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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Emme on December 9, 2003, at 16:19:04
Hi All. My pdoc said she's not averse to me researching alternative treatments. I thought I might consult a doctor knowledgable in altnernative medicine to get some extra information and ideas (Of course I might have already seen most of the useful information here!).
Anyway, when I aked the gentleman in my local health food store if he knew of any good holistic doctors, he said he was trained in pharmacology and could help me. He said he would check pulses and formulate a custom tea that would have many things in it. I assume this is traditional Chinese medicine (he is Chinese). I hadn't actually considered this particular branch of medicine.
I don't know what to think. Without knowing what to expect in the tea - and he wouldn't tell me any of the potential ingredients - I don't know how to go about figuring out whether it would be safe with my regular medications.
Does anybody here have experience with this?
Emme
Posted by KellyD on December 11, 2003, at 8:46:04
In reply to Chinese herbal medicine?, posted by Emme on December 9, 2003, at 16:19:04
Hi Emme,
I don't have any good words of wisdom for you - sorry, as I don't have any experience in the area. I would want to know what was in my "preparations" so as to see if I could find out about interactions - although, sometimes that info is hard to come by.We have a "naturopath" (??) in my area that dapples with all sorts of stuff. He basically wants you to "detox" your system from the "bad drugs" and go entirely on his stuff --- that he sells, of course.~~~~ I threw him out as an option. But, plenty in my area love him and says he "cured" them. It just wasn't the way that was right for me.
Right now, I'm more into complimenting than an all or nothing when it comes to using conventional and alternative.
Who knows, maybe a good path for you to try with a little bit of research - if you can find info.
Good Luck,
Kelly
Posted by Emme on December 11, 2003, at 16:56:05
In reply to Re: Chinese herbal medicine?, posted by KellyD on December 11, 2003, at 8:46:04
I think I may have found what I'm looking for. I was shopping in a different health food store and they had the name and phone number of a woman who they said is an herbalist. I called the number and she is a nurse practitioner in a group practice. I was told she works with herbs, supplements, and nutrition. As a nurse pracitioner she should be familiar with prescription medications and I'm hoping she'd be able to tell me what would be safe to take with my medications. This sounds much better than trying figure out myself if the ingredients in a mixed tea will be safe with my medications. God knows I'm not giving up my Lamictal just yet now that I've gotten at least partial remission. :)
Posted by KellyD on December 11, 2003, at 17:46:45
In reply to Re: Chinese herbal medicine? » KellyD, posted by Emme on December 11, 2003, at 16:56:05
That sounds like a great plan. Nurse Pracitioners and Nurses are near and dear to my heart (sligh smile).
Please let me know how it does. I would really like to know.
Best of Luck,
Kelly
Posted by Emme on December 18, 2003, at 23:53:34
In reply to Re: Chinese herbal medicine?, posted by KellyD on December 11, 2003, at 17:46:45
> That sounds like a great plan. Nurse Pracitioners and Nurses are near and dear to my heart (sligh smile).
> Please let me know how it does. I would really like to know.
> Best of Luck,
> KellyHi Kelly,
I went to see the holistic nurse practitioner today. She had a few supplement recommnedations. She seems to want to come up with a supplement regimen that's somewhat streamlined.
In the vitamins/minerals dept., more or less what I've been taking, but with some tweaking. Up my Mg a bit, Ca dosage okay, increase B complex from 50 to 75 or 100, fish oil good, no arguments with the multivitamin. She thought the Cr wasn't necessary.
Of the other supplements, she thought I should think about SAM-e or methionine or 5HTP.
Diet: To my surprise, more protein, more (good)fat. Not a low-carb diet, just adding more of these things (I didn't know I was deficient). She thinks I'm not getting enough of the right types of fat. I'm a vegetarian. She suggested bumping up my nut and seed intake, incorporate some eggs (I rarely eat them) and since I'm not motivated to cook when depressed, she suggested making sure I have things like hummos and yogurt on hand. She didn't seem to think I should worry about the fat content in dairy products like cheese and yogurt. I think her take was that if I don't eat meat and don't eat too much hydrogenated fats, then the fat content of the dairy products wouldn't be much of an issue.
Herbs: She thought St. John's Wort was worth considering and likes to use a liquid extract. She had particular favored brand (which I have written down somewhere). She also suggested skullcap.
She recommended a homeopathic remedy: pulsatilla. I've always had a hard time with the concept of homeopathic remedies. But, it's inexpensive and won't interact with anything, so I don't really have anything to lose.
So...I'll guess I'll try to start stocking my pantry better. I have had little interest in regular grocery shopping for a long time.
I'll try the pulsatilla for a week or so, then add something else. I don't know how to decide if I want to try 5HTP or SJW first. Any suggestions anyone? I've been decreasing/switching benzos, so my body is a bit revved and could use some settling down in addition to AD effect. It seems like both are potentially good options.
Emme
Posted by KellyD on December 19, 2003, at 20:37:33
In reply to Been to the holistic NP » KellyD, posted by Emme on December 18, 2003, at 23:53:34
Thank you so for the update. I'm hoping this plan will help you lots. I honestly have had good results with Fish Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Bilberry, and Ca Mag. I am feeling pretty good these days and find I'm handling stressors better. Mood has improved, too (yeah). It's been about a month and I'm impressed with my own self. I was skeptical, but, I think this is working.
My diet really does need tweaking... when I'm unwell, my appetite goes away, so eating anything is a sign of improvement. My habits are now to eat ANYTHING... my weight is back on and then a bit more... I gotta look into something that is healthy and I'll follow. Let me know how your plan goes.
Best to you and keep me posted.
Kelly
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