I am always a bit jittery when someone asked me:" What do you think of this product X? Is it good for my diabetes? Because I heard my diabetic medications will shrink my kidneys, is that true?" This sort of questions always pop up if I went back for Chinese New Year celebrations, where the uncles and aunts will start to pull out their supplements and ask me the benefit of it. Some of them are selling the products and sort of ask me to tell them whether it benefits them in certain medical conditions or not. If I started to say something, they will quote and make me reassure their product is safe and effective. This is like a free ads. So I choose not to comment.
But silence for too long is not good... Long before the emergence of modern medicine (or Western medicine), people use to seek healers in the past for all sorts of ailments. The principle of treatment includes chants, herbs and offerings to God. This kind of treatment had rooted deep into our Malaysian Society. Among the Malays, they will go and seek the bomoh for their ailment and Chinese will go to the Sing Seh. Sorry, I do not know about the Indians. It had been the basis of treatment until the arrival of modern medicine. So it is not uncommon to see a patient that went to a doctor as well as seeking advice from traditional healers.
Throughout evolution, the Western medicine improves in leaps and bounds. With the discovery of new investigation tools, new drugs, new antibiotic for treatment of bacterial infection, and new technique of treating illness, there is booming of modern medicine. But the core of the treatment remains the same. It is still evidence-based medicine.
Generally, we do not say no to patients who takes alternative medicine. Some supplements are good. We even prescribe supplements to patients such as ginko biloba for memory, vitamins and so forth. But I am sick of people making 'claims'. 'Taking this product and I guarantee you no need to take anymore medicines' ' Why taking the pills when you can have something natural to cure your illness?'
Generally, we do not say no to patients who takes alternative medicine. Some supplements are good. We even prescribe supplements to patients such as ginko biloba for memory, vitamins and so forth. But I am sick of people making 'claims'. 'Taking this product and I guarantee you no need to take anymore medicines' ' Why taking the pills when you can have something natural to cure your illness?'
First of all, you must understand the illness you are having. How the disease affects your life and how to overcome the disease. If it is going to be long term, there is absolutely NO way to cure by just 1 dose. Understand how the medications given by the doctor work. Ask questions to your doctor. If someone promote you a product, ask them what medication is that, and how the medications can help you. Ask yourself, do you need to take it? Is there an indication for it? Are you able to pay for it? As most of the 'natural' stuff are expensive while it is readily available, do you really must take it? Ask them to show proof. Proof on how the medication works and what are the side effect of taking it. If the proof is based on an opinion, most likely the resource is unreliable. In modern medicine, we tested our medicine with randomized trials and continuous experiments. It is released to public only when it is found to be safe and effective. Even when released, if the drug found to cause certain side effects, it will be withdrawn.
What about those wonderdrugs that can cure all types of illnesses known to man? Whatever condition you have, just take the wonderdrug and you will get cure. Are you sure? Just think, if there are such a wonder drug, wouldn't the pharmaceutical company had already research it and used it to help mankind?
One piece of advice: Do consult your doctor before taking any medication outside the prescription if you are taking long term medications. Some drugs will interact with the other, causing the effect to be less, or become toxic. My professors used to tell us, they had done research on the raw tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia) roots found in the road-side stalls in Chow Kit Road. What they found was the content of steroid in the roots were exceptionally high. Steroids does help in symptoms but in the long run, it will damage the kidney, causing high blood pressure and many more side effects. As an end user, we have the rights to choose what is best for us and what is not, so be a wise one.
One piece of advice: Do consult your doctor before taking any medication outside the prescription if you are taking long term medications. Some drugs will interact with the other, causing the effect to be less, or become toxic. My professors used to tell us, they had done research on the raw tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia) roots found in the road-side stalls in Chow Kit Road. What they found was the content of steroid in the roots were exceptionally high. Steroids does help in symptoms but in the long run, it will damage the kidney, causing high blood pressure and many more side effects. As an end user, we have the rights to choose what is best for us and what is not, so be a wise one.
Tongkat Ali roots
Tiger penis - Traditional chinese medicine
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