Herbal Vs. Prescription Medicines
Suggested lead: Some people spend hundreds of dollars each month on herbal medicines that may - or may not - be a healthy choice. Tom Britt has more.
Valarium, St. John's Wort and ephedra are just a few of the herbal products that people take as alternatives to their prescription medicine counterparts. Dr. Muralli Doraiswamy of Duke University Medical Center says, while you might think you're saving money or taking a more natural road to recovery, the prescription medicines are a lot safer.
"If you suffer from a specific medical condition, whether it be arthritis or depression or diabetes or Alzheimer's, the fact is that prescription medicines are the ones that have been scientifically tested. Herbal products have not been scientifically tested.."
As for saving money, Doraiswamy warns that substituting herbal products for clinically tested pharmaceuticals could prolong the suffering, since the prescription medicine has been tested, and your physician has information on potential side effects, recommended dosage and length of prescription. Doraiswamy also recommends that you tell your physician about any herbal products you may be taking, as they could have adverse interactions with medicines he might prescribe. I'm Tom Britt.
Doraiswamy says the money you may save by buying herbal products instead of filling your prescription could make you penny-wise and pound-foolish.
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"I've seen people self-medicate themselves with herbal products for long periods of time not realizing that their depression or other diseases could be very easily treated with a prescription medicine. They're unnecessarily prolonging their suffering."