Doctors can get sued if they recommend it and it later becomes a problem. Plus, not to make myself sound like I am against Doctors because I am not and want to become one, but they usually do get incentives for prescribing pharmaceuticals.
That's the difference between M.D. and D.O.
That's why I like my doctor. He's not a pill pusher. He's also very open to alternative and herbal treatments. He was very open esp after having gone through my records for about a decade after he bought the practice from my former doctor who retired (he was also big on herbal and alternative therapy medicine). To hear my lungs so clear without ANY wheezes or crackles - that was one happy man. He's for anything that makes a patient feel better and able to breath, walk, talk, and get around.
He and my formerly retired doctor knew up front that I come from a Native American family where nearly all of us (my generation and before as well as many of the new generation ie my children & their cousins) all spend their tour of duty, if you will, with one of our aunts who has been teaching us all herbal medicine for decades.
We don't swear off modern medicine but we do like to try herbal remedies first and/or mix the two if it is safe. For instance, pure raw honey, not that you find in a grocery store but real honey from the hive with the comb still in the jar has so many medicinal uses. It's an antiseptic, it has a natural antibiotic in it, and it works wonders for a sore throat and coughing. Did I mention it does wonders for sweetening coffee and teas? LOL! We use it alot in mint, chamomile, and carob tea (hot teas). Chamomile is a natural sedative too and the honey in place of processed and/or granulated sugar doesn't wire children up before bed.
My doctor is very open to my medicine as well as the fact that I am open to his. If we reach an impasse so to speak, we try my way for a while then if it isn't producing results as fast as he likes (esp w/infections b/c my immune system is crapped out from lupus and Sjogren's ) we go with his method and if it is safe enough, we do both together.
I have medicinal books from my "herbal aunt" as my DH refers to her, that date back to the 1600-1700s. Unfortunately, the sad part of all that is during her search to trace down our family tree, she learned that 4 out of a family of sisters that made five were murdered for being "witches" all because they were medicine women, some of which had married into white families and back during those times Native American medicine was not accepted. It was considered magic versus the actual fact of using what the earth gives us freely to combat colds and fevers, and other illnesses. Believe me, I have dug enough, cleaned enough, and prepared enough Sassafras tea for a lifetime as well as catnip tea. Sassafras is great for sore throats and catnip tea helps babies with colic. Also, a quick rub of high-quality home brew (preferably fruit-flavored) moonshine is the best thing in the world for babies who are teething. You just dip the tip of your finger into a cup then knock off any excess and rub across the gums to numb them. Works better than any OTC ointment I've ever tried and believe me, there was a time when I tried them all because I didn't want to follow our ways but after a few nights and days of no sleep, I changed my mind 100% when I rubbed my oldest's gums in it and she went blissfully off to sleep in my arms without a peep from her.
I tried everything from Orajel, frozen wet washcloths, chewing iced toys, etc.. Nothing worked. Not even Tylenol or Motrin helped that child. It was a constant cry that nothing would sooth. Then when she got colic, the remedies her pediatrician gave us didn't work so I suggsted catnip tea, which you can buy at a pharmacy if you ask for it. The pediatrician didn't see any reason why not so that's what I did and that's what got her through the colic phase.
When my second child was born, I didn't even bother questioning, I went back to what has worked for more generations than I can count.
