Pleurisy

Why it works: Polygala senega (Senega, “senega root”). • Active compounds: triterpenoid saponins (and related constituents) that are believed to act as expectorants and mild irritants to the muc...

Instructions: Polygala senega (Senega) — common preparations & dosing reported in herbals/monographs. • Dried root: traditional oral dose commonly cited ~ 1–3 g/day of dried root (divided doses)...

Warnings: General & strong cautions. • Pregnancy & breastfeeding: both Polygala senega and Asclepias tuberosa...

Studies: What the literature showsHuman clinical trials are very limi...

Why it works: Curcumin (turmeric’s main active compound) has solid anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-fibrotic actions that make it biologically plausible for helping pleural inflammation,...

Instructions: A. Route / formulation choices. • Oral curcumin (standard supplements): common trial doses range from ~500 mg to 2,000 mg/day of curcumin extract (many studies use 500–2,000 mg/day...

Warnings: Serious and clinically relevant warnings. • Drug interactions — blood thinners: curcumin can have an...

Studies: What exists specifically for pleura / pleurisy:Phase-1 proto...

Why it works: Ginger (Zingiber officinale) has well-documented anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating properties that make it plausible as an adjunctive measure to reduce inflammation and pain...

Instructions: Standard oral supplement (clinical trial example): The JCI Insight pilot trial used a standardized ginger supplement providing ~20 mg gingerols per day for 7 days and observed neut...

Warnings: Bleeding risk / anticoagulants: Ginger has mild antiplatelet/anticoagulant effects and can increase...

Studies: JCI Insight — “Ginger intake suppresses neutrophil extracell...

Why it works: Garlic contains allicin and other sulfur compounds with documented antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects — these biochemical actions are plausibly helpful...

Instructions: A. Raw / culinary garlic (traditional use). • Crush or finely chop fresh garlic and let it sit ~10 minutes before cooking or consuming — this increases formation of allicin. Many s...

Warnings: Bleeding risk / anticoagulants (warfarin, antiplatelet drugs): garlic (especially high-dose suppleme...

Studies: Allicin review (pharmacology, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobi...

Why it works: OLE shows plausible mechanisms (anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral) and reduced pleural inflammation in an animal (mouse) pleurisy model, but there is no high-quality clinic...

Instructions: Forms & typical supplement doses in human studies / product monographs:. • Common commercial forms: standardized capsules/tablets, tinctures, liquid extracts, and teas. (Product mo...

Warnings: Not a substitute for medical care. Pleurisy can indicate life-threatening causes (e.g., pneumonia, p...

Studies: Direct pleurisy evidenceAnimal (mouse) pleurisy model: “The...

Why it works: Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus, “huang qi”) has plausible, well-studied anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory actions and some clinical evidence as an adjunct in respiratory...

Instructions: Common forms. • Dried root (Radix Astragali) decoction (tea/boil) — used in TCM formulas (often combined with other herbs). Alternative Medicine Review. • Standardized extracts / c...

Warnings: If pleurisy is caused by bacterial infection, pulmonary embolus, or other serious causes, delay in a...

Studies: Respiratory-related RCTs & meta-analyses (adjunctive use...

Why it works: Caraway (Carum carvi) — and its main active oil components such as carvone and limonene — have well-documented anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and mucous/bronchial-modulating prop...

Instructions: Common traditional preparations and practical instructions:. • Caraway tea (infusion): Typical herbal-monograph method — crush 1–5 g caraway seeds, pour ≈150 mL hot water (do not v...

Warnings: Major safety points (with sources):. • PREGNANCY: Caraway (especially the essential oil) is listed a...

Studies: What exists (human clinical trials):Clinical trials exist fo...

Why it works: N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has plausible reasons to help pleurisy (anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and mucolytic effects) and there is clinical evidence for benefit in other respiratory...

Instructions: There is no standard, evidence-backed dosing regimen for NAC specifically for pleurisy. What follows are dosing regimens that are commonly used for respiratory indications or studi...

Warnings: Infusion (IV) anaphylactoid reactions / histamine release. IV NAC (as used for paracetamol overdose)...

Studies: Systematic reviews / mechanism reviews: Reviews summarize NA...

Why it works: Boswellia (Indian frankincense, Boswellia serrata) has well-documented anti-inflammatory actions (notably via boswellic acids such as AKBA inhibiting 5-lipoxygenase / leukotriene p...

Instructions: Important: these are protocols used in trials for inflammatory conditions (osteoarthritis, asthma, ulcerative colitis) — there are no standard, evidence-based dosing guidelines for...

Warnings: Main safety points. • Pregnancy & breastfeeding: avoid Boswellia in pregnancy — animal data and trad...

Studies: Mechanistic / pharmacologyEarly mechanistic paper showing AK...