Joey M.D.

More and more, people are looking for non-traditional ways of relieving themselves of their ills.  The doctor is now seen as more of the last resort.  Many patients would rather try other means of treating themselves first, like using traditionally accepted cures and traditions passed down from generation to generation.

While this is actually not bad, the problem with this is that people sometimes are not sure of the “dosage” of the traditional medication that they should take for such to work and not go overdose.  Should it be 1 oz of leaves of a certain plant, or 2 ozs?  Should it be infused?  Should it be boiled?  People tend to forget that such “natural” medications, albeit not from a laboratory, still contain the active ingredients found in the pills that are prescribed by doctor.  That means we do have to be careful about which of these we take, and about how much should be taken.

Well, nowadays, there are already pills, oils, tinctures and other fixed dosed combinations of such remedies available in the market.  There are even websites like  health-pedia.com which are dedicated to selling such remedies.  That means that, if, for example, you are experiencing from menstrual cramps, aside from or even instead of having to ask for women’s health products from family and friends, you can just do some research online, look at their ingredients and indications, proper usage, look at other people’s testimonials and decide to just buy it, all online.  They even have a money back guarantee for their products.  This does go a little step further than just asking from family and friends who might give differing opinions on what to use and how to use.

But lest we think it’s all “natural”, I did encounter some featured weight loss products whose active ingredient is Orlistat.  To be fair, they did state that from the get-go.  Also, it’s considered and over-the-counter medication anyway.  But they also have other weight loss products containing herbs and plant extracts.

How do I, as a practitioner of Western medicine, feel about this?  I have a healthy respect for alternative medicine since I’m Chinese and I grew up getting both Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine remedies for the various ailments I had all throughout my life.  While I would still suggest that the patient ask for the opinion from their doctors, it’s nice that the site actually makes it possible for patients to do some research on the s0-called natural remedies rather than just blindly following advice from people around them who are not really medical practitioners and would only recommend products based on results on them, without taking into account the bad effects that may occur with improper use.  But, do your research before taking anything.  Natural does not always mean that there is no side effect — there is.  So better arm yourself with all the important information before you buy.  And when you’re using these remedies, also try to watch our for the side effects that they warn you against.   And if you can still do further research on the active ingredients, please do.