jknh9 Posted December 11, 2014 Report Share Posted December 11, 2014 Hi all,My symptoms are somewhat stable these days, although it seems fairly easy to throw them out of whack. While I am not getting worse, I have also stopped getting better. I currently take 50 mg Zoloft/sertraline, 37.5 mg Wellbutrin, 60 mg mestinon, and vitamin B and D supplements. I'm interested in taking Chinese herbal medicine, and have received a three-day trial of herbs to brew into a tea. However, I'm nervous to take it in conjunction with my other meds. Has anyone taken Chinese herbal medicine along with conventional drugs (especially SSRI's)? Should I not mix the two treatments? A friend told me not to take it with the SSRI, but I can't just quit Zoloft cold turkey for 3 days and then take it back up again My dosages are all really low because I'm super sensitive to prescription drugs. I'm really interested in a holistic course of treatment, but not at the expense of being able to function. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoGiuliana Posted December 11, 2014 Report Share Posted December 11, 2014 Please talk to your doctor or pharmacist about using herbal remedies along with prescribed meds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
looneymom Posted December 11, 2014 Report Share Posted December 11, 2014 Talk to your doctor first. Our doctor let us try a few with Tyler but not what you have mentioned.It made symptoms worse for him and lowered his blood pressure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katybug Posted December 11, 2014 Report Share Posted December 11, 2014 I agree you need to consult with someone knowledgeable about both the herbs and the drugs. There can be interactions. For example, I do use an herbal tea as one of my treatment options for my migraines (all the herbs are herbs used in Chinese medicine amongst other forms of herbal remedies). But the tea contains white willow bark. White willow bark is what aspirin is made out of. So, if I use the tea, I make sure I do not take any other meds that contain aspirin on the same day. I bruise easily anyway and I don't want to thin my blood to a dangerous level by consuming too much aspirin. This is just an example of the type of thing to look for when combining herbal and conventional medicines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firewatcher Posted December 12, 2014 Report Share Posted December 12, 2014 (edited) As a preface, I used to work for a Chinese medicine practitioner who decocted his own Chinese herbal medicine from reputable, clean-sourced, Chinese herbs, which are very hard to get.As much as I hate to say it, I seriously doubt that you will find ANY doctor (m.d.) that knows even the slightest thing about Chinese herbs (other than aristolochic acid nephropathy) and every MD will tell you to stay as far away from Chinese medicine as you can. Talking to the Chinese medicine practitioner will not help either, they won't know much about the drugs. Pre-prepared Chinese herbals (pills and powders, etc. from bottles with labels) may be adulterated with pesticides, heavy metals and pharmaceuticals. Very few brands have strict standards (or any.)Just because something is "natural" does not mean that it is not also dangerous. I would NOT mix Chinese medicine with regularly used drugs.If you want to try Chinese Herbal Medicine it can be very effective with fewer side effects, but it will be hit and miss. Much of it depends on the skill of the herbalist, the potency of the herbs and the correctness of the preparation. I would compare the effect to more of a "firm nudge" to your system and less of a "sledgehammer" like drugs.Just a warning, they are going to smell nasty and taste worse! But sometimes, they do work incredibly well!You can research the individual herbs at rootdown.us, where you can put in either the Chinese or the Latin name and then go to PubMed or drugs.com and check for interactions....however, the synergy (combined action) of two or more herbs will change the mechanism of action and may either increase or decrease the interaction or potency.ASK the herbalist for a list of what herbs are in your "tea," if they won't tell you what they are (include the Latin name!--it will be on the bag where they were bought bulk) Don't take them and DON'T go back. Many Chinese herbs are spelled almost identically in Chinese pin yin (the English phonetic) and one letter difference can be a completely different substance. Edited December 12, 2014 by firewatcher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krapii Posted June 20, 2017 Report Share Posted June 20, 2017 Hi All, I just want to ask if anyone ever tried using medical cannabis as an alternative meds? I have read many articles about medical marijuana and how it can help you in terms of chronic pain, glaucoma, eating disorder/anorexia, anxiety disorders and panic attacks, inflammation, even cancer and a lot more. Cbd and thc are also new to me and I don't even smoke. If this is true I cant find any solid conclusive evidence that speaks to its efficacy. Any personal experience or testimonial would be highly appreciated. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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