Traditional medicines are dangerous - don't be fooled

[TheHodgeHeg]

I'm sure you're all much smarter than me and know this anyway...

MIL is very ill in hospital after taking some traditional medicines provided by a friend she trusted. Her Dr thinks they've caused her liver to shut down and god knows what else.

These things aren't as benign as we thought. Our philosophy was always if it makes her happy it can't do any harm but how wrong we were.

Don't you or your family make the same mistake.

I’m sorry your MIL is so terribly ill. May I ask what you mean by traditional medicines?

Also sorry to hear this.

It would probably help to be more specific - I assume you mean something herbal but I could be mistaken ?

Yes, herbal remedies.

Not sure exactly what herbal remedies...I don't think she even knew. The trusted friend kept saying this was a normal reaction but clearly it's not!

If these 'medicines' have caused her liver to shut down they are, in fact, poisons. There will need to be an investigation so I'm sure what she took will come to light. I'm so sorry for your troubles. I do hope she rallies.

There won't be an investigation because we're not in the UK and here this kind of crap is normal.

MIL rallied somewhat but now seems to have some kind of infection. She's a cancer patient so low immunity and took these herbal concoctions as a last ditch wonder cure. It's just so sad.

She's not actually my MIL yet as her son and I are getting married in a few months time. Up until last week we believed she would be with us for the wedding but now it's looking quite unlikely.

I guess whatever stage of life we were at there would be some milestone around the corner that we'd pray she'd be there for. She'd have been an amazing grandma and her and FIL were looking forward to this next stage in their lives (relaxing, grandchildren etc).

I'm so sorry this has happened to your mother-in-law, but allopathic medicines also imply a risk.

I'm still fuming because I needed a pain-killer and the pharmacist recommended one that when I googled had very serious side-effects, including liver failure and death. The indications particularly mentioned that it shouldn't be taken by anyone with gastritis but the pharmacist didn't mention a thing.

Really, the internet is your friend when it comes to herbal or allopathic medicine.

I don't doubt it Atenco but there's such mystique and secrecy surrounding some herbal remedies that we weren't able to Google anything specific and naively took the view that even if it didn't help her illness it couldn't do any harm. We were so, so wrong with this and I just wanted to share my experience in the hope that other people don't make the same mistake we did.

Having said that, even if we had been aware of the dangers I don't believe we'd have been able to convince MIL.

Again, so sorry about your MILs experience.

I live in Mexico so there is a lot of use of herbal remedies and unfortunately also a lot of shysters. Both herbs and allopathic medicine can be poisonous and there are unfortunately some immoral doctors and herbalists who don't worry about who they harm.

I hope your MIL pulls through

TheHodgeHeg, how very grim.

I think people do have the idea that ‘natural’, ‘herbal’ medicines are by definition somehow gentle and wholesome and benign, and that there is no risk. And in the hands of someone qualified and experienced that should be the case.

It is worth people stopping to remember that there are numerous poisonous plants out there, and ones which have a powerful effect.

Very shocking and sad for your MIL.

Very nicely put Camper, that's exactly what I was trying to say.

Mother in law passed away this evening. The herbal medicines almost certainly robbed us of time with her although how much and what kind of quality of life she would have had in that time is impossible to say.

So sorry for your loss, HodgeHeg

So sorry to hear this.
So sad.

So sorry for your loss

I am so very sorry. Sending love.

I'm so sorry fro your loss Hodgeheg.

So sorry for your loss and how right you are to warn people of these. Camper has put it so eloquently. I suppose the person who gave her this stuff won't be prosecuted. It brings to mind the case I watched a while ago in the uk where a woman had gone on an extreme detox and had been told to drink litres of water which she did. She nearly died and has permanent brain and physical damage from essentially over hydration.

Thanks all - I hope that this post would make just one person think twice about taking a herbal remedy / alternative therapy or recommending that their friend take it.