Blog

Colour or appearance cannot identify a herbal formula. Check the product name, written directions, storage and use-by details, and ask before using a bottle that looks damaged or unexpected.

Convenience with a few conditions

Not everyone has the time or kitchen space for elaborate preparation, and concentrated granules in a bottle fit neatly into a busy week. Convenience should still leave you knowing exactly what you have been given and where to find the directions written for it. Colour and look are no guide to what a formula is or how to take it.

Questions to ask at the start

Dr Christine Shen, Acupuncturist, supplies Chinese herbal medicine in granule containers. When you collect a bottle, it is worth checking with her:

• the product name and how it matches your written directions;
• how to prepare and measure each dose;
• where the bottle should be kept between doses;
• what the use-by date means in practice.

When something looks wrong

If the packaging is cracked, the seal is broken or the contents look or smell unexpected, set the bottle aside and ask Christine before using any of it. Avoid judging a product by appearance, and do not assume every bottle keeps for the same length of time; different formulas can carry different storage and use-by information.

Keeping the paperwork together

Hold on to the label, the written directions and the date of your next review. Tell Christine when your other medicines change, including short courses prescribed by your GP, and let your pharmacist know you are using a herbal product. If an unfamiliar symptom appears and you are unsure whether the granules play a role, ask before changing how much you take.

For clients who like a tidy self-care routine, a dedicated spot on a shelf, with the bottle and its sheet side by side, can make daily use simple.

Many people find it handy to write the opening date on the label. If you have any doubt about storage after your first week, phone the Lane Cove clinic and describe what you are seeing so Christine can advise.