Let me clarify for you my relationship with pharmaceuticals, as they relate to you, my patients.
I see pharmaceutical meds as offering both great benefit and great harm. What most determines the degree of their benefit or harm is the context in which they are used.
When pharmaceuticals are the only tool in a doctor's toolbox, their harm is magnified; their benefits decreased. When used within a Naturopathic approach employing behavioral improvements plus natural, non-harmful medicines such as herbs, supplements, etc, pharmaceuticals become safer and more effective. Most of my patients begin their work with me taking pharmaceuticals. Most are able to reduce them; some get off them entirely. My primary goal is to improve my patients' quality of life, not to get them off pharmaceuticals.
For you, dear one, you have expressed clearly to me that your meds are helping you greatly and that you do not want to change your dosages. I agree with you. I have no intention of changing the meds you are taking.
You may find a medicine, supplement, or therapy that alleviates your present symptoms, however do realize that as long as you continue to behave in ways that harm your body, the adverse consequences of your behavior will continue to accumulate.
It is obvious that for an alcoholic to heal the effects of alcohol in their body that they must stop drinking alcohol. All other treatments are bandaids, at best.
A person who overeats sweets and has become pre-diabetic may take metformin which lowers their blood sugar and consequently they lose weight, inflammation decreases, etc. However eating sweets produces injury to many more metabolic pathways than metformin corrects.
The person’s symptoms are probably better off taking metformin. At best they may live longer and have fewer symptoms. And the side-effects of metformin now become the person’s new illness; diarrhea, bloating, muscle cramping, sleepiness, etc. Metformin has only changed the type of symptoms that the body expresses. It has not ended the suffering caused by overeating sweets.
What about natural, non-harmful medicines and therapies?
These can provide significant benefit. The drawback is they can be expensive. I highly recommend them in combination with behavioral education.
Naturopathic medicines and therapeutics do not cause the same “side-effects” as pharmaceutical meds. Well prescribed, they are beneficial and can be a valuable part of a person’s therapeutic regimen.
Remember that one who drinks too much alcohol could take an herbal formula or IV drips that may reduce the severity of their hangover, however drinking alcohol continues to injure and poison their body and liver in many other ways. The only way to heal hangovers and cirrhossis of the liver is by gaining control over drinking alcohol ... a very human process.
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