Went to see a clininal herbalist today
#224698 - 11/13/05 08:19 PM
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Stephie
Reged: 03/10/04
Posts: 2696
Loc: Vancouver, Canada
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Hello all!
Just thought I'd share my experience as I went to see a clinical herbalist today.
First of all, I THOUGHT I was going to a naturopath so I was suprised to find out when I got there that he was actually just a herbalist. This makes a difference for me personally because of what I can and can't have covered through my extended health, so that was a bit of an "uh oh" when I got the bill for $95!
So I went in, and the consultation lasted for just over an hour and a half. It was A LOT of questions about my symptoms, how often, when they started, details of BMs, everything.. If you are going to go to see one, I would totally recommend getting a good timeline straight in your head 'cause I did a lot of, "Um, well, I guess..." since I have been dealing with this stuff for over 10 years and some details are a little fuzzy!
He also asked me a lot about stress and anxiety, and said that the next time we would talk a lot more about hormonal issues.
After he asked me all the questions, he didn't seem to have a lot of advice to offer me. In fact, some of the things that he said made me a little worried that he won't be able to help me. He told me that with my condition I should not be able to eat things like rice and bread. That those foods should give me D. Now, I have been studying my own body in this regard for over 2 years and know for a fact that those are the things that do not give me D.
He told me that he would make me a tea, and that I should drink it rather than peppermint tea (which I have been drinking up to 3 times a day lately). I thought it seemed strange to tell me not to have peppermint tea, which is one thing that is helping me.
He recommended that I start taking rescue remedy, which I don't know anything about but I think I have seen past posts about it so I will do a search and see what I can find.
He said he was going to make a tincture, but it wouldn't be ready until tomorrow so I am going to pick that up tomorrow. Then I will drink the tea he made me (of various things I hadn't heard of) 3 times a day, and I think he said twice a day for the tincture (whatever that is).
We'll see how it goes, but right now I am not feeling overly hopeful. He said a lot of things about how it would be a lot of "guess work" and "trial and error" and I feel like that is what I am already doing, and have been doing for over 2 years, by myself.
I'll update on how things are going. Let me know if you have any other insight on clinical herbalists if anyone else has tried this route.
Cheers!!
--Steph
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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I was thinking about going to a naturopath also, but I don't think it's covered on my insurance.
Keep us posted on how things go with the herbalist.
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She does LOTS of different things, including different types of energy therapy, etc. I really like her and she's helped me quite a bit since I started seeing her this summer. I'm in the middle of the first major attack I've had in months, so that's pretty good for me! She does "see" clients by phone, if you're interested. At first, when looking at her website, you kind of wonder, but she's been worth it so far! She has hit the nail on the head every time! (It's kind of scary.....lolol  )
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Just a few points for you to think about:
- there is lack of regulation for the medicinal use of herbs (i.e. there is no guarantee of quality control in their production, thus some herbal preparations may be from an unknown sourse with unreliable potency).
- Has the herbalist asked you what types of convential medicine/prescriptions you are taking? There is potential for some herbal medicine to interfere/interacct with other medical treatments (such as suspected interactions between ginseng and antidepressants). I would make sure you know what exactly is in the tea and tincture he is making for you. A tincture preparation consists of juice of the plant/herb added to alcohol, so depending on the amount of alcohol in the tincture (hopefully not much), this may bother you.
harmful effects of some herbs (You probably already know this):
-aloe vera juice is a potent laxative
-comfrey, if taken internally, is toxic
-licorice in excess can cause headaches, lethargy, sodium and water retention,, high blood pressure, and possibly heart failure (however I am not sure about how much is excess)
-milk thistle has caused minor gastrointestinal disturbances
-Senna (laxative)
The fact that he told you to stop eating rice and bread is odd (especially since you know these foods are good on your stomach), and also that he told you to stop drinking peppermint tea (which has been proven helpful for IBS!!).
How did your search on Rescue Remedy work out? I saw it around but never did try it.
Good luck!! 
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Quote:
milk thistle has caused minor gastrointestinal disturbances
I just bought some milk thistle. Now I'm scared to take it.  I read it could help C. Any thoughts? Does anyone use this successfully?
I know it said minor disturbances...but at this point, I can't afford to make contribute to the "disturbances" by my own free will!
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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Quote:
-aloe vera juice is a potent laxative
I've heard that aloe vera juice is really good for the digestive system, though I have never tried it myself. It is possible to buy pure aloe vera juice where the laxative substance has been removed. (Can't remember right now what that substance is called, but I'm sure you can look it up.)
/Ulrika, IBS-D
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In trying to find a "cure" for my IBS, I sought out the aid of a nutritionist, a natural medicine specialist, an herbalist and a holistic medicine practitioner. Each subscribed to his/her own kooky mix of tinctures/tonics/diets/beliefs about the case of my ailment. Each of the regimens these people put me on made me sicker and aggravated my IBS in a horrible way! It was after all this that I finally started doing my own search for help and in doing so I came across Heather's diet. I started it and have never looked back!
If this herbalist really helps you, then great! But just be very cautious about what you drink, eat and take at their direction. In my experience, nothing they did helped in any way and their services cost me an arm and a leg. Plus, as someone already noted, herbs can be dangerous and can interfere with other meds you are taking.
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To take everyday for C? Anyone else using milk thistle? Has it helped or is it a waste of money?
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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