Categorized | Herbal Remedies

11 Comments For This Post

1. Qur?uba Says:
   December 9th, 2009 at 9:36 am

   Why is it about this or that, i.e. one versus the other. Each have their place. Some may benefit from pharmaceutical medicine but others may benefit from herbal medicine. Yet others may benefit from both. And what about the man living in a remote tribe…..is it not a good thing that he depends on his native herbal medicine to keep him and his family well or would you prefer him to be at the mercy of the western doctor and all that implies for him as a native living his native way of life trying to mind his own business!!!!

   Who could deny that pharmaceutical companies trawl the worlds native populations looking for lead compounds from these native remedies that have been used by tribesmen for generations.

   Who would deny that healthy eating is the way to go to prevent illness……….herbal remedies is just part and parcel of that healthy eating regime to prevent illness for the most of us.

   A key factor about herbal medicine is that a plant extract rarely gives side effects because potency is in balance ….kept in check by other constituents in the plant extract. That is not the case with pharmaceutical drugs which may be much more potent in effect, no doubt, but that is not kept in check/balance so side effects often run rampant. How may have had to come off of a pharmaceutical drug because the side effects were worse than the ailment it was designed to treat… Not saying folk should come off drugs because of side effects so please don’t misquote me…whoever should read this!!. It could be dangerous for anyone to come off of prescribed drugs and that always needs discussion with the prescribing doctor who may be able to offer a better alternative ….from a different class of drug for instance. If on prescribed medicine always consult a doctor regarding making any changes. If on prescribed medicine always consult a doctor or pharmacist before taking any herbal supplements…….some herbs interact with some drugs.

   I personally prefer preventative medicine….which means good healthy eating [including using some herbs/herbal supplements and sometimes vitamin supplements] and avoiding stress wherever possible.

   Alternative Medicine is a misnomer because most would consider that herbs/other therapies are complementary, if not preventary, to allopathic medicine. Lets not forget also that pharmaceutical companies [e.g. Boots in the UK] also sell herbal remedies and some "herbal" remedies are prescribed by medical doctors……such as omega 3 [under the pharmaceutical label Omacor] for heart patients. I think you can also get glucosamine on prescription.

   Read "Medical Nemesis ……Expropriation of Health" by Ivan Illach…..it is an eye opener.

2. Salerio Says:
   December 9th, 2009 at 9:36 am

   I’d have thought it was obvious. How is a bunch of basil going to cure or treat anything? When it’s proven to work it’s medicine, anything else isn’t.

   Into the sack!

3. angrydoc Says:
   December 9th, 2009 at 9:36 am

   To be honest, I know little about herbal remedies but I do know a lot about pharmaceutical drugs. Pharmaceutical drugs have been studied, are known to be effective, and their safety profile is known. By safety profile, I mean that it’s effective dose is known, it’s toxic dose is also known, the common side effects are known and its drug interactions are also known. Pharmaceutical medications also undergo monitoring even after it’s been released to the market. This is so that previously unknown drug interactions, and toxicities can be known and the drug can be pulled out if such appears.

   Some (NOT ALL) herbal drugs can be considered to be impure, unprocessed pharmaceutical drugs. The active ingredient has not been isolated nor concentrated in pill form and it probably has a lesser known (or unknown) safety profile. Dosage will thus be less definite and precise and effective dose will not be known. Some herbal remedies also have unproven efficacy.

   Yeah, just for the record, there is no conspiracy between big pharma and doctors. MDs hate it when their patients can’t afford their medicines. MDs are also patients and we scream in pain when the prices of our medicines are high too.

4. YA Junkie Says:
   December 9th, 2009 at 9:36 am

   I have suffered from major depression and anxiety for many years. I used to be a purist and only use natural alternative therapies. I tried acupuncture, nutritionists, chiropractors, herbs (Chinese, Ayuvedic and Western), as well as pschotherapy, biofeedback, etc. You name it; I tried it (except when the treatments were too expensive).

   Nothing really worked for me, so eventually I moved on to psychiatric meds. The results were a little better, but there were few significant improvements. I should warn you, many of my issues are genetic and I fall into the treatment resistant category.

   Today, I employ as many modalities as I can. I exercise about 6 times a week (my number one remedy). I eat a nutrititious diet and practice relaxation and meditation techniques. I still take some psychiatric drugs because natural remedies alone were insufficient.

   You will probably get YA answers from purists who only advocate alternative medicine. Likewise there are allopathic medicine advocates who only use pharmaceuticals. Many say that virtually all of alt med is quackery. I will say that herbs are not that rigorously standardized. Herb companies do not have to spend millions of dollars doing clinical trials to prove their products are effective. They do not have to be approved by the FDA as being effective.

   I reallize I am not giving a definitive answer to your question. I would suggest, however, to use whatever works best for you—herbal remedies or pharmaceuticals. Probably a blend of techniques is the wisest choice. Also, research shows that a combo of therapy plus meds is generally more effective than meds alone or therapy alone.

   Also, I would say that if your problem is relatively minor, herbal remedies might work. If your issue is more severe, you might have to add psych meds.

   I suggest avoiding any value judgements that many people make, like alternative med is good and allopathic is bad—or vice versa.

5. integrity007 Says:
   December 9th, 2009 at 9:36 am

   Many providers have faith in selected herbal preparations especially when they know the quality and accuracy of the formulation. For example, a product for male benign prostatic hypertrophy works very well for several years called beta-sitosterol and another saw palmetto. These have the same effect as pharmaceuticals such as Flomax or Cardura, and the beta-sitosterol has similar effects to slowing down the enlargement as two pharmaceuticals do.

   Beta-sitosterol is also very effective in reducing bad cholesterol (ldl) and it will get you to goal if your baseline ldl is 160 or under. It also raises good cholesterol (hdl) about 15%, this is always good. We have known since the 1980’s that a one percent increase in good cholesterol will lower ones risk for heart attack by two percent. That statistic is one of the most important findings we have to help our patients reduce their coronary risk. A 15% increase in hdl will lower your coronary risk by 30%, that is huge.

   Cinnamon is another safe helpful herb in the control of diabetes. This herb works similar to the pharmaceuticals Actos or Avandia. Cinnamon is not near as strong or potent and I do not recommend anyone stop the Actos to go to cinnamon, but when one is starting therapy for diabetes, (when the fasting blood sugar is between 100-126) this herb is very helpful and will often delay your need to start pharma early in your diagnosis.

   These are just a couple of herbs which I routinely use in my practice of internal medicine. I believe the most important factor is buying herbal products from a trusted source. The other big factor is to monitor the success or failure with your provider every 3-6 months to insure you are receiving the best benefit available.

   I never miss a chance to remind everyone that a clean lifestyle is more important than any drug or herb which you may want to take to make your life convienent. Do not smoke, do not drink more than 2 ounces of alcohol per day, eat plenty of vegetables and fruit at home and eat out as little as possible, get at least 7 hours of sleep in 24 hours, maintain a body mass index of between 22-27 and only fight the battles you must win (reduce stress by recognizing it and dismissing it)

   I do have a trusted company which I have sent my patients to for safe effective herbal products but I do not want this to be a sales pinch. If you are interested in this site email me at integrity0074@gmail.com and I will send the name and address. Good Health to All

6. Flizbap Says:
   December 9th, 2009 at 9:36 am

   Herbal remedies don’t cure anything. If you are at the point where you are ill, eating some thyme will not help you. Eating healthy and taking vitamins is to help you avoid illness and recover faster, it’s not going to "cure" squat.

   Medicine has been designed to be powerful enough to help cure you however it does have side effects, but that’s the consequence of having drugs that help us not die from athlete’s foot.

7. orchid Says:
   December 9th, 2009 at 9:36 am

   For me, and my anxiety disorder, I use a combination. Now that’s not always advised but sometimes it is acceptable. I don’t think it has done me harm, as I research in advance if it’s safe, eg, you should not take the supplement 5HTP with antidepressants, or St Johns Wort.

   I take an antidepressant and "top up" with chamomile, valerian, or L-Theanine as needed. I’ve tried a lot of supplements, and those 3 are my favourites. I use my herbs in my usual dosages to ensure I am not taking too much (except when I have them in teas). I can then find the amount that works.

   I think herbs have done a lot for me. Drugs have helped too. I wouldn’t be without either. The thing about drugs is that they generally need to be taken all the time. I can use and adapt the herbs to meet my own needs.

8. homebirthmoma Says:
   December 9th, 2009 at 9:36 am

   Well for me I take herbs for just about all things.When I feel it is out of my hands I go to the dr.I don’t take flu shots I know what to do for it,I don’t take my kids to the dr when they have the flu I know what to do,can take care of sinus,arthritis,headaches and so forth.I do believe the fda is down on herbs because they cant make the $ from them.IT is hard to make money on something you can go pick outside.So they don’t to the ’scientific studies’ and people are not sure about taking it.Why would they do millions of dollars on a study that they cant make money on.Because it probably grows in a field or your yard.

9. irenaaneri1980 Says:
   December 9th, 2009 at 9:36 am

   They both have their benefits and drawbacks depending on the situation.
   In one situation a herbal medicine might be more appropriate and in another situation a pharmaceutical medicine might be more appropriate.
   I believe God(sorry to bring God into it) has given us both-there needs to be no competition,both have their place.

10. Jello F Says:
    December 9th, 2009 at 9:36 am

    pharmaceuticals relieve you from the symptoms
    herbals boost your overall wellness to help you recover faster

    i see fallacies in both, and i know that there is an alternative that seeks to hit the source of the problem

    this is colloidal silver, it boosts your immune system, which is the thing that kills any pathogens that invades your body. when you have a cold or flu, medicines only relieve you from the symptoms but it is the immune system that ultimately gets rid of the multiplying pathogens. of course, beware of the lies that talk about cs turning you into a blue person, rich nobles used real silver utensils to survive the bubonic plague and there has never been a blue person on earth except for that one man on youtube, who must have been paid lots and lots. take care and go to healthfreedomusa.com and a documentary you should watch about psychotropic drugs is called making a killing and it’s available online to watch

    mercola.com is alright but he discredits colloidal silver, so i dont trust him as much.

11. Kinesiology Melbourne Says:
    December 10th, 2009 at 12:11 am

    I feel pharmaceuticals and natural botanicals have their place even though I would always choose botanicals as a rule and as a Kinesiologist would recomment them to my clients- less politics and less animal testing and natural for the body.

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