Daniel,
You are so right about supplements can not only do harm, they can kill you. I, like you too tried so called "natural" remedies over the years, even trying a diet that promised to heal all things through food. Between the diet and the "natural rememdies" I ended up like you did, coughing up CUPS of blood with a raging pneumonia like you had-- leading to a 3 week hospital stay. I was 96 pounds and my FEV1 was 32%.
When I was at my lowest with my C.F.,I grasped at every straw I could find. I tried things that I read about, or was recommended to me.
In desperation, I tried the diet under the guidance of a "counselor" and when I got seriously worse, and now even more desperate, I went to a well known alternative MD (who treats all the stars). After 5 months of his "natural" remedies, many that people have tried on this site --I was admitted to the hospital as an emeregency --after all had failed -- he advised me to take olive leaf extract, a so-called natural antibiotic.
I presently do take supplements now under the guidance of my doctor who always looks at reputable studies (she was a researcher at a top medical center for years.) Other than the lack of credible studies, one of the major problems with supplements is that it is not known how much to take, in what quantities, and for how long. And we don't know the long-term effects. And with medication, dosaging is very accurate due to three phases of double blind testing.
My disastrous experience with me self-medicating myself ranged from breaking out in hives from capsicum capsules, a probable stomach ulcer from throwing everything in creation while juicing, to an emergency admittance to the hospital.
I will give some quick examples of the misuse of supplements.
I take a Quercetin complex which is a natural antihistimine. But if you take it with a quinnelone (cipro, etc) it inactivates the antibiotic. But most people don't know that.
The alternative doctor gave me Chaperel, which is a plant prevalent in the southwest. It is used commonly for the liver (although I had no liver complaints). When the Chaperrel caused my liver area hurt, the doctor used a TENS type machine to lessen the pain. When I complained to my friend who is a nurse at UCLA, she told me to stop taking it immediately. Why? Because people who took Chaperel were brought into the E.R. and died from it.
People take Allicin (garlic capsules) another natural antibiotic. But this, fish oil, vitamin E and even C are blood thinners. If you have hemoptysis, these things can make you bleed.
I took colloidal silver, under alternative doctor. This is another natural antibiotic that kills Pseudomonas in a test tube. Take enough of it, your skin turns dark blue. Permanently. Plus it doesn't work in people.
Supplements are drugs. And many drugs are natural --taken from nature. Anything that can have a positive effect on you can have a negative effect on you. Supplements are not under the FDA auspices, so there is great variation in the amount you get. And contamination is rampant especially in probiotics. I don't care much for the FDA, but it's all we've got, and at least it's something.
And one more word about inhaling substances in general. Nebulized drugs are made in special sterile respiratory labs. So when you decide to nebulize something, even if you think it's safe, besides it causing something as horrible as pneumonia, what contaminents are also present?
Always use supplements under the guidance of a doctor.
Daniel, sorry if I hijacked your thread. But you make an important point and I just wanted to add my similar experiences.
