Your Care at ECHO
Herbal Formula Guidelines
These guidelines are here to support you while taking your formula — so your care feels informed, safe, and effective.
Your formula was prescribed for you specifically
East Asian Medicine works with the body as a whole — your nervous system, your rhythms, and the patterns shaping how you feel day to day. Herbal medicine is one of its core tools, and like acupuncture, it's prescribed based on your specific presentation. Your formula reflects your intake, your symptom picture, and your treatment plan. The ingredients work together in a specific way for your specific context — which is also why online research on individual herbs rarely maps to what you've been prescribed. If something comes up or you're curious about your formula, reach out. We're glad to walk through it.
Quality and safety
All herbs dispensed at ECHO are sourced through suppliers with rigorous third-party testing standards — screened for heavy metals, pesticides, microbial contamination, and adulterants. Quality sourcing is a non-negotiable part of safe herbal prescribing, and it's one of the meaningful differences between herbs prescribed by a trained practitioner and supplements purchased over the counter.
East Asian herbal medicine prescribed by a master's or doctorate-level trained and clinically experienced practitioner has a strong safety profile. A retrospective review of custom herbal prescribing at Cleveland Clinic's Wellness Institute — 206 patients, 1,245 prescriptions, two years of serial lab monitoring — found no liver or kidney findings attributable to herbs, and a 1.5% rate of mild, self-limited adverse events. (Roofener et al., Meridians: JAOM, 2017)
That said, if you have a known liver or kidney diagnosis, please let us know. Periodic lab monitoring may be appropriate in some cases and herbal medicine may not be appropriate for others.
How to take your herbs
Take as prescribed. Consistency matters more than perfection — if you miss a dose, resume your next scheduled dose rather than doubling up. Herbs are generally best taken away from meals, but with food is fine if your stomach is sensitive.
Medications and supplements: Let us know about anything you're currently taking or planning to start. This is a routine part of safe prescribing and helps ensure everything works well together.
If you become acutely ill: If you develop a fever, active infection, stomach bug, or flu, pause your formula unless we've discussed otherwise. Reach out once you're feeling better and we'll go over next steps.
What's normal: Mild shifts in digestion, energy, sleep, or bowel habits can occur as your body responds to treatment — this is normal and usually settles. Contact us if you notice new or worsening symptoms, a rash, itching, or anything that feels clearly off. Stop the herbs and reach out rather than waiting for your next appointment. For severe or rapidly progressing allergic reactions, seek urgent care.
Online research: Online information or information from artificial intelligence about individual herbs is often simplified, decontextualized, or written for attention rather than accuracy. It rarely reflects how herbal medicine, especially clinical herbal medicine, pans out in clinical care. If you have questions about your formula, reach out to your practitioner first.
Storage: Store in a cool, dry place away from heat and sunlight. Keep out of reach of children and pets.
Pregnancy or trying to conceive: Let us know right away so we can reassess your formula before continuing.
Ongoing care
Herbal medicine works cumulatively and is adjusted over time. Your feedback between appointments — what's shifting, what isn't, how you're feeling overall — directly shapes what comes next. Don't hesitate to reach out if anything comes up.
Learn more about herbal medicine at ECHO »