Chinese herbal medicine - advice

microgirl

I really don't know if this is the right forum for this, but couldn't find anywhere more appropriate.

I'm really just asking if anyone else has used any of the multifarious Chinese Herbal Practioner chains that have sprung up in the last few years, or an independent practioner, and can recommend any to me.

Last year I underwent a course of treatment in Dr China in Santry and I have to say I was bowled over by the effect. Of course, I'm now worried that I jmight have been imagining it, or it might have been a placebo effect, but basically I have some pretty serious emotional/mood issues, and a strong course of herbs and acupuncture there, and I *literally* felt like a different person. I liked that person, and desperately want her back.

Problem is, the combination of treatment was astonishingly expensive - with discount for a 14-treatment course of acu, plus €50 of herbs a week, it came to about €120 a week. I can't afford that long term. And Dr China are very, very big on the Hard Sell. You say you can't afford both, they say to get good effect you have to do both, one won't work and I don't have the strenght to resist (and am afraid they might be right etc etc)

So basically I'm wondering has anyone else any experience of anywhere else that's either cheaper, or where they don't give you so much of the hard sell? I'm really pretty much at rock bottom here, and I can't go on without doing *something*.

Bottle_of_Smoke

microgirl wrote:

I really don't know if this is the right forum for this, but couldn't find anywhere more appropriate.

I'm really just asking if anyone else has used any of the multifarious Chinese Herbal Practioner chains that have sprung up in the last few years, or an independent practioner, and can recommend any to me.

Last year I underwent a course of treatment in Dr China in Santry and I have to say I was bowled over by the effect. Of course, I'm now worried that I jmight have been imagining it, or it might have been a placebo effect, but basically I have some pretty serious emotional/mood issues, and a strong course of herbs and acupuncture there, and I *literally* felt like a different person. I liked that person, and desperately want her back.

Problem is, the combination of treatment was astonishingly expensive - with discount for a 14-treatment course of acu, plus €50 of herbs a week, it came to about €120 a week. I can't afford that long term. And Dr China are very, very big on the Hard Sell. You say you can't afford both, they say to get good effect you have to do both, one won't work and I don't have the strenght to resist (and am afraid they might be right etc etc)

So basically I'm wondering has anyone else any experience of anywhere else that's either cheaper, or where they don't give you so much of the hard sell? I'm really pretty much at rock bottom here, and I can't go on without doing *something*.

Not completely sure but I'm leaning toward thinking they're just sales people. Glad you made this thread because I'm really wondering about it. E50 a week for herbs is ridiculous.

microgirl

Well, I have to say I don't think they're *just* salespeople. I found the doctor very comfortable to deal with, and competent, despite having no English (actually, that might have been part of what I trusted - he clearly was the real deal )

But the price - and more importantly the pushing of acupuncture and herbs together - is unreal.

Capt'n Midnight

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote:

E50 a week for herbs is ridiculous.

try telling that to smokers

You used the word "chains" , that smacks of business as does "hard sell"

did they at least offer a prescription so you could buy the herbs elsewhere ?

Byrno

Ah Chinese Medicine. Basically the reason you felt so good is because it's full of steroids. Do you really want to be taking that?

microgirl

I'd be very surprised, considering I was taking decoctions I made myself from the dried herbs. Although I *suppose* the dried herbs could have been soaked in some sort of steroid solution o_O (note sarcasm )

If I'd been taking the pills then yeah, your suggestion might make me think twice, but as it is I doubt it somehow. Plus, TCM has been used and successful for 3000 years. They didn't have steroids back then

eth0_

Byrno wrote:

Ah Chinese Medicine. Basically the reason you felt so good is because it's full of steroids. Do you really want to be taking that?

What?

DrIndy

eth0_ wrote:

What?

Got a point, some unscrupulous formulations do contain steroids, caffeine and other prescription medications to account for their healing effect.

Jury is out on the veracity of chinese medicine, however, thousands of years of experience and anecdotal evidence cannot be ignored.

As with prescription medicines, please feel free to talk about them on boards, but please don't make recomendations for treatments

Stublore

DrIndy wrote:

Jury is out on the veracity of chinese medicine, however, thousands of years of experience and anecdotal evidence cannot be ignored.

Rofl, thousands of years and anecdotal evidence cannot be ignored??
What about all the other bull**** quackery and beliefs that have been proven false in the last century or so with the advent of the scientific method? A long history of a practice is no evidence that the practice works as advertised, and anecdotal evidence is not worth the breath it takes to recount it.
If that is your standard of proof, then the longer a belief/practice has existed, the truer it is!
From what little I know of chinese medicine it's all based on the fallacious theory of sympathetic magic, ie in Chinese culture a Tiger is a virile animal, therefore eating it's penis gives you virility!

Bottle_of_Smoke

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

try telling that to smokers

You used the word "chains" , that smacks of business as does "hard sell"

did they at least offer a prescription so you could buy the herbs elsewhere ?

I sincerely doubt it, you come out after having acupuncture, then a pretty Chinese girl says "doctor says for full benefit you take these(pills/herbs) & have regular aakyewpunkchure 2 times week, you buy 10 sessions & get dizcownt"

I bought 5 sessions in one go - I found one doctor was very good & the other seemed to be just jamming needles here & there.
I'm 90% sure its a 3000 year old placebo.

Green tea from the place on gradton street is very nice though.

Traumadoc

I had a patient with an acute psychotic reaction to herbal medication, rather similar to metamphetamine induced psychosis.