Posts Tagged ‘herbal’
The dangers of internet drug sales
The internet is a very powerful tool. So powerful, in fact, that it can kill. I have read so many cases recently about deaths related to buying drugs online. I’m not referring to online legitimate pharmacies that require prescriptions from legally registered and practicing doctors. I’m referring to many websites that sell drugs, some that require prescriptions (but these websites do not ask for them) and some that are downright illegal. These illegal drugs include those that are proscribed from being sold online, those that are banned, and those that are unknown. “Unknown” are those that have not been studied, so their claims of safety and effectiveness are essentially unknown.
I have always cautioned people against using many over-the-counter herbal concoctions because many of them have not been tried and tested. However, they are available as “supplements” and government agencies eventually get around to investigating one or two once in a while. If they are sold in pharmacies, usually the pharmacists will have some idea of the safety of some of these herbals. But the internet bypasses these safety barriers by selling directly to consumers.
Despite the intelligence of most online consumers, for whatever reason, they are taken in by these drug websites. Perhaps, they feel that they are intelligent enough to self-diagnose and treat. Or, perhaps, they have already been diagnosed by a doctor but feel they can self-treat. Again, maybe they want to self-treat for a condition which they are uncomfortable discussing with a doctor. They are more comfortable sitting in front of a computer and ordering drugs that claim they can treat whatever condition the user is looking for.
The products are relatively inexpensive and the advertising looks great. When they receive the pills, they look, feel, smell harmless. They take a pill and suffer no consequences. But, unfortunately, it does not seem very effective either. So they decide to take more. Before you know it, they have overdosed. Or, even worse, they suffer adverse reactions so severe they have to be hospitalised. Though some have survived, others have suffered damage to the point that they are incapacitated, some have died.
There is no regulation of internet sales of drugs. That’s why consumers need to be wary of these online drugs. They are not worth risking your life for. There is a now old adage, “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet”. This is especially true about drug claims. Never buy any medications online unless it is a legitimate pharmacy.
Beware the effects of Chinese herbal remedies
Ever since I found out about the potential hazards of using Chinese herbal remedies, I have warned people against using them. My mother died of liver cancer. Although I cannot say that it was due to the Chinese herbs, the fact that the one she had used in the past was later banned due to its liver toxicity, it makes one stop and think.
I have seen a rise in the number of these Chinese complementary shops on the high streets of Britain, even in small towns and villages. I don’t know if they are in any way regulated by the Health Authority. I have seen many people come and go in those shops and I wonder if their doctors are aware of this. There may be interactions between traditional medicines and the Chinese herbal remedies. I don’t know if the general public is aware of that.
Studies have shown that people spend a lot of money of complementary medicine, most of this on vitamins and supplements. But the fact that the number of Chinese herbal shops are increasing suggests that they are seeing a lot of clients as well. But are people getting their money’s worth? Or, are they simply throwing away a lot of money for ineffective and potentially hazardous therapies?
Scientists recently presented data on studies of complementary medicines for arthritic conditions and found that most were ineffective. While it did not state that these agents did not help specific people anecdotally, it did warn them that some may have serious side effects while not showing any studied effectiveness. It should be taken with a grain of salt. But the fact that the article specifically named some Chinese herbs as ineffective and others as having serious side effects only reiterates my point about using Chinese herbal products for the treatment of any condition.
Those who wish to pursue these alternative medicines should make their own doctors aware of their intentions and ask their advice on it. It is not good enough to simply ask questions of the complementary medicine practitioners because they will strive to present only the positive aspects of complementary medicine. It is in their best interest to do so.
