whatishappening
10-28-2007, 11:45 AM
Hi, has anyone here gone to a holistic dr ? Just wondering if anyone has had some positive results that they couldn't get from a md. ;)
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Shannatoo
10-28-2007, 10:43 PM
Well I have been seeing a naturopathic doctor for four months now and it is the best decision I have ever made! While I do believe that a MD could have treated my problems, there is no doubt it would have been through several medications. Instead, I am taking a few dietary supplements that have no side effects and no long term effects on the liver!
Also, the personal level holistic or specifically naturopathic care is exceptional. I am only 18 but I have never had a doctor spend that much time with me and genuinely cared about me as a whole person, not just my symptoms.
The only downfall of holistic care is that many insurance companies do not cover the costs. However if you can afford it (my visits are $80 for 30 minutes plus the cost of supplements), definitely go for it!
Good Luck!
Shanna
Also, the personal level holistic or specifically naturopathic care is exceptional. I am only 18 but I have never had a doctor spend that much time with me and genuinely cared about me as a whole person, not just my symptoms.
The only downfall of holistic care is that many insurance companies do not cover the costs. However if you can afford it (my visits are $80 for 30 minutes plus the cost of supplements), definitely go for it!
Good Luck!
Shanna
stephanie867
10-29-2007, 05:53 PM
I love my naturopathic doctor. Actually, I've seen 2. The lady I was seeing closed her office because her husband got transferred. She was wonderful. I am now seeing a male doctor and he's just fantastic. He CARES. He doesn't bring me into his office, prescription pad in hand, and see how fast he can get me out of there.
Even the atmosphere is different. There are candles burning in the waiting room, soft music playing, and it's painted in reds and golds, not "doctor's office white".
The only drawback is that you need to make appts. well in advance. If you wake up ill in the morning and feel like you need a doctor (pink eye, ear infection, etc.) chances are that I wouldn't be able to be seen that day. So what he recommended was that I still keep up a relationship with an md's office for those types of emergencies...BUT, just let them know that I'm there for a diagnosis, then when I find out what's wrong, call him and he'll give me something homeopathic.
Some insurances will cover naturopaths. I have Anthem...and there are no naturopathic doctors listed under my insurance coverage...but I called their customer service dept and asked them if they had a list of naturopathic doctors that are covered and they did. Just seems that part of their website wasn't working that day...hmmmm...frankly, I just don't think they're all that up on naturopaths. But there are 5 or 6 in my area that were covered and I'm in a pretty small town.
I really believe that homeopathic remedies are the way to go. My son is 11 and has had the sniffles and cough for almost a month. We've tried all the over the counter stuff, and a prescription from his pediatrician. Nothing has helped. I gave him some homeopathic stuff that I bought online, and within 2 days, he's all cleared up and feeling tons better....
Even the atmosphere is different. There are candles burning in the waiting room, soft music playing, and it's painted in reds and golds, not "doctor's office white".
The only drawback is that you need to make appts. well in advance. If you wake up ill in the morning and feel like you need a doctor (pink eye, ear infection, etc.) chances are that I wouldn't be able to be seen that day. So what he recommended was that I still keep up a relationship with an md's office for those types of emergencies...BUT, just let them know that I'm there for a diagnosis, then when I find out what's wrong, call him and he'll give me something homeopathic.
Some insurances will cover naturopaths. I have Anthem...and there are no naturopathic doctors listed under my insurance coverage...but I called their customer service dept and asked them if they had a list of naturopathic doctors that are covered and they did. Just seems that part of their website wasn't working that day...hmmmm...frankly, I just don't think they're all that up on naturopaths. But there are 5 or 6 in my area that were covered and I'm in a pretty small town.
I really believe that homeopathic remedies are the way to go. My son is 11 and has had the sniffles and cough for almost a month. We've tried all the over the counter stuff, and a prescription from his pediatrician. Nothing has helped. I gave him some homeopathic stuff that I bought online, and within 2 days, he's all cleared up and feeling tons better....
whatishappening
10-29-2007, 06:12 PM
Hi, thanks for responding ! I totally agree with you about them caring about you as a person. I actually went to a holistic dr. about two weeks ago and had an hour consulation ! They are looking into the source of my problem as just opposed to my dr. giving me meds. Well to make a long story short, i am having food allergy testing along with other tests done soon. I have bad authritis in my knees kind of like Rhum. authritis. And my dr. actually thinks i might have a food allergy that caused all of this ! It is expensive to go there, god it is !! But if they can fix me !! I have to have my liver watched with blood tests so nothing goes wrong ect... with taking my meds, it sucks. So w/b if you feel like talking . :)
stephanie867
10-31-2007, 03:23 PM
Just a quick story that might be interesting to you....
My son started having allergies when he was about 7 or 8. He sniffled and sneezed all year round. His pediatrician put him on Zyrtec. He was on it probably 10 months out of the year. It got to the point where even the zyrtec wasn't helping anymore.
I took him to see my naturopath when he was 11. She did food allergy testing and determined he had a dairy allergy. Every single dairy item she tested, he came back allergic to. She told me to take him off zyrtec & put him on a vitamin C powder and a probiotic powder and then told him to limit his dairy intake (no more milk - just rice milk; no cheese, no ice cream, but yogurt in small amounts was ok). Her belief was that the dairy allergy was causing his sinus issues.
My son loves dairy products...I told him to give it 6 months and if it didn't work, then we'd go back to the pediatrician.
In 2 months, his nose cleared up. Completely.
He's 14 now, and still limits his dairy products. And when his nose starts to feel sniffly or he knows he's got parties coming up, he comes and takes his "powders" because he knows they'll help him feel better. He just started taking them again last week, in fact, ...he's got a Halloween party, a couple of birthday parties, then Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up. He'll be eating lots of pizza and probably ice cream and doesn't want to worry about his nose stuffing up. The vitamin C, as I understand it, helps with inflammation in the high dose that he was given, and the probiotic helps with his digestion of the dairy products.
I asked the pediatrician what she thought about what the naturopath said. She wrinkled her nose and said "I'm sure it's just a coincidence...children grow into and out of allergies all the time.". Yeah, some coincidence!
My son started having allergies when he was about 7 or 8. He sniffled and sneezed all year round. His pediatrician put him on Zyrtec. He was on it probably 10 months out of the year. It got to the point where even the zyrtec wasn't helping anymore.
I took him to see my naturopath when he was 11. She did food allergy testing and determined he had a dairy allergy. Every single dairy item she tested, he came back allergic to. She told me to take him off zyrtec & put him on a vitamin C powder and a probiotic powder and then told him to limit his dairy intake (no more milk - just rice milk; no cheese, no ice cream, but yogurt in small amounts was ok). Her belief was that the dairy allergy was causing his sinus issues.
My son loves dairy products...I told him to give it 6 months and if it didn't work, then we'd go back to the pediatrician.
In 2 months, his nose cleared up. Completely.
He's 14 now, and still limits his dairy products. And when his nose starts to feel sniffly or he knows he's got parties coming up, he comes and takes his "powders" because he knows they'll help him feel better. He just started taking them again last week, in fact, ...he's got a Halloween party, a couple of birthday parties, then Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up. He'll be eating lots of pizza and probably ice cream and doesn't want to worry about his nose stuffing up. The vitamin C, as I understand it, helps with inflammation in the high dose that he was given, and the probiotic helps with his digestion of the dairy products.
I asked the pediatrician what she thought about what the naturopath said. She wrinkled her nose and said "I'm sure it's just a coincidence...children grow into and out of allergies all the time.". Yeah, some coincidence!
boots4me
11-01-2007, 12:47 AM
I wish I could afford to go to one. I'm on Medicare and was put on high blood pressure meds that wreaked havok with bp and everything else. Every time I've put my faith in MD's I've wound up worse off than if I never went and treated myself.
Over thirty years ago I had chicken pox and then allergies started. To make a long story short, with 4 yrs of improper treatment, I ended up with asthma because dr didn't want to consider allergies. Had blue cross so needed a referral to see an allergiest. Went to an herbalist and was virtually cured. Haven't had an asthma attack, not even a sore throat or cold in 15 yrs.
I went 20 years without setting foot in a drs office. Just took herbs now and then. Got blood tests annually at health fair. Everything was okay until five years ago blood test showed glucose a little high, so I went to a dr again. He put me on a diabetes drug that causes weight gain (6 lbs in 3 wks), so I quit that and got bs at pre-diabetic number in 3 months with some nutrients and diet and lost 25 lbs. He said he couldn't be my dr anymore because I didn't take his drug and didn't care if I was better or not. He said I was just the type that will diagnose and treat myself. Well, I guess I am.
Found an MD that did know about herbs and nutrients. I continued to lose wt and 4 mos later bs was close to normal, but was on low dose of high blood pressure med. He didn't like it that my bp was fine away from him, but higher in his office, so he told me to double it. That raised bs, and raised bp so he said double it again. Gained weight back and bs was back to where I started and bp a lot higher. Bp meds drove up bs, everything was out of my control, 5drugs to control both had devastating side effects. I could barely stand to walk and had diahrea. I've quit two of the offending drugs and cut back on two more without consulting my current dr (the 3rd in 5 years) and bs is much better and bp no worse and am losing weight again. Now I'm looking for something natural to control both and hoping I can get back to where I was 4 years ago. I have no doubt if I hadn't listened to second dr I would have continued to lose weight and diabetes would be a memory and perhaps bp would be also. I've always had great success with herbs, a few nutrients and juicing.
I'm hoping when I do finally go back to this dr that he doesn't tell me he can't be my dr anymore. Because of my history of taking herbs, he likes to think the adverse reactions are my imagination. We all need MD's for emergencies, and in my case, also bs testing, but I think health costs in general would be lower if insurance and M'care paid for holistic drs visits and testing. It seems they can cure a lot of things that md's only "manage". Over the years I've found some slick safe things to take care of problems almost overnight that send most people to a dr. I've never had anything show up in my liver or any other blood screens because of herbs or nutrients, but I have with drugs.
I used to have arthritis in my knees. A co-worker told me she had allergic arthritis to tuna. I was eating tuna about 3 times a week. I quit and the arthritis went away.
Over thirty years ago I had chicken pox and then allergies started. To make a long story short, with 4 yrs of improper treatment, I ended up with asthma because dr didn't want to consider allergies. Had blue cross so needed a referral to see an allergiest. Went to an herbalist and was virtually cured. Haven't had an asthma attack, not even a sore throat or cold in 15 yrs.
I went 20 years without setting foot in a drs office. Just took herbs now and then. Got blood tests annually at health fair. Everything was okay until five years ago blood test showed glucose a little high, so I went to a dr again. He put me on a diabetes drug that causes weight gain (6 lbs in 3 wks), so I quit that and got bs at pre-diabetic number in 3 months with some nutrients and diet and lost 25 lbs. He said he couldn't be my dr anymore because I didn't take his drug and didn't care if I was better or not. He said I was just the type that will diagnose and treat myself. Well, I guess I am.
Found an MD that did know about herbs and nutrients. I continued to lose wt and 4 mos later bs was close to normal, but was on low dose of high blood pressure med. He didn't like it that my bp was fine away from him, but higher in his office, so he told me to double it. That raised bs, and raised bp so he said double it again. Gained weight back and bs was back to where I started and bp a lot higher. Bp meds drove up bs, everything was out of my control, 5drugs to control both had devastating side effects. I could barely stand to walk and had diahrea. I've quit two of the offending drugs and cut back on two more without consulting my current dr (the 3rd in 5 years) and bs is much better and bp no worse and am losing weight again. Now I'm looking for something natural to control both and hoping I can get back to where I was 4 years ago. I have no doubt if I hadn't listened to second dr I would have continued to lose weight and diabetes would be a memory and perhaps bp would be also. I've always had great success with herbs, a few nutrients and juicing.
I'm hoping when I do finally go back to this dr that he doesn't tell me he can't be my dr anymore. Because of my history of taking herbs, he likes to think the adverse reactions are my imagination. We all need MD's for emergencies, and in my case, also bs testing, but I think health costs in general would be lower if insurance and M'care paid for holistic drs visits and testing. It seems they can cure a lot of things that md's only "manage". Over the years I've found some slick safe things to take care of problems almost overnight that send most people to a dr. I've never had anything show up in my liver or any other blood screens because of herbs or nutrients, but I have with drugs.
I used to have arthritis in my knees. A co-worker told me she had allergic arthritis to tuna. I was eating tuna about 3 times a week. I quit and the arthritis went away.
whatishappening
11-02-2007, 10:27 AM
Thanks for sharing your story ! Intresting. My dr. did the same thing when i mentioned that i was seing a holistic dr. I think she is mad. I had asked her to send me some blood test results to my home because the holistic dr. wanted to see them and she didn't send them ! It's been about a week and a half now... Doctors aren't trained to try natural ways of healing. Just to prescribe meds. I have been reading so much about "celiac disease" being the main cause of a lot of autoimmune diseases. People that cut out the gluten in their diet often get well !! Just like your son, with the dairy. I just find this so fastinating !! :)