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I started taking licorice root tincture ( Herb Pharm, 1:2) mid way into busting a cycle with RC. The seeds were keeping the bad HA's at bay but I was getting all my other symptoms. Licorice root would eliminate them either immediately or within about 10 minutes. I started with a two dropper full dose three times a day then, on Les' suggestion, only as needed. No other medication except RC. At this point I am feeling that the cycle has ended. Whether it was the RC seeds, licorice root, or both I can't say. But something stopped the cycle (ECH) for the first time in 25 years. Amazing!!

Alex, This is what worked for me the last two cycles. I first busted with RC seeds a year ago in the middle of a cycle. It took 5 dosages from an initial 20 seeds, increasing the count each time to eventually 60. Each dose separated by 7 days. But it ended, what was for me, a bad cycle. Since then I did a preventative dose of 60 seeds when even the thought of another cycle entered my mind. Usually about every 2 to 3 months. This most recent cycle was aborted, except for 'shadows', after 5 consecutive busts. I never got a real HA, just all the other stuff, which licorice root dealt with extremely well. (At least I think it was aborted. All symptoms are gone for 2 weeks) Hope this helps.

60 was my magic number a year ago. I went from 20-60 in five, seven day apart, doses and went out of cycle. They were all steeped in lemon juice for two hours. I have done the same with this cycle and, except for shadows, have been PF. (also using licorice root, which wipes out the shadows) Knock on wood! But as AO says, we're all different. Good luck, hope it works for you.

Weird, I just checked the Dennis Mckenna video and it worked. I'll check some others.

For anyone interested in fuuuurther research, videos from the Bioethics Forum 2010. This site also has info on their 2011 forum. (Sorry if this has already been posted). Dennis Mckenna is the only name I recognize but plenty of neuropsychological discussion on psychedelics. http://www.btci.org/bioethics/videos/default.html

That is fantastic news prolosam! I hope it continues to work for you and others. Since I had already busted 4 times with RC before I saw Les' initial post it is hard for me to say exactly the role licorice root played in my much diminished recent cycle. But even though I believe RC kept the hard core HA's at bay I was still getting painful shadows. (I hope I am using this term correctly by meaning all the other pains that come with the cluster cycle.) The O2 would help minimize them but the licorice root would completely wipe them out within minutes of taking it. Really amazing stuff. I am with prolosam in feeling extremely lucky this time around. I was in the middle of a bad cycle one year ago before I found this site and started using the seeds. I believed then that they eventually busted that cycle and have kept other ones from returning since then. And I have this board and all of you to thank for that!

Les: Thanks for the suggestions. Before i saw your latest post I had stopped taking the tincture cold for 24 hours. I then had and odd reaction, all-over headache and lethargy the next morning, and took a half dose of one stopper-full. This eased those symptoms and they were soon gone. Could there be a similarity with the withdrawal symptoms of pharmaceutical grade serotonin uptake inhibitors? I will now slowly ween myself off of it. Because I have been on a 4 week bust with RC seeds my results can't be considered conclusive for the licorice root but I can definitely feel the effect when taking it and it has been very good, to say the least. I am not sure where I'm at with this cycle. Am I in some kind of pre cycle, ramping up to become full blown? Or have the seeds and licorice root kept all major hits to a minimum? After 25 years this is new territory. Time will tell I guess, but last night with the usual shadowing (mostly neck/base of skull) going on, within an instant it all disappeared and I have felt totally normal since then. How strange that it can dissipate so quickly after weeks of dread. Perhaps the seed/licorice combo might be a possibility??? Ok, just my update, for what it is worth.

I have one little caveat for myself and licorice root. I have been casually monitoring my BP which is usually in the 120/80 range. The last two days it is hovering more around 140/90. So I've reluctantly cut my daily dosage in half. Everyone's BP reaction is different I'm sure, but it may be a good idea to monitor it while taking the tincture. I may try the DGL version that Les mentioned. Other than that it is still getting a big thumbs up from me. And I agree that its affect was almost instantaneous. I took a scheduled dose last night right as I was starting to get the base of skull/right forehead pressure and it immediately stopped. Good luck to you and your son Bonkers! I hope it works for you.

Well, I for one, am optimistic enough to want to keep this thread going and see what others experience with licorice root. Day 6 and I again slept through the night. the ancillary stuff in the neck and shoulders is much diminished, if not almost gone. And I can attest to the serotonin uptake inhibitor effect as I have felt a nice sense of calm after the initial anxiety of fearing another cycle approaching. Again, I did dose 4 times with RC seeds but otherwise I have been clean of all other meds since early in my last cycle one year ago before detoxing to try the seeds. Which did work for me after 5 doses increasing from 20 to 60 seeds.

I read Les' post here right before taking a road trip. I have been getting early warning symptoms of the return of a ECH cycle for about a month and started RC busting immediately. 4 busts, 7 days apart. No big hits during that time but waking up once a night and needing an O2 hit. On the road I picked up some licorice root tincture and started taking that about 5 days ago as prescribed by Les. Since then I have not had a need for O2 and the various shadow pains have subsided. Nothing conclusive yet but my gut feeling is that the licorice root is making a difference. Thanks Les! I'll keep taking it and see what happens. So far it seems I am keeping a return of the cycle at bay, either with RC, licorice root, or both.