healthy medicines vs OTC medicines

[ProudGrandma]

Where do you fall in this spectrum?  Do you ONLY use OTC meds or ONLY use homeopathy, essentials oils etc....do use mostly use one of the other....just curious what people do. 

 

 

[Ottakee]

We use natural stuff---like Fish oils, Vit D, essential oils, etc. We then do use OTC nasal spray, Advil, etc. when needed. We also use a host of prescription meds as dh is diabetic and had a heart attack and the girls have many medical needs including seizures and mitochondrial disorders. We just use the best thing for the situation.........but honestly use much less OTC stuff than most people.

[Mergath]

For most situations, we use OTC medicine.  I've tried both, and I like my medicine to, you know, actually do something. ;)

[Flowing Brook]

I use a combination of both. If I have arthritis pain. I take a ginger bath. Takes the pain away every time.  If I have appendicitis I go to the hospital.  I have had several people tell me that my natural remedy for kidney stones works better than the doctors.  It just depends on the problem and what I think works better.

[Angie in VA]

We use natural first, very little OTC, and doctors and Rxs last of all, but first if there is a need for surgery! So, I guess integrative is our approach.

 

Mergath, to each her own, but natural stuff works well for us!

[Wheres Toto]

We don't use a lot of medicines but when we do it's usually the standard OTC or prescription meds.  We will use stuff like honey for a cough.  Dh is a pharmaceutical chemist so we know a lot more about traditional meds than we do about alternatives.

 

[Angie in VA]

I use a combination of both. If I have arthritis pain. I take a ginger bath. Takes the pain away every time. If I have appendicitis I go to the hospital. I have had several people tell me that my natural remedy for kidney stones works better than the doctors. It just depends on the problem and what I think works better.

Spill, please. What is your remedy for kidney stones?

[Onceuponatime]

OTC combined with natural things like garlic and hot chicken soup, but definitely not homeopathy.

[Flowing Brook]

Now this is my experience I can in no way prescribe for someone else. This is what we have done. Take hydrangea root extract at least every hour. Start with one dropperful.  Dr Christopher's kidney formula about ten capsules a day.  Apple cider vinegar mixed with olive oil every hour. One table spoon each.  Drink as much distilled water and apple juice as you want.  Every one I know that has tried this has been stone free within 24 hours. usually less.  Again this is my experience please research on your own before trying.

[Angie in VA]

Thanks, puddles. Any chance you can have the ACV and olive oil on a salad???

[Flowing Brook]

Thanks, puddles. Any chance you can have the ACV and olive oil on a salad???

 

That would probably be fine.  I usually recommend eating a very light diet. Staying away from meat and dairy all together. It is more effective to take on an empty stomach but I think it would wotk that way as well.

[sbgrace]

Well, if there is effective natural medicine, I use it. I'd say we use quite a bit more natural medications and supplements daily than most. Both kids, myself, and my husband do this for various things. I use things published studies have shown to be effective for the condition and safe.

 

We do use OTC medications (allergy for both kids).

 

We use prescription medication (asthma, metabolic medication).

 

I use what works for what we need. I don't think natural medications are necessarily safer or healthier than the other things we take. If something actually works in the body, it needs to be respected as a full medication with potential negative sides, even if it can be purchased at the health food store.

[gardenmom5]

I use some OTC/Rx and I also use supplements, most suggested by my son's ND.

 

I've used some homeopathic remedies for my sinus infections/colds, (and a few other things) usually with good results.

 

and the time I used cranberry for a uti, and went in to be tested because it still hurt . . . well, acidic urine will hurt like the dickens even if there's no bacteria in it.  iow: the cranberry did work.

[Wordsmith]

A little off topic, but I couldn't resist ;)

 

On topic, i use mostly OTC meds, with some natural vitamins.

[KungFuPanda]

I usually use nothing because I don't get sick often. This turned out to be a problem because I have no relationship at all with my primary care physician except going in for an occasional UTI where only antibiotics seem to work. For anything else, I just figure I'll get better on my own and ride it out. This brilliant plan backfired twice. I had my first case of bronchitis two years ago and had to be treated to get better. A few months ago I actually ended up in the flippin hospital for a few days with a kidney infection. I was in complete disbelief! I never had that back pain that's supposed to happen, but I was desperately sick and not getting better. In those two cases, I can't imagine any homeopathic remedy doing what the magical drug cocktails did for me. On principle, I'd like to think natural remedies are better, but that just hasn't been my reality. So I guess I take nothing, or The Works.

[Ripley]

I don't usually take anything for anything.

 

The one OTC exception is iron, which I take for anemia (along with monthly infusions).  My one natural health exception would be using garlic-infused oil to clean our ears. My kids have never had OTC meds - they've just ridden out headaches, coughing fits, toothaches, allergies, stomach pains, diarrhea, bites, chicken pox, etc.  When I was working I'd take an OTC migraine pill to head off a migraine; I was on notice the past few years for missing work, or having to leave work, due to migraines. Since I retired, I just ride out the migraines (well, sometimes I take caffeine by way of pop or coffee).

 

I'm neither anti-OTC, nor pro-natural health; I'm just a leave-it-well-enough-alone kind of person when it comes to the body.  We've never had anything beyond annoying or inconvenient symptoms, though, so that approach works for us.  So far. Knocking on wood. LOL If we required actual treatment, I'm open to anything and everything.

[VeganCupcake]

I'm not sure there's always that clear a distinction. So many pharmaceuticals come from compounds found in nature, then isolated and used on infection, pain, cancer, etc. Of course penicillin is one, as is aspirin.

 

If someone can show me something works (and clearly enumerate benefits and risks), then I will consider using it for a medical problem.

 

I also think the placebo effect is an extremely powerful healer, though--and it's not necessarily a bad thing, though it does get a bad rap. Maybe that's what's at play in a lot of situations. I've been treated with homeopathy by my midwife occasionally, and it did seem to work. This may sound hokey, but I think the loving attention of my midwife might be what really worked, though, because the few times I have tried homeopathy on my own, it's really done nothing at all except cost me money.

[gaillardia]

I would prefer herbs and good food (juice, raw vegs and fruit) than OTC or a dr visit and do what we can with herbs before running out the door -- as long as it isn't serious or life-threatening.

[happypamama]

Little bit of everything. I do use Advil sometimes, and I don't hesitate to use my asthma inhalers when needed; I have never really found an effective natural treatment for immediate use. I used an OTC iron supplement in pregnancy, because the more natural options were really expensive (and the OTC works well for me). I also use vitamin D supplements and cod liver oil, and I get a lot of use out of grapefruit seed extract (I staved off and killed a budding sinus infection with GSE last year) and breastmilk. But I also took my kids in to get antibiotic drops for pink eye this summer -- only because I was 9 months pregnant and wanted to kill the infection completely before the newborn arrived; I didn't have any breastmilk, and that was one time I didn't want to wait things out. I guess just whatever fits the bill; I am grateful for modern medicine and choose to use it judiciously.

[MollyAnn]

Herbs, vitamins, essential oils, and homeopathic remedies.

Teething Tabs from Hyland are awesome during teething.

 

I can probably count on two hands how many times the kids have had OTC medicine for aches that come with a cold or flu.

Natural makes you well faster, OTC just masks the symptoms so you "feel" better.

The kids have never had antibiotics (knock on wood).

 

I would take them to the doctor, do antibiotics, or surgery if there was need.

[TravelingChris]

Well I am not sure what you mean.  I take lots of prescription medications and does one of my children.  If you mean for acute illness like a cold, we take OTC and RX combined.  Like both that daughter and I have a cold right now.  I am taking OTC mucinex for it, stopped one of my normal RX, and added albuterol which I have for asthma which flares up when I get sick.  Similar thing with dd but she added Ibuprofen, sudafed, and albuterol.  Now both of us also take some OTC pills every day but they were all recommended or required by our doctors.  For me that is Vit D, Vit B2, and Vit b12.  For both of us, we take 1 mg of melatonin but for her it is against regular insomnia and for me it is to help against early waking insomnia.  We don't just randomly start taking anything OTC or natural since any of them could interact with our scores of other medications or make our conditions worse.  THe OTCs I use are what doctors have recommended or used to prescribe.  Nobody in our family uses homeopathic since we all go with scientific methods for determining using medicines and homeopathy is totally unscientific.

[tabinfl]

As a chemist friend likes to say, "natural" just means it's a chemical made by a plant (or other organism).

 

Quite a few Rx and OTC medications are derived from, or synthesized versions of, "natural" / plant-based chemicals. It's a very fuzzy line that can't be drawn as simply as where the substance is sold.

 

I use things which have been shown effective for whatever I'm trying to trreat. Sometimes it's steam, chicken soup, or honey; sometimes it's the latest whiz-bang thing out of a pharmaceutical lab.

[LucyStoner]

I use whatever works. That is a mix. I take a few vitamins and supplements. I find that Rhodiola, a high B vitamin and 5HTP are actually as effective for my depression and anxiety as any SSRI I have tried. With none of the side effects of an SSRI that I just don't want. That said, because it works for me doesn't mean it is a solution for all. I would take an SSRI if I wasn't doing better overall with this blend.

 

My experience with homeopathy is that I think it is hogwash. Many people don't understand what homeopathy is. "Natural" means very little. My primary doctor is a Naturopathic Physician and certified acupuncturist at an integrative health center so I am not writing off anything that is not western medicine. At all. I know first hand what a difference an ND can make. Seriously, the difference is night and day. Our medicine cabinet is stocked with a number of OTC meds, supplements/vitamins and such but no little sugar pellet homeopathic remedies. My ND does not suggest them either.

[kroe1]

I use what will fix the problem with minimal side effects. I do not stop to worry what layman's category somebody is trying to classify my medicine. Besides, the categories overlap anyway.

[nd293]

I have never seen any scientific evidence for the efficacy of natural medicines (ETA - I am referring to homeopathy and essential oils as examples - I accept that some herbal medicines have scientifically verifiable basis) . I also like my medicines to 'you know, actually do something', so we rely on OTC medicines where necessary. That said, most of the time we just accept the symptoms of illness and soldier on through. In a year we go through many, many boxes of various head-ache medicines (me), some sinus medicines (dh) and maybe a bottle or two of cough syrup and kids' Tylenol. We do buy other OTC meds, but infrequently enough that I end up throwing away expired stuff. We use vitamins haphazardly.

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

I may be...no...am an extreme case, but it's definitely a hot topic in cancer circles. For two years post diagnosis, I pounded supplements to the tune of $200 a month. Mainstream C, salmon oil, etc., plus more specialized herbs. Ate organic like a fiend, the whole thing. Went to Stage IV anyway. Now I don't take supps because the possible contraindications with whatever trial drug I might be on are just too unknown. I also get enough blood draws that fish oil would be a problem. So I'm anti-supp, right? Not really....

 

I will never discount the sense of control and the heightened awareness of your own bodily functions that comes with non-otc meds. Even if the rest of it is pure placebo (I don't think it is per se), paying attention is a huge plus that sets you apart from a larger part of the population than you might suspect.

 

The flip side is learning the line, the balance - when to use otc/prescriptions vs natural. That line is kinda fuzzy since bodies react and respond so differently.

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

Jeez, I hate when I read a post from my phone that I thought I proofed. Can I plead 20/300 in one eye as an excuse?

[TeacherZee]

What are healthy medicines?

[WishboneDawn]

I'm not sure there's always that clear a distinction. So many pharmaceuticals come from compounds found in nature, then isolated and used on infection, pain, cancer, etc. Of course penicillin is one, as is aspirin.

 

If someone can show me something works (and clearly enumerate benefits and risks), then I will consider using it for a medical problem.

 

I also think the placebo effect is an extremely powerful healer, though--and it's not necessarily a bad thing, though it does get a bad rap. Maybe that's what's at play in a lot of situations. I've been treated with homeopathy by my midwife occasionally, and it did seem to work. This may sound hokey, but I think the loving attention of my midwife might be what really worked, though, because the few times I have tried homeopathy on my own, it's really done nothing at all except cost me money.

I'm with you, maybe a bit more extreme. I think the distinction is artificial, mostly there to make us feel better and more in control about our choices and to aid in marketing. The word "natural" has become positively magical these days.

 

Homeopathy is a whole different ball of wax and shouldn't be lumped in with actual medicine, "natural" our not. It's a placebo, end of story.

[Word Nerd]

I think the distinction is artificial, mostly there to make us feel better and more in control about our choices and to aid in marketing. The word "natural" has become positively magical these days.

 

 

Sort of like the made-up distinction between "chemicals" and so-called "natural" cleaners like baking soda, vinegar, and water. 

[nmoira]

Put me in the "I like my medicine to work" camp. But I also like my medicine to contain what's on the label. There's a good chance that "natural" medicines don't, or may contain undisclosed allergens.

 

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/11/05/science/herbal-supplements-are-often-not-what-they-seem.html

[Rosie_0801]

I use food, garlic tablets, wild oregano essential oil and sleep, and of course everyone knows of my undying love for my chiropractor... If they don't work, off to the chemist and if that doesn't work, off to the doctors for a script.

[Rosie_0801]

It's my favourite kind.

 

My second favourite kind is sitting in the bath with a novel, a punnet of strawberries and a bottle of non-alchoholic apple cider. But that's just me...

[Desert Strawberry]

A little of everything. I use supplements and food-based or herbal remedies for prevention and healing, Oct meds for pain and symptom control, and, yes, homeopathy for comfort. I know the science is hooey. I don't care. If a little tablet makes my baby stop crying , or a syrup helps my child sleep, I don't care if it's magic fairy dust or sugar water. I will pay $10 a bottle and feel just fine about it. 

For serious injuries or illness, we go to urgent care or the ER and do whatever they tell us.