangerous things. I’ve seen a lot of articles on the internet that say some really inaccurate and dangerous things about how to “safely” use Ivermectin for Covid. The fact is that just because something is posted on the internet doesn’t make it gospel truth. Don’t even get me started on all the herbal misinformation that’s out there as well. Some of it is mind-bogglingly erroneous . If you want to really understand something, don’t use Google. Use Google Scholar or The Bielefeld Academic Search Engine. Then at least you can read real scientific studies and get some real information. Granted some of those studies are garbage as well, but your odds of getting real data are better than you’ll get from some blogger that knows what they’re saying is true because they saw it on Instagram or YouTube.
So, what does the real research show about Ivermectin? It shows that in test tubes Ivermectin has been effective at interrupting viral replication of the Covid-19 virus in infected cells. I’ve also recently found some good studies showing Ivermectin being effective in real, live humans with Covid. So, from the studies I’ve read on the in-vitro and live human work that has been done, it seems likely that Ivermectin may have some promise as a medication for Covid cases. So, if you can find a physician that will prescribe it and get the dosing right for you, it may be helpful.
What I’m not saying is that since there are some promising studies about human Ivermectin drugs, we should all go down to the local feed store and buy some injectable cattle wormer or pour-on delousing products that contain Ivermectin and treat ourselves. Those products aren’t formulated for use in humans and would be much riskier to use than the nice little Ivermectin pills your doctor would give you. Our local hospital had several cases in which people caused serious and permanent damage to themselves by following internet instructions on how to dilute cattle wormer. Don’t do it.
As it happens, I got Covid-19 a couple of weeks ago from this nice lady that likes to smooch me. So, did I run over to the vet clinic and grab some Ivermectin which I can buy wholesale for peanuts?
Nope. I didn’t.
Why not? Well, a better question is why would I? You see, I have lots of little green friends that have also have excellent studies showing good activity against coronaviruses. The fact is that plants have been killing coronaviruses for years and they have no idea that the exciting new one should be scarier than all the rest of them…they just think it’s a corona and kill it. Thank heavens for plant illiteracy! If they’d Googled “Covid-19” and found out how much better this corona is than the bazillion others they kill, we may have had a real problem.
So, because I’m an herbalist I chose to use herbs instead of Ivermectin to address my Covid adventure. There were several important factors contributing to this decision. First, given the choice between plants that my body knows very well how to process and which contain dozens of chemicals that do nice things or a synthetic cattle wormer that my body which my body has no idea how to process and which has a very high potential for toxicity, I’m going to choose the plants. Second, I’m much too lazy to drive over to the vet clinic when I have a HomeGrown Herbalist Respiratory Preparedness Kit and a few other good tinctures in my cupboard.
So, what did I do exactly?
Well, the Mrs. started getting sick on Friday…just feeling dumpy and having a scratchy throat. So, of course, I started taking Immunity Support and Cold Away.
She didn’t.
The second day she was even sicker…achy, sore, and starting to cough. So I added INFXN-ShooFloo to my protocol.
She didn’t.
I told her I knew this nice herbalist that would poke the tinctures into her if she liked but she never got around to it that day…too busy working on projects in spite of her illness, like a good Idaho farm girl. The third day she was really sick, coughing like crazy and achy. One of my adult kids went to the drug store and bought a rapid Covid test. She tested positive. So, I added Artemisia annua, Pine Needle, and Chaga to my protocol, and called it “Doc’s 3 Amigos For The Respiratory System” At that point, she started taking her herbs too. We were taking all of the above about four times a day. Dosing can be found on any product page on the Info & Dosing tab.
The next day I was sick…really sore, achy, and worn out but with no respiratory symptoms. I took some Joint Support Formula and the aches and pains improved markedly. I also took some Respiratory – Cytokine Balance as it contains a lot of grape leaf which contains a lot of resveratrol which interferes with coronavirus cellular attachment and reproduction. At the end of the second day, I was done with the bug and felt pretty good. I was still tired for several days and would have a good cough or two once or twice a day but that was it.
My sweet wife, who was naughty and didn’t listen to the advice of the handsome herbalist she likes to smooch, was much sicker and had significantly more respiratory involvement. We used a lot of Respiratory-Coff which really helped the coughing. I also gave her Respiratory-EXP to get the goobers out of her lungs. Of course, she was getting the Artemisia annua, Pine Needle and Chaga, and other stuff mentioned above as well. She was much sicker than I was.
So, what do we learn from this in-depth corona case study carried out at the Jones house? First, we learn that starting your herbs the day you think you’re exposed to a bug is a much better idea than starting your herbs three days after you’re sick. Second, we learn that even though someone likes to smooch you, they may not always listen to you. Third, we learn that herbal intervention is a continuous, evolving process. In other words, the herbs or formulas you need on day two may not be the same ones you need on day five (By the way, the Respiratory Preparedness Kit comes with detailed descriptions for each of eight formulas and how, when, and why to use each one). We also learn that having the herbs on hand when you need them is a MUCH better idea than having to order them so they can arrive several days after you get sick. And, lastly, we learn that even if you’re too lazy to run down to the vet clinic and get some free Ivermectin, you can get better quite quickly if you have the right weeds around. :0)
If you’d like to deepen your understanding of disease processes and the amazing power of medicinal plants, have a look at The HomeGrown Herbalist School of Botanical Medicine. It contains a wealth of information on human illnesses and issues, veterinary illnesses and issues and how to easily produce and use herbal medicines to improve your health and quality of life. People constantly share stories with me on how the things they’ve learned have blessed their lives and the lives of others. The school is absurdly inexpensive for the content provided and if you do the math on what you’ll save on even a few doctor visits, the low enrollment price of the school is pretty much a no-brainer. :0)
So, my advice is to fill your cupboard with herbs, fill your brain with great information and, perhaps most importantly, listen to your spouse…especially if what they’re saying sounds like a really good idea. :0)
-Doc Jones
PS: I’ll be doing a presentation with the folks at the School of Traditional Skills this Friday (Sept 15 2023 at 5PM MST ) on respiratory illnesses and herbal first aid. It’s free. Come and join us!
I totally agree with you. People have to re-education themselves, learn their bodies. Only you know you, how you feel, what makes you feel better or what makes you feel bad. One size doesn’t fit all. God bless everyone.
My wife is a Nurse Practitioner and the daughter of a Chemical engineer. Even though she supports me starting my medicinal herb and weed garden in the spring. She is not convinced they work better than man-made chemicals??? (Brain washing). I have a fatty liver and a Milk Thistle capsule restored my LFT’s and no longer on blood pressure meds because of others. I am hoping to become a living example for her and a graduate of the Home Grown Herbalist School.
Thank you, Doc for this hilarious but honest post!! I love how you explained Ivermectin and the best herbs to use instead, but I got the biggest kick out of the use of Ivermectin in different dog breeds. I laughed so hard at that one! I hate to say it though, I’m like your wife…I don’t listen to my Dr. hubby either. oops!! He’s a chiropractor and acupuncturist. 😉
Ok Doc, I had to stop reading to LOL at that beagle comment, I’ve had a beagle and I concur, no brain!
I love your sense of humor! And the wealth of knowledge you bring with you everywhere you go.
I’m gonna go over and watch you at the TSS.
Thanks for everything, God Bless you and yours. <3
So grateful for herbs and the knowledge you are sharing! An interesting note on Ivermectin…I’ve listened to Dr Judy Mikovitz, virologist and immunologist, and has spoken at length on Ivermectin. According to her, it’s mechanism of action is not as an antiviral, but rather it restores immune system pathways damaged by vaccines and other toxins. She had a dizzying amount of data and research to back this up. Very smart lady…but Id still rather reach for herbs any day.
“Antiviral” is often used as a catch all term for various mechanisms of action. Some things are antiviral because they directly inhibit the virus from attaching to the cell membrane or interfere with viral replication. Other things are “antiviral” because they stimulate immunity, etc… I’ll have a look at the article though. Sounds interesting.
Doc, loved this post. Will you have some of your herbal remedies at the event in Northern Washington on the 23rd??
Yup. :0)
Nice one Doc. Love the honesty, expertise, and humor. You nailed it.
Glad my dog is a Samoyed, smart, kind, and cuddly. Also glad I have to of those Respiratory kits on my shelf.
So far so good.
Darn, I missed the online summit. I hope there is a replay. Have you ever created an Oxymel? Sounds promising for cold symptoms. I question which herbs would be best to make and Oxymel for Covid.
Doc, do you have a protocol for long covid?
Have a look at this. https://homegrownherbalist.net/covid-19-beat-you-up-now-what/
Thank you very much for this protocol for covid. I have had two diseases that in the end resolved with ivm. This recent variant or is it one of those hundreds of patented coronaviruses who knows (because natural immunity did not help from the first one), seems to hit hard and have lingering neurological symptoms as the earlier one also had. The neurological “long covid” symptoms really are hard to treat, they seem to affect muscle function, memory, speech, pains and cramps, dizziness… Please, would you address these?
Have a look here: https://homegrownherbalist.net/covid-19-beat-you-up-now-what/
Thank You, such an excellent advice!
God bless!
here is from a published paper: “When you look at the COVID brain, you don’t actually find [huge amounts of virus, but] we found a lot of immune activation,” he says, particularly around blood vessels. The examinations suggested that immune cells called macrophages had been stirred up. “Macrophages are not that precise in their attack,” Nath says. “They come and start chewing things up; they produce all kinds of free radicals, cytokines. It’s almost like blanket bombing—it ends up causing a lot of damage. And they’re very hard to shut down, so they persist for a long time. These are the unwelcome guests” that may be causing persistent inflammation in the brain. – is this the root of neurological problems?
It’s likely a big part of Covid-related neurological problems. The immune system’s response to some coronavirus and influenza strains is more dangerous the viruses themselves. Many deaths from the Spanish flu (and Covid-19) were from cytokine storms launched by the immune system to fight the bug.
Karen, I appreciate your input but I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say. I said there were good studies on ivermectin and that if you got the human version and took it at the proper dosage as prescribed, it has good safety margins and could be effective. I don’t have any problem with people using ivermectin formulated for human use under the direction of a physician. What I’m vehemently opposed to is people poisoning themselves by buying highly-concentrated, over-the-counter cattle products and assuming it’s safe for human use. That’s a very different thing and I don’t recommend it. I guess I need to look at the article and tweak the writing a bit to make that more clear.
You did it exactly the right way. The human Ivermectin product, prescribed by a doctor, seems fine from a safety and efficacy standpoint. My concern is with folks taking the highly concentrated feed store cattle version and assuming it’s safe.
Thank you for sharing your training on herbs and their healing power. I used your respiratory kit when I had Covid previously. What I’m looking for now is you had some suggested herbs for recovery afterwards to overcome the tiredness after Covid. Would you mind sharing those once again? Thank you!
I found what I was looking for. It was posted October 19, 2021. “How to Rebuild Your Health” after Covid.
Know of any plants to restore smell/taste? The old tobacco plant has been suggested (patch or gum) but that’s not the whole plant.. just nicotine.