The Sides of the Window are Puzzling and Require a Few More Office Questions. The reason to ask the questions is simple: we want to know exactly how the medication is working in the context of time of day, duration of effectiveness, and predictable expectations from the specific medication in question.

All of these questions arise from the essential philosophic overview of medication delivery systems: if you know the science, and have clear objectives, you can measure the treatment outcome objectively, and correctly adjust the medications according to that specific individuals biochemical and metabolic individuality. Measure that 'Window' for predictable outcomes.

The simplified version of that statement: Cookie cutter medicine based upon weight, age, body size is outdated, and simply ineffective. - So let's get the details right every time by starting from the same place using the same predictable grid for measurement of effectiveness. These 7 Tips for the Sides of the Therapeutic Window, coupled with measurements from my other articles here on 7 Tips from the Top and the Bottom of the Therapeutic Window will outline precise treatment objectives. I have been using these 'Window Strategies' with thousands of patients for more than 12 years, and I can assure you, they work like a correctly timed clock. Predictable outcomes should be the standard of care.

The 7 Tips For The Sides of The Therapeutic Window for Stimulant Medications.

The Sides of the Window Are Based Upon Time: The Expected DOE - Duration of Effectiveness of that specific medication for that specific persons metabolic rate, and must be customized for every person from the outset and throughout the duration of treatment. Every person burns medications at different rates that cannot be predicted by superficial appearances of weight or size. I have an ex-Navy [Nuclear] Commander who stands about 6'6," and looms over me, - has to duck when he comes in the door, - he takes only Adderall 10 mg XR and the DOE is a reasonable 10 hr. We want to have a specific match between expected duration and clinically effective duration. Know the Medication DOE Expectations from the Outset: Authorities and studies disagree on some of the next points on specific medications I am about to discuss. Pharmaceutical companies have done their homework, and are focused on these same DOE objectives, - I simply disagree with some of their DOE findings based upon my own abundant office experience. Many studies range in the thousands of patient hours over years of treatment using a determined focus on this 'Window' grid. See the 7 Tips for the Top of the Window Article for more details on specific medications. Start Working: Measure Precisely the Time DOE At Every Meeting: Easy questions: "When did you take it and when does it stop working?" If taken at 7 AM and it lasts until 3 PM - that is the DOE. The Math is Simple: 5 hrs in the AM %2B 3 in the PM = 8 hrs. A medication might work for 8 hrs, but still keep the person out the Top of the Window if the IR is pushed too high. The First Side Objective - AM Onset: All meds should be working in 30-45 min after taking the medication. IR [Immediate Release] Tablets have a fast onset, but the sides of the window are too narrow, and the DOE [Duration of Effectiveness] Is out just too fast - meaning it simply lasts only a short part of the day. IR meds need 2-3 times a day dosing because the DOE is far too short. If the AM Onset is more than 45 min the dose is either too little, it isn't working at all, or it can be too much - see point 4 of the 7 Tips for the Top. Regulating the AM Onset: Breakfast is Essential, Protein Breakfast Works Best More Often: With meds, since we are now paying attention to the rate of metabolism, the DOE, we are much more interested in "rate limiting steps." Breakfast is an imperative rate limiting step that is essential for all psych meds to prevent irritation of the gastric mucosa [stomach lining]. With breakfast that early side of the 'Window' is more gentle, and less involved with uncomfortable peaks of medication excess. The Second Side Objective - The PM Release - When They Stop Working: The extended release capsules from Concerta to Adderall XR are all mechanically released, and have unpredictable release times based upon acid base variables in the stomach and bowel - and upon the transit time of the bowel contents. Long transit time often means greater sensitivity to meds and a relative accumulation of meds over time, with a narrowing of the 'Window.' Metabolic challenges with bowel function almost always change the PM release time, when the meds stop working. Vyvanse is not as vulnerable to rate changes based upon acid/base balance or transit time. The Mystery Objective: The PM Release with Vyvanse: Vyvanse deserves it's own tip because it is so effective, with such an excellent, predictable 12-14 hr DOE. Think of this simple point when measuring the DOE with Vyvanse - the metabolically released stimulant is so different that many don't "feel it working" and therefore miss when it "quits working." Remember with Vyvanse: look for the original cognitive, "mental" objectives, not the somatic, buzzy effects. When Vyvanse quits in the PM the ability to finish tasks is gone.

Herbal supplements have now become popular alternatives for the health needs of many people, as new safety regulations have been implemented. However, some still ask, are they good for you? Well, that would depend on the herb, your current health and your medical history. Herbal medications sometimes have active ingredients that can affect how your body functions, just as over-the-counter and prescription drugs do.

These medications could be particularly risky for certain individuals, and many herbal product labels are often vague, confusing and of little help when it comes to making a wise selection. It is advisable to remember that if you're considering herbal supplements or other dietary products, educate yourself about any medications you intend to use before purchasing them, and talk to your doctor about any herbal products you're considering taking.

Are Most Herbal Treatments Safe?

Until recently, government regulation and consumer protection were quite limited for dietary supplements. However, new rules noted by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the federal agency responsible for regulating the safety of food and drug products, the authority to oversee the production of local and imported dietary supplements, including herbal treatments. Dietary supplements don't need to go through the rigorous review process that new drugs must undergo before being "approved" by the FDA.

However, the new regulations aim to enhance consumer safety by requiring supplement manufacturers to follow certain manufacturing practices and ensure that supplements contain what their labels claim, and are free of contaminants.

The FDA is responsible for monitoring the safety of herbal treatments after they're on the market and enforce punitive action against violators that sell unsafe supplements. These new regulations will be phased in over a three-year period so that by June, 2010, all supplement manufacturers should meet these requirements.

"No approved Therapeutic Claims": What It Truly Means

The proliferation of food and herbal supplements, which are being advertised and passed on as effective cure-all products, despite the fact that these have no established therapeutic effects, is a major problem for regulatory health agencies. To the common consumer, the phrase "No Approved Therapeutic Claims", would generally mean that a supplement has not yet been determined by the FDA to be as safe and effective as advertised.

It could also mean that no studies and long-term research have yet been done to determine the efficacy of the pill, or herb in actually treating anything. This phrase usually serves as a disclaimer of sorts. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) was passed by US Congress to ensure consumers' rights to access safe and effective dietary supplements.

This law gave the FDA the mandate to strictly monitor this sector, and ensure the products were safe and made in a consistent manner. The FDA also passed rules to require "Adverse Event Reporting", which requires herbal medicine producers to track safety data, as well as ensure good manufacturing practices. This also means that the herbal products must be made to standardized quality to ensure that consumers are getting good-quality and safe products.

http://primeherbal.com - Prime Herbal

The consumption of drugs provides a certain kind of thrill to the addict, but at the same time it kills. Addicts generally use drugs to provide an escape from reality, to fight depression and to get euphoric effects. Drugs are like a slow poison, killing the person slowly so that, almost without knowing it, the person falls prey to it. It is difficult to come out of drug addiction. There are various drug treatment methods through which one can kick the addiction. Drug addicts can be given a complete treatment at a drug rehabilitation center and can also be provided with psychological help.

Types Of Drugs That Are Abused
Commonly used drugs are ketamine, cocaine, heroin, opium and marijuana. These drugs are used mainly by young people at parties. Other than these, there are hallucinatory drugs, like PCP, LSD, Foxy, and DMT, which are consumed by young people to get a surreal effect. There are certain inhaling drugs, which are inhaled to get a mind altering effect such as gasoline, propane, paint thinners and varnish removers.

Points To Remember
Drug addiction is increasing day by day, but addicts generally do not like to seek help from rehab centers. Without proper drug treatment there is no way out for addicts. Drug addiction should be diagnosed at an early stage for effective treatment. Certain things are required in order for drug treatment to be successful. For example, the rehab center should have professional support and all staff members should be trained and skilled. Before the commencement of treatment, the patient should visit the doctor to discuss all worries, expectations and fears.

Types Of Drug Treatment
Every drug addict experiences withdrawal symptoms, but these can be treated with special medication. It is better for the patient to stay in the drug treatment center for a long time. The duration of the treatment can vary from three to six months. Results are usually only seen after about six months of rigorous treatment.

The main objective of a drug treatment program is to help addicts get rid of their addiction. Two main types of drug treatment are prescribed and practiced throughout the world - one is short-term and the other is long-term. The short-term therapy is made up of three main components: outpatient therapy, residential therapy and medication therapy. The long-term drug treatment constitutes outpatient treatment through methadone maintenance for addicts of opium, and residential therapeutic treatment.

Long Term Drug Treatment
Long-term drug treatment therapy is used mainly for treating patients who have become addicted to ketamine, cocaine or heroin. A dose of synthetic opiate is given to the addict. In most cases, methadone is used. Depending on the intensity of the addiction, the doses are adjusted. An adequate dose can curb the effect of the drugs. Once the treatment is over a stable state should be maintained.

Short Term Drug Treatment
Short-term drug treatment is different to the long-term therapy, which is of lower intensity. Short-term drug therapy is a multi-faceted, comprehensive and highly individual program. Short-term drug therapy is designed to deal with the chemical dependency issues of the patient while they continue to live at home. The addict should be informed about the harmful consequences of drug addiction. This is educational treatment rather than therapeutic treatment. Short-term therapy is given to a patient who needs a companionate and encouraging atmosphere.

At the end of the day, an addictive drug only brings loneliness, unhappiness, and suicidal tendencies, taking away friends, family and peace of mind. If you or any of your friends or family suffer from drug addiction, make sure to get the best drug treatment, depending on the intensity of the abuse.

The conventional sauna as a therapeutic treatment originated in Finland, where the freezing winds of north and frigid air are nearly constant. The sauna room is practically the only place where these modern day Vikings can take solace in the relaxing heat of steam.

Scandinavians learned how to use a sauna quite early on. They use the sauna for many things; there are many benefits of sauna sessions. Not only is it very relaxing for them (and anybody else for that matter), but it is a social affair as well, just as much as going to a bar or to a close friend's house.

Saunas were (and still are) a daily part of life, where entire families would enjoy each other's company while they bathed in the steam. They were also used for preparation of burial, as well as a place for women to give birth, because water was readily available and the structure itself was sanitary, not to mention the calming atmosphere.

There are two different types of sauna: the regular steam sauna and the dry infrared sauna. The infrared type is usually a home sauna, as it is more portable. The steam sauna is more popular in Scandinavian countries because it is more traditional.

The very first known saunas in Finland were basically made from alcoves carved into slopes that were used as winter dwellings. These contained fire places where they would heat stones up and then dump water over the stones, creating heat. The pile of rocks was called a kiuas, and the sauna heat was called l

Aromatherapy is a therapeutic treatment for both, your mind and your body. It also is a treat for your smelling senses and it offers the user a number of benefits.

Aromatherapy is primarily a treatment using essential oils to help improve a person's mental and physical wellbeing. It can be described as an early science of healing, comforting, and energising the human body with the aid of essential oils and is now regarded as a form of alternative medicine. Aromatherapy can be traced back centuries, where the Chinese burnt incense sticks for peace and harmony. Oils were used for therapeutic purposes in ancient Egypt and India as well. Volatile plant oils are used as essential oils in this treatment. Different parts of plants like the bark, leaves, seeds, fruits, flowers, and leaves are utilized. Essential oils that are extracted from these plant parts are in a highly concentrated form.

Most of the time, a single essential oil is not used. Usually, different oils are tested for compatibility and blended together for effectiveness. Sometimes, other complementary oils and substances like compressed vegetable oils, jojoba, liquid wax, sea salts, sugar, milk powders, clay, or mud are also used along with this during treatment. Aromatherapy is not just a treat for your smelling senses, but is also a soothing experience for your mind and your body.

You can benefit from aromatherapy in two ways. The first is through skin absorption. Bear in mind that you should never use an essential oil in its concentrated form. Take care to blend two or three essential oils with any of the complementary substances before applying it on your skin. After application on your skin, these oils are absorbed into the bloodstream. This process is known as topical application of oils. The other way to use aromatic oils is to inhale them. This leads to both physical and psychological benefits. This form of aromatherapy using the essential oils triggers brain activity and gives you many benefits. As the scents from these oils are inhaled, they reach the olfactory nerves inside the nose and travel to the brain, altering our moods in the process. This leads to the release of good hormones and 'feel-good' chemicals like endorphins in the body. There are many uses of this kind of therapeutic treatment. Different people opt for different treatments.

Typically, the three most effective treatments for at home lower back pain include exercises, stretches and modalities. When properly implemented, a system of all three components can significantly decrease lower back pain as well as increase overall flexibility and strength. In this article, we are going to introduce you to all three treatments.

First, we would like to introduce modalities. Modalities include any method of therapeutic treatment. Items considered modalities include applying heat and cold, over the counter medication, massage devices, and others. They are therapeutic devices that assist with immediate relief and potentially increase the healing process.

Two of the simplest and most common forms of modalities available at home are heat and cold. A combination of both heat and cold should be used to gain the most effective relief from symptoms. Appropriately applying heat and cold to the area(s) in question will significantly decrease the pain and increase flexibility as well as the healing process.

When properly applied, heat will improve blood flow to the area in question. By increasing the blood flow, heat allows the affected muscle(s) to relax and become more flexible, in turn decreasing the tightness in the area in question. Cold on the other hand will constrict or tighten the muscle(s) reducing the blood flow to that area. By periodically removing the cold, new blood circulates to the muscle(s) in question creating a better environment for that area of trauma to heal. In addition, cold will help reduce swelling as well as reduce the pain in the affected area(s).

The following are two simple methods for at home lower back pain relief with regards to heat and cold application.
1. For Heat - Place uncooked rice in a sock and put it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or until the desired heat is acquired.
2. For cold, try using a bag of frozen peas or make a homemade ice pack by placing ice in a plastic bag.

These two simple at home modality applications will certainly assist with reducing your pain, increasing flexibility and as well as assisting the healing process.

On a side note, please use caution when entertaining various other modalities such as laser treatments, electric shock and other modalities. They can be detrimental to both your health as well as to your pocket. Keep in mind that to relieve symptoms, you really don't have to spend money. You have everything you need at home.

The second effective treatment for at home relief is strengthening exercise. Strengthening exercise is vital to recovery. It is very important to know exactly what strengthening exercises to do as there are specific exercises for specific symptoms. Our goal is to coach you along the way so you have the appropriate mechanics to stop the pain at its core.

For example, as an analogy, anybody can throw a baseball, but if you don't have someone there to coach you, to have the right mechanics to know what step to foot forward with, to where to put your arm, to how to throw the ball, you really won't be that accurate with throwing a baseball.

The same thing holds true for recovering from lower back pain. If you don't know what strengthening exercise to do and what muscle groups to target, you may never relieve the pain because you will just aimlessly doing a bunch of exercises. In addition, performing the wrong strengthening exercises can actually exacerbate the symptoms causing you additional undue stress and pain.

It is important for you to understand that alleviating lower back pain is much more than just doing exercises, putting on ice, and getting back to life. It is essential that you become aware of the appropriate muscle group(s) that causes your pain and how you can use the appropriate strengthening exercises to regain your health.

Last but not least we would like to introduce our final treatment of this article - stretching. You may have heard that certain stretches work best for relieving lower back pain. While many of the demonstrated stretches can be effective in pain, many times your back pain will not subside because you don't know exactly what muscle group is the cause of your pain. That's why it is crucially important for you to first know what muscle group(s) are contributing to your back pain and what specific stretches you can do to alleviate your pain.

Rather than giving you arbitrary strengthening exercises and stretches, we have created quick and detailed questionnaire that was designed as a 1-on-1 consultation with our back pain specialists to diagnose the underlying causes of your back pain. It takes out the guesswork from lower back pain relief and only takes our average client 5 minutes to complete. In addition, once you complete the questionnaire, you will receive a Free Personalized Back Pain Relief Guide that provides you with the essential information to finally feel relief from your lower back pain.

Key Points to Recognizing the Underdose, it Just Isn't working

Remember from previous articles here the importance of dialing in ADD/ADHD stimulant medications precisely. You can't have them precisely adjusted if you don't have clear targets, clear symptoms that your are addressing. The current diagnostic coding [DSM-IV] makes symptom recognition confusing and limits treatment objectives to only descriptive diagnosis, superficial assessment, not functional. See my other articles and my website below for more discussion and podcasts on precise functional diagnosis and better targets. Without clear targets the team has no clear treatment objectives to see if the meds are working.

First Consider the Therapeutic Window

The *Therapeutic Window* is simply what it says; the window, is the space, the place in time and symptom correction that the ADD/ADHD stimulant medication clinically works best, - the dosage, the effectiveness of that specific product with that specific person. All products have characteristic features, they metabolize, they burn, at different rates of speed in different people. The way we evaluate that window is by recognizing the top, the bottom and the sides. We work to make sure all the bases are covered correctly and the medication is working at it's maximum level of expected performance.

Underdose the Start: I always recommend carefully, slowly starting the ADD/ADHD medication at the outset - lower than the expected endpoint. Most of the new drugs have different rates of metabolism, and it is quite easy to overdose the patient. This happened with Adderall in the beginning, it happened with Adderall XR, and it happens with Concerta and Vyvanse even today. So start much lower than expected, and move slowly up - about every 2 weeks when close to precision. Low Start Requires Bottom Awareness: The axiom for stimulant meds: start low, and go slow, watching for the effect to show. When it is working the focus is better, the impulsivity is down, the worries are diminished and the patient can get going with projects - overcoming avoidance and procrastination. AM and PM Are Your First Markers: When it starts to work: all meds should start about 30-45 min after they are taken in the AM Start Always with Breakfast - Then Next, Give the Med: This simple step will prevent overdosing at the outset and is often forgotten before the first med check - so the team should always remind the patient about a good protein breakfast. The AM Bottom of That Therapeutic Window - it just doesn't work in the morning, or will work for just awhile - 1-2 hr - and be gone, either with Immediate Release Tablets, or with Extended Release Capsules - even with Daytrana. The PM Bottom of That Therapeutic Window - You simply cannot tell when it wears off. This difficulty is often seen with Vyvanse because of the slow metabolically related release mechanism - it's as effective as other amphetamine based products and as forgiving as MPH [Ritalin] based products. The Therapeutic Window Dosage should last the entire expected Duration of Effectiveness [DOE] for that specific stimulant medication. More details in other articles here. Adjust the AM Dosage upward until the specific targeted AM and PM range of effectiveness [DOE] is achieved for the extended release stimulants.

If you follow these simple guideposts you can quickly get past that initial question: "Is it working at all?"

Sadly today many teens find themselves in trouble. Drug addiction is a typical area of concern. And if the drug-taking has been going on for some time and highly-addictive substances are involved, then the teen needs intensive treatment. Chemical addiction can be both a physical and mental problem requiring expert and prolonged treatment. That is where an intensive residential treatment facility is the ideal, and some say the only, solution to the problem.

You see an intensive residential facility has teams of trained professionals who are available around the clock to care for and treat the teenage residents. It's not just a skeleton staff in the wee small hours. A resident could become ill at any time. They could require counseling in the middle of the night. This is the main strength of such an institution. Staffing ratios are low and constant. Staffing standards are first class.

But please understand that the overall approach in an intensive residential facility is one of encouragement and love. The harsh discipline routine does not exist. The aim is to build a spirit of co-operation and trust. A community spirit is developed and residents made to feel a part of a family. Everyone is pulling in the same direction.

The medical analysis of every resident is a top priority. All teens are constantly monitored for blood pressure, weight and body temperature is constantly tested. The diet is carefully controlled and for residents with an eating disorder, this is particularly important. The staff knows that therapeutic treatment works best when the resident is physically and mentally fit and well so every effort is made to bring the teens to a high level of good health.

The basic theme of the intensive treatment is recovery. Everyone on staff is working towards this solitary goal - getting the residents to become and to stay better. Residents have the opportunity to form friendships with other teens who have been through the same sorts of troubles. In many cases lifelong friendships have evolved from young people meeting and going through treatment in one of these intensive treatment facilities. There is a spirit of community and a positive attitude at all times. Your teen is not just healed of their troubles but becomes far stronger in their self-esteem and determination to live a full and happy life.

You can well imagine that such intensive treatment is labor intensive and thus the costs can be high. But when a teen has fallen far, the only recovery option may be time in an intensive residential treatment center. You could consider centers which are covered by your insurance company or you could ask about a pay-as-you-go plan.

This type of treatment is not for a week or two. It may take months for your teen to turn around their life. But it is the very nature of the intensive therapy and the care provided that is the best way to break the bad habits and build new ones and so guarantee recovery.

There was a sinking feeling in my stomach as I watched my mother make her way slowly and painfully down the stairs; right then and there, I made an appointment with her doctor for another approach on her spinal stenosis treatment. There are various courses of action you can take with spinal stenosis treatment - medications with anti-inflammatory drugs, conservative treatments, and surgical procedures. We discussed another method with her doctor and we decided to stick to the anti-inflammatory drugs but use another type of medicine thought to be more effective. We zeroed in on a thoraco-lumbar spinal brace to help support her lower back and, with a lot of opposition from her, convinced her to use a cane when walking for more than a few minutes. Surgery was still not a good option, the doctor thought, since we hadn't completely explored all out options yet.

So you understand a little more of what's happening in my mother's body, spinal stenosis is the constricting of the hollow tube that holds the spinal cord and the nerves. While this could be a birth defect, this stenosis has many causes. Bulging discs can take up space in the spine, and so can bone spurs and calcification. Aging complications like arthritis don't help either. My mother always thought of her back pain as normal and would just take painkillers for it, more like what you would do for bulging disc treatments. We knew it was really bad when she asked us to bring her to the doctor. He put her through a thorough physical check-up and requested she take some MRI scans to pinpoint the problem. That's the first time she got spinal stenosis treatment and it really helped her.

Conservative spinal stenosis treatment mainly involves physical therapy that makes use of light exercise to help keep the patient moving while allowing him to deal with the pain better. The activities can be combined with steroidal epidural injections, although this is not allowed more than three times a year. It's not a therapeutic treatment, though, but more of a pain management procedure. This has a success rate of about 50% though, and it's recommended because the patient remains in control of his body for much longer.

Spinal stenosis treatment also focuses on the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and analgesics. These provide temporary relief from the pain but can damage the liver and kidneys in the long run. Coupled with supplements like glucosamine and a complete multivitamin with B-complex and 1200 mg of folic acid, it's being touted as the latest cure for stenosis, although the jury is still out on its effectivity.

The last resort in spinal stenosis treatment is one most sufferers wish to avoid - surgery. While there are many kinds of surgery that can be performed on stenosis, their main goal is to release the compression on the nerves and alleviate the pain. There are a lot of fancy medical terms that would just go over the layman's head but all they actually do is describe what part of the spine or which vertebrae are going to be treated.

Surgeons would actually not prefer to perform this delicate treatment unless absolutely necessary as surgery can provide up to 85% of relief to spinal stenosis, spinal stenosis treatment will only resort to this if all other none-invasive treatments have failed.

Ashwagandha, also known as Withania somnifera holds a place in Ayurvedic (or Indian medicine) similar to ginseng in Chinese medicine. Although it's name is derived because its roots smell like a horse - "Ashwa" meaning "horse" and "Gandha" meaning "odour" - don't let this put you off as it is a very potent herb that can play many roles in Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. It is a powerful rejuvenative herb and adaptogen meaning that it can help increase endurance, whilst also helping to increase energy and strengthen the immune system. In addition to all of this, it also has anti-inflammatory, anti-stress and is a potent antioxidant with mind-boosting properties.

Ashwagandha contains flavonoids and many active ingredients of the withanolide class and it is these that are believed to account for Ashwagandha's many medicinal roles. Researchers from the Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Germany and also researchers in India have discovered that Ashwagandha increases acetylcholine receptor activity in the brain and it is this that partly explains its cognition and memory enhancing effects in humans.

Other researchers have also discovered that Ashwagandha stimulates the growth of axons and dendrites in human nerve cells - which may play an important role in repairing damaged neuronal circuits (brain pathways) in the ageing brain, whilst also preventing the loss of other brain nerves and synapses or nerve connections. This is vitally important as Ashwagandha can not only prevent brain damage but also repair damage that has already occurred! This led the lead researcher to state that Withanolide-A (the active ingredient in Ashwagandha) is "an important candidate for the therapeutic treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, as it is able to reconstruct neuronal networks".

Ashwagandha is also a sedative and a mood enhancer and may also play a role in improving sleep and behaviour in those suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.

The herb is readily available over the internet in both a powdered form and as a tea, tincture or a capsule. However care must be taken as its raw seeds can be toxic and because of this it should be prepared and used only as prescribed by an experienced practitioner.