alternative meds.

[Bruno]

has anyone tried the holistic herbs or meds.?

there are so many and a friend trying her best to help sent me somebig bottles of herbs to use.


of course i haven't use anything except what drugs were prescribed ,but i was wondering what if any would be the benefits.

and i will consult my doctor for any combo herbs that will help or hurt with my plight.

[R30]

Hi Bruno
As far as I am aware, all kidney patients are asked to steer well clear of all herbal medication as the medical profession are not yet clear which interacts with certain medication and the effects this could cause. Furthermore, most herbal medication (so I have been told) is so high in potassium that it would be dangerous to take it (I imagine this would not alter whether you had had a transplant or were on dialysis).
Certainly, if I had been given bottles of herbal remedies, I would be VERY cautious about taking any of it.
Sorry to be the bearer of this news, but I'm thinking of your health here.
Ruth

[Hal]

Hi Bruno,

Sounds like something to avoid ... yes it could theoretically help but there are many cases of kidney patients being affected by taking alternative things.

Personally, I would only try something if it has some controlled clinical trial evidence behind it to back up its claims.

Also ... Transplant patients should never take St. Johns Wart as this stops immunosuppresents working correctly.

Hal.

[LadySycamore]

has anyone tried the holistic herbs or meds.?

there are so many and a friend trying her best to help sent me somebig bottles of herbs to use.


of course i haven't use anything except what drugs were prescribed ,but i was wondering what if any would be the benefits.

and i will consult my doctor for any combo herbs that will help or hurt with my plight.

If you would like, you can check out the "Alternative Medicine" section of dialyze.org:

"From Yoga to Chinese medicine, alternative medicine is just that: an alternative to health and healing. NOTE: Alternative medicine does not replace the care/advice of a qualified health practitioner, but in many cases, can enhance it. *ALWAYS* check with your doctor before trying anything new. "

http://dialyze.org/forums/viewforum.php ... e506f50367

And of course, make sure that you confer with your doctor before trying anything outside of his/her treatment regimen.

Good luck.

[JMan]

My own views on this..

If you do consider taking ANY herbal medicines, make sure you do the following:

Discuss it with your renal doctor and get his/her OK.

Go over your case with a MEDICAL HERBALIST.

Get the 2 to talk to each other AND you

Remember, herbs are in all essence often raw forms of drug (Digitoxin and 'Belladonna' are used in cardiac and optometry and come from the common foxglove and nightshade respectivly. Both can kill fairly easily.)
I'm also reminded of a recent case in Belgium where a mislabelled batch of herbs for Chinese herbal medicine use resulted in the death of 7 (I think) dialysis patients.

And in recent news I see a chinese herb has been recalled by a NYC co as it is thought to contain carcinogens likely to increase the risk of kidney disease.

I have in the past taken vedic herbal medicine under conditions stated above.

I do however prefer more 'non invasive' or 'less reactive' therapies ... Mainly to manage stress. Myself I've experienced/used a variety of things like massage, reflexology and breathing/meditation techniques.

Hope this helps.. Not wanting to scare you but you need to be very very careful and open with your doc about stuff like this:D

Take care

[Doolally]

I'd agree with JMan. Massage, reflexology, yoga, meditation all help me a great deal, and not in an airy-fairy way, but in a real way. Regular reflexology does wonders for keeping my odema down. The expense may be an issue of course, not that herbal medicines aren't an expense. I just avoid alternative oral drugs, not worth the risk. Ali

[nycpetit]

Definately don't take any oral alternative meds if they aren't approved first by your doc. I tend to not take anything, ever that isn't given the okay by my doc. There are a few over the counter drugs (esp for colds) that are fine. And these are listed for us at the clinic.

Massage, reflexology, pilates, yoga, definately all help. Highly recommended as it is stressful to live with any chronic disease (besides life itself can be stressful, and so definately we should do what we can to cut that out. Stress only makes things worse.

[Hal]

Massage, reflexology, pilates, yoga, definately all help.

Can I just add Tai Chi to that list. I have been practicing Tai Chi for about 6 months now, a few sessions a week. Its great exercise and stress relief.

You get to exercise the whole body without the strain of a gym workout. The movements can be adapted for anyone (e.g. if you have a bad back).

It involves learning routines of movements together. Concentrating on what you are doing also means that you can forget about your problems for an hour or so.

Hal.