The risks of taking herbal medicine

This is a clinical trial going on in Tawain now.

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00201578?order=178

"It has been a general belief that these therapies consist of

[GrandmaA]

Some herbal formulas are better than others. I have been taking Dr. Zhang's forumulas for over 4 years now and they have helped heal my liver very much. If you can control the inflammation you can stop the progression of the disease. They did that for me. You cannot take exactly the same ones on tx as before tx. But I'm still taking 2 of the same ones. They lessen the side effects. I have no ulcers on my tongue, never did and I have no itching on my skin. Some patients have such terrible itching they have to stop tx.

Dr. Gish works with Misha Cohen (an herbalist and acupuncturist) in San Francisco and she has lots of Chinese herbs, they even wrote a book together. My nurses say they wish all their patients had my labs.

Do real research and find out much more about Chinese herbs instead of just believing in one study without any personal knowledge of your own. That's how rumors get started. I'm proof that they can work.

[jboyhk]

I am just giving a warning that just because its natural doesn't mean its not bad for you.

Inteferon is also natural. Its what our body makes naturally.

As far as doing research, I have been living in Asia for over 10 yrs and have seen the non effect of alot of these herbal remedies. I am not saying that some are not good. Just alot do nothing or potentially harm. I saw recently a disturbing show on National Geographic about a young chinese girl who had a rare skin disease which resulted in tumors on her face. The local dr's just used herbal solutions on her skin. When a dr in London found out about this rare case he wanted to see if he could treat her. Unfortunately she died a year later at age 9. The dr said if she had access to western treatment she could have most likely made it to 20 yrs.



That is why that study is being done in Taiwan. It says there is an increase of hospitilization due to the over use of herbal remedies. If they are so safe then why would Chinese dr's even conduct this study?

[Forseegood]

To add my two cents...I think youre arguing different points...Grandma is just pointing out that she goes to a Chinese herbalist that is known to be a very responsible, knowedgable person and points out that Misha Cohen works with a very prominent hepatologist, so there might be something to it...this is her experience...I personally don't think everyone is helped by herbals, just like not everyone is helped by conventional medicicine...there are a lot of unknowns here because of a giant lack of studies....

but I don't think anyone disagrees with your main premise that certain or probably many hebalists, etc are not responsible and not knowledgable, etc etc  and people can have harm done to them....

but I just don't think you can compare the harm in scale- to what conventional, (even FDA approved meds do)...How many did Vioxx kill? upwards of 30,000? With direct-to-consumer advertising at a 100 million a year? I'm just wondering why you don't give them equal time sometimes? Can you imagine if a terrorist in this country killed 30,000 people? It would shut the country down, but big pharma does it, and it's 3rd page news with a few measily senate investigations...because we're all so used to these types of things happening and feel helpless in the face of it, the problem is too big and complex for us to handle...

And as I've said before, I'm very grateful for big pharma and the research and deveopment that they do, and for the millions of people they help...I just think there are many sides to a story...hardly anything is black and white to me...

[madbrad]

LOL..........Pharmaceutical People are related to Politicians who pass laws and pressure FDA....for $$$$$$$$...

[Cela]

Hi Grandma,
What herbs are you taking?  I use to talk to you some on Curezone, and we even emailed each other a couple of times.
Cela

[orphanedhawk]

The original medicines are from plants. Pharmaceutical companies synthesize many natural products, give it an unpronouncable name, and charge tons of money for them.
    Why is medicinal marijuana having such a hard time becoming truly legal ? There is funding available to prove it isn't safe, not to prove how many people it helps. If the pharmaceutical  companies could market it so others couldn't grow it, we'd be buying it, maybe at neupogen prices!
  Back to the original post, of course some drugs and herbs are contraindicted with interferon or are harmful to your liver. You can't reasonably clump them all together.

[cally44]

Hi Grandma,

Can u email me privately, im interested in seeing your herbalist and I need info.
Btw, i have hep b