Wellness

[sophiamarie]

I have Macular Degeneration (the wet form in one eye) and take Lutein 2x daily.  I also get injections in my eye every 6 weeks.  I go for my 12th injection on Friday.  When I first started getting the injections, I was getting Avastin.  Medicare paid over $600 per injection.  

Now, I am getting Eylea and Medicare is paying over $2,100.00 per injection.  My eyesight is 20/30 in each eye........  I only need "readers" from the Dollar Tree.......   I will continue to take the Lutein because I believe in my doctor....He's not getting any money for that nor is he getting any money for the Eylea that he injects in my eye. 

[Gooday]

Sorry... My mistake. My dad has dry M.D. duh!

[Snowpuppy]

So as John said, this is nothing new. 

What also isn't new are treatments like Traditional Chinese Medicine which goes back thousands of years. It existed before the AMA, white coats and co pays. They use herbs which don't require a prescription. Acupuncture can be theraputic for treating conditions like arthritis.

I'll keep my vitamins and supps, thank you. I'll also continue to see my massage therapist at my local naturopath, hop in a sauna and jump in a hot tub. All considered alternative treatments and shhhhh...I don't have to plead with the insurance company to pay for any of it.

[sandraskates]

I stayed up to watch that Frontline episode. Seemed to me that they went after some fly-by-night manufacturers for the unsafe slant. Perhaps I was expecting a little more balance in the cons and pros.

Having ventured into the Metabolite supplement in days long past and immediately feeling horrible, I do a lot more research now.

I too have read both sides, from "it's expensive pee" to "we don't get enough vitamins and minerals from our foods." Personally, I've settled on 3 common supplements that make me happy and will continue to take them.

[Vivian]

Several years ago my doctor told me to toss all the vitamins. They're totally unregulated so we have no idea what's really in them. There are some health conditions that require certain supplements but, in the absence of those problems, we should eat a balanced diet and save our money.

[Serenity-Now]

Although I realize that some vitamin or natural supplement companies are better than others, & yes there are some bad ones out there...I for one believe more in the good that natural supplements & treatments can do for us, rather than relying solely on prescribed medicines. I am very curious & wish we as a society were given statistics on how many cases there are each year of prescribed medications worsening patients' conditions, or were responsible for interactions or even death.  That happens far more often, but it is usually kept quiet & rarely mentioned.  I have been repeatedly shocked when my doctor doesn't even warn against interactions, or catch the fact that a medication that I'm already on is contra-indicated to be given with a new one he just prescribed...everyone needs to do their own research on their own meds, no matter what they are, or where they come from. 

I am very leery to trust 'Big Pharma' driven anti-natural-supplements hoopla, and most news organizations are owned by mega corporations that have their own pots on the stove, and it benefits them to throw mud at the little guys, because that means more $$ for themselves.  They have the big bucks to make it seem like the mud is sticking, too.  IMHO, we all need to research these things for ourselves as best we can, & I now listen to customer reviews to get a better feel for whether a supplement is worth trying, rather than waiting for my doctor to get enlightened on the subject.  There is good & bad on both sides of the fence, so we just need to figure out what is best for ourselves as individuals.  I hope scare tactics won't keep people from doing their own research.  And news organizations & the media are not to be 100% believed, either.  Not anymore, when you look at who owns their news agencies.

Several things I keep in my medicine cabinet are Olive Leaf capsules & nasal spray (wonderful for taming sinus infections), Neem capsules, Neem Cream (great moisturizer!), B-12, yam cream, and CALM (with magnesium).  Oh, & D-Mannose powder & AZO for those pesky UTI's that always seem to happen on the weekend or holidays, before I can get to a doctor to get something prescribed.  Who wants to end up in an ER if they have a painful UTI that has them doubled over in pain?  I always keep that in my medicine cabinet, after getting a UTI on a holiday weekend when we were already snowed-in.  That was a horrible experience. 

Natural supplements have their place in the world, & don't forget that many medications are derived from nature, or the synthetic recreation of an herb.  One nefarious supplement company shouldn't ruin it for all of them, because there are many reputable, caring companies out there that shouldn't get a bad rap.  Just be cautious on both sides of the debate, & look out for #1.  And definitely look at the reputation of the company that makes the product, & read their ingredient lists.  Many people will do this legwork before you get to it, so check the reviews on sites that give customer reviews, because you'll learn a lot of helpful info, oftentimes.

[Gooday]

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@SerenityNowMyndi wrote:

Although I realize that some vitamin or natural supplement companies are better than others, & yes there are some bad ones out there...I for one believe more in the good that natural supplements & treatments can do for us, rather than relying solely on prescribed medicines. I am very curious & wish we as a society were given statistics on how many cases there are each year of prescribed medications worsening patients' conditions, or were responsible for interactions or even death.  That happens far more often, but it is usually kept quiet & rarely mentioned.  I have been repeatedly shocked when my doctor doesn't even warn against interactions, or catch the fact that a medication that I'm already on is contra-indicated to be given with a new one he just prescribed...everyone needs to do their own research on their own meds, no matter what they are, or where they come from. 

I am very leery to trust 'Big Pharma' driven anti-natural-supplements hoopla, and most news organizations are owned by mega corporations that have their own pots on the stove, and it benefits them to throw mud at the little guys, because that means more $$ for themselves.  They have the big bucks to make it seem like the mud is sticking, too.  IMHO, we all need to research these things for ourselves as best we can, & I now listen to customer reviews to get a better feel for whether a supplement is worth trying, rather than waiting for my doctor to get enlightened on the subject.  There is good & bad on both sides of the fence, so we just need to figure out what is best for ourselves as individuals.  I hope scare tactics won't keep people from doing their own research.  And news organizations & the media are not to be 100% believed, either.  Not anymore, when you look at who owns their news agencies.

Several things I keep in my medicine cabinet are Olive Leaf capsules & nasal spray (wonderful for taming sinus infections), Neem capsules, Neem Cream (great moisturizer!), B-12, yam cream, and CALM (with magnesium).  Oh, & D-Mannose powder & AZO for those pesky UTI's that always seem to happen on the weekend or holidays, before I can get to a doctor to get something prescribed.  Who wants to end up in an ER if they have a painful UTI that has them doubled over in pain?  I always keep that in my medicine cabinet, after getting a UTI on a holiday weekend when we were already snowed-in.  That was a horrible experience. 

Natural supplements have their place in the world, & don't forget that many medications are derived from nature, or the synthetic recreation of an herb.  One nefarious supplement company shouldn't ruin it for all of them, because there are many reputable, caring companies out there that shouldn't get a bad rap.  Just be cautious on both sides of the debate, & look out for #1.  And definitely look at the reputation of the company that makes the product, & read their ingredient lists.  Many people will do this legwork before you get to it, so check the reviews on sites that give customer reviews, because you'll learn a lot of helpful info, oftentimes.

---

We the people have the FDA which post every possible contraindication known.  However, any Tom, Dikk and Harry can start a vitamin or herbal supplement company that is NOT regulated.  In the case with a woman and her ex-husband who had started Purity vitamins and supplments, the manufacturer they used to make their product had not cleaned the machines properly and anabolic steroids made its way into one of their products.  Many people, particular teenaged girls were growing mustaches and enhancement of their genitalia.  Men were growing breasts and another woman had open sores on her scalp.  The only way they figured out the common demoniator was when their doctors called the company and the FDA which after much prodding opened an investigation.

In Hawaii, another company had knowingly or unknowingly (it has not yet been determined) their ingredients.  A 23 year female Navy officer took a supplment to help her gain strength and she ended up with a liver transplant, early retirement and a life long dependency on anti rejections medicines.  Other native Hawaiians were not so luck as they died waiting for liver transplants.

In one of the children's hospitals (I think it was Pittsburgh), babies were given Vitamin E but the International Units they were given were way over the limit with deadly results.

Members of this industry have lobbyists in Washington so, take what you will from this program.

I would suggest that everyone on the vitamin/supplement bandwagon take the money you spend in a month or so and have your pills analyzed by an independent lab and get back to us with the results.

I understand that hundreds of years ago herbal rememdies had and may still have their place...I get it.  However, what many of you are not accepting is the lack of regulation and the charlatans out there who are in it for the money and not for healing purposes.

[nyc1]

I've been taking Andrew Lessman vitamins since I first saw him on QVC probably about 25+ years ago.  They have served me VERY WELL.  I trust his quality. 

As a side note, when my Mom was alive (she lived to be 94),  she was taking a number of medications and had to go for liver test pretty regularly.   Her markers were never too good because of the meds.  I sent her the Liver and Brain (my Dad always said she took it for the liver and he for the brain!), and just under a month after she started taking them regularly, she went for another test, and her doctor wanted to know what had changed.  Her liver markers were much improved for the first time in several years.

[deeva]

I was really surprised at the lack of regulations regarding vitamins. Many of the vitamins and supplements tested didn't contain any of the ingredients listed on the labels. The FDA is almost useless.

[Serenity-Now]

There are both good and bad eggs in every industry on the planet, and people who will take advantage of others for the almighty buck; Big Pharma has many, many demons hidden among their FDA-approved meds, which still kill people or further wreck their health, without enough regulation to safeguard us all. I am a nurse and unfortunately have seen much that alarmed me in the health care industry. Everyone should be cautious which company brands they trust, and stay vigilant...whether it is a medication sold by a physician (and I wish some people would stop thinking that physicians are gods that can do no wrong!), or a health supplement. Research the company, research the customer reviews, and be ever watchful. But just because a news program chooses the lowest of the low companies and then points the finger at them, doesn't mean that all supplement companies are made of the same rotten cloth, just as the same is true of the medical field.