I'm doing what mother wants me to and seeing a herbalist who has had a remarkable result for a friend with Parkinsons.

Just wondered if anyone else had been down that road, got any benefit, swears by it, wouldn't touch it with a sh!!ty stick...?

well, better minds than mine have made me delete my post!

pud's friend, first I love to look at the pictures of your horses and cats. Adorable cats and beautiful horses.

That said, I just wanted to point out that herbs are really drugs. You may think they are harmless but watch what you take. Many PWMS cannot take a lot of them. They can interfere with our symptoms or cause other symptoms.

Some shouldn't be mixed with conventional drugs, so ask your pharmacist about them too, to be sure there is no interaction between the drugs you may take and the herbal drugs. Many of our *today's drugs* are made from roots of trees, plants and flowers. Aspirin is from the white willow tree root.

We have found many drugs by serendipity, or by Grandma's old treatments when not many formal drugs were available. But herbs are drugs so just use caution before ingesting them, okay? JMO Good luck to you.

I went.
I spent lots of money.
I didnt feel better.
I eat a good, clean organic diet.
I put my wallet back in my pocket.

The only thing I found any help to me was the acidopholus. You can get that by eating yogurt with live cultures. other than that. I didnt notice any change.

Feel better.

Lady is soooooo right. Many drugs have their origins from herbs, like digitalis for the heart, now used in drug form by medical doctors. Stuff can hurt you. Know of one young guy who died taking some "natural" body building thing, one young girl very sickened with long-term affects by something bought by her Mom in a "natural" store. Please educate self about stuff offered before you take it. Didn't Twink's SIL do a "natural" colon rinse thing and get really bad stuff as a result? It contained a thing known to be bad? No one regulates these products or oversees them. DH cousin offered something to prevent bruising when my then 6 year fell. What!!!!!! Being as drug-free as possible, I refused. Kid got no bruise (it was not a big fall) and is 18 now.

Aarcyn, I read your reply before you deleted and take in what you said. you're right and that's why I've even considered it in the first place.

Everyone else have valid points too.

I don't think anyone can be wrong in expressing their opinions. it's an open forum after all.

Now where's that shi!ty stick ???

I don't, but have done some reading. I take, daily:

1. 10,000 mg VitD
2. Fish oil capsules
3. Pro-biotics
4. Multi-vitamin

~ Faith

AGreeD! I appreciated what AArcyn had to say! if we all spoke from the same opinion, and said the exact same thing all the time,we would not learn, grow or scratch our heads and think about it in a new light.

I agree with Lady's post. I also use herbs, although there is not an *herbalist* around here.

I feel safer looking this stuff up for myself, making up my own mind. I generally use what I can grow and store - our FDA does not regulate these products here, unless in th form of food, such as tea. So we cannot be sure what is actiually in the products.

I use chamomille, mint and lavandar mostly. Have tried several others.

I would suggest that just like any med, you decide for what problem you want help. Then look up by sx. See what herbs might help, what side effects those cause, what interactions they have, etc - just like you should do when you take any drug.

Decide fromm there if herbs are for you.

Some herbs work better for me than their RX equal. Pills are often easier, but herbs are cheaper - chamomille, $1.25 per plant for muscle relaxers for a year? And it works better for me, but I have to pick the stuff and sit with a cup of tea.

No drwsy after effect like some meds, either.

Also, it is one of the ingredients in a rub that works for muscle pain. Costs about $2 to make.

Mint is good for anything digestion related.

Feverfew - supposed to help migraines. I could not get past the smell/taste to find out. But it DOES keep the bugs away.

I think it's like any med. Some work for some people, not for everyone. Depends what you need and why.

Herbs can be dangerous just like drugs but just as it is unwise to to self medicate with pharmaceuticals - seeing a herbalist is very different from self medicating with herbs. If your friend with PD did well then I'd say go see the same herbalist as they might treat MS in a similar way. Can you tell me more about what happened with your friend? I have MS and maybe PD so am intrigued!