Art of Self Medication - 2

[Guest guest]

This is second post in this series, the first one appeared as post #16234, which

explained the need to use gradually increasing doses of medicine so that

allergic reactions can be distinguished from detox reactions. In this post we

discuss the restraints that the vaidya and patient have to observe in order that

the body can accept multiple herbal combinations without them working against

each other.

 

Self medicating patients need to learn this technique the hard way. Young

patients are sometimes a little short on patience. An overseas patient needed a

liver detox with the aim to lose a little weight and also to try to correct low

blood pressure. He added four different formulae at once and started at the

trial dosage, three times a day. Within a few days, an irritation and itching

developed. He did not know which formula was causing the reaction, so he cut

them all out. The problem persisted. On email advice, he started taking another

anti-yeast formula. Things got instantly better but, as soon as he stopped

taking that formula, the problem was back and full-blown again. Finally, through

the process of elimination, he tracked the culprit down to a new enzyme formula

which he had not even considered, as he had been taking enzymes for years, but

was not taking that particular formula until just before the problem started

along with herbs. As soon as he switched back to the enzymes he had been taking

before, he got much better and soon all symptoms were gone. If he had only added

one thing at a time, it would have been very easy to determine what had caused

the problem.

 

The patient did not suspect the enzyme because the other enzyme formula had

always worked well for him. The only reason he tried the new formula was that it

had more ingredients in it. Author recollects a patient who tried " avipattikar

churna " as a mild laxative in addition to correcting hyperacidity. While the

acidity was corrected, the remedy did not achieve satisfactory elimination,

despite his taking it for a long time. When the patient came for a personal

consultation, it was seen that he had pitta dominance in his pulse and adding

extra psyllium husk to the formula achieved the desired result. The patient's

lifestyle did not permit adequate fiber in his diet which was then supplied by

the psyllium husk. Vaidyas are able to offer simple solutions after finding the

root cause of the problem. One need not add more herbs all the time. Dietary

changes are the first to be tried. Unfortunately, the philosophy that " search

for a new herb to fix this new problem " leads to an added herbal load, sometimes

without giving any added benefit.

 

Herbs can definitely take longer to give relief of some symptoms or conditions

than some of their pharmaceutical counterparts. Look at antacids, for example.

All antacids offer a near instant relief and some even promise to stop heartburn

BEFORE it starts, yet none of them promise to eliminate the condition that is

causing the heartburn and to prevent it from coming back. The big difference

between that type of product and herbal medicines is the focus. The focus of

herbal medicine is to create a healthy environment in the body systems, to

rebuild, to cleanse, and to permanently heal the body.

 

The primary focus of " quick-fix " medicines is to temporarily relieve symptoms,

such as pain, indigestion or depression. Relieving distressing symptoms is not

necessarily a bad thing. If a patient has severe heartburn for example, quick

relief can be very valuable and he may not hesitate to chew a few antacid

tablets if he doesn't have time to make some nice ginger tea for the same

effect. However, if he fails to acknowledge that some imbalance of his total

physical system, as well as some corresponding imbalance in his non-physical

system (either mentally, emotionally, and/or spiritually) is causing the

manifestation of those symptoms and continues to treat those symptoms without

dealing with the causative factors, then simple heartburn will eventually turn

into something far more serious. A principle the author learnt from his

experience is that most skin conditions develop when coughs and colds are

suppressed by modern medicine. On the other hand, the suppressive medicines for

skin conditions give rise to chronic coughs and colds.

 

To completely balance a chronic or acute condition in a holistic or herbal way,

may take six months to a year to achieve. Same can be said about medicines aimed

at correcting hormonal imbalance, menstrual problems, fertility problems and

Vatic problems such as vertigo, Parkinson's disease, Insomnia etc. Usually,

improvement may appear within a week or so, but each person's system is

different, so it is better continue for at least a month or two (in the absence

of allergic reactions, naturally) before deciding that a certain regimen is not

working for you. Just because one herb may not work, do not decide that none of

them will work. If you are meeting vaidya in person, it may be good strategy to

ask how long it may take for formulations to work and total period for which

medicines may have to be taken. Most pharmaceutical drugs have a far greater

potential for allergic reactions than full plant herbal preparations. Each

person's chemistry and metabolic make-up is unique. Keep trying until you find

the right combination and dosage. Therein is an important key to cure.

 

This series will be continued next week.

 

The editing help from Jane MacRoss is gratefully acknowledged.

 

Dr. Bhate

 

__

 

The motivation for this series is Post#16186, 16213,17, where list members have

their herbs or their formulations, possibly ordered online, and do not know the

correct dosage or method of use.

[Guest guest]

Dear Online Friends,

 

Let us be very grateful to Dr. Bhate for giving valuable information and

guidance through the series of his articles on the " Art of Self Medication " .

Sometimes self-medication can be highly risky and dangerous as you will see from

my own experience at 78 as follows:

 

" Ever since I came to US, I started getting constipated. So I started taking

some powder( Psyllium Husk or 'isobgol' in Hindi)well known for getting bowel

movement faster. But, it did not work either. Then I thought, let me drink more

water after taking the powder. That is because in India, I used to take mixing

it in a glass full of water or milk at bed time with good results. I almost

drank a liter of water, thinking it will bloat up and push the intestinal

contents out. After a couple hours, I was so much bloated in the stomach region

that I could not even breath.

 

While gasping for breath, I got so much scared and my whole body started

perspiring. I tried to push out the things from intestines with all force but to

no effect. It created more pressure and it became all the more impossible to

breath at all.

 

It was the same emergency situation that I had faced while getting a heart

attack in 1982. Somehow God's grace and my wife's and children's prayers worked

and after two or three weeks of intensive care at a five-star hospital in Pune,

I came out of it with great physical and mental weakness. But with God's grace

again I hit upon the simple self-cure exercises now popularly known as ATBSNR

(details at www.atbsnr.com)with which I not only braved the fight to prevent

another heart attack for the last 26 years but also got cured of 40-year old

nagging back pain problems of all kinds. So this time also, it was good luck of

my children and grand children, that I got saved by God's grace.

 

Actually, it was so serious that I had left the door of the toilet unlocked from

inside so that if some untoward happened as I was crest fallen completely, the

door could be opened by anyone. Then I prayed to my Lord Sai Baba who had

blessed me at every stage of my life including the bestowing of two sons when I

had none with no hope of getting even one, and many many personal miracles so

much experienced by most Sai Baba's true devotees.

 

After intense prayer to Sai Baba, I started Kapaal Bhaati Pranayam which was too

difficult to do in that condition but I closed my eyes and went on doing

something like that for slightly more than half-an-hour sitting on the toilet

seat itself. Miraculously after that I got relieved and found myself alive

again, hoping against hope.

 

Had I told any other person about my condition, I would have been removed as an

emergency case to hospital complicating my condition further as doctors start

all emergency measures without waiting for any investigations because

investigations take costly time that doctors do not have under such a situation.

 

Thus, Sai Baba saved my life once again and sent me an invitation within one

hour itself to attend an ex-service officers'(army, navy and air force retired

officers) meet to pay homage to Kargil War heroes where I was asked to explain

the ATBSNR technique to self-cure back pains and to remain healthy and kicking

to enjoy future life without any need to fall sick.

 

This I have been doing at very many defence force officers gatherings since 1996

when I was invited at the Indian Army Headquarters at the AWWA head office by

Mrs. Krishna Roy Choudary who was the Army Chief's better-half heading AWWA

then.

 

Thus God not only saved my life but also helped me further. My idea of writing

all this is that some times, even experienced persons like me can do such

blunders by SELF MEDICATION because normally, I do not get constipated. Hence

friends, please be careful and help-save the series of articles on " Self

Medication " by this great Ayurveda Expert, Dr. Bhate of

Ayurvedaonline .

 

S.M.ACHARYA

http://health.BackacheFreeWorld

,

Nature Cure & Spinal Rehab Centre,

155 St. Patrick's Town, Pune 411013,

Ph: +91-20-26870204, Cell: 91-9422314693,

Email:smacharya Website: www.atbsnr.com

 

_____________________

This is second post in this series, the first one appeared as post #16234, which

explained the need to use gradually increasing doses of medicine

____________ _________ _________ ______

 

The motivation for this series is Post#16186, 16213,17, where list members have

their herbs or their formulations, possibly ordered online, and do not know the

correct dosage or

method of use.