On Jan 7, 2008, at 2:00 AM, Debra wrote:

>I use herbs mostley than prescription drugs. I've shared my herbal
>information and experiances using herbs with others privately and
>publically on many yahoo bourds only to be slammed, flammed and
>threatened

I sympathize. My sister is the doctor in charge of clinical trials at a
major drug company. There is considerably less difference between herbs
and drugs than most people think.

To make a new drug, you:
a. take an herbal remedy
b. check to see that it has some effect
c. analyze the snot out of it to figure out which chemical component
   has the greatest effect
d. isolate that chemical
e. patent that chemical
f. see if the chemical is effective in clinical trials - if not, is
   it good for anything else?
g. publish, get approvals, and market the drug.

Note that when you take a chemical out of context, it may have
different effects. It may also be more dangerous. Chewing coca leaves
is a mild stimulant, rather like drinking espresso, but purify the
chemical into cocaine or crack and you have a deadly drug. (The same
is true of caffeine; we happily drink coffee or tea, or eat chocolate,
yet pure caffeine can be a deadly drug).

Generally, amounts of chemicals in herbs are smaller, or buffered with
other substances, so that herbs have a reputation for being safer. But
it is a mistake to assume that herbs are harmless. If they have enough
chemical to be effective in a positive manner, there is also potential
for that effectiveness to be negative.

Pharmaceuticals have been intensively studied, so that we have a pretty
good idea of their effectiveness (for their intended use) and their
side effects. Herbs generally have not been tested the same way. That
doesn't mean they don't work. In fact, they may work better with fewer
side effects, because of synergistic or buffering compounds also
present. (Think of a cup of coffee, versus a No-Doz) However, herbs
are erratic; their drug content and effectiveness will vary a lot,
depending on where the herb was grown and how it was stored or
prepared.

That is a valid argument against herbs, that you never know exactly
what you are getting or how effective it will be. There is a lack of
regulation. That's where you have to do your homework. But frankly,
many drugs are used in situations they were not tested for. Clinical
trials are expensive. Some doctor tries a drug in a new situation; it
seems to work. The word spreads, and the new use eventually becomes
accepted as part of a protocol. But it may never undergo clinical
testing for the new use. So while the drug is regulated and undergoes
quality control, its use in this new situation is not necessarily more
authoritative than the 'unscientific' observations of generations of
herbalists. The drug is really back with the herbal remedies at step
a. or b. of the drug development cycle. Especially since so few of the
drugs we use on ferrets have actually undergone clinical testing on
ferrets for ferret ailments.

Debra, I especially like that you said that "I will suggest a
particular herb but will ask them to discuss the herbal treatment first
with their vet before trying it to make sure it will not cause an
adverse effect with the medications their ferret may already be on."
People so often forget -- herbs ARE drugs, and there is a possiblity of
interaction. It sounds like you are taking a very responsible approach.

--Claire

[Posted in FML 5845]