Claudia's Salicylate Search Resource:

 QUICK CHECK:

DO NOT USE:

• Any chemical with the syllable SAL in the name (SALicylate)
• Any chemical with MEN in the name (MENthol, MENthyl aranthinate)
• SALicylic Acid
• Oils with a plant name (except soy, wheat, corn oats, rice)
• Gels with a plant name (except soy, wheat, corn oats, rice)
• Extracts with a plant name (except soy, wheat, corn, oats, rice)
• Any butter except Cocoa, Shea or Mango Seed
• Tree bark extracts such as: Pycnogenol, Camphor, Bisabol, Balsam
• Meradimate (sunscreens)
• Meroxyl (Sunscreens)
• Bioflavinoids (Quercetin, Rutin, Hesperiden) in vitamins
• Mint flavor, or Mentholatum

 You must check anything you take as a medication, and every product that comes in contact with your skin for the above salicylate sources.

If you are doing this properly, looking things up should be minimal. 

 However, if you see:

• oil, or
• gel, or
• extract

     If the word or phrase is Latin you may need to search the internet using Google (or any search engine). For example: "pinus sylvestris oil" or "melissa officinalis gel" or "nepeta cataria extract". Be sure to enclose the entire phrase in quotation marks. The first entry will usually identify the origin. If it is from a plant, it will block guaifenesin.

     For medications, over-the-counter or prescription, all you need is the chemical name of the medication. It should be on the bottle. If your medication is a generic (tramadol for Ultram, for example) that IS the chemical name. Drugstore.com or any of the drug information websites or any pharmacist can give you the chemical name. If the compound you are checking is a salicylate, the chemical name will reflect that fact. An example is: Pepto Bismol which is bismuth subSALicylate.

     If you are checking an over-the-counter supplement all you need to do is ask yourself if the supplement is the name of a plant. You cannot take flaxseed or borage oil because they are plants. You can't take ginseng or Echinacea as those are plants. You can take melatonin, malic acid, 5HTP, Co-Q 10 because those are not the names of a plant. You can take any vitamin or mineral (there is no plant named Vitamin A or magnesium) but you must check them for added medicinal herbs or bioflavonoids. (See above for a list).

     You must make sure any product that you use in your mouth does NOT contain MINT of any kind including wintergreen, or menthol.

     When dealing with teas, protein powders or other items that may contain concentrated plants be sure to look at the ingredients. If the box reads: NUTRITION FACTS you are holding a food and you can have it. If the box reads SUPPLEMENTAL FACTS you are holding a medication and you must check it against the above list as you would any other medication.