alternative therapies

[mezzanine]

I am slowly discovering that for the most part, the medical system is bullshit. I am interested in investigating alternative therapies- I know that antibiotics are necessary sometimes, and that surgery can have benefits if it's necessary in the first place. However, surgery when there wasn't really anything wrong in the first place, hospital stay to 'fix' things that can be fixed at home by popping pills, and antibiotics prescribed randomly, before any testing has been done, is a waste of my time, money, and sanity. Not too mention the strain I'm sure all this is having on my body.

Apparently HIV and many cancers are curable, but the drug industries don't want anyone to know because then they wouldn't be making their millions anymore. I'm not sure if I believe this 100%, but I know a lot of people who do, and I am very interested in trying anything outside the realm of doctors.

So this is pretty much a plea for anyone who knows anything to tell me. No matter how irrelevant it may seem. Including people I can contact, etc. Well known and well reputed alternative health practitioners email addresses are exactly the sort of thing I want. Because then I can write to them and make them tell me about CF.

thanks.

 

[HollyCatheryn]

I have recently begun venturing outside of conventional Western medicine and have been very pleased with the results. I have had positive experiences with homeopathy, massage therapy, midwifery, chiropractic care and nutritional changes. I'd be happy to elaborate on or discuss any or all of these with you. I still see my regular CF doc, but I am definitely an informed consumer. Not all of these things will work for everything all the time, but there are specific indications for the use of each. If used when there is indication, they are highly effective and beneficial.Good for you for taking your health into your own hands and not just doing stuff because someone tells you to.

 

[tommy]

i hear ya, lots of docs will just pump you full of meds without a thought.  Probly lots of people will wine about this post, but i'm sure someone knows of what you are looking for.  Iook into gloco(whatevr) and curcumin--good luck <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[mezzanine]

Thank you HollyCatheryn, I would very much appreciate elaboration and discussion on all that you mentioned. Apart from midwifery, I guess. My eyes have really only just been opened to the possiblilty of not being 100% dependent on doctors for everything, and I feel I have much to learn.

I'm starting to eat better- slowly weaning myself off pizza pops, and my cousin who is a chiropractor adjusted me a couple of times and will reccommend someone more in my area soon. So I somewhat have those two under control, but would be very interested to hear how they've affected you.

I definitely plan on still seeing my regular doctors but after some of their actions recently I am really not eager to be in a position where I blindly take their advice ever again.

If you could reply on here, else email me at i.am.the.chosen.one.all.hail@gmail.com, that would be great.

 

[mezzanine]

Hi tommy, what are gloco(whatever) and curcumin? What are they used for and how do they work?

 

[S]

someone on here had also mentioned a product from a company called garden of life. the product is called "primal defense". the funny thing is that this chiropractor i started seeing mentioned using the same sorts of things a couple weeks before i had read that post. she wants me to do a whole special diet that flushes the system, but i haven't been able to commit to it yet due to being a little sick. one pill she put me on was pneumotrophin PMG made by a company called standard process, it is basically a bovine lung extract. 2 other pills are adrenal complex and immune support from apex nutritional, inc. they were all cheap enough that i figured it was worth trying.

<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.gardenoflifeusa.com/product_landing.shtml">Garden of Life</a>

the primal defense is under the "digestive health" section.

 

[WinAce]

Be VERY careful with "alternative" medicine. Remember that its practitioners have at LEAST as much of an incentive to rip you off as doctors or drug companies, and, UNLIKE those, have effectively zero standards or accountability. They can claim any bullshit they want and get away with it, because the government isn't in the business of regulating them, except in the most simplistic, "don't claim you can guarantee a cancer cure" way (and from what I've seen, it doesn't stop them from making such claims anyway).

Drug companies, researchers and the medical profession are not a monolithic entity. You're not going to have a successful conspiracy to keep a CF-curing drug off the market; anything from whistleblowers--and remember how many CF researchers are in it because of personal desire to help--to corporate espionage ('cuz, after all, it would not benefit Merck to help preserve Genentech's a $2000-a-month-per-patient Pulmozyme monopoly, if it could offer us a cure for $200 a month) would crack it fast. It just IS that hard to find an effective treatment, complicated by everything from lack of research funds to focusing on other, more high-profile conditions.

That's not to say you shouldn't investigate. Just be aware that "alternative" medicine has at <i>least</i> as big a chance of turning out quacky, dangerous or ineffective as the stuff that's been put through rigorous double-blind testing and evaluation by skilled doctors. When it's good, oftentimes, the medical profession will start using it along with the other stuff! So you can get in on the ground floor of a great new treatment before doctors are confident enough to use it, but at the same time, if you're not careful, might end up wasting time, money (and potentially health) pursuing crackpot schemes.

You have the right idea by not blindly taking <i>anyone</i>'s advice. But where did you hear that HIV is cureable? That's nonsense. Some people are naturally immune to it, by virtue of a CD4 white blood cell mutation, and never get AIDS--or get it, but have vastly increased life expectancies--yet it's not something you can get rid of. (And no, being temporarily present at low enough levels in the blood that it can't be detected doesn't count as "curing" it.)

 

[Diane]

The alternative medicines i use ( with my standard cf medicines) is Glutathione ( orally only) and L-Lysine . The L-Lysine helps control my episodes of hemoptysis. The Glutathione helps in a numbe of ways. It has helped restore my energy levels, and keeps me feeling a bit less congested. I also get sick less often and when i do get sick, it is not as severe.

 

[HollyCatheryn]

There were some good posts on a thread like this on the Families side recently. You can look that up also for more input. On the subject of finding practitioners. There are regulations for most kinds of practitioners (certifications, degrees, licensing). They key is to find practitioners that are licensed or certified in your area and if possible recommended by people you trust. Most practitioners have a list of people that have given their permission to be listed for references. Start asking around. Some alternative practitioners are also MDs which is nice because insurace will often reimburse them to a certain degree.Chiroptactic care: I have a friend who is a chiropractor who has adjusted me. As a direct result of the adjustments I had relief of pain (in my legs - sciatic) and healing of a sinus infection. My neck was misaligned and preventing drainage. She has also helped me to find other remedies for things outside of prescriptions and has helped me learn to use safer cleaning products in my home.Massage Therapy: gave me some real relief during infections. My father-in-law had relief from some severe blood clots (not responding to clot-busting drugs) through lymphatic massage. I find that massage helps me get better faster because it increases circulation and relaxes my muscles to allow me to rest and not hinder the healing process. I use a licensed massage therapistHomeopathy: The principals behind homeopathy are discussed well in the "alternative treatments..." thread on the families side. My homeopath is also an MD as well as a D. Hom. Homepathic remedies have thinned my mucus, helped me to sleep better and balanced my hormones. I've only been using homeopathy for a few months, but even for a skeptic, the results have been impressive. Homeopathic remedies administered by a doctor are different than the "homeopathic" remedies you find in a health store.Nutrition: I've started eating differently (not just eating whatever I can to get in calories). I've found that in eating better foods I am not hungry constantly the way I used to be. I also have been using Reliv supplements for 2 1/2 years and have seen dramatic and consistant improvement in my health. I find that I digest food much better and my bowels are more regular when taking Reliv (even though I still take enzymes all the time). It has helped stabilize my weight, normalize my vitamin and mineral levels and boost my immune system. Details of the changes optimum nutrition has made in me are written down at <A class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.geocities.com/MurrensNatureMama/Reliv" target=blank>www.geocities.com/MurrensNatureMama/Reliv</A>Feel free to ask any other questions you like.