Gokhru Powder for Urinary Disorder

Difficult urination or dysuria is a general term referring to disturbances of varied nature in urinary flow and consistency, but by and large this condition represents difficulty in passing urine. Other problems in the urinary system include kidney failure, urinary tract infections, stone in kidney, ureter and urinary bladder, prostate enlargement and impaired bladder control. These problems usually manifest in the form of difficulty in urination, incontinence of urine, retention of urine or abnormally altered amount of urine.

Symptoms of various urinary disorders include frequent urination, particularly at night; burning or difficulty during urination; infrequent urination and presence of blood or any other abnormal component in the urine.

Method of preparation – Decoction of Gokshura is prepared by boiling 20 to 30 grams of the coarse powder of the raw material in 160 to 240 milliliters water till one fourth liquid remains. Decoction has to be prepared daily and consumed fresh same day.

Dose and mode of administration – The adult dose of Gokshura powder is 3 to 6 grams, twice a day, with water before meals. The dose of decoction for adults is 40 to 50 milliliters and it should be taken lukewarm.

Precautions and safety aspects

(1) Gokshura is conventionally regarded as safe. No side effects or toxic symptoms and contraindications are reported in Ayurvedic literature. However, in experimental studies seeds of the plant are found to be toxic to the liver of rats. Therefore, patients with liver dysfunction should use Gokshura without seeds and continue medication under medical supervision.

(2) As Gokshura is cooling in nature and the indicated urinary disorders result from predominance of dry and hot contents in urinary system, it is always advisable to avoid during medication alcoholic beverages and diet rich in spicy, pungent, sour, acidic, hot and dry food items. Indulgence in aggression, anger, furious states of mind and suppression of natural urges of urination, passing stools and flatus should be avoided.

(3) Simple, soft, digestible and liquid-rich diet is recommended while suffering from and medicating for urinary disorder. Old rice, barley, butter-milk, pumpkin and aloe are useful articles of diet for patients of urinary disorder.

(4) Patients suffering from urinary disorder should abstain from strenuous exertion, excessive thirst and frequent sexual intercourse.

(5) Severe urinary symptoms with presence of pus and blood in the urine and inability to urinate should be properly treated under medical advice. If the patient’s symptoms get aggravated or do not respond, medication with Gokshura may be stopped and medical advice should be sought.

(6) Urinary symptoms usually worsen, if constipation is concomitantly present. In such cases due care should be taken to treat constipation with modification in diet or with the use of a soft, lubricating laxative.

(7) The symptoms of urinary disease may mimic other medical conditions. Therefore, if empirical treatment with a given formulation fails, it is always advisable to consult medical expert for diagnosis and proper management

(8) Use of Gokshura is safe during pregnancy and lactation.

Reference – Traditional Herbal Remedies for Primary Health Care