This week's Forum continues our discussion to natural alternatives to the top three prescription drugs.  Just because a person is prescribed a medication does not make it the best therapeutic option.  Doctors often recommend drugs soley because of savvy, sophisticated marketing efforts by giant pharmaceutical companies.  Those companies are certainly not going to suggest, cheaper,  more natural alternatives to drugs they have spent billions of dollars bringing to market.

#1 HRT-(Premarin, et al.) Wyeth Labs made over one BILLION dollars last year in estrogen replacement therapy for Premarin alone.  Estrogen-replacement is widely prescribed for menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes.  Naturopathic physicians, such as myself,  are dismayed that this marketing has turned a natural process into a disease, requiring treatment.

About 75% of women taking estrogen replacement therapy quit within one year due to side effects. Especially significant are gastro-intestinal symptoms.

Natural alternatives: Soy Isoflavones such as: foods like tofu, soy nuts, soy cereals, or soy supplements. One I recommend is Soy Easy, available in my pharmacy.  Black Cohosh is an herb with a long history for balancing hormones, in folk medicine. While soy isoflavones act as weak plant estrogens, Black Cohosh does not contain any estrogenic properties according to the most current research, so it considered safe for women with high estrogen levels such as endometriosis.  I prefer MMS, and Vitanicas standardized extracts due to their long history, and excellent track record.

#2 Antibiotics: Amoxicillan is the number one antibiotic in the United States.  It kills germs, certainly, but also breeds resistant bacteria, and destroys the good or beneficial flora in the body leading to problems with immunity, and leading to other infections.

Natural alternatives: Acupuncture can bolster the immune system and eliminate the need for antibiotics in many cases.  I have used acupuncture successfully to treat all kinds of infection, and it has worked quickly and thoroughly.

Garlic is also a substance that will boost the immune system while simultaneously fighting microbial infection.  High doses of garlic can be used without professional supervision.

Probiotics, can also boost the immune system by adding to the amount of "good guys" your immune system has. Beneficial products are scarce though.  I have come up with four in 12 years of practice, that I feel are beneficial.

#3-Prozac, and other antidepressants.  A few years ago, after four years in practice I took an informal count of my 335 patients and found that 70% were on anti-depressants or other mood alterning drugs...I was dumbfounded!

My top remedies for mood problems are: flower essences a form of emotional homeopathy, and again acupuncture to harmonize the emotions.  In 94% of my patients, we were able to gradually wean off over time, and they remain medication free!!!  I am not as satisfied with mainstream protocols such as St. Johns Wort, although they are extremely safe unless combined with medication.  Please note:  I never combine herbal and prescription medications!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next week we will discuss the use of "statin" drugs for cholesterol lowering.  Is cholesterol really bad?  Stay tuned.

Taryn DeCicco, ND, LAc

Apple-A-Day-Clinic.COM 4/14/2008

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