When you're not feeling well, do you prefer to use conventional medicine (like from a doctor or pharmacy) or do you lean towards herbal alternatives? Why or why not?
When you're not feeling well, do you prefer to use conventional medicine (like from a doctor or pharmacy) or do you lean towards herbal alternatives? Why or why not?
i've been thinking about how people approach health when they're feeling unwell. some folks prefer to go to a doctor or use pharmaceutical medicine from the pharmacy, while others choose herbal remedies or alternative treatments. personally, i prefer using herbal remedies because i believe that all the ingredients in pharmaceutical medicines ultimately come from nature, and we can find those remedies ourselves in plants. what about you?
edit: cmon guys it's not about the traditional vs modern treatment. just wanna know other's opinion about this..
Conventional medicine, because it actually works and has a basis in reality.
Herbal medicine works and has a basis in reality as well, its not witchcraft, it has been around for thousands of years. There is stuff you cant cure with simple herbs though and modern medicine is more convenient. No need to be so condescending.
The stuff that works in herbal medicine have been studied and improved in modern medicine. The two can’t and shouldn’t be equated. Anyone claiming herbal medicine should be respected and not condemned is a crook and/or idiot. Most proponents are crooks, trying to sell things they know or don’t care if they work.
Things like paracetamol and lithium have a basis in herbal medicine. Paracetamol was improved to stop the horrendous damage the herbal medicine did to your kidneys. Lithium was quantified and controlled to minimise the impact of taking a toxic mental (Lithium was sold as natural healing waters found in springs, it was scientist investigating these waters that identified lithium as an element), newer less toxic medicines are now available for these conditions.
Medicine displaced herbal remedies. The regulation of medicine means the only practionationers of herbal medicines are unregulated crooks.
Ironically, that is witchcraft, in the traditional meaning of the word
so you are likely want a simpler solution, aren't ya
Do you know what we call herbal medicine that works? Medicine.
That said if I want low impact results for a low impact illness, think sore throat, I wot go to the GP, I'll drink hot drinks
Good old Tim Minchin. For the uninitiated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIWj3tI-DXg
Lots of things from nature are not going to be good for you simply by being natural. And most medications come from studying the effects of things found in nature on biology.
I'll use treatments and medications that have studies backing their health impact. Occasionally those may be herbal supplements for better nutrition, but most herbal remedies that we know actually work are just a less effective form of the refined medications and treatments that have been developed. If the medication or conventional treatment is readily available, I would pick that first
And "alternative treatments" are nearly always complete bunk.
even if it's just a little headache?
Well I just suffer through it if it's just a little headache. I'd rather not use any medication unless it's actually hindering my ability to be productive.
The majority of the time, a headache like that is caused by not drinking enough water in the first place, and that's always a better place to start
i believe that all the ingredients in pharmaceutical medicines ultimately come from nature, and we can find those remedies ourselves in plants
Even if that were correct, are you choosing the plants that have those same chemicals when you choose a remedy? If you are, why not use the normal medicine?
To be clear, yes some plants do have legitimate medicinal uses, but I really think you shouldn't be handwaving health decisions like this.
Also good luck with dosing. Many medecines loses the benefits if you take too much, like asthma medecine for example. It's like a bell curve. Others are outright dangerous if overdosed and so on. Stay safe out there!
are you choosing the plants that have those same chemicals when you choose a remedy?
yes, i'd research what my doctor told me to take and find the alternative. like example: if they told me to take paracetamol because a headache, i'd choose ginger instead and go to sleep after. as far as i know, paracetamol has side effects to make us sleepy and makes us wanna take a nap, which is the natural way to treat a headache. ginger also has this effect. i won't take any medicine they gave me unless it's a serious issue that can take my life like cancer or diabetes. my mom has diabetes, she was using medicine they gave her, not going any better. then she stopped, she changed her remedies to a herbal alternative. she started to drink clitoria or we call it "telang" in my country every single morning. went to check her health and went much much better. idk why tbh. not my personal experience but that's what i've seen from my closest one.
If you are, why not use the normal medicine?
well, because i can make it on my own, why not?
I'm glad you're putting some thought into the remedies, at least.
I could tell you that regardless of your personal experience with your mom, statistically blah blah blah, normal medicine works the best. And it would be true, but I'm not going to bother you with it today. There are a million reasons why your mom's situation could have worked out the way that it did, and I don't know enough to speculate why it worked that way.
well, because i can make it on my own, why not?
I mean, don't you think it's a little egotistical to think that your solution would be as effective as the one that's based on the same principles but has been refined by at least dozens of trained professionals? You're only doing this with stuff where effectiveness doesn't matter too much, so maybe the mental benefits of making your own herbal remedies outweighs any physical downsides to doing so in your case, but the effectiveness gap would be a compelling reason why not to do it yourself. But like I said, if you're aware that herbal solutions are less potent, you don't actually need that potency, and you enjoy making the herbal stuff, there's no harm in using it for common ailments.
As long as it works for you, it's your decision. I would caution you if you take that thinking into serious illness though. Our ancestors weren't able to fight back cancers or serious infections, we have some serious survival bias there. When it comes to serious illness the only way we've been able to extend our lifespan and fight back serious illness is because of modern medicine.
Go too far down that path and you end up like Steve jobs who was convinced juice would cure his cancer
I'm in the UK where we've got the NHS and cheap medicine, so that might be why I'm hard on the "just give me the medicine" side of things.
I can't think of any situation when I'd pick an alternative herbal medicine over the medical solution from a chemist if I actually had a problem I wanted to resolve.
True can confirm. It appears like a cultural barrier to me when I read about Americans trusting a tiktoker for their medications that (a month later) turns out to have no FDA verification and no overseas certification either. Its literally only the person making it knows what's in it situation.
Herbal medicines are fine for minor things, but I wouldn't use that for serious issues. Dosage is a big part of a medicine's effectiveness, and a lot of the time, natural products have compounds that are too low in concentration to be reasonably effective. You'd need to extract and purify the compound, and at that point you're right back to conventional medicine.
And that's assuming that the herbs do contain the compound that you're looking for, because unfortunately, people lie on the internet and I generally would not trust what random internet people say about what's in herbal medicines
yes, i think my question should be more specific. i'm agreeing on this. i do my own research about switching to alternative from conventional medicine. mostly, i'd go to a doctor if i'm not feeling well (it's free in my country if we just wanna check up) and i will ask about my diagnosis, if it's not a serious issue then i'd look for the alternative remedies.
Your not doing your own research. Your likley not capable of doing such research. Your doctor also isn’t doing their own research. Your doctor does take the knowledge and guidance from those that do research after they’ve done it and it’s be reviewed and validated by national healthcare standards agency.
Much like documentaries much of the available information online that’s accessible and engaging is just entertainment wrapped packaged like your learning something. Especially when your sources lead you to think herbal medicine is a better alternative.
The difference between a herbal remedies and a regular medicine is that the regular stuff the manufacturer has to first show that it actually works at all and then figure out what the side effects are.
If I have any serious issue I'd not trust anything that is not FDA/EMA/etc approved for my condition.
I grew up with a doctor that believed in alternative medicine and a mom afraid of using medicine except when absolutely necessary. I was also perpetually dealing with colds and headaches. Now I take cold medicine when a cold starts and a painkiller to sleep well during the cold and they last about a quarter if the time.
You know what they call alternative medicine that works? Medicine.
Prefer nothing but if I do need something I always go for conventional. If it's bad enough that I need medicine I want something that actually works.
I only use herbal medicine if I know that what I have is not serious, it's something that would go away on itself, and I just want to relieve the symptoms.
examples
Symptom Herb Why I probably got this way Upset stomach peppermint greasy food Intestinal cramps star anise, turmeric either beans or peanuts Migraine ginger biological clock went nuts again Hangover yerba mate see that half-empty bottle of vodka? Common cold ginger, lemon leaves, honey Every single spring I get a cold. I do it because I prefer milder approaches for mild issues, but the efficacy of this sort of herbal med is fairly limited.
Isn't that just basic knowledge of your own body? Like if I eat beans I'll have a gaseous stool etc.
I mean don't we all drink some tea when the throat is sore? Avoid coffee if we have stomach problems and so on?
I sure do take medication when I'm sick, but I also try to alleviate the suffering with ordinary things ("natural" if you want), like chocolate when I have the flu because it's depressing or rice when I have a diarrhea.
I feel OP are fishing for something else though like "modern medicine bad/big pharma bad" or am I wrong here?
Isn’t that just basic knowledge of your own body? Like if I eat beans I’ll have a gaseous stool etc.
It is. And even chimps do it to a certain degree.
I feel OP are fishing for something else though like "modern medicine bad/big pharma bad"
no, not really tbh. i also take their meds when it gets to serious issues.
i also got a list like this in my notebook!
Depends on the issue. For relatively minor burns I have an Aloe Vera plant, for example. I'm not against pharmaceuticals, or doctors, but for most of my life doctors have been prohibitively expensive or simply not available depending on where I was working at that moment so you learn how to treat most things yourself using whats handy. Giving yourself stitches fucking hurts worse than the original injury by the by.
I have a good paying job now with good insurance and there are multiple medical facilities nearby, but the old habits remain.
what do you use that aloe vera for?
I'm not against pharmaceuticals, or doctors, but for most of my life doctors have been prohibitively expensive
can relate to this lol
I have a good paying job now with good insurance
good for you!
what do you use that aloe vera for?
Same as you would use store bought aloe vera gel. When applied to the skin, assuming you are not allergic, it can sooth minor burns and scrapes. As a last resort you can also use it as a laxative by ingesting it. Seriously, don't eat it, it caused me to vomit as well as loosening my bowels the one time I did that. Normal store bought laxatives are far more "pleasant" to take.
Herbal stuff for simple things and symptoms, like a sore throat or headache. Modern medicine for anything I can't treat on my own.
Depends on what I'm sick with.
If I'm just sick with a cold, usually soup, hot tea with honey, chilli, etc, and maybe an OTC painkiller like tylenol if I have a fever or a headache. Hot showers can be nice too.
If I'm really sick, fuck yeah, give me whatever meds or treatment necessary. I'm not much for any of that "woo" bullshit (like chiropractors, crystals, homeopathy, or other quackery) but some of them are kinda legit (like chicken noodle soup or spicy stuff helping with a could, some herbal poultices actually treating wounds or rashes, etc. )
I probably lean more towards herbal if you consider cannabis. I'm starting ADHD meds in a couple of days, though. Can't remember the last time I felt sick, but I never take anything for that anyway.
I think I was talked out of the herbal route at one point. I remember being very anti-pharmaceutical. I'd try herbal first for all non life threatening things if I knew what to look for.
Not "herbal" in the purest sense, but I will order the strongest, hottest curry I can find and cook it from the inside out.
Works wonders for me during allergy season.
If I have a cold I opt for chicken soup and orange juice. Not because I think it will make me healthy, but because it will make me feel good.
I don't get regular medicine, not because I'm averse to taking it, but because I don't have insurance and can't afford regular medicine.
For minor conditions like headaches, light fever, sore throat, cough, etc. most of the time herbal medicine and some rest will work fine. I tend not to use artificially produced medicine too quickly, it just feels better to not rely on them too much. For example ginger and aloe vera are plants where it cant be exaggerated how awesome they are. Real allrounders with so many medical uses, I love them.
That said, when theres a more serious medical condition, self-medication with herbs will reach its limits, at least on the level you and I are capable of. Maybe some experts will be able to mix a cocktail of herbs that helps but those are usually not common knowledge and I personally wouldnt risk not getting better just to avoid industrial medicine. Like you said, its all made from natural resources, but in the proportions that are scientifically proven to work.
agreed.
The only "herbal" medicine that I know that works is 凉茶 (liang cha) that's for 热气 (inflamation is the best english word to describe it, like you know how you feel weird when you eat a lot of fried stuff?) and I suspect it might be placebo.
oh, it's called "teh liang" in my country, i drank it a lot when i was a child, my grandma gave me lol
Meanwhile, do people believe in empirical evidence or superstition?
I’ve definitely taken to using one “herbal” alternative. Seriously though, I use cannabis as an otc analgesic and anti nausea medication, because nothing else over the counter works as well for me. But I’m not afraid of pharmaceuticals, and I generally lean away from herbal remedies because of inconsistent dosages and unwanted effective compounds. Medicinal herbs didn’t develop those compounds intending for you to benefit, so it’s foolish to assume all of them will be beneficial when you need one of them.
If it's mild than I use nothing at all, if its like covid (fever, bedridden, pain) (pre inoculation) than medication and herbal tea, the medication will deal with my biology and the tea will make it easier to breath and deal with my mind during illness.