The Pharmaceutical Industry

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by sugarpop

I think sometimes people do stupid shit, and they pay the price. Should a natural plant substance be banned because some people are idiots? I think not. But there should be a severe warning on the label.

There are othr facors though. I think it might have been St John's wort. A natural herbal remedy which can have devastating effects on undiagnosed kidney problems.

[sugarpop]

Yes, there are some flaws, especially the killing of endangered animals to provide ground up penis or horns, but a lot of the herbal stuff really works, and works well. I have been using different forms of alternative medicines for years, and so have many people I know. No one I know has ever had a bad effect. I'm not doubting you, I'm just saying. I have had acupuncture before, and it worked for me. I wish I could still afford it. it would be a hell of a lot better than having to take pain meds all the time. Ugh. The pain meds work well, but I know they are probably causing damage to my liver and my brain.

[DanaC]

Acupuncture didnt do a damn thing for me. Also, a lot of the success of alternative therapies seems difficult to replicate in scientific studies. How much of it is the medicine helping, and how much is people thinking themselves well because they believe the medicine will help?

[classicman]

Originally Posted by sugarpop

a lot of the herbal stuff really works, and works well.

Cite the studies please, there are plenty that disagree with your opinion.

[DanaC]

Well of course some work. Aspirin is a herbal remedy whch has been tested and now reproduced in labs. Ginger does help nausea, and was given to astronauts to assist with weightlessness sickness.


But 'herbal stuff' is a pretty wide brief. Thats like saying yeah but a lot of plants are really edible. It doesnt stop some of them being poisonous.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by sugarpop

Chinese and Ayurvedic Medicine have been tested and proved for over 5000 years.

Tested how? Do you mean used?

Originally Posted by sugarpop

Are you talking about ephedra, maybe?

Or, perhaps Ayurvedic. I hadn't heard of it before, but the first thing that pops out when googling it is its frequent toxic heavy metal content.

[Flint]

I think that accupuncture or something like that would be better than the kind of back surgeries people have done, if only in that it doesn't ƒuck you up WORSE than before.

[sugarpop]

Originally Posted by classicman

Cite the studies please, there are plenty that disagree with your opinion.

I am talking about MY OWN EXPERIENCE and the EXPERIENCES of people I KNOW. I am not talking about studies.

You know, the FDA came out and said weed had no medicinal benefits as well, but everyone knows that is a lie.

Why do you trust big pharma so much? I trust my own experiences. I know they don't all work, and some work for some people and not others, just like real medications. I will always try herbs and alternative things before I try medication.

Dana, I used to take a tincture that had St John's Wort in it, along with a few other ingredients, and it worked GREAT for me, better than any antidepressant I had ever taken. And there were no side effects. I'm not saying everyone should take it, but it certainly worked for me. I think pharmaceuticals have a much higher chance of doing harm than most herbals or homeopathics.

[sugarpop]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

Tested how? Do you mean used?

Or, perhaps Ayurvedic. I hadn't heard of it before, but the first thing that pops out when googling it is its frequent toxic heavy metal content.

I've never heard of Ayurvedic medicine having heavy metal consequences, but here is a link to the NIH page on Ayurvedic Medicine.
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/ayurveda/

and here is a link to the NIH page on Chinese Medicine.
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/chinesemed.htm#

[Clodfobble]

An NCCAM-funded study published in 2004 found that of 70 Ayurvedic remedies purchased over-the-counter (all manufactured in South Asia), 14 contained lead, mercury, and/or arsenic at levels that could be harmful. Also in 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 12 cases of lead poisoning occurring over a recent 3-year period were linked to the use of Ayurvedic medications.

That quote is from your first link, sugarpop.

[sugarpop]

OK. I only said I had never heard of it. That's why I posted the link I found. I have never personally used Ayurvedic, except teas. I have used some Chinese herbs though, and they worked quite well. I imagine anything coming from Asia might be suspect, because they don't have the same regulations. If they contained heavy metals, it must be from all the pollution over there, don't you think? So I guess some Chinese herbs might also be suspect. I have never had a problem personally.

[Aliantha]

sugarpop! I've been wondering where you were!

Nice to see you back.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by sugarpop

a lot of the herbal stuff really works, and works well. I have been using different forms of alternative medicines for years, and so have many people I know. No one I know has ever had a bad effect.

Yeah, like those zinc nasal sprays to fight a new cold.

Oh, wait.

[DanaC]

Yeah....*tic* I have been *tic* using herbal remedies fo- *tic*-r years now...and *ungh* they ne - *fuck fuck fuck* -ver did me any *tic* harm!


(sorry Sug :p just kiddin')

[Clodfobble]

On the other hand, that's a perfect example of the FDA stepping in to pull something herbal off the shelves after it had a negative effect. It's not a completely unregulated free-for-all over there in the vitamin aisle.