Being prepared means being ready for anything – and that includes medical problems. Without access to the modern healthcare system, in a crisis your first line of defense will be whatever medications you have stockpiled.
The problem is medicines can be expensive, or even hard to obtain, and usually have a limited shelf life. So what happens when you’ve run out of the drug you need, or couldn’t get it in the first place?
Luckily, our ancestors weren’t ignorant about medicine, and while they didn’t have a pharma industry they did have nature. Many wild plants actually have powerful medicinal properties – some of our most common medicines are just commercially produced versions of ingredients derived from plants.
If you know what you’re looking for you can collect those plants and use them as a substitute for modern medicines. Here are some types of drugs preppers need, and natural alternatives to them.
Pain Relief
For most of us, painkillers are the medication we take most often. Aspirin and Tylenol are top sellers in every pharmacy, and there’s a bottle or pack of them most first aid kits.
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Can you stockpile enough of them to keep you going long-term if society falls apart, though? Well, you might not have to. Nature has its own painkillers if you know what to look for.
Willow bark might sound like an unlikely painkiller, but the active ingredient in aspirin is actually derived from salicin, found in willow bark.
Learn to recognize willow trees, and harvest bark from their branches, being careful not to “ring” the tree by cutting the bark round too much of its width.
That will kill it, and you might want to harvest more bark in future. You can chew the fresh bark to get the salicin from it. Alternatively, dry the bark, shred it and use it to make tea.
Chicory is another plant with medicinal properties that might be useful in a pinch.
Though not a direct substitute for aspirin, chicory has been used traditionally for various health benefits, including pain relief. Its roots can be roasted and brewed into a tea, just like the Native Americans used to do.
Additionally, chicory has anti-inflammatory properties and has been used in traditional medicine to alleviate mild pain and discomfort.
Unfortunately, chicory has many lookalikes. That is why I prefer to grow my own chicory using high-quality, NON-GMO seeds packaged in US. They don’t restock them that often so I recommend you secure your own pack from here.
Anti-Inflammatories
Aspirin isn’t just a painkiller; it’s also an anti-inflammatory, along with Ibuprofen. These drugs are regularly used to treat all sorts of painful inflammations.
If you run out, or can’t get to your stockpile, don’t worry; there are some plants with natural anti-inflammatory properties.
Witch hazel, which grows throughout the eastern US, is a small woody shrub.
Native Americans chopped up its stems and boiled them to make an anti-inflammatory tea. You can speed up the process by shredding the cut stems to expose more surface area.
Anti-diarrheals
Diarrhea is always unpleasant; in an emergency situation it can also be lethal. Diarrhea causes massive, rapid fluid loss, and if safe water is in short supply it becomes extremely dangerous.
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Unfortunately, having someone with diarrhea around can also contaminate nearby water sources if you’re using an improvised latrine. It’s important to treat it as quickly and effectively as possible, which is why Imodium or similar medications have a place in every emergency kit.
There are plants that can also help cure diarrhea, though. In the western US, Native Americans made an infusion from the leaves or bark of the Douglas maple; drinking this can reduce diarrhea.
Ironwood, also known as oceanspray, is a versatile western plant that has been traditionally used to treat diarrhea.
This plant is valued for its medicinal properties and is especially useful in situations where modern pharmaceuticals might be unavailable.
To use Ironwood as a remedy, gather the flowers or berries from the plant. Once collected, boil them in water to create a medicinal tea.
This infusion can help alleviate symptoms of diarrhea by promoting a more balanced digestive system. For best results, you may need to drink this tea several times a day until symptoms improve.
Sumac is a widely found wild plant that grows across most of the United States, recognized for its distinctive red berries and feathery, serrated leaves.
To use sumac for medicinal purposes, you can make a tea from its leaves and berries.
This tea has been traditionally used to treat diarrhea due to its astringent properties, which can help reduce inflammation and control fluid loss. Simply gather the leaves and berries, steep them in boiling water, and strain before drinking.
Anti-Emetics
Vomiting can be just as dangerous as diarrhea; it also sucks fluid out of your body. Worse, once you start vomiting it can be difficult to keep fluids down, making it even harder to stay hydrated. Anti-emetic drugs to treat nausea and vomiting are essential items. They can also be collected from nature.
Blackberries are tasty, but various parts of the plants also have medicinal uses. The berries can help calm down nausea.
Make tea from the leaves – you can add some berries to sweeten it – and it will also help fight off diarrhea.
Soak crushed blackberry root in honey to get a natural sore throat remedy.
You can also grow your own blackberries, along with a variety of other types of berries. However, be cautious, as not all types of berries are permitted to be grown in every region. For example, this berry is illegal to cultivate but perfectly fine to forage.
Mint is another plant that can reduce nausea. Use the leaves to make a soothing tea.
Wild ginger has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. This plant offers numerous health benefits.
One of its most notable uses is in alleviating nausea.
Simply clean and chop the roots and leaves, then steep them in boiling water for several minutes.
This tea can provide relief from nausea and also help settle an upset stomach.
Beyond its anti-nausea properties, wild ginger is also beneficial for addressing various digestive issues. It can aid in reducing bloating, gas, and indigestion, making it a useful remedy for overall digestive health.
Antibacterial
Antibiotics are one of the real miracle drugs. They can also be hard to get, and you can’t ration them to extend supplies either. If you start taking antibiotics you need to take the full course, otherwise the infection is likely to come back stronger – and more resistant to antibiotics – than before. Be ready to use natural alternatives.
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Wild garlic, also called the Canada onion, is another plant that’s been used as medicine in many cultures.
One of its most impressive properties is that it’s a strong antibacterial.
It can be used as a poultice on wounds and burns, or eaten to fight systemic infections.
Honey contains natural antibiotics – actually made by bees – and has been used since ancient times as a dressing on burns and wounds.
Coating a wound in honey will prevent infection and kill any bacteria that are already there. Just make sure to cover it, so the sweet, sticky honey doesn’t attract dirt and insects.
Statins
Statins are controversial, but there’s no doubt they can help lower levels of harmful cholesterol. What if you have high cholesterol but can’t get hold of your medication in a crisis?
Prickly pear is common in the western and south central US. When eaten it helps reduce bad cholesterol levels.
The cactus itself is safe to eat, as long as you remove the sharp (and toxic) bristles first – but beware of getting the wrong species.
Some toxic cacti look similar, but have milky sap. Prickly pear has clear sap; if you see anything else, avoid.
You can also split the cactus pads and use them as a poultice on wounds or burns. A tea made from prickly pear helps ease urinary tract infections.
You can get great results using natural medicines, but you do need to be careful. The biggest danger is picking the wrong plant, so before you go foraging make sure you know exactly what you’re looking for.
You also need to be aware that there’s no way to get a precise dose, and some natural remedies – wild garlic, for example – can be dangerous if you take too much of them. If you’re careful, though, nature can supply effective replacements for many modern drugs.
You can achieve great results with natural remedies, but caution is key. Accurate identification of plants and understanding their proper use is crucial.
If you’re looking for a practical guide to make the most of natural remedies, check out this comprehensive guide by Nicole Apelian. It offers easy-to-follow protocols that address the root causes of health issues, with clear steps and daily summaries to help you stay on track.
Each section includes step-by-step instructions and a summary table to guide you on what actions and remedies to take daily, ensuring you always know exactly what to do next. Equip yourself with this knowledge to better navigate any crisis with confidence and resilience.
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Herbs are the real choice as the AMA and ADA have become the worship false gods of medicine. Back in early days of America we had herbalist curing people but somehow we got these quasi-government institutions that are the only legal organizations to be official in curing patients only of diseases and health issues.
The FDA, FTC are part of the enabler minions and bribed bureaucrats that have colluded in medicine fraud of curatives. The alternatives are condemned as snake oil salesmen than part of the medical healthcare system we have today.
Big pharma and politics as last seen in the Covid coverup of a disaster, the vaccine pushed by Biden-Harris without trials needed. Caused harmful side effects such as our American troops developing heart issues, a national security issue.
The open border illegals don’t get vetted for health problems or get the Covid vaccine, so America is in danger of having another plague started by the Biden-Harris administration letting in diseased illegals endangering Americans.
God bless legal Americans.
“The Organized Attack on The Food Supply…”
https://rumble.com/v4n7li8-the-organized-attack-on-the-food-supply….html
herbal Meds are under attack too.
God help us please.
Most OTC and antibiotics are effective far longer than
than the printed expiration date.
When the SHTF gets here does anyone want to be trying
to find all of the bark,flowers,and god knows what to whip
up some eye of newt wing of bat potion to treat your
particular malady?
Alternative medicine has it’s place but if you suffer needlessly
because your medical kit doesn’t have what you need then
that’s on you.
You can deride Big Pharma until the cows come home but
when you have a migraine or an infection in your toe a stash
of pain killers or penicillin will will be the best treatment.
Dr.Joe Alton has some very good information on this topic.
Bad ideas are usually caused by a lack of common sense
and this article has lack of common written all over it on
the part of the author and the site editor.
AMA medicine most of the time treats the symptoms then the actual causes. Herbs help long term heal from within the body to correct problems.
Holistic medicine is spiritual, food, herbal, big pharma medicine and lastly surgery in that order. Yes sometimes a combination of all the above is needed to heal.
Many people got caught up in the great Covid mask, 6 paces in line and the vaccine as Dr Fauci lied to the public. And scared plenty of the liberals still wearing their virtue signaling masks of indoctrination.
What do you do when all your big pharma medicine stockpiles are totally empty, gone, zip, then what?
The SHTF will depend on many situations leading up to it, it maybe nothing but one to two months without to 6 months to a year. Or it could be the mother of all fearmongering forever, then what?
Well said. I’m an herbalist and haven’t taken any OTC meds in years. I make everything my family needs plus a lot of “just in case” medicine. God gave us everything we need to heal anything that ails us in nature. I encourage everyone to learn before it’s too late.
Don’t forget that the hulls of the black walnut can be used as an option to iodine. You usually wait until they turn black and a little mushy to process them.
Nocino is a liqueur prepared from walnut hulls, dating from the middle ages it was prepared by Monks and used for various medicinal purposes, plus it was a tasty way to get drunk.
This suggests that 1) all your readers are in the areas in which these plants grow and 2) that the person doesn’t require much stronger and more consistently dosed medications. Like I do.
For those who are saying they need big pharma stuff, what is your plan B? Also, seventy percent of pharmaceuticals come from plants.
I would suggest for those insisting they need the big pharma version of X, to study that drug. Learn about its mechanism of action, so if you cannot obtain X you have an idea about what you can use instead.
I would also suggest taking the time to learn it NOW, while you have time to try plan B to see how well it works for you. You may have to try a few things before you find what would be a good substitute. If you are convinced anything other than Big pharma is “wing of bat, eye of newt,” then I would encourage you to wean yourself from the big pharma drug ASAP. Otherwise, you are simply at their mercy, which is a tenuous position at best.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, learn what grows outside in your yard and neighborhood!! If you can’t harvest it.. then where will you get it during shft? Or when your bugging out? I spend the winter learning herbs that herbalists use on regular basis but spend all other months learning what grows around me and how to use it. So if I need golden seal, I go out and harvest some Oregon grape and so on. I’ve learned what is interchangeable. I’m blessed to have a pharmacy as my yard. I’ve cultivated my property and added seeds from neighboring plants to encourage their growth here. You will be shocked once you get a plant identifying app and begin. Do your research on each plant. Don’t just trust the app with your life. It only takes a few minutes to confidently confirm the app’s information. One more thing… no one likes vinegar really but you can make vinegar out of anything edible! It’s a wonder drug in and of itself. You can soak (macerate) your plants in that vinegar and make a medicine (tincture).🪴🌻🌳🌿🧄🍵🫖
My opinion is simple: Stockpile all you can, of every med you can. Store them properly.
Great if you can, most cannot store a lot of big pharma meds or OTC meds.
No one said your stash of OTC meds had to be huge.
Pick up what you can afford.Some is better than none.
You may get some relief while learning the intricacies of
alternative medicine if that’s your piece of cake.
Let common sense be your guide.
A bit of extra stash will also come in handy for trading.
If you’re going to be using sumac tea just make sure you know the difference between poison sumac and the “good” kind.
Beginning with penicillin modern pharmaceuticals came to be known as ‘miracle drugs’ because they actually work. Prior to WW2 hundreds of thousands of people annually died early and painfully of strep, staph, pneumonia, and syphilis. I’m a damn good herbalist and have to say there are no effective herbal treatments for serious conditions. It appears the best ‘alternative’ treatment for infected wounds is a mix of honey or sugar and Povidone. Sadly, Povidone unopened has a shelf life of 1 year at most.