A friendly reminder to anyone considering herbal medications, and things to remember.
Purity of the product - is it natural, as labeled?
Effect - WILL it do for you what it claims?
Strength - dosing - vs. money spent, how many do you have to take every day?
Allergies - hayfever sufferers shouldn't mess with herbs.
Side effects - one comes readily to mind - St. John's Wort and photosensitivity (reaction to bright light). Of course, each one could have other side effects depending on the user and the herb.
Interaction - some herbal medications have the same reactions with chemicals in other forms. Any herbal that claims antidepressant properties, for example, don't mix well with drugs that tell you to watch for MAOI mixes/side effects. And there's a whole list of things you can't eat when on such a drug; the same might apply to the herb. Been there, done that. Wasn't fun.
Effect vs. time - drugs such as Androcur or DepoProvera work faster, and usually prove out to be cheaper in the long run.
Just be careful, if you want to try.
