My DR says Dextro is basically a legal version of speed

[Jennita]

Originally Posted by Andocrates

The herbal drug business is a $5 Billion a year racket. So they operate on the same concepts you accuse doctors of, more so when you realize doctors make a lot of money already. I think herbal medicines are far more toxic then FDA approved medicines. Ecstasy started as a supplement to promote well-being (which it certainly did) There are often extremely high levels of mercury in Fish Oil supplements and sea weed. Ephedra was only banned after it destroyed many lives, not only in America but more so in Japan and China. Many of these things Ginko Baloba can cause internal bleeding, potassiam levels that can kill. There are so many risks to that lifestyle. It's your choice of course, but it's far from "natural."

Hey sweetie, just trying to help. But for your information, fish oil isn't an "herb". I agree, some herbs can be toxic in concentrated form, the strongest herb I take myself is chammomile tea, which is so mild it isn't funny.

Mercury? THis is why you get a good brand, pharmaceutical grade which are purified. Or, there is also a brand, Nature's bounty, which is from salmon. Salmon is one of the fish that has no mercury, most charts on mercury show "ND", meaning non-detectable.

I am more into food supplements; now, even vitamins can be toxic but I'm sorry dear, you really have to be a nut to get to that sort of level (yes, there are mega-dosing nuts out there) You just won't have any problems if you take as directed, and most vitamins just wash through the system that aren't needed except for only a few like Vit. A and E.

Pharmaceutical psych drugs are another story. They are extremely toxic, even in theraputic doses. If they weren't, you could get them over the counter.

As far as the whole racket thing goes, many vitamins/herbs are made by, guess who, pharmaceutical labs. THey got everyone. At least most herbs will not cause the damage pharmas will; ephedra was an exception.

For every ephedra incident, there are several pharmaceutical counterparts. Pharma drugs have more incidents of damage compared to anything over the counter. The commercials by all these lawyer's firms are always showing up because of yet another pharmaceutical drug that is under lawsuit.

The latest I know of are Zyprexa, for causing diabetic coma and diabetes and Neurontin, for suicidal feeling and idealization. Both are psychoactive drugs used for mental "disorders".

I like how you used potassium levels as an example of a side effectof ginko, since my mother in law just had the same problem that put her in the hospital, but it wasn't Ginko that caused it,(she doesn't take that), it was a PRESCRIPTION her doctor gave her. Oh my.

And internal bleeding??? What about that drug they advertise on T.V that can cause that very thing? They even mention it on the commercial as a serious side effect!

So don't preach about herb dangers to me, they are far less likely to cause harm than prescriptions by a landslide dear!!!!

[Jennita]

Originally Posted by Andocrates

Don't worry about offending me, you got to talk about my mom or something :-) Junk science, know that phrase? I remember some crazy street guy where I used to live. He went to a church and they convinced him to stop taking his meds because he was "healed." Once he was off his meds he went bonkers and killed some girl in that church. I knew another lady who decided to treat her breast cancer with supplements and holistic medicine, she died. I take supplements myself, but supplements are not medicine. I remember when ecstasy was advertised in the back of comic books.

"Sorry, but you are a fool if you think that the FDA has the consumers best interests as its first priority."

Who is more foolish, the person who believes in the FDA or the person who trusts chemicals produced, god knows where, with no controls whatsoever just because they say "Natural." on the label. I don't understand why you think a chemical tagged with the word "natural" and a chemical tagged "medicine" differ. Supplements are chemical compounds for the most part, chemical compounds completely without safe-guards, hidden under a layers of off-shore companies and store-front operations.

I think people have every right to take supplements. But when you tell people with a real medical condition to stop taking medicine and use supplements someone has to say something. You become like that church I mentioned.

The man you mentioned went bonkers because stopping psych meds, once one is completely dependant on them, throws a person into such a horrible withdrawal they will go bonkers for sure. Sometimes it's not the effects of the drug that caused harm, it's the way it shuts down the brain function and caused the brain to really need that drug in order to function. I read a professional's simple explanation once of this.....the brain, because of constant chemical(drug) intake, gets lazy because of lack of need to produce those chemicals, so it stops doing so on it's own. On top of that, it sets up, out of instinct, opposing receptors to that chemical. THis leaves the brain in gross unbalance.....

THen the person decides to up and quit the medications. Disaster awaits...



Also, I know people who died from cancer even though they were seeing doctors and taking medicine, so....what's your point?????????????

[RebeccaW62]

I think the FDA jumped the gun with the Ephedra "freak out". I heard they are bringing it back to the market.

People have to be leary of almost everything they take whether it is natural or not. Every one should be well informed but make his own decisions.

My doctor prescribed Adderall and I had such a bad reaction I felt like I was on fire. It was prescribed! But each person is different. What one can take, another can't. I feel like I was not informed of "all" the side effects as guess what. They can not predict "all" the side effects. Besides, who cares what a million people feel if you are the one person that dies from it.

Be educated, make your own decisions. No one knows you better than you.

[Jennita]

Originally Posted by RebeccaW62

I think the FDA jumped the gun with the Ephedra "freak out". I heard they are bringing it back to the market.

People have to be leary of almost everything they take whether it is natural or not. Every one should be well informed but make his own decisions.

My doctor prescribed Adderall and I had such a bad reaction I felt like I was on fire. It was prescribed! But each person is different. What one can take, another can't. I feel like I was not informed of "all" the side effects as guess what. They can not predict "all" the side effects. Besides, who cares what a million people feel if you are the one person that dies from it.

Be educated, make your own decisions. No one knows you better than you.

Absolutely correct!

I didn't know they were bringing Ephedra back; I think I still wouldn't take something like that, however. They should really make it very miniscule amounts of it if they do in things OTC, because there will still be those "mega-dose" type of people who think they can get away with taking alot.

Prescription meds will always be very strong. Sorry about your reaction to Adderall, but maybe it was for the best. New studies show receptor damage from long-term use of psychoactive meds so it's not a good road to start going down if one can avoid it.