Published September 8, 2001 in the North Island Weekender
Ten of the most frequently used drugs in the US in 1999 reveal much about consumer perceptions and attitudes related to health. They are Premarin (hormone replacement therapy), Synthroid (underactive thyroid), Lipitor (lowers cholesterol), Prilosec (in Canada this is Losec an acid controlling agent for gastrointestinal disorders), Hydrocodone (found in antihistamine, and pain medications), Albuterol (asthma and respiratory conditions), Norvasc (a calcium channel blocker used for high blood pressure, irregular heart rate and congestive heart failure), Claritin (for allergies), Prozac (for depression), and Glucophage (treatment for type 2 diabetes).
This list represents a prescription approach to the management of these health conditions. These health conditions may be manifesting due to genetic predisposition, but according to recent genome research may not manifest if the genes have the proper nutrition!
Naturopathic medicine have numerous herbal, nutritional and
lifestyle recommendations that are safe and effective to try first
before the prescriptions is used. This will save your body from many untoward
side effects which make prescription medications the fourth leading cause of
death in North America , resulting in over 106,000 deaths per year (JAMA 4/15/98)!
So I feel it behooves me to tell you about some alternatives to prevent you
from becoming a statistic!
1. Premarin is prescribed for menopausal women. Peri-menopause and menopause management I have covered in detail in previous articles: June 30,2001, Mar 10, 2001, , Nov 7, 18th 2000, May 10, 2000. Let me say here that symptomatic control of menopause is relatively easy using lifestyle changes, herbs and nutrition such as Vitamin E, essential fats, dong quai, vitex, ginseng, and wild yam. The other concerns we have are heart disease, bone density and Alzheimer’s prevention. Some women need stronger treatments and naturopathic physicians prefer to try bio-identical progesterone, estradiol and estriol rather than estrone which is a key ingredient of Premarin
2. Synthroid is prescribed for the treatment of under-active thyroid disease. Under-active thyroid occurs commonly in women as they approach menopause as rising estrogen levels in relationship to progesterone inhibit the function of the thyroid. Managing progesterone levels as well as optimizing thyroid function through exercise, iodine intake and thyroid glandular supplementation has proven to be very effective in naturopathic practices. Under-active thyroid occurs in men as well, and similar approaches work well for them too! It is becoming more of a problem due to environmental stresses such as mercury which inhibits thyroid function. (See article Mar 31st, 2000)
3. Lipitor is a statin drug used for cholesterol management. Elevated cholesterol is best treated with diet, exercise, and nutrients such as garlic, chromium, essential fats, sugar reduction and liver detoxification programs. See my latest article for more details. If you do end up on Lipitor, it is imperative that you take CoQ10 as this drugs decreases its absorption which is essential for the prevention of heart disease!
4. Losec treats high stomach acid but what I find in practice is that most folks have too little stomach acid! The symptoms are the same! I start by healing the gut with herbs such as slippery elm and licorice, then aiding the digestive process with digestive enzymes like lipase (fat digestion) and amylase (carbohydrate digestion). Once their stomach has healed then they are ready for protease (protein digestion) and hydrochloric acid the main stomach acid. Often if there is also gastric reflux, ridding the body of candida yeast works well. (See articles Jan 13 and 27th 2001).
5. Hyrocodone is a common ingredient of pain medication. Depending on what type of pain you are fighting there are natural options. Feverfew and magnesium for migraine headaches, glucosamine, MSM, devils claw for arthritic pain, and valerian, hops, passionflower as muscle relaxants for back pain. As always part of the work up is trying to find the cause of pain, and chiropractic or physiotherapy treatments may be important.
As with any information in my articles it is best to consult with your medical or naturopathic doctor before changing your program. Prescribed medications should never be stopped abruptly nor without supervision
Dr. Pincott has been practicing naturopathic medicine since 1985 and is currently practicing in Campbell River. She can be reached at (250) 286-3655 or www.DrPincott.com