Self Health Poll
 

My self help health care thread got me thinking...i wonder how we at GS as a community take care of ourselves in regard to health. many of you no doubt would like to stay out of a discussion or debate of this nature, but if you will, please simply let me know where you stand just by voting. comments are of course welcome in you so choose. your vote will not be visible to others.

For the purposes of taking your poll I assumed that by "natural remedies" you meant "claimed remedies not conclusively supported by scientific evidence".

in case you missed the other thread, natural remedies are including, but not limited to...
chiro care
supplements to replace drugs of non-life threatening issues(blood pressure,cholesterol, heartburn, pain,etc)
even exercise and meditation to get off drugs
drinking more water

There's no way I can view grouping exercise, supplements, and the full range of what can be called chiropractic treatments into a single answer as reasonable. You need more options; your biases are absurdly evident.

no, i'm saying, for example...

if you have high blood pressure, instead of taking medication, use meditation.
if you have pain, try an herbal pain rub or accupressure, instead of aspirin.
if you have high cholesterol, try exercise and nutritional changes, instead of plavix.

scientific evidence means nothing, when you treat the symptom, yet leave the cause unaddressed AND affect the kidneys and liver when taking a drug. it is ABSOLUTELY impossible to research what lobbyists do to affect studies and the FDA.

Voted second one merely because of the exercise being included in natural remedies. They can drug you all they want but if you weigh 400 pounds, eat crap food all day, and do absolutely nothing but lay around or go around town on your wheelchair you're gonna die.

Protonix worked for my acid reflux but I noticed that when I went to the gym regularly that I only needed something for heartburn once every few weeks instead of a couple of times a week so that's been my motivation to keep it up. I've read from some gastrointerologists that taking an acid supplement is supposed to help with acid reflux but I haven't tried it yet.

what i'm asking is do you depend on the current system of FDA regulations, drugs, and MDs ALONE? or do you also incorporate supplemental methods in your health care strategy?

the argument can be made that both traditional and non-traditional medicine has quacks and/or shortfalls, so it's really a moot point.

if you AND a family member were injured by a vaccination, you would be too. i've seen enough to know that political conspiracies are not the only legit ones.

i know soooo many people that have opened their eyes to this subject. and i have helped many people as well. of course, i have hard-core associates that believe no drug is a good drug. even that view could be applied for certain individuals i suppose, it's just not my view.

if bias means educating the public, i'm guilty as charged!

i know that poll choice is vague, but i agree that we should move away from drug independence as much as possible, not abandon them entirely. but thank you for getting my point.

Max, i was watching Meet the Press today at the gym. the was a gentleman talking about the internet in regard to healthcare. he basically said that the net is a sewer of info and must be sifted thru by the surfer/reader.

i fully under stand that MANY supplements are garbage at best. i simply do not trust the feds and manipulation of lobbyists. i could site some real life stories about drug companies, doctors, and lobbyists getting fined/arrested that you'd never see in the mainstream media.

but, who knows, because the feds were involved, maybe said individuals/groups were really innocent. i generally get a lot of info from national med journals. when the MDs question their own practices, i pay attention!

i don't know how to make it more clear. in the 2 main choices, do you simply trust your doctor, the miracle of drugs, and the wisdom of the FDA and FTC or do you question and/or add other means to your strategy?

my father, never bothered to question the current medical model. he trusted his doctor to diagnose and treat him by any means. my mom, uses her doctor's advice along w/ the use of "miracle" foods and vinegar--she loves vinegar.

i have a co-worker that believes drugs make to body acidic, leading to cancer and other ailments. he believes apples, of all things, are miracle workers in regard to health. if he replaces apples w/ junk food, perhaps it works for him.

i have been injured and misdiagnosed(at least twice) by trusted, certified doctors. i do no think it was malicious, but i was introduced to alternative medicine after one of those diagnosis. so...i'm simply trying to help educate people.

With the choices you give, your poll may as well read:

1) Ignorant fools who are pawns of the system
2) The enlightened and intelligent who agree 100% with my views
3) Short sighted idiots with no respect for themselves

"I get my exercise acting as a pallbearer to my friends who exercise."

--Chauncey Depew, (1834-1928), Attorney for Cornelius Vanderbilt, President of New York Central Railroad, New York Senator.

I chose #1, even though I may tend toward #2, because I have seen a number of medical fads come and go (Laetrile, PABA, Christian Science, etc.) I guess medicine is still an "art".

typical response for someone missing the point entirely.

as knowledge increases, we often question political or capitalist type agendas, yet something so important as health...well, we would just rather take the easy predictable(in theory) road rather than looking at new techniques, some of which aren't really new. they're often some form of ancient eastern medicine reintroduced.

if someone were to accept what traditional medicine has to offer w/out questioning it or seeking alternatives, then yes your assessment of #1 is correct.

but your #2 is WAY off--it's more like, those willing to accept change and respectfully questioning current practices as well as being proactive and part of the decision making process.

BTW, totally independent of my view, i heard an MD on CNN discuss that very thing(#2), and said it would be instrumental in bringing down the cost of healthcare in the US.

#3 was my sad attempt at humor and those that are indifferent.

I will keep twinkies in my diet thank you. :)

The longer I observe, the more it is confirmed that old wisdom is right.
The Bible advises moderation and, son-of-a-gun it works!

In an age where a 'study' magically appears whenever it is needed, and when our sources of information have reduced themselves to mere scribes who relay what is provided them, I distrust and verify.

(I also know that, while we frantically look eastward for 'traditional cures' China is modernizing their medical system to American standards as fast as they can)

I trust my doctor more than most but at the same time, he has suggested many times alternative methods of dealing with medical issues. he believes that exercise and a good diet will do everyone good but he also understands the limitations that genetics plays on a person.

I don't go to the doctor for everything as I don't have time mostly.

it does seem as the choices are one extreme or the other and one huge part in the middle that encombases pretty much everything else.

also, medicine is not an art... it is a practice (and no, I don't know the difference either)

Most doctors that I have been to suggest exercises, diet modifications, and other such natural remedies before or instead of any drugs or surgery. I've even seen a psychiatrist who never wanted to prescribe anything.

I have a lot of allergy problems. I get about 3-6 sinus infections a year. I had a reconstructive surgery that moved around my jaws (I had a severe underbite). I also can't stand nose sprays.

we have compromised on many things and I have tried many things. the fix for it is another surgery but as he pointed out, suregery is what got me to this state. he said he doesn't recomend surgery unless it gets to be a once a month thing. I have been doing pretty good lately. haven't been to the doctor since april. that is doing pretty good for me. I don't go to doctors for colds as they will threaten me with shots and tell me to take it easy (which I already do)

Maximilian is right about this poll being skewed to reflect bowtieguy's biases. BTG includes the hated government regulation to steer people away from choosing #1, and to make #2 the only "reasonable" choice.

BTG also doesn't include a "I fully depend on natural remedies, and vow never to set foot in a hospital" choice, which would highlight the folly of depending on alternative medicine and natural remedies that prevailed when our average lifespans were 10-20 years shorter than they've become under modern medicine.

I thought the twinkies choice was reasonable...

Deep fried twinkies... ;)

-Jay

but seriously...

who doesn't enjoy a fresh twinkie every now and again?

https://www.portigal.com/wp/wp-conten...d-twinkies.jpg

https://blogs.citypages.com/food/deep_fried_twinkie.jpg

I will try one someday.

Not only that, but I would love to try a deep fried Snickers bar as well...

Can an unopened twinkie go stale?

That's where I'm at, allergies getting extremely bad, combined with frequent/persistant sinus infections.

I am using guaifenisin for it's mucus thinning properties as required and saline flushes, netti pot style, but I'm just using a large syringe. Also drinking oregano tea every day. This just about manages to keep it under control, barely.... if I get run down the sinus infection comes back hard.... I try to limit use of other decongestants, can feel them messing up my fluid/electrolyte balance and my kidneys start to ache after a day or two. Ragweed season just got here and my nostrils are burning again, the allergy remedies seem to be getting less effective and more prone to side effects...

RW,

I do the netti pot though it is about the nastiest thing I have ever done. I don't do it often. my solution right now is two claratins daily (generic ones for cost). I was told that taking two is fine because the does is for the average person and some people do need more than the average.

I may have to try some of the things that you mentioned. I do the saline flushes sometimes. I am not a big fan of stuff up my nose.

RW, which decongestants are you using that affect you that way?

I can handle nasal sprays and gels, but I can't do a netti pot (or similar action with syringe etc).

I used to work for a vending company. One time I was asked to do the write offs on a box of miscellaneous product that had been sitting in the back of the warehouse for a couple of years. The twinkies looked just as good as ever, but they were hard as bricks.

Wikipedia claims they stay fresh for 25 days. When I was younger I used to get a hankering for Twinkies once every five years or so. I've graduated to Chili's molten chocolate cake thingy, which I made the grievous error of learning to make myself.

I'm down to one Twinkie in my cabinet. I had two, but I took them out one night planning to eat them, never ate them, but the cat opened one...

I've had a Heath bar for months that I haven't gotten in the mood to eat. Even when I go scrounging for something to eat while watching a movie I'm never in the mood for it. I think something is wrong with me!

Nothing is wrong with you. Heath bars are awful.

thank you, well said!

you're not paying attention!

the intent was to find out who visits their doctor/hospital to get a quick fix, rather than taking the safe, gradual road to wellness. no question some docs recommend exercise and try drugs/surgery as a last resort, but some patients would sooner take a pill and be on their way. and there ARE MDs out there that will allow patient dictation in this manner.

again you are crediting modern medicine w/ extending life. show me proof! AGAIN...better sanitation, safer work conditions, safer cars, advanced medical SCIENCE(not drugs), ALL(and more) contribute.

intellect w/out execution is worthless. we can fire back w/ links all day, but at the end of the day, what happens on paper stays on paper. millions across the globe get or stay off drugs to live long lives. and millions are injured and have shortened lives because of them. it can NOT be denied. i'm not suggesting drugs never save lives, however.

i have acknowledged traditional medicine, but you do not accept alt methods at ALL. i truly hope when ill, you do not put ALL of your trust in a pill or surgery. the truth of our debate lies somewhere in the middle, and i have reached that way. you have not.

once again, i'm suggesting to use alt methods when lives are not at stake. blood pressure, cholesterol, acid reflux, etc are NOT life threatening in the short term. if you'd put YOUR bias aside for a moment, maybe you'd see that i'm trying to help people, NOT push a biased agenda.

i've been there(doubting alt medicine). i was in so much (back) pain, that i reached out to something that i couldn't get from traditional medicine(treating the cause, not the symptom). i do not expect you to understand if you've never been there. it's funny how well i began to feel OFF medication. my kidneys and breathing got better...so began my journey and research for ways beyond drugs and surgery. i've got more of my story but this post is too long already...

Either pseudoephedrine HCL or phenylephrine HCL they have too strong a diuretic effect on me, and I can't seem to drink enough, and can't sweat easily.

Pseudo--- seems to just dry everything out in my nasal passages after a couple of doses, which isn't helpful, works best in combo with guaifenesin, phenyl-- is okayish on it's own, but hard to find on it's own.

Body also reacts to the diuretic effect by trying to hoard fluids, ie, swelling my legs up.

I can remember when my great aunt lived with my family for about 2-3 years before she died. She always complained about the pills, and she claimed that the pills made her feel awful. The first thing I did, was create a pill schedule so that she only took a few with each meal, instead of taking them all at once. This was an incredible improvement. I then evaluated what each drug was for. It turns out, that many of the meds were for symptoms that were side effects of other meds she was on. My sisters & I (I was an EMT, and my sister is a nurse, and my other sister was a Paramedic) went into the doctor with her, with a suggested list of changes to her meds. After the Dr. reviewed our suggestions several meds were dropped all togeather, and others were changed. When we were finally done she felt much better, and was taking far fewer pills/day.

Now, not everyone has the medical experience that my family does, but I feel that older patients on several meds should probably have their meds re-evaluated on a yearly basis. When you have several Dr's prescribing meds to the same patient there needs to be better communication. The cardiologist doles out pills, then her regular dr. does.... and so on... its nothing for geriatric patients to be seeing 4 or 5 doctors on a regular basis.

Jay, i think(hope) you are giving some credibility to my view. apparently we both agree that too many meds are prescribed/consumed.

certainly there are side affects to any medication, we just need to choose the lesser of 2 evils. i wouldn't have considered taking away my dad's pain medication before he died. the ill affects were second to his comfort.

we live lives of convenience, and often times it takes many years to sustain an illness or disease. for those non-life threatening, lifestyle change is not the easy choice. the ironic thing is, sooner lifestyle change could prevent many life threatening issues.

Yes, over time you end up with meds being prescribed for side effects of others, meds that have outlived their usefuleness with that particular patient, and eventually some meds that you don't even know why they're on it, but they've been taking it for years, and the Dr. just keeps renewing the prescription.

With carefully monitoring her diet, we were able to get her off of injectible insulin, and onto an oral diabeties med that was much more tolerable than daily injections. My mom was good at making "treats" that were safe for diabetics. Lots of angel food cake with fresh fruit on top. With her daily intake of pills reduced (and spaced out with meals), she no longer needed ulcer medication. It took a lot of work, but she was far more comfortable in her final years.