homeopathic

has any ds'rs used homeopathic supplements post surgery? any research concerning? there a a few in my family that are diehards and due to me being ill, wanted me to explore it as an option. i know nothing about homeopathic medicines. thanks.

It seems to me that the wonderful people here have given you tons of great advice and provided names of the best resources for your "illness", which has been brought on not by acute disease but rather by simple lack of vitamins, minerals, and/or proteins. With all due respect to your relatives, they know even less about the nutritional needs of someone with the DS than the surgeon who got you into this mess with inadequate advice.

Homeopathic "doctors" do not go to real medical schools and are not real doctors. The treatments they recommend are not scientifically tested or evidence based. The medical profession does not regard them as doctors, but rather as quacks, for lack of a better term. The last thing you need is a non-expert providing you with untested treatments that probably aren't of any benefit even for a normal person, let alone someone with medically induced malabsorption and resultant nutritional deficiencies. While the treatments they recommend may be harmless for others (not always!) that is about the best you can say about them. And for someone with a real problem who needs accurate nutritional advice  for a very specific condition, homeopathy is more likely to be harmful by making you think you are working towards better health when you aren't, thus getting you further into the hole.

I'm sure your relatives mean well. And they are not alone, lots of people reject science and spend plenty of money on homeopathic and other non-scientific "treatments". But you're already come to a group of people who live with the same malabsorption you live with and who have learned what is needed to stay healthy. What more do you want?

Larra

ty for the reply! you helped me form my family speech. although they have good intentions, they clearly have no clue. i didnt mean to sound unappreciatve for all the helpful support from this forum! was i? if so, i apologize! i am more than thankful for the vast amount of information i have received from here. i have to organize this in steps...otherwise i get overwhemed. i am so stinking sick i have little energy and a limited budget but for now my main goal is today is to get the right kind of protein drink someone recommended a whey protein isolate, so i am going to costco after my hematologist appt to get some and triple the dose. step 2 is to work to purchase vitalady. vits. (i am using up my calcuim.d3 a n d since they are all dry then gradually switch over. i will get my labs before the end of the week and i am curious to see if my numbers are as bad as my gastro dr. who knows very little about ds thinks they are. i will make appt with ds surgeon after my labs. i want to find out my surgical report, length of my common channel and chastise him for misleading me by not recommending the correct dietary supplements. from there, my plan is to work with these wonderful people on the forum sharing/comparing labs and getting on a superior vitamin/supp regimine custom to my needs. 

Be prepared for resistance with your DS surgeon.  I can almost guarantee that he will not "get it" and will chastise you for listening to people on the web.  Surgeons know how to cut and that can sometimes be it.  But, go for it, if you are up for the challenge.

I do not know if Costco has the protein, but Walmart has a brand-Body Fortress-that is reasonably priced.  I order protein on line but that will take days to get.  You need to start ASAP.  Also, check out GNC and Vitamin World, not sure about Target.

No apology needed! My concern was that you would go off in a dozen directions and end up worse off than you are now.

Another possible source of protein is Trader Joe's, if you have one handy. They have canned liquid protein drinks with 35 gm protein in 11 oz. Now, this is not gourmet stuff, but it's drinkable. A friend with the DS turned me on to mixing in just a little milk and heating the stuff in the microwave - tastes like hot chocolate (again not gourmet, but it improves it considerably). Don't boil or heat too much as that would break down the protein.

On the subject of your surgeon, I agree that knowing your common channel length would be good, but doubt that chastising him will accomplish much of anything. Still, you never know.

Larra

I would NOT chastise my surgeon. For one thing, it won't do any good, and for another, it might just make him even more resistant to the idea that you need something he's not been giving you. (*grin*) But getting your surgical report is a very good idea.

Larra VERY well put!

I agree whole heartedly!

 

Costco's premier protein drink is the only one I can tolerate. I especially like their premixed chocolate.

I also really like the Premier protein ready to drink protein. They sell it both at Costco and SAMs club. It's low in carbs and has 30 gm of protein per drink. I like the flavor of both the vanilla and chocolate.