Dr. Dustin Ballard: Do your homework before using alternative t...

Thank you for your valuable column. So many people I know think "natural" (undefined)= safe. I'm not claiming that all traditional medicine is safe, but at least drugs are regulated by the FDA. For those who claim the pharma industry is so $-oriented that "they" don't care about your health, what about the completely self/unregulated $34 billion (yes billion)/year alternative market? Good advice--do your homework before you pop any kind of pill.

More people die every year from pharmaceutical drugs than natural remedies. Natural remedies are not completely unregulated, either. The supplement industry's profit is a drop in the bucket compared to pharmaceutical profit!

Yes, do your research! Don't discount a natural remedy because of the anti altmed hysteria!

"For example, during a recent foray to my local, premium-priced natural food store, I encountered one homeopathic medicine of dubious value after another"
Gee Dr. Ballard, how do you "know" that? Have you tried them? THIS is a disengenuous statement, if you have no experience with then,

Also, quackwatch.com is not a reputable site - the non-doctor who runs it has been sued and discredited.

Check out www.quackpotwatch.com

MarinResident wrote:

More people die every year from pharmaceutical drugs than natural remedies. Natural remedies are not completely unregulated, either. The supplement industry's profit is a drop in the bucket compared to pharmaceutical profit!
Yes, do your research! Don't discount a natural remedy because of the anti altmed hysteria!

I agree with the MarinResident. Most of the drugs marketed on TV are meant to defy nature which is why they're so dangerous. No one can become better than normal. One example: ED pills. Maybe, just maybe a man's body is telling him not to engage in marital activities because his heart can't take it any more. What's one side effect of Viagra? Heart problems. Gosh, what a surprise.

Just because someone has been sued does not mean they have been discredited.
Quackwatch is a pretty well-respected entity: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quackwatch
(I know wikipedia does not equal truth, but look at some of the references)

I do wonder if MarinResident is in business of homeopathy?

Db

MarinResident wrote:

"For example, during a recent foray to my local, premium-priced natural food store, I encountered one homeopathic medicine of dubious value after another"
Gee Dr. Ballard, how do you "know" that? Have you tried them? THIS is a disengenuous statement, if you have no experience with then,
Also, quackwatch.com is not a reputable site - the non-doctor who runs it has been sued and discredited.
Check out www.quackpotwatch.com

Ha Ha

The above "marin resident" poster said, "More people die every year from pharmaceutical drugs than natural remedies."

Really? More people die from taking potentially life saving medications than taking, say, Omega 3's? Really? No kidding?

And how about this chiropractor baines above, who said, "I agree with the MarinResident. Most of the drugs marketed on TV are meant to defy nature which is why they're so dangerous. No one can become better than normal. One example: ED pills. Maybe, just maybe a man's body is telling him not to engage in marital activities because his heart can't take it any more."

ha Ha Very funny coming from a chiropractor who has NO clinical training in differential diagnosis or pharmacology. Of course all drugs are evil to this idiot. He's a typical chiropractor who has no idea what actually goes on in emergency rooms.

But like most typical chiropractors, he runs to medical doctors when he or his family are really sick.

He's a chiropractor after all. A hypocrite.

MarinJoe wrote:

Just because someone has been sued does not mean they have been discredited.
Quackwatch is a pretty well-respected entity: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quackwatch
(I know wikipedia does not equal truth, but look at some of the references)
<quoted text>

ummm.... Look at all of the references?...they all come directly FROM quackwatch itself and in fact most of them from Barret himself. How can these be considered evidence of the quality of the site? A Wikipedia entry is also certainly not good evidence. What is YOUR affiliation MarinJoe?
Also, why hasnt anybody gone ahead and updated that Wikipedia entry with the current news that Barret has been discredited (note, not JUST sued, but ALSO discredited, see below).
The Wikipedia entry must be monitored and maintained by quackwatch. They have cleverly only included their perspective of the sites value.
From the Pennsylvania Court of Appeal:
"....Barrett conceded that he was not a Medical Board Certified psychiatrist because he had failed the certification exam. This was a major revelation since Barrett had provided supposed “expert testimony” as a psychiatrist and had testified in numerous court cases as such. Also, Barrett had said that he was a “legal expert” even though he had no formal legal training."
Read much more about Barrets defamation here:
http://www.healthfreedomlaw.com/

LOL so no board certification for Dr. Quackwatch.

No wonder he is so fanatically anti- alt. med...what a case of projection!

OK, let's ignore any sites with the word "quack" in them, but how about:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/news... (about vitamins)
or: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/arti...
The NYT article is a summary; The Lancet is a highly respected medical journal (and that links to a review, meaning the scientists looked at 110 homeopathy trials)
People who take homeopathic medicines may as well be taking a sugar pill, since it works no better than a placebo (but hey, if it works for you, keep taking it).
I know if you believe everything you think, science and evidence will not change your mind. But here's some info just in case...

Actually animals respond really well to homeopathy - no placebo effect there.
You may believe however you wish :-)

If doctors learned more about nutrition and seriously considered its long term impact on health (rather than just weight), they might garner more respect from their patients and prevent some of them from seeking out unsafe alternatives. Pharmaceuticals aren't always the answer.

Pharma is not the answer to anything, PEROID
former patient, you are just part of what has become a highly organized brainwashing system, of big pharma, politicians, and yes the gov org in charge of it all. They will tell you anything, but then again, your generation like many today, have been brain washed from the moment of birth.

One day these people will be charge for crimes against humanity.

Wake up people, stop being a termite working for the top person, big Pharma is out to make money, and when billions of dollars are at stake they will do, say anything to get that money. It's like a cash cow

Wake up you are not a brain washed person anymore even though they want control of your mind I think you are breaking free

Also something to ponder, their is no medical institution, no medical journal, no research entity, no gov agency, no hospital, medical academic institution, no doctor THAT IS NOT UNDER THE CONTROL OR INFLUENCE OF BIG PHARMA's POCKET BOOKS/MONEY.

That is a fact, not even the New England Journal of Medicine can escape it anymore, as they allowed articles from doctors know to be paid by pharma.

If anyone believes otherwise, then you truly are BRAINWASHED
This is so sad BUT SO TRUE

WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING? Are "THEY" after you?

On a nicer note, I would be interested in the animal homeopathy studies, MarinResident.
I do not know any vet that treats, say, worms with homeopathy, but would be interested to see those studies.
(And, btw, I do not discount the placebo effect--it is real and it is powerful). Drugs (conventional medicine) have their own benefit/risk balance and it is silly to say they are all good or all bad.

There are vets who use homeopathy with good success.

You can google studies about homeopathy use and pets.

As I said, there is no placebo effect in animals.

marinresident said, "As I said, there is no placebo effect in animals."

Maybe not, who cares? A few anecdotal stories don't prove anything either.

And "blank" is correct. There are virtually NO veterinarians who use homeopathy to treat real disease in animals.

And all you people can stop saying all drugs are "bad" just because "big pharma" is in it to make money.

Well... duh! that's the incentive.

And thank goodness for big pharma. Medications have literally saved billions of lives.

MarinResident--I did Google homeopathy and pets (which is why I asked if you could cite any *valid* studies). I sure found a bunch of wacky stuff and sites that called the products homeopathic (but the products contained ingredients such as alcohol or boric acid which are not homeopathic at all).
If my child or my pet had an acute life-threatening bacterial infection, I would certainly look to antibiotics rather than a homeopathic remedy.

Wisdom wrote:

marinresident said, "As I said, there is no placebo effect in animals."
Maybe not, who cares? A few anecdotal stories don't prove anything either.
And "blank" is correct. There are virtually NO veterinarians who use homeopathy to treat real disease in animals.
And all you people can stop saying all drugs are "bad" just because "big pharma" is in it to make money.
Well... duh! that's the incentive.
And thank goodness for big pharma. Medications have literally saved billions of lives.

The idiot above once again proves he's no expert in anything.
There are over 2,000 veterinarians who belong to the American Veterinary Holistic Association. And yes, they use homeopathy, chiropractic, herbs, and acupuncture.
http://www.holisticvetlist.com/
Perfect reason that no one wants to "debate" this loon. This frustrated Wisdom character simply doesn't know what he's talking about. And no professional wants to debate an empty headed moron who claims to be an expert but has no degrees, no clinical experience, and no credentials. If he had them, he'd say so plus name the schools. But this idiot is a fraud. Pure and simple. F-R-A-U-D.
Tell us another bed-wetting bedtime story, creep. You got another winner for us, do ya?

hey baines, you say you are a chiropractor.

Chiropractors have no training in differential diagnosis , pharmacology or any medical procedures.

But mostly, while some chiropractors claim they can cure disease in animals, the fact remains that chiropractors (as you have demonstrated) are a most bizarre bunch.

Imagine , a chiropractor saying that "homeopathy" cures animal diseases. Ha ha Like chiropractors claiming they can cure MS and bed wetting. Please now.

So baines, "blank" mentioned treating animals with worms. As a chiropractor, what , he he he , homeopathic remedy would you use to treat worms?

What is the chiropractic treatment for worms. Do you use a mallet like some chiroquackers use on horses? What chiropractic college teaches veterniary chiropractic? Please link me to some of the studies that indicate chiropractic can effectively treat diseases in animals.

As a elf proclaimed chiropractor, you should know that name calling is a sign that you've lost the argument.

Or maybe you wouldn't know that.

What chiropractic college did you graduate from? I'll check out their veterinary courses. Ha Ha

You do know that thousands of chiropractors claim they can treat animals. I know you do.