Problems When Patients Hide Supplements – Part 1

Part 1 of 7 parts

I am so sick of hearing this – "They are natural and the doctor doesn't need to know about them." Yes, they are natural, but in combination with some prescription drugs, can become toxic and possibly cause your death. I have heard this all too often, from doctor's waiting rooms to our old support group meetings. I have even heard this in hospitals and vividly remember this and the son's reaction.

I understand the concerns of the medical community in trying to warn patients about the harmful effects and potential deadly effects of some supplements and herbal medications. I do my part and yet people ignore me as much as they ignore doctors. I finally was able to get one person to answer a question about who had told him to say that the herbs were natural and the doctors didn't need to know about them. He said that a naturopathic physician had advised him about this because so many medical doctors don't believe in natural medicines.

I then asked him if maybe naturopathic physicians did not know everything about the natural medicines they claimed. He admitted that maybe both were at fault and as a result, their patients were harmed the most. I said this is possible, but with what the natural medicine physicians were saying to patients, they were doing more harm and causing their patients to ignore the toxic side effects of prescription medications cause by the natural medications.

I told him this caused me to have a dislike for naturopathic physicians and regard them as quacks and not actual physicians. Alternatively, their ethics are very suspect with the advice they give out about ignoring prescription medications and what the conflicts are with their natural medicines.

The medical profession often strikes out against supplements, but in these proven circumstances, their concern is well justified and I have to support their concerns. If you are asked what supplements you are taking, please, please list all of them to prevent conflicts and even potentially deadly results. It is for your benefit they are asking.

This is why I encourage and urge everyone to fully disclose to your doctor(s) what supplements they are taking, the dosage taken, and even how long you have been taking them. I also strongly suggest that you learn everything about the supplement(s) you are taking to know what side effects are possible, what dangers may be present, and what limits you should be aware of to prevent dangerous toxic side effects.

I am writing this series of blogs to help encourage you and prevent you from ending up in the hospital from the toxic side effects of natural medicines conflicting with prescription medicines.