Herbal remedies and homeopathy.

skydancer Me too! Lost 7lb and drink more water.
My BP meds were 140mg I am now on 40mg!

Thanks!

In that case - I've not had that one amongst the tests they've done on me.

It does confuse issues when there's several health issues to get rid of at once and one's trying to find out about all of them, work out what the order of priority is to deal with them. It does get confusing sometimes...

Tries to think positive - I think my weight is starting to come back down again (which can only be good for everything). The vanity size 18 dress I'm currently wearing feels like I should have bought a vanity size 16 one instead (so one size down and two sizes to go if so).

ECG are sticky dots which go across the middle of your chest and underneath your left breast if that helps Many people do not realise they’ve had a mild heart attack. It is not always the classic clutching your chest shown in films, especially in women.

Guess I've got yet another questioning session coming up with Chat GPT - and see what it's got to say about untreated heart attacks then in case I have one - or maybe even have had one (though I guess I'd know if I had) and see what "heart failure" looks like so to say.

Now trying to think whether I've ever had an ECG - which I guess means I haven't - though they've done some checking me over..

Nope that is not true. A heart attack is a myocardial infarction, a blockage in one of the arteries in the heart. It depends which one it is as to the amount of heart muscle killed. Many people have heart attacks and don’t realise it. They only find out when they have an ECG which can show damage to the heart muscle. Untreated heart attacks can result in various levels of heart failure which can be very debilitating.

LtEve

CariadAgain. A heart attack will not necessarily kill you. Plenty of people survive them although can potentially be left with disabling effects such as heart failure.

I "theenk" there's some 10 minute time span that they talk about in which "action" can be taken isnt there?

As I live on my own - then I'm not unduly worried anyone would get to me that fast....so I presume it would be more of a case of "Ouch"....and 10 minutes later "Oh well...."....

It's not actually something I asked for any details of - despite my father having numerous ones, my mother had one, my erstwhile brother certainly had several. But I guess they were all "caught in time" so to say....

In my family there really wasn't much "health talk" all round - as all three of the others were so unhealthy for so long (must have been over 50 years in my fathers case!!!!!)....so ill health was basically "part of the scenery" for all of them except me. All 3 of them had medical appointments like other people had a social life basically...there was always something....

It really didn't get talked about except in passing basically - which, to me, was a very odd way of going about things...but that's what they did. My father even died during his heart bypass operation and it took months before anyone told me - and my mother finally said "He died....he was up there at the ceiling of the operating theatre watching what they did to his body. They brought him back again" and she only knew because he'd told a friend of his and friend told her and she told me....and it was months after that before I knew he'd had one of those NDE's (Near Death Experiences) that I'd read about. I'm guessing that's a very odd way for a family to function - but that's how it was. But I know myself that when visiting my father after that operation I could see instantly that he was no longer extremely intelligent - I looked at his eyes and thought "He's average intelligence now. Oh dear" and it was all those hours under general anaesthetic that did that...and I thought it was wisest not to say he himself was different to what I'd been used to....as I knew just how proud he was of that intelligence level. So I said nowt...

Hence I know very little indeed actually about that really - as severe ill health was just such a "constant stream"....

Reduce salt I always say.

Not sure it works for everyone to do that.

CariadAgain. A heart attack will not necessarily kill you. Plenty of people survive them although can potentially be left with disabling effects such as heart failure.

I remember reading - more than once - that Big Pharma gives "incentives" to doctors to prescribe what they want them to - eg "conferences" in expensive nice holiday places. I expect they still do that and the government wouldnt exactly be in much of a position to legislate against that - considering how many of them have got their own "snouts in the trough" - eg Keir Starmer and his expensive clothes he got given for a present.

Influence of pharmaceutical companies

Pharma companies cannot legally “pay GPs” directly for prescribing, but there are indirect mechanisms that can create financial or reputational incentives:

Discounts & rebate schemes

Some companies offer rebates to NHS trusts or supply chain partners based on volume purchased.

If a GP practice or local trust buys more of a particular brand, the system may get temporary cost offsets.

Sponsorships & consultancy

GPs may be invited to attend sponsored conferences, training, or advisory boards.

While direct payment for prescribing is illegal, such sponsorships can create soft incentives to favor certain medicines.

“Preferred medicines” lists

Some pharma companies negotiate with local formularies to make their brand the first-line option, sometimes alongside small non-clinical perks (training, patient support programs).

Branded generics

A GP prescribing a branded generic instead of a standard generic can cost the NHS more, and the manufacturer may retain a larger profit margin.

Research from ChatGPT

janeainsworth

Caleo A centralised truly nationalised NHS would be centrally controlled as to the pharmacopeia available. And in other important respects such as communications.
There has always been a tension between central control and how much autonomy the regional health authorities (or whatever title they have now) should have.
In some ways regional autonomy is a good thing. Northumbria Healthcare trust (my local one) was until recently run by Sir James Mackey and he was responsible for a number of innovations which proved beneficial to patients. Innovation would be limited if control was exerted solely by a central body.

Did Sir James Mackey halt privatisation of pharmaceuticals?

E.g. recently the GP practice sent me items on my repeat prescriptions list -, expensive PRN items which I neither needed nor ordered. The only reason I can think of is that the GP practise is rewarded for using more of their products.

(The items in question that I neither needed nor ordered would cost ~ £50 from Amazon. )

janeainsworth

Cariadagain
I've been following that pretty closely - and from what Kate Shemirani says = one of the things they did to her daughter was the adrenaline her daughter and her had both decided against and yet they used a noticeable amount of it. From what I read - that alone can kill people

Of course adrenaline can kill people. It has also saved many lives.

Kate Shemirani was removed from the Nursing & midwifery Council Register in 2021 for spreading dangerous misinformation about the Covid vaccines.
So I wouldn’t believe a word she says.
I’m more inclined to believe Paloma’s brothers’ and the mainstream media’s version, that Kate brainwashed her daughter against having the conventional treatment which could have saved her life.

I don't recall what Kate specifically said re the Covid jabs - as I read pretty widely amongst objective medical people about them and that confirmed my decision not to have those jabs. As far as I can see she was trying to get the facts out there - and not "spreading misinformation".

Right now she seems to be basically focusing on "Do NOT be an organ donor - they don't make sure/can't really make sure you are actually dead before they start the 4/5 hours cutting you open to take your organs. Brain death is not death real death" and she's absolutely right (from so much I've read elsewhere and the horror stories about people who "came to" whilst they were cutting them open to grab the organs)". There was a particularly bad horror story in the mainstream newspapers last year about the man in America that was trying hard to let the surgeons know he was still alive - whilst they were trying to get his organs - and his sister had to save him. He is still alive now, living with his sister, injured and traumatised by their attempt to grab his organs.

So I don't agree with some comments she makes - but she's one of a noticeable number they tried to discredit for speaking out against Covid/the jabs/etc.

Caleo A centralised truly nationalised NHS would be centrally controlled as to the pharmacopeia available. And in other important respects such as communications.
There has always been a tension between central control and how much autonomy the regional health authorities (or whatever title they have now) should have.
In some ways regional autonomy is a good thing. Northumbria Healthcare trust (my local one) was until recently run by Sir James Mackey and he was responsible for a number of innovations which proved beneficial to patients. Innovation would be limited if control was exerted solely by a central body.

janeainsworth

Caleo
However Big Pharma has the NHS in its pocket due to creeping privatisation of the NHS
The NHS provides over 90% of healthcare in the U.K., funded by the government.
So I think it’s the other way round - having almost a monopoly, the NHS is in a position to get advantageous prices from the drug companies. Always assuming of course that those in charge of procurement are acting in the NHS’ interests and not their own.

Acting in their own interests is precisely what creeping privatisation of the NHS is causing

A centralised truly nationalised NHS would be centrally controlled as to the pharmacopeia available. And in other important respects such as communications.

Cariadagain
I've been following that pretty closely - and from what Kate Shemirani says = one of the things they did to her daughter was the adrenaline her daughter and her had both decided against and yet they used a noticeable amount of it. From what I read - that alone can kill people

Of course adrenaline can kill people. It has also saved many lives.

Kate Shemirani was removed from the Nursing & midwifery Council Register in 2021 for spreading dangerous misinformation about the Covid vaccines.
So I wouldn’t believe a word she says.
I’m more inclined to believe Paloma’s brothers’ and the mainstream media’s version, that Kate brainwashed her daughter against having the conventional treatment which could have saved her life.

Caleo
However Big Pharma has the NHS in its pocket due to creeping privatisation of the NHS
The NHS provides over 90% of healthcare in the U.K., funded by the government.
So I think it’s the other way round - having almost a monopoly, the NHS is in a position to get advantageous prices from the drug companies. Always assuming of course that those in charge of procurement are acting in the NHS’ interests and not their own.

My daughter aged about 3 developed Chicken Pox - very quickly.
Had a friend who had a Health Shop and she suggested Pulsatilla. Gave it to her in grains and the next day there was no temperature, just the spots which fell off, the chicken pox didn’t develop.

janeainsworth

Caleo
Big Pharma is on to anything for a profit

And you think the companies which manufacture herbal remedies aren’t?

Right you are However Big Pharma has the NHS in its pocket due to creeping privatisation of the NHS.

I once had a GP who practiced general medicine but was also a homeopath. He gave me homeopathic medicine to help with the sore throats I was getting frequently rather than antibiotics and I have never had a bad sore throat since. I think they can work but you need to go to a trained practitioner - not wander into Holland and Barrett and pick something up.

janeainsworth

And this is what can happen when you think alternative medicine is better than mainstream medicine www.theguardian.com/society/2025/oct/02/paloma-shemirani-cancer-inquest-mother-kate-shemirani?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

As Tim Minchin famously said
‘If alternative medicine worked, it wouldn’t be alternative. It would be mainstream.’

I've been following that pretty closely - and from what Kate Shemirani says = one of the things they did to her daughter was the adrenaline her daughter and her had both decided against and yet they used a noticeable amount of it. From what I read - that alone can kill people.

Ultimately - it was crystal clear her daughter had stated exactly how she wished things to be for her care - and they went against a lot of what she'd said! Her body = her choice.

She certainly wasnt an airhead - and was obviously an intelligent woman. So it was entirely up to her what they did and didn't do and she told them clearly - but they ignored her own wishes for her own body!

gwyneth28

When I started nurse training 50 years ago (good grief 😳) I was told B.P. if the top number is 100 plus the age of the patient was good and the lower number had to be under 100, a lot has changed since then.

Interested to know what they said as to why they changed that - ie genuine research had shown they needed to or drug companies said they needed to?

Were people okay with their blood pressure at the old readings? etc

At 72 years old = 172 for my first reading would mean "Yep....my blood pressure is fine" - whereas they're telling me "Eeek at the sort of levels you're getting - you've gotta take Big Pharma's drugs or you're gonna have a heart attack". Cue for me telling them "I'm not that bothered about a heart attack - few minutes and I'll be gone...safely home in Heaven and breaking out the virtual champagne at my "Welcome Home" party. No big deal".

Having failed on that tack they then come out with "Ah....but ah....you might have a stroke instead".

It feels like they're threatening me with "summat or other" unless I help keep Big Pharma in business. Considering just what Big Pharma has been doing the last few years = "Well I didnt trust them anyway re my welfare and I know exactly how concerned they aren't with that since 2020".

One of my most recent medical conversations was "I'm not going to let you jab me with That Jab anyway - but, outa interest, if I was going to let you = which one would you use for me?" Yep.....got it in one....ie the one that I believe has since been stopped because of all the heart attacks it caused - and I make it plain to all medical people right from the start that I'm from a very heavy-duty heart attack family indeed. Astra-Zeneca - that's the one I'd probably have died from by now...and would have saved the State quite a bit on my pension money they have to pay me...because I'm still alive.

I know 2 people(not related to each other) very well who both have dangerously high BP. They are both thin and fit with healthy diets. There can be genetic factors and other health issues which cause it. Diet and exercise are certainly good things, but aren’t always the whole solution

Caleo
Big Pharma is on to anything for a profit

And you think the companies which manufacture herbal remedies aren’t?

Jane Ainsworth quoted Tim Minchin.

Maybe Jane underestimates the economic influence of big Pharma on NHS prescribing.

There may be a trend to medicalise herbal remedies. Big Pharma is on to anything for a profit.

I take prescribed senna tabs from time to time, Recently the tabs have lacked the pleasant flavour of the herb presumably to disguise the fact that senna is a herb.