Originally Posted by mrsD

I've been using Lemon Balm tea for over a month now. I started it on a suggestion from a friend who uses it for its calming qualities.

But what really turned out to be the most useful for me, was it calmed by GI cramping issues that I have had all my life.

So I looked it up more thoroughly... It has been used for hundreds of years for colic. And to help with viral illnesses.

I skipped one day by mistake, and my cramping returned!

I am now convinced it is calming my GI issues which I have from HAE and my congenital malrotation.

This is how I take it: in tea form. One large mug about 10oz...of hot water, steeped from 5-10 minutes with a little honey added for flavor. It is fairly pleasant and not offensive in any way. It is not lemon flavored, only a bit lemony in a vague sense.

This is the brand I am using. I found it at Whole Foods and a local grocery too. Less $$ than Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Traditional-Me...Lemon+balm+tea

I have one mug of this in the morning. I tried 2 a day and that made me too tired. This does not have caffeine and so therefore it can make one drowsy. It took about a week to start working on the GI pain and cramping. But the calming aspects were immediate.

For those here with IBS type symptoms, you might find it works to quell them for you, as it is doing for me. Sometimes it seems to be like a mild diuretic for me too...but not always.

Lemon balm tea is not the same as Lemon teas. So be careful about what you buy. This one I am using is only lemon balm with no other ingredients.

I've sent for some seeds of this herb to try this spring to grow my own, but they haven't arrived yet. Lemon balm is easy to grow as I recall and can take over in the garden quickly.