Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) abounds in my garden!
It is one of the most easy to grow medicinal herbs and has some pretty amazing healing properties…making it a great addition to the home pharmacy.
Historically, lemon balm has been used to treat all kinds of nervous system ailments and is known for it’s ability to:
- calm an irritable child.
- act as an antiviral in treating cold sores due to the herpes virus.
- heal wounds and protect the skin.
- treat the symptoms of the common cold and flu when combined with other medicinal herbs.
- relieve the symptoms of migraine headaches, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
Likewise, feverfew is unbeatable when it comes to treating the common headache, migraines, stress/tension headaches, and those headaches associated with PMS symptoms. It truly is a wonder herb and a must in the garden of those who suffer these ailments.
Note: Please see my How to Make a Tincture at Home video for more helpful information regarding making a tincture.
Migraine Tincture ~ A Recipe
Supplies needed
-Solvent (i.e. 100 proof alcohol or vegetable glycerin)
-quart sized glass mason jar
-4 oz. fresh or 2 oz. of dried herbs
Ingredients
-3 parts lemon balm
-2 parts feverfew
-100 proof vodka to fill
Method
1. Measure your herbs depending on whether you are using fresh or dried herbs.
2. If using fresh herbs, chop until fine.
3. Add herbs to glass jar.
4. Pour solvent over herbs to fill the jar. The solvent should rise 1-2 inches above the herbs.
5. Place the lid on the jar and shake until the herbs are well combined.
6. Label jar with contents and date.
7. Set in a warm, sunny window and steep for 2-6 weeks, shaking daily.
8. Strain with a cheesecloth, compost the plant material, and place tincture in dark colored bottles for storage in a cool, dark place. The tincture should keep for up to 5 years.
Adult Dosage
At the sudden onset of migraine symptoms, begin taking 1/4-1/2 a teaspoon of the tincture every 30 minutes to an hour until symptoms subside.
Feel free to print this recipe and add it to your herbal journal: Migraine Tincture Recipe (131kb PDF)
Looking for the raw materials mentioned in this post? Check out the good people over at Mountain Rose Herbs and Bulk Herb Store…they are the go-to for all my dried herb and medicinal herb seed needs!
I do have a limited quantity of these available
in my little Etsy Shop
Click here to see the listing.
Have the ULTIMATE healing experience…get the Feverfew & Lemon Balm Herbal Tea too!
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Disclaimer: Please understand that this information is for educational purposes only. The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and they are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. Don’t take my word for it…you should always engage conventional wisdom and consult with your medical professional to determine potential drug interactions and safety of use.
I’m sorry if you have mentioned it but do we measure by weight or by volume? Also when using a glycerin tincture because its not as strong should the dose be higher? Thanks!
Ashley, though I am not Andrea, I can answer this for you. She is measuring in parts, so what ever you choose to use as your “part” be it 1 cup, 1/2 cup, a tablespoon, or a hand full, just repeat it for each ingredient. This sounds really good, and will be very useful at my house.
Gail
Thanks for this recipe! I wished I had some right now as I have one of those headaches! Blessings from Bama!
Oh, I have been looking for one of these! I don’t get migraines as often since changing my food, but occasionally I still get a flare up! Will have to get some supplies and make up a batch, Thanks!
Oh my! That is something we SO need in this house!! DH & I both suffer from severe headaches & migraines. And my second son is starting to have a lot of headaches (they run in my side of the family). If a person wanted to use something other than alcohol as the solvent what would be the next best thing?
Thank you!!!
Hey Rhonda, I asked the same question on yesterdays general post on how to make a tincture. Andrea has a PDF link that talks about a glycerin or an apple cider vinegar solvent instead of the alcohol. Check it out!
Try the BHO Method maybe? This uses butane to desolve the important parts of plant matter and then they drain as pure extract and butane, The butane then boils off leaving only the extract.
Headaches run in my family too, so I’m definately planning on making some of this!
I would really love to try this! What concerns me is the taste…when I have a migraine I’m extremely nauseated and I’ve been told feverfew isn’t very tasty. How would you describe the taste, and do you have any suggestions if I find it difficult to take (honey, mint, etc)?
I’m sorry to tell you that feverfew tastes AWFUL. Very strong and bitter. I take it in juice and then chase it with more juice. But if you sweetened that even further with honey it might be more palatable. I’m not usually nauseous so I just grin and bear it. If you do the juice though a little tip…put it in a tiny bit of juice, just enough to get it down and chase with more juice (as much as you want.) Otherwise you get a lot more nasty tasting juice to try to get down. Hope that helps.
I find steeped white willow bark tea (apirin’s active compound originates from) works well for headaches and migraines. Has a woody taste, but you could try adding peppermint, chamomile, kava, lavender, and/or honey to help mask the taste a bit. Might be worth try?
I have such bad luck with lemon balm, so I’ll order one online. I have horrible migraines, so quite timely.
Ah, fevered, that’s a good idea. I have lemon balm, chamomile, and valerian in my headache tincture. I’ve read that valerian was once a common treatment for headaches like tylenol is now. It usually works for me, and I know two others who use it in combo with tylenol for migraines.
Fever few that is, gotta love spell check. I’ve also used skullcap successfully.
Just curious. I’ve read a few other sites tincture recipes, and most of them state to store the herb/alcohol mix in a cool, dry area. Any reason why this tincture states differently? I know it’s the alcohol pulling the out the herbal “goodies” so I didn’t know if it made a difference in this and other recipes where the jar is stored.
Malia, read step 8 again. It goes into the window during the drawing out process, but once it is strained and labeled, it goes into a dark jar and is stored in a cool, dark place. Think I’ll try it! Does anyone know – does it have to be 100 proof? I have 80 proof on hand.
I am wondering the same thing.. Does it have to be 100 proof?
No 80 proof can work just as well. You can also use brandy instead of vodka. Speaking as a herbalist, the most extraction will occur from alcohol. You can use apple cider vinegar or vegetable glycerin, if you want non-alcohol forms, however the potency will far less.
Can a person with cancer do this?
Hello,
A work friend and I want to try this remedy as we both suffer from migraines. Learning what our triggers are has been helpful in trying to avoid a migraine.
I was not able to find either of those herbs fresh or dried. (limited local resources) I did find both herbs in liquid herbal extract form. Any idea how much of each should taken? The lemon balm states 333 mg/ml. The Feverfew does not list a concentration value. Each of them does however have recommended dosages of 30 – 40 drops in a bit of water two to four times a day between meals. If we were to use the 3:2 ratio of the fresh/dried herbs would that be too much?
Thanks!
Mindy
Warning: feverfew is related to ragweed and should not be used by people with ragweed allergies or any other member of the daisy family.
Thank you for the feverfew-ragweed warning. I am allergic to ragweed and have migraines. I’d rather not trade a migraine for an asthma attack!
i wish someone had warned me about feverfew before i took it. i had a severe allergic reaction to it. you would think the doctor who prescribed it might have said something, but no. have some benadryl around just in case. i’ll stick to my unnatural concoctions for my migraines…
Of course it’s going to get rid of a migraine, it’s got Vodka in it!
Actually, vodka GIVES me migraines. I’m thinking this tincture will not work for me
Thank you for this recipient. I suffer from migraines; I had them under control once when my hormones were balanced, now I’m bd again. I do use Botox treatment, it helps but I still suffer. I did use a treatment years ago. It was Bancha tea, with a little tamari in the cup with one umaboshi plum in it too. The pit can be sucked on for naseau. Just another thing to try. I need all the help I can get.
I have a ton of Lemon Balm growing in my yard:0) Problem is, I am new to the Natural healing stuff and I was wondering where would I buy Feverfew? I imagine t must be a liquid? Sorry to sound like such a dunce…
Feverfew is an herb that does well in a pot or in the ground. It was considered a “must have” by colonial pioneers. I you have lemon balm, you can grow feverfew.
Let me just warn you, if you begin growing feverfew it is a very aggressive plant…best to put it in a container. It’s tiny seeds blow everywhere, and even here in Montana they survive the winters. And it’s also a lovely plant with a delicate flower!
don’t forget to sterilize your equipment!!
mold doesn’t do much for headaches!
ummm… question… do you have to used vodka… cuz.. vodka gives me migraines!
no, you don’t. If you look in Andrea’s notes she mentions using vegtable gylcerin if you want. I’ve used apple cider vinegar.
I’d like to make this for a friend, she is pregnant and often gets migraines. I guess this would be safe for someone who is pregnant?
wikipedia says do NOT take feverfew if you are pregnant.
@ Nancy, it’s not a good idea to assume that any remedy herbal or not will be safe for a pregnant woman. Due to the MANY changes a women’s body goes through during pregnancy any remedy should be questioned to a medical professional before use. Even on remedy’s she usually uses.
Having said that, I can’t find Feverfew any where in plant form here in Oregon. I have only seen them online. Does anyone have a good website they trust?
http://www.azurestandard.com should have them. It’s a free co-op based out of Dufur, Oregon. You have to sign up to join and see the prices. It is an amazing co-op, I’ve been ordering from it for many years.
Moutain Rose Herbs, an Oregon company, has organic dried feverfew you can purchase or seeds to grow your own. They are a great resource for organic and natural products!
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/search/search.php?refine=y&keywords=Feverfew
Oh, thanks for sharing Andrea! I use lemon balm in my headache tincture but I have never added feverfew. Sounds good!
My mom has a plant she called “heal all” growing in her yard. After looking it up it is good for many ailments. Can I use the same tincture recipe to make a “heal all” tincture? She has given me alot of it and now it is dried, what can I do with that?
thanks, tanya
I made the tincture and have tried it twice. It doesn’t make my migraines go away, but I have been a severe migraine sufferer for 20 years and have only ever found one thing to work. It did, however, make me really sleepy. I’ve decided to try maybe using it as a preventative, so for the past week I’ve been taking the tincture in water at night. I’ve slept really good those nights, if nothing else!
Hi,
Nice to see a headache treatment recipe that DOESN’T include mint. I get debilitating headaches. I’m also allergic to mint. Ironically mint gives me migraines. Go figure. Even though lemon balm is related to mint I have no negative reaction to it.
Since butterbur is good for migraines also what do you think about adding some butterbur root to this receipe?
I can’t take alcohol. does the vegetable glycerin have alcohol? What is vegetable glycerin?
I have a migraine right now, so I’m having trouble formulating questions and possibly understanding this article..
I am currently suffering through chronic daily migraines. I am not an herbal person but would like to try this. Will you have any more for sale in the near future? I would definitely like to purchase. Thank you!
I found that lemon thyme works better as a tea for migraines. all ya have to do is drie some for during winter, then when on slot of migraine hits just put in a tea ball and pour hot water over it. let seep till you think its done enough. I like to leave it till the water is warm, that way you get all the benifits of the lemon thyme. Also use honey to sweeten the tea.
I mix my feverfew tincture with Sublingual B Complex Vtamin Drops, it helps cut down on the horrible taste of the feverfew. I have had better results with feverfew tincture than any other migraine preparation, prescription or natural. I strongly suggest you always have it on you if you are a migraine sufferer because once the nausea sets in, it is hard to keep under your tongue for very long and almost impossible to swallow.
Several things you all can try. One is a little vial I carry in my purse called, MY.GRASTICK. It is mfg in Europe, but is carried by a lot of larger health food stores and the last one I got was on Amazon.com You apply it (it is in a little vial with a roller ball, easy to apply) to the pressure points on your temples, base of you head and neck and your wrists. I always just do the forehead, (being careful to not let it run into the eyes), the temples and the base of the head. All it takes is one drop in each of those places. Also, Young Living Essential Oils has an oil called M Grain, and Dr OZ has recommended a supplement called MigreLief. It is available from health food stores, by Quantum Health, and has feverfew, magnesium, (which most of us are deficient in) and Riboflavin. The MyGrastick is around $7 – $8, but lasts at least a yr, for me. My friend tried the supplements and they worked for her when she would remember to take them. You can use 1daily and then if you feel a headache coming on, you use 2. It is about 30.99, for 60 tabs. Not sure how much the YL Ess Oil is, as I don’t have that one yet. Hope this helps someone……
Goodness.
I use feverfew and lavender buds extracted together in 100 pr vodka but only a few drops at a time! I doubt this recipe, even made by folklore method, is designed for my sort of migraine attacks, which last 3-5 days at a time.
Really, migraine is a genetic brain disorder. If this tincture helps, wonderful! If it doesn’t, don’t feel bad. No acute migraine attack of mine would respond to this tincture. Actually, I have tried this combination (it’s an old treatment – several hundred years old). It would be worth trying as a preventive (feverfew’s active ingredient parthenolide has been studied and found helpful for some people for prevention).
Mainly if it doesn’t help after about 2 months of use, a doctor would be the route to take. Note things that trigger you, religiously avoid them, and consider a heart-to-heart with your lifestyle. Many migraine triggers are lifestyle components. That doesn’t make people happy to hear. Some things like menstruation can’t be helped. But lifestyle improvements can really make a difference in migraine and headache disorders.
I get Migraines when the weather shifts to an in-comming storm. It would be nice to not get migraines anymore. I have gotten rid of food triggers including any form of booze. So this doesn’t work for me.
Most migraines are not a genetic brain disorder. Very few in fact are genetic. Most are auto-immune style attacks. Food allergies, stress, head trauma, etc. are much more common. The key to fighting them is to figure out your triggers. Then heat/cold/herbs/meditation can be applied to fight specific causes. Massage works for some, especially in trauma or stress triggers. Caffeine at onset works for those whose migraine is onset by blood flow issues. A caution however the vasco-dialation (dilation of veins) only works at the earliest onset. After that it may worsen the problem. I’ve found most herbal treatment work best as preventative measures.
I saw doctors for years for my headaches (I’ve suffered from headaches/migraines since I was a teen) before finally finding out caffeine is a trigger for me. Even after eliminating caffeine, I still get headaches regularly, just not as many. Unfortunately, they run in my family. I’ve been taking feverfew and magnesium and it makes a difference. I heard about using lemon balm just recently and am eager to try it. If I can get my headaches down to just one day a month, I’d be ecstatic!
Can someone please tell me if I could use lemon verbena instead of lemon balm
Thanks
I clicked on the etsy link and do not see how to purchase this. Do you have any more for sale, Andrea?
I am allergic to vodka and cannot find vegetable glycerin so what now?
Apple cider vinegar
what about a tincture to get rid of a tremor?
I appreciate the recipe but I do believe it is important to try to find underlying cause of the pain. Through great testing and diagnosis by my naturopath doc, I eliminated all wheat and most gluten and have been migraine free after 30 years of suffering. Will make the tincture nonetheless.
I love lemon balm. A couple of years ago when i was learning how to make wine I read an old herb wine recipe and wanting to try it and only having lemon balm around I decided to try it wit that… OMGoodness… it was very good, tasted like mimosas…. come to think of it I didn’t have any migraines around that time either.
I would love to know how to make this …can you email instructions….I grow lemon balm, have a whole yard of it…
thanks
Pam
I love lemon balm. A couple of years ago when i was learning how to make wine I read an old herb wine recipe and wanting to try it and only having lemon balm around I decided to try it wit that… OMGoodness… it was very good, tasted like mimosas…. come to think of it I didn’t have any migraines around that time either.
I suffer migraines and I now wear an amber necklace. It really helps a lot! I used to get 1-2 a month and now since I started wearing my amber I have only gotten one in a year and a half.
Bach’s floral remedies had one called Rescue Remedy.It took me through all childbearing and menopausal migranes.
Do you have anything for inflammation? I’ve got a condition called Polymyalgia, which is inflammation in the muscles and is very painful. I don’t want to take prednisone(the drug of choice for polymyalgia) so I’d be very interested in anything for inflammation. I am taking serrapeptase now and it is helping a little, but am willing to try other alternative treatment too.
Thankyou
I don’t have any lemon balm, but have lots of lemon grass, can I substitute?
My daughter has been greatly helped with lavender…
I will be making this once I get some lemon balm growing :0)!! TY for the recipe!!