Prescription Alternatives (Paperback)

~ (Author), Earl L. Phd. Mindell (Author), Virginia Hopkins (Author) "WHAT DO YOU WANT when you go to an M.D.?..." (more)
Key Phrases: drug information insert, taking these types, drug treadmill, North America, South Pacific, Warner Books (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Each year, 140,000 Americans die from the adverse effects of prescription drug use, and 938,000 Americans are "injured" due to prescription and dispensing errors. Eleven million people are abusing prescription drugs. Drug companies are forming "alliances" with HMOs to control the drugs you take, often at the expense of simpler, cheaper, and healthier lifestyle changes. No wonder alternative-medicine crusader Earl Mindell, author of Earl Mindell's Vitamin Bible and Earl Mindell's Herb Bible, wants you to inform yourself and take control of your treatment. "Physicians ... are trained to diagnose a disease and find a pill to treat it with," he says. It's up to us, the patients, to investigate the potential side effects of our prescription drugs and alternatives to taking them.

Prescription Alternatives is a layperson's crash course in prescription drugs and alternative treatments, such as dietary changes and nutritional supplements. Mindell covers drug interactions, how to read labels and inserts, and how to avoid abuse. He discusses prescription drugs and alternative treatments in detail for heart disease, digestive diseases, respiratory illnesses, pain relief, infections, sleep disorders, depression, diabetes, eye diseases, prostate enlargement, hormone replacement, osteoporosis, and herpes. This is information you won't get from your HMO--and in this case, what you don't know can hurt you. --Joan Price

Product Description

A respected nutritionist describes hundreds of natural remedies that can replace conventional drug treatments safely and often more effectively.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 551 pages
• Publisher: Keats Pub (June 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087983790X
• ISBN-13: 978-0879837907
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #839,560 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prescription Alternatives, Second Edition, November 28, 2002

By	Cassandra Barnes "Cassandra" (California) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Prescription Alternatives : Hundreds of Safe, Natural, Prescription-Free Remedies to Restore & Maintain Your Health (Paperback)

Purchasing Prescription Alternatives, Second Edition, by Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D. and Virginia Hopkins, M.A., may just be the best investment you can make in your health.
Drug companies spend more than a billion dollars each year on advertising. They sponsor talks in medical schools, providing free meals and medical supplies to students. They also fund most of the medical research going on today and keep doctors' offices supplied with "free" samples. Between drug companies and the pressures put doctors by HMO's, it's no wonder that most people who go to see a doctor walk away with a prescription to be filled.
Sometimes those prescriptions are essential, particularly in the cases of sudden, acute illnesses. But often they do more harm than good. Mindell and Hopkins's goal is to "teach you how to be a knowledgeable and conservative drug user, who knows how to ask the right questions and get the necessary information to stay healthy."
They explain that nearly one million people are "injured" by drugs every year, and "at least 11 million people are abusing prescription drugs." They caution that having FDA approval doesn't mean a drug is safe, reminding readers that "those FDA-approved drugs are killing at least 140,000 people a year, just in hospitals."
The bulk of the book is a detailed listing of hundreds of drugs prescribed every day, including those for heart disease, digestive disorders, asthma and allergies, pain relief, diabetes, insomnia, prostate problems, osteoporosis, eye diseases, and herpes. They also include antibiotics, antifungals, and synthetic hormones.
Mindell and Hopkins start with a description of the disease or ailment and its causes and effects on the body. They then explain how it could be prevented in the first place, making their book useful also for people who are currently healthy. Following that is a list of the drugs that can be prescribed, using both the brand names and generic names. An explanation of how each drug works in the body comes next, along with information on side effects. They then discuss all the interactions each drug has with other drugs, with nutritional supplements, and food. Lastly, they provide information on natural alternatives.
"You absolutely cannot count on the FDA, the drug company, your physician or your pharmacist to keep you safe from dangerous drugs and their interactions," say Mindell and Hopkins. Prescription Alternatives will give readers all the information they need to make wise choices about which, if any, drug is best for them, as well as helping them avoid the adverse consequences that can result from simple human error in obtaining and using prescription drugs.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A way around prescription drugs. Eye-opening!, June 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Prescription Alternatives : Hundreds of Safe, Natural, Prescription-Free Remedies to Restore & Maintain Your Health (Paperback)

This is an easy to read book on natural alternatives to over the counter and prescription drugs. Particular attention is paid to the hazards of drug interaction which can lead to poor health. (The "cure" being worse than the disease.....). The book is well organized, with a good index. Drugs are profiled by type, covering the gamut from NSAIDS to Narcotics. Each drug is discussed. The author tells you: what the drug does in your body, what conditions it is prescribe for, side effects, when you should NOT take the drug, and interactions with other drugs and food. If you must take a drug, the author offers information on supplements that balance out or minimize the potential damage to your body. And of course, the natural alternative to taking pharmaceuticals - specific, herbs, vitamins and minerals, and diet, are given. The author does sermonize from time to time, but this is a minor flaw in an otherwise excellent book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT RESOURCE BOOK, June 24, 1998

By	[e-mail] (Olympia, WASH) - See all my reviews

This book will probably become a BEST SELLER, just like the VITAMIN BIBLE and all of Dr. Mindell's other nutrition books. This book is well written and offers the most updated nutritional products on the market. Well researched. I use Dr. Mindell's formulated nutritional products distributed thru Freelife, and this book answers questions I've had but never asked. Everything he discusses in his book has been well researched and he always lists his references. EXCELLENT