Heard on the news yesterday that the majority of medicines don`t work for most people & then in the Daily Mail page 17 about the child flu cases, a piece saying *how to beat the bug* it lists, among others : take lots of fluids. Mix honey in drinks. Take VitC either in supplememnts or fruit... Avoid heavy meals & processed foods in favour of thick soup, especially chicken soup. Garlic is one of the most effective natural remedies ;) Herbal echinacea & tea tree oil might help...
This advice is for people/children so surely the same applies to our dogs :)
Flu is a virus, just as many of the diseases dogs get are caused by viruses so maybe we should all be looking at the natural remedies/preventatives for them, especially we`re being told conventional medicines don`t work.

Christine, Spain.

Are these not the same people that over the years have told us that meat was bad for you, that vegetables are bad for you, that milk,sugar,salt,vitamins,fruit etc were all bad for you ;-) Medicines have saved many lives over the years and I think it is dangerous ground to just right all of them off in this manner. Surely, everything has a place in this mad world of ours :-)

It is very irresponsible and sweeping just to say "Medicines don't work". Just reflect on the early years of the last century, and all the children and young people who were cut off in their prime by TB and complications of childhood illnesses. A walk around a cemetery is a salutory experience.

Today, many people are still alive because the correct medication controls their chronic conditions.

Cathy.

Hi Fortis, not guilty this time ;). The vice president of GlaxoSmith-Kline said it :) See my post to admin.

Christine, Spain.

Not this time admin :) *Dr Allen Roses, worldwide vice president of genetics at GlaxoSmith-Kline, Britains biggest drug firm, said that fewer than half of patients prescribed some of the most expensive medicines get any benefit from them.* He was speaking at a scientific meeting in London last wk, he also said *The vast majority of drugs- more than 90%- only work in 30%-50% of the people.*
I`m not against medicine at all & it does have it`s place but there are times when it shouldn`t be the first thing in the queue to try :)

Christine, Spain.

I am ill as we speak. I have Bubonic Plague, Pleurisy and phenomena. Is there any hope for me? I've not finished reading my library book yet! :(

Sorry to tell you J, there`s only one thing left for it when you reach phenomena.....

M.A.L.T.

:D :D :D

Christine, Spain.

i'M trYInG Dat qRe as WE sPik Hic

Hope you get better soon John
mari

Spent the day in the field in the pouring rain yesterday Marie. The Germs got drowned :D

J ;)

Nonsense, John! They were so malted they didn't know which way was up!! :)

Hello Christine, Dr Roses said [some] "Medicines Don't Work", but did he say "Alternatives Do" or was that the Daily Mail? :) ;)

Dr Roses specified expensive drugs. Many of those will be very new, 'last-ditch' drugs and often both.

Tohme's comment about over-prescribing, especially of antibiotics and tranquillisers / anxiolytics are spot on, but there are some excuses, the main one probably being patient pressure. But there is sometimes reason to give a vulnerable 'flu victim antibiotics in order to ward off secondary bacterial infection, and medico-legal, no win, no fee are growing even faster than antibiotic resistant bacteria. Then there is always the tiny chance that a baby dies of a preventable secondary infection. People gripe about over-prescribing, but the dead infant lands the doc as first item on the 6 o'clock news.

Apart from the new AIDS drugs, few antivirals exist and fewer are safe and reliable enough. The oldies and goodies such as the interferons and acyclovir group are about it. But if you ever have the misfortune to get shingles and use garlic first thing in the queue rather than Zovirax I'll bet you a (genuine and serious) £100 at 10:1 that you'll regret it .... very, very sorely. :)

Hi jas, no I said it :D The daily mail was saying about this kiddies flu & on the side it had a peice saying things to take/do to beat the bugs & the other peice of what Dr Rose said so I put them together as an eye catcher in the hope of people reading the post & making them think. But what I wrote is what was said in the paper tho! ;)
The point of taking garlic & other supps together with a diet based on wholesome nourishing food is building up the immune system to prevent getting flu/vruses & if you do get one, so the body`s natural defences can better fight it off, not as a cure, cos like you say there aren`t any. Yes when secondary infection sets in give A/B`s but surely not on a just in case basis? Isn`t that why there are superbugs now that are resistant to them?
I use zovirax for cold sores & I only get them when i`m run down/tired & not been eating properly & it`s great wouldn`t be without it :D but when I look after myself I don`t need it cos I have no cold sores!

Christine, Spain.

I was sure I read in the paper a few days ago (but can I find the article? NO! I think it was by James Le Fanu) about a trial which had been run about children, colds and echinacea. The upshot was that, in chidren at least, echinacea has no more preventative properties than a placebo. It didn't say anything about the effect on adults though.

Disappointing.

I`m looking for the one on Dr Roses & I can`t find that either J/G :D

Christine, Spain.

I think we need to be careful here when we read statements such as "the majority of medecines don't work" and put them into context.  A lot of "medecines" don't work because they are not there to "cure" conditions just to "alleviate symptoms" dg there is no cure for colds, flu etc etc there are just things you can do to make yourself feel better whilst under the weather.

Also antibiotics are over prescribed and often wrongly prescribed resulting in no cure, or, resistance.

Whilst it is extremely sensible to encourage people to eat as naturally as possible, with plenty of fresh fruit and veg, few processed and convenience foods, etc etc I have seen the fatal results of those who prefer to believe in anything other than medecine, in one case from diabetes which is easily controlled and managed under modern conditions!

Let us learn from Mother Nature yes, follow a healthy lifestyle and optimise our health yes, but please don't throw the baby out with the bathwater! 

Exactly Tohme :) Have to add steroids to antibiotics being over prescribed as well & as far as I`m concerned, just as, if not more dangerous!

Christine, Spain.

Got to admit that I won't even take a painkiller unless I can't function without it. I hate taking antibiotics and always try to use the 'alternative' first. I'd be the same with my kids and probably my dogs too BUT I do recognise that there is a point when this could become dangerous and will sometimes resort to the dr and drugs... but I can't remember the last time :rolleyes:

my thoughts too :)

I had a disscussion about this the other day and we came to the conclusion that medicines do work BUT some people are taken so much medication that the virues etc are becomming immune to it.  This means medication has to become stronger for it to work. :)

Thats why alternatives  work, because our bodys are not yet immune.

Rox

On the subject of drugs and antibiotics
My husband has beeen seriously ill for 3 yrs.
he was drained from drugs agitated and yellow in the face
Christine sent me some literature on alternative remedies
So I decided to try alternative one day the drugs the next with the consent of my husband and also with the interest of our G.P
The drugs which  my husband were taking were burinex and aldactone diuretics and steroids and beta blokers xanax
etc
,The alternatives to those were natural diuretics milk thistle  MSM and St Johns Wort and wheat juice
The  yellow look is gone from his face and he is of a much happier disposition
He was at the specialist and in his opinion the drugs had run their course and were no longer being processed by the liver ,all he could suggest was to take a break from the drugs and keep up the herbal remedies to build up his immune system again.
Our G.P.said he could not  deny  my husband was looking a bit better .
He still has a long long way to go to recovery but surely any improvement is a bonus.
We have been taking antibiotics like smarties and they are no longer having the impact on illnesses as they used to  .Like  everything else  drugs were abused .They also kill the good cells as well as the bad
So immune building herbal  medicine is the only alternative left . i.m.h.op
Because of those alternatives I also have gained strenght and overall well being .Having had a hard 3 yrs looking after him. I too was beginning to go into depression and a few months ago with the help as I said of christine Spain
I decided to try and turn it around. anything I could not get here she went and got it for me . .
Christine has been great and I owe her big time for all the help and support she has given me

Mari

Oh Marie, the only thing I know is where do you go when you hit a brick wall & theres nowhere else to go.
There is no miracle cure for any of us, only thing I know what to do is to keep our immune systems in prime working order any way we know how :) And when I say *our* I mean us as well as our animals :) :)

Christine, Spain.
xxx

Well Christine as you said when theres no where else to go it is time to rethink and look again
I am hoping Kieran keeps improving on what he is taking now
incidently all the dogs are on msm and it is great stuff

Mari

I can vouch for Christine being wonderful too!  :) My Dad has been very ill this year, heart attack, triple heart bypass, intestinal cancer and stomach ulcers and had to have his operatations postponed on a number of occasions due to the sinus/chest infections that he has been plagued with for many years. He's had many, many antibiotics and the latest infection was the drug resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). As it was delaying his cancer op (he had by then had the heart op ) I put a plea out for info on Colloidal Silver and Christine immediatly responded and also told me about Active Manuka Honey. I got him on AM honey straight away as that was available quickly and I'm pleased to report he came home yesterday from his cancer op and is doing very well. It's early days but we are hoping the honey and silver will cure his infections for good.

I'm sure if my Dad had not taken so many AB's then he wouldn't have had these resistant infections now. They nearly cost him his life.

Many, many thanks Christine. :) :)

Kath xx

Thanks very much you 2 :) now I`m embarrassed :o

Glad to hear Kierans on the mend Marie :)

Nice to know your dads home for Xmas Kath :)

Hope all continues to go well for them both :)

Christine, Spain.

Christine it is only right to give honour where it is due,Your the best :)
Hi kath I dident know your Dad was so ill ,
it is a terrible time for families when they have a very loved one ill.I hope all goes well for him .
To all the people posting on the board that has somebody dear to them Sick, I hope you have a happy Christmas and that the new year brings good news .
Mari

We got some good news last wk, Susie, Berns niece, has been told the tumours shrinking. Long way to go yet but we`re all very hopeful & it was nice to hear that just before xmas :)

Christine, Spain.

Many thanks Mari.  I'm pleased to hear your husband is on the road to recovery too. Yes, as you know, it's dreadful watching loved ones suffer. What a joy to find anything that will help them become well again. :)

I join you in wishing everyone a Happy Christmas and a very healthy New Year and beyond. :)

That's good news about Susie, Christine, please send her my best wishes. :)

Kath xx

I have to say I agree with everything Christine and Tohme have said. I could contribute a dissertation to this thread but for once I'll keep schtum. :)

Jo

Hi Jo, why keep quiet? :) Please lets have a read, if it makes people aware of the alternatives it should be good :)

Christine, Spain.