herbs, vitamins or maybe a prescription?

What are my complaints these days? Well, exhaustion is one, irritability is another, and my leftover pregnancy weight is one of the biggest. All of these combine, of course, for forgetfulness, a low sex-drive, and occasional aches and pains. I don't like to call my doctor unless I'm really feeling unbearably sick, so these are the types of complaints that go diagnosed over the Internet, or simply tolerated indefinitely. Before going to business school, Josh used to work at a pharmaceutical company, and one of his early assignments was to take various illnesses and do Internet searches on them to see what type of medical information was readily available to the public. I don't need to tell you that the response was alarming. For the same problem, he might uncover one website that told you it was no big deal, while another told you that you were on the verge of death, and another might give you inaccurate advice on medical procedures or medicines you should be getting. From then on, Josh told me never to go on the Internet for my information.

Even though I know that using "Dr. Google" can be dangerous, it is far too tempting to resist simply typing in my symptoms and getting instant gratification. That is why I loved reading The 24-Hour Pharmacist. In one reputable book that I could keep in my library, I had information about things like fatigue, weight loss, anxiety, heart problems, cramps and crankiness, among others. The author, Suzy Cohen, R. Ph. has been a pharmacist for 2 decades and has a syndicated column that reaches 24 million readers across the country. Although I've always thought that pharmacists would be more likely to promote prescription drugs than anything else, The 24-Hour Pharmacist recommends natural options such as herbs, enzymes and supplements instead of overmedicating with drugs.

If you were to sit in my living room for an evening of television viewing, you'd discover that this is one of my biggest pet peeves. I hate the fact that now we have to sit through commercial after commercial for the drug companies. As my mom pointed out last night, we see so many drug commercials that we can now recognize the drugs just from the description. A little purple pill anyone? How about the butterfly?

It worries me that people watch these commercials promising quick fixes for any discomfort, and might go to their doctor with a specific drug in mind to request it, whether or not that drug is the right choice for them. Additionally, if you wait for the end of the commercials, or read the drug inserts, the long list of side effects are often much worse than the original symptoms!

Because of this, I'm a big fan of either trying to prevent illnesses before they occur, or trying to resolve illnesses through natural remedies- both of which The 24-Hour Pharmacist tries to do. Specifically, some of the remedies described even hope to get you healthy and off any prescribed drugs through natural remedies. It sounds a little crazy to say that, but the author doesn't advise you to stop taking your medications cold turkey, but rather to start following natural remedies, or try them as an alternative and then see if your health problems don't resolve. She describes different health problems in great detail to zero in on what the problem might be, and then advises you to work with your doctor to see if supplements might help you as much or more (!!) than drugs.

For example, in her chapter on Overcoming Fatigue: From Stupor Woman to Super Woman, Suzy Cohen R. Ph. describes the different types of fatigue experienced by different women. She has catchy names for the different problems (I think I'm a Juggling Janet) and then describes what might be causing the problems (maybe a drug reaction, maybe an adrenal problem, maybe your thyroid) and then makes suggestions for natural remedies (ask for an alternate medication, change your diet, try an herbal supplement, try an over the counter additive).

My mom and I were glued to her chapter on weight loss, Lose Fat While You Sleep... When Pink Elephants Fly. My mom, specifically, is always trying to lose weight without doing anything, and she's willing to try loads of diet pills if she thinks they'll help. I'm constantly chastising her and begging her to just e-x-e-r-c-i-s-e, but the appeal of an easy fix is just too much. I was sure that The 24-Hour Pharmacist would be a chapter telling you that all the herbal remedies and diet pills are all a waste of money, but instead, Suzy Cohen went into great detail about why each supplement works or doesn't work and what you can try for your different problems. My mom, needless to say, was THRILLED. In fact, this past week we traveled to Montreal and Quebec, and before we left she followed one of the book's suggestions and purchased some hoodia gordonii in pill form. According to her, the hoodia was a raging success. Even when faced with the French treats we passed at the bakeries in Quebec, she was able to resist engorging herself. That is HUGE for her, because notoriously, she has no will power. She's excited to try some of the other remedies described also, and I may just have to eat my words.

Unfortunately, I had to use my mom as my guinea pig because since I'm still breastfeeding Gabriel, I was a little nervous to add anything new to my diet. One suggestion I did follow from the book was to add Omega 3 fatty acids to my diet. I purchased both fish oils and flax seed oils, and alternated for the last month while taking one in the morning and one at night. Gabe's pediatrician approved, by the way. I can't tell you 100% for sure that the fatty acids did it, but I lost about 4 more pounds that had previously been stuck on my frame, and my skin seemed clearer, my hair shinier, and best of all, I felt a little less fatigued and with a little more energy.
I didn't make any other changes besides adding these supplements to my diet, so I'm definitely sticking with it. Plus, of course, we've all heard of how great Omega 3's are for our bodies, so it is certainly worth trying.

I could go on and on about the book, because even the chapters that don't apply to me (yet), like the ones on stomach or bone problems were interesting. My mom is begging me to let her borrow it because she found the information so helpful. The 24-Hour Pharmacist is more than worth it's price, especially if you are a closet Internet diagnostician.

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The Parent Bloggers are giving away a $50 gift certificate to CVS, so if you'd like to be entered in the running, leave a comment on the post for The 24-Hour Pharmacist.