Ask Lemmy

Conventional medicine, because it actually works and has a basis in reality.

Do you know what we call herbal medicine that works? Medicine.

That said if I want low impact results for a low impact illness, think sore throat, I wot go to the GP, I'll drink hot drinks

Lots of things from nature are not going to be good for you simply by being natural. And most medications come from studying the effects of things found in nature on biology.

I'll use treatments and medications that have studies backing their health impact. Occasionally those may be herbal supplements for better nutrition, but most herbal remedies that we know actually work are just a less effective form of the refined medications and treatments that have been developed. If the medication or conventional treatment is readily available, I would pick that first

And "alternative treatments" are nearly always complete bunk.

i believe that all the ingredients in pharmaceutical medicines ultimately come from nature, and we can find those remedies ourselves in plants

Even if that were correct, are you choosing the plants that have those same chemicals when you choose a remedy? If you are, why not use the normal medicine?

To be clear, yes some plants do have legitimate medicinal uses, but I really think you shouldn't be handwaving health decisions like this.

I'm in the UK where we've got the NHS and cheap medicine, so that might be why I'm hard on the "just give me the medicine" side of things.

I can't think of any situation when I'd pick an alternative herbal medicine over the medical solution from a chemist if I actually had a problem I wanted to resolve.

Herbal medicines are fine for minor things, but I wouldn't use that for serious issues. Dosage is a big part of a medicine's effectiveness, and a lot of the time, natural products have compounds that are too low in concentration to be reasonably effective. You'd need to extract and purify the compound, and at that point you're right back to conventional medicine.

And that's assuming that the herbs do contain the compound that you're looking for, because unfortunately, people lie on the internet and I generally would not trust what random internet people say about what's in herbal medicines

The difference between a herbal remedies and a regular medicine is that the regular stuff the manufacturer has to first show that it actually works at all and then figure out what the side effects are.

If I have any serious issue I'd not trust anything that is not FDA/EMA/etc approved for my condition.

I grew up with a doctor that believed in alternative medicine and a mom afraid of using medicine except when absolutely necessary. I was also perpetually dealing with colds and headaches. Now I take cold medicine when a cold starts and a painkiller to sleep well during the cold and they last about a quarter if the time.

You know what they call alternative medicine that works? Medicine.

I only use herbal medicine if I know that what I have is not serious, it's something that would go away on itself, and I just want to relieve the symptoms.

Prefer nothing but if I do need something I always go for conventional. If it's bad enough that I need medicine I want something that actually works.

Depends on the issue. For relatively minor burns I have an Aloe Vera plant, for example. I'm not against pharmaceuticals, or doctors, but for most of my life doctors have been prohibitively expensive or simply not available depending on where I was working at that moment so you learn how to treat most things yourself using whats handy. Giving yourself stitches fucking hurts worse than the original injury by the by.

I have a good paying job now with good insurance and there are multiple medical facilities nearby, but the old habits remain.

Herbal stuff for simple things and symptoms, like a sore throat or headache. Modern medicine for anything I can't treat on my own.

I've tried both for my treatment resistant depression. They both worked about the same.

Not "herbal" in the purest sense, but I will order the strongest, hottest curry I can find and cook it from the inside out.

For minor conditions like headaches, light fever, sore throat, cough, etc. most of the time herbal medicine and some rest will work fine. I tend not to use artificially produced medicine too quickly, it just feels better to not rely on them too much. For example ginger and aloe vera are plants where it cant be exaggerated how awesome they are. Real allrounders with so many medical uses, I love them.

That said, when theres a more serious medical condition, self-medication with herbs will reach its limits, at least on the level you and I are capable of. Maybe some experts will be able to mix a cocktail of herbs that helps but those are usually not common knowledge and I personally wouldnt risk not getting better just to avoid industrial medicine. Like you said, its all made from natural resources, but in the proportions that are scientifically proven to work.

Meanwhile, do people believe in empirical evidence or superstition?

I probably lean more towards herbal if you consider cannabis. I'm starting ADHD meds in a couple of days, though. Can't remember the last time I felt sick, but I never take anything for that anyway.

I think I was talked out of the herbal route at one point. I remember being very anti-pharmaceutical. I'd try herbal first for all non life threatening things if I knew what to look for.

Depends on what I'm sick with.

If I'm just sick with a cold, usually soup, hot tea with honey, chilli, etc, and maybe an OTC painkiller like tylenol if I have a fever or a headache. Hot showers can be nice too.

If I'm really sick, fuck yeah, give me whatever meds or treatment necessary. I'm not much for any of that "woo" bullshit (like chiropractors, crystals, homeopathy, or other quackery) but some of them are kinda legit (like chicken noodle soup or spicy stuff helping with a could, some herbal poultices actually treating wounds or rashes, etc. )

The only "herbal" medicine that I know that works is 凉茶 (liang cha) that's for 热气 (inflamation is the best english word to describe it, like you know how you feel weird when you eat a lot of fried stuff?) and I suspect it might be placebo.

I’ve definitely taken to using one “herbal” alternative. Seriously though, I use cannabis as an otc analgesic and anti nausea medication, because nothing else over the counter works as well for me. But I’m not afraid of pharmaceuticals, and I generally lean away from herbal remedies because of inconsistent dosages and unwanted effective compounds. Medicinal herbs didn’t develop those compounds intending for you to benefit, so it’s foolish to assume all of them will be beneficial when you need one of them.