instead of prednisone

[Guest guest]

just interesting....

WHEN THE CURE IS WORSE THAN THE DISEASE

Some drugs cause more trouble than the diseases

they're meant to heal.

This is often said about prednisone, the

corticosteroid used to treat a variety of inflammatory

ailments -- arthritis, asthma, colitis and some

cancers -- and to prevent rejection of transplanted

organs. Its nasty side effects -- from a swollen " moon

face " to increased infections -- are legendary. But

what many people don't know is that there's a

medicinal mushroom called reishi (Ganoderma lucidum)

that could, in some cases, do as good a job without

wreaking havoc on the body.

Reishi, known in China as an " elixir of immortality, "

has been used for more than 3,000 years to rev up the

immune system and heal chronic inflammatory

conditions. Dozens of preliminary studies support its

anti-inflammatory properties. One Chinese study found

that of the more than 2,000 people with chronic

bronchitis who took reishi syrup for two weeks, 60% to

90% said they felt better.

The best part? Its side effects are as minimal as

those you might have from taking a placebo. " I can

guarantee that the side effects, if any, will be less

than one-quarter of those you might have with

prednisone -- and the cost is less than one-quarter

that of a drug prescription, " says herbalist and

botanist Hobbs, LAc.

Hobbs, who has written many books on alternative

therapies, including Herbal Remedies for Dummies

(Wiley), acknowledges that prednisone has its place.

" For short-term life-threatening conditions, it may

save your life, " he says, noting that his friend

recently benefited from the drug when he experienced a

flare-up of irritable bowel syndrome. " But if you have

an ongoing inflammatory condition, reishi may be the

best first line of treatment. "

YOUR BODY'S CHEMISTRY

Prednisone is a poor long-term solution because it

stops inflammation by literally shutting down immune

function -- and an operational immune system is not

something you want to live without for too long. " We

need to be able to modulate inflammation because it

allows immune cells to come in and fight infections as

necessary, " Hobbs says. " With prednisone, you're

impacting the body's ability to do its job. " The drug

also causes severe water retention, affects your

adrenal hormones, changes your insulin balance and can

trigger insomnia, anxiety and depression.

Reishi, by contrast, works slowly with your immune

system, to reduce abnormal inflammation. Reishi also

has an antistress effect, earning it the nickname

" calming the spirit. "

If your doctor prescribes prednisone and it's not a

life-or-death situation, you might discuss trying

reishi first. It is available in health-food stores,

in powder form, as well as capsules and tablets.

Caution: Do not take immune-boosting supplements if

you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or other

autoimmune diseases. Reishi also should be used with

caution in individuals with a history of bleeding or

those on anticoagulants.

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