<p>Interesting range of opinions on natural remedies. My take is that there is bogus homeopathic medicine and then there is responsible natural medicine that is in fact supported by clinical research. My guide is Dr. Andrew Weil who is well respected by even the established medical community. He has good credentials and a medical degree. Basically after medical school he studied botany and then spent many years researching the medicinal value of plants. I value his opinions along with the opinions of my general practitioner. For minor ailments I’ll try a natural remedy if there is one, if it persists I see my GP. </p>
<p>dragonmom, think you misunderstood my post, I don’t apply the garlic paste to my ear, I take it orally with some juice. It has worked very well for me.</p>
<p>I don’t have a problem with natural remedies which have been evaluated with controlled studies. But so many of them haven’t. Many people cling to the idea that if it is “natural,” it must be safe-and certainly safer than putting “chemicals” into one’s body. However, the fact is that there are many “natural” substances which are not only not effective, they are quite dangerous. Some herbs which taken in isolation can be just fine, but if taken with certain medications are NOT safe. Anyone taking herbs or any kind of homeopathic supplement should always include these when asked about “medications” in any kind of medical history interview. </p>
<p>Also, people often assume something they took “cured” a problem, when in fact it is either placebo or simply a “do no harm” thing which just didn’t interfere with the body’s natural ability to fight infection. They then go on to recommend this “cure” to others, when in fact it didn’t cure anything. </p>
<p>I would like to see more research into natural remedies-controlled studies done properly. Then I would like to see the remedies which pass muster embraced by the medical community and the ones shown to be complete fiction be exposed as well. As antibiotics become less and less effective against microorganisms, we are really going to need to find alternate sources to battle infections. Before the advent of modern medicine, HUGE percentages of the population succumbed not to accidents or illnesses typically associated with old age, but to infectious disease.</p>
<p>Knowledge really isn’t democratic, however. If we were debating global warming or evolution, all of our opinions on the matter really aren’t equal or even worthwhile, unless we are climate scientists or biologists or others with particular knowledge of the scientific facts.</p>
<p>And Dr. Andrew Weil? “Well-regarded by the scientific / medical community”? Ha! He’s on Quackwatch! Best-selling does not mean well-regarded.</p>
<p>At least homeopathic remedies won’t poison you, since they are essentially nothing but water (usually).</p>
<p>Weil is far from the worst, because at least he tells people to take the treatment prescribed by real doctors, and then to add on other approaches–most of which can’t hurt. The biggest criticisms of him, in my view, are about his hucksterism.</p>
<p>Some alternative medicine treatments can be harmful because they may cause the patient to delay treatments that are more effective. An attorney friend of mine told me once about a large settlement for the family of a late patient who was treated for cancer with an inversion table. While patients are responsible for their own healthcare, they do tend to listen to the advice/recommendation of their treating professional.</p>
<p>My kids had many many ear infections when they were little. When S2 started down the ear infection road is when I quit work to get him out of day care. Loved everything about daycare (social, mental, discipline) but didn’t love the constant colds!</p>
<p>S1 had tubes at age 13 months.</p>
<p>If you are in pain, or you have a fever you will want to take the antibiotics. That was usually the case with my kids. Augmentin is what they went to after Amoxil failed. Amoxil did work in the early ones. Since the time my kids outgrew ear infections it has been declared that waiting it out is a good course to try. It depends on the severity, as I said, if the pain is bad or there is a fever…by all means try to knock it out with meds. If you can bear it then try to wait it out. I suggest you don’t try to wait it out if it is bad because you could risk damage, discuss it with your doctor. If you have had a stuffy head, cold or allergies, it is probably inner ear. If you deluge your ears with water in the shower or have been swimming, it could be outer. Outer ear would be much the same, wait it out if it’s minor, but you will know if it’s killing you that you need the antibiotic drops.</p>
<p>Drops for swimmers ear (caused by water getting in the ear from outside your head) pills for inner/middle ear (caused by fluid build-up INTERNALLY such as from colds)</p>
<p>My advice is based on many many ear infections in my kids, and my dad was a pediatrician (though not theirs except for S! for the first year when we lived with them)</p>
<p>I had the follow up visit with the ENT yesterday. I expected a lecture about not taking the cipro. Not even mentioned (I made sure I reminded the nurse that I didn’t take it.) The doc said I could wait 3-4 weeks for the fluid to go away by itself, or get a steroid shot. I opted for the steriod shot and would say I am about 50% better.</p>
<p>So glad I didn’t risk the cipro. Doesn’t sound like I needed an antibiotic at all.</p>
<p>I’ve been thinking of this thread lately, everytime I hear a commercial for some new wonder drug. I’ve been unpacking boxes lately, and watching more T.V. than usual, so am really noticing these bizarre drug commercials. One of them is for a drug for diabetes 2. One of the side effects (which is mentioned along with a long list of other side effects) is pancreatitis, which, as the soothing voice goes on to say, sometimes can be fatal. The hawking of drugs like that (fatal side effects, hmmm . . . ) is one reason why I, for one, am sometimes attracted to the <em>woo</em> approach for my various maladies (diet, exercise, herbs, alternative remedies, voo doo (j/k) and etc.). There is a lot of ridiculousness on both sides (conventional and alternative). One really has to do his or her homework and do what is best for him/her. </p>
<p>Happy to hear you are feeling better, missypie!</p>
<p>I really desire to have to take as few medicines as possible, no matter whether they are traditional medicine or alternative. You are ingesting a substance you normally would not in order to correct a problem, and there are very few treatments which don’t exact a price of some kind.</p>
<p>As a nurse, I see patients who are taking so many medicines, it is completely mind blowing. Taken in isolation, these meds can potentially resolve a health problem and have demonstrated a clear benefit relative to the risk. However, when you take them in concert with many many others, one has to wonder if their benefit is altered, and of course there are many known documented drug interactions which are problematic. </p>
<p>Right now I take blood pressure medicine, but I’m working hard to get to the point of weaning off it. May not happen; my sister is a size zero and works out like a maniac, eats very healthy, etc., and her BP off meds is usually in excess of 180/90 due to a genetic predisposition.</p>
<p>I just laugh when I hear the commercials for various medications. Yeah, I want oily discharge, potentially fatal blood dyscrasias, chronic dry mouth and bad breath, urinary incontinence, dizziness, somnambulance, fecal impaction, and suicidal ideation to treat my relatively minor physical ailment. :eek:</p>
<p>Obviously, that’s not to say that modern medicine has not saved many lives and improved the quality of lives to an incredible degree. I just think that sometimes we are a little too quick to pop a pill rather than making a lifestyle/diet change or sometimes even just bearing a minor condition it until it passes.</p>
<p>^Yeah, the side effects are challenging. I have a drawerful of anti-psychotic meds that my sons have tried. Weight gain and antsiness are major problems with these drugs. But we’ve seen what happens when our older son is NOT on them, and it’s not good. So I"m thankful for modern medicine. I think we’ve finally found the one med that works well, too.</p>
<p>In our suburban county, several municipalities offer household waste collection days throughout the year, where you can take all the chemical stuff that shouldn’t be in landfills to them, and they make sure they are disposed of properly. I did a bathroom closet cleaning a couple of months ago, and found not only some medicines that I was not on anymore, as well as some OTC items that had expired. Got rid of a lot of stuff. Do other communities offer something like this?</p>
<p>I just think that sometimes we are a little too quick to pop a pill rather than making a lifestyle/diet change or sometimes even just bearing a minor condition it until it passes.</p>
<p>I used to think like this, especially when medical personnel basically just said " buck up".
So, I did my own research and found new providers that were actually willing to consider the patient holistically & not just as something that needed fixing but that they didn’t think was worth it yet/far enough gone.</p>
<p>Many things don’t just go away by themselves, but progress far enough that they are past the point where a change in activities or even medication might have helped, to now requiring major surgery.</p>
<p>Insurance companies aid & abet this situation when they cover surgeons to a greater extent than alternative practitioners, who they may not cover at all.</p>
<p>Many of us are fortunate enough to get through our youth and young adult life with no chronic medical conditions. Whatever medical issue we had was fixed, resolved. As we age, many of us develop chronic conditions, some potentially life-threatening, others more of an annoyance. I think that is the stage when we start to look to alternative medicines and therapies.</p>
<p>(With that said, one of my doctors prescribed one of the drugs that is heavily advertised on TV. I gave him a bit of grief about it, but it seems to be working well. So I guess we need to keep an open mind but do our homework.)</p>
<p>Thank you all again for your thoughtful comments.</p>
<p>Well, of course. I know that both professionally as well as personally. What I was referring to were rather benign conditions where we just automatically pop a pill without considering that there IS a price to pay, no matter how small. Over time, these little price tags can add up to a big problem.</p>
<p>But I’ve spent a whole lot of time in my career delivering medications or aiding in interventions which not only improve quality of life, but save lives. I’m not anti medicine.</p>
<p>Speaking of homeopathy: HOT FLASHES have returned. I cannot take hormones. </p>
<p>Any suggestions? Or maybe I need to start a new thread.</p>
<p>No mood swings, thank goodness, (well, I have been crying a lot about our dog, who we recently put to sleep, but no rage/anger/sadness of unknown cause), but this is miserable.</p>
<p>Oh, please… start a new thread. I’ve often wondered how CC, full of women of a certain age group, doesn’t have a very active thread on this topic. The Diet/Exercise/Health/Wellness thread has more dads posting there than I’d feel comfortable sharing with. My bet is if a thread about transition is started, the men will just stay away. ;)</p>