Any herbalists out there? How much Dong Quai can I take without it being fatal/dangerous?

[SladeyMadonna]

Title says it all really. Am taking 2 x 530mg tablets every 4 hours. Is that dangerous?

that sounds like a high doers

I take one a day

I would ask a herbalist or person trained in using herbal remedies. You don't want to mess about with herbs, some can be dangerous at the wrong dose.

I need it to be a high dose cos I am trying to induce a miscarriage with it.

I agree with Shitemum because it can cause adverse reactions here.
It does seem a high dose ...are these instructions on the bottle or has someone told you to take this amount?

this gives more in depth side effects- please wear extra sunscreen while taking dong quai.

to try and start one. I have a medical abortion booked for next week, and would prefer to induce miscarriage myself if poss. Have found some instructions for herbs to take on the internet.

No idea, but be careful. Herbs can be very dangerous if used without expert knowledge. You can cause permanent liver, kidney and heart damage.

What are your reasons for wanting to do it yourself? Without wishing to upset you it seems to me that by wanting to induce it yourself rather than wait till you are in the hands of the doctors you are perhaps trying to claim back control in a situation in which you fear you will have none. Maybe you could benefit from some counseling or just talking through the situation with a friend? Good luck.

i want to do it myself because then i think I won't feel so guilty.

So is it the opinions of others that would make you feel guilty? Would you really feel less guilty if you managed to make it look like a miscarriage? However it happens it is your decision. You need to reconcile yourself to that decision now. Don't jeapordise your health with the herbs.
Good luck.

Not opinions of others, because I am not going to tell a soul. But i feel i can justify it more to myself. And hopefully carry less guilt.

Would you tell anybody if you 'miscarried'?

No. I would keep that private too

I still think you need some RL support and sympathy. Is there no-one you can talk to about this?

This sounds like a really bad idea, I know you feel bad but this is not a great thing to go through alone, a lot of herbalism is guesswork as this stuff has not been properly tested and you could do yourself serious harm

Can you call someone like Marie Stopes, they will not judge you at all, they have a 24hr helpline on 0845 300 80 90.

Sorry if this is too graphic but here is some more info about why attempting a 'herbal' abortion is so dangerous. Please, stop taking the tablets and talk to someone about how you're feeling.

I have spoken to Marie Stopes as there is no-one in RL I can speak to.

Thanks for the link to the page on herbal abortion. I am not using PennyRoyal, so hopefully I will be OK. I know that success is low and tbh I am not surprised. I can't see how drinking ginger tea, keeping a sprig of parsley up my fanny (don't laugh!), and taking dong quai tablets can cause the pregnancy to end. if it was that easy, surely everyone would do it?

I'm glad you've spoken to MS, were they helpful? How are you feeling now?

They were OK. First woman was really nice when i called. But then when I phoned back in a bit of a panic the next day the second woman wasn't so understanding. Not that I expect any sympathy, but I just wanted my concerns addressed in a straightforward manner.
Am dreading Friday. Still can't believe this happened as I am on the pill and have been taking it religiously.

Try not to blame yourself, nobody could predict a contraceptive failure, that's what abortion is there for. Are you sure there's nobody who could go with you on Friday? What about your partner -- does he know about it?

He's no longer in the UK. (And it was only a brief fling). We split up 2 weeks ago. He has returned home (Argentina) and I am about to head off travelling before coming back to start a new career. Totally unsuitable circumstances all round to bring a baby into the world.

Well, just remember if you do have any doubts, or just feel like you need to have a chat, then you should seek counselling before Friday.

Whereabouts in the UK are you?

I'm in London. Marie Stopes are offering me counselling before and after, which i will take up if i need it.
it has helped to post on here (I have some threads asking about the abortion pill on chat and other subjects). especuially as I didn't just get lots of condemning "evil baby killer" replies, which was what i was expecting.

Hope it all goes well on Friday, good luck.

Please don't mess with your health - every contraceptive has a failure rate, you were unlucky. It sounds like you have thought things through and have taken an adult, responsible decision to terminate. It would be better to leave the termination in medical hands and focus your energies on doing what you need to do to come to terms with what you've been through.