The three of us are taking vitamin C everyday and yet our cough is on and off since last month. Maybe it is because of the drastic change in weather or it is true that viruses now have higher mutation rates and can adapt to changing environment quite well. I do not know really. All I know is we are beginning to be dependent on cough medicines. We are not very keen on taking medicines but when we cannot get a good night sleep because of the nagging cough, itchy throat and pounding headache, we do not have much choice, do we?
Because my daughter is just eight years old, I am very cautious on what medicines to give her. Whenever she has cough, I first try “oregano”, a herbal plant that is believed to have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antiviral properties. Believe it or not, it is effective but only on common cough and colds. If my daughter’s cough is acute or with phlegm, I give her Plemex or Mucosolvan. As for Rhonnel and I, herbal medicines are not effective so we rely on either Robitussin or Solmux capsules.
There are now many cough medicines out in the market and I can see their advertisements on TV everyday. These advertisements are so powerful that most people are encouraged to use what they often see on TV. Do these advertisements affect my choice of cough medicine? Honestly, because each one claims that it is better than the other, I am confused as to what really the best cough medicine is not to mention the opinions of my mother-in-law and few friends that herbal medicines are much better.
These cough medicines are claiming that they are effective, safe and fast in dealing with cough. Well, they are medicines which are intended to cure then it is just right for them to be effective and relieve cough as what we are expecting and paying for but I doubt the faster relief and safety claims. More often than not, it takes 5 days before the medicine works and I believe that all of them have side effects one way or another.
I understand that companies need to develop creative campaigns in order to obtain consumers attentions and this is beneficial to consumers because increasing competition among companies boosts the intensity of price competition resulting to lower prices of cough medicines. However, advertisements should be truthful and non-deceptive. Some cough medicines are attacking herbal-based medicines because more people are using them due to the reviving interest of its medicinal values and I do not think it is fair.
Well, at the end of the day, it is still our choice whether to use synthetic or herbal medicine. For common colds, herbal medicine would be the best choice for me but if it is a chronic case, then the synthetic ones could be opted for.
One reply on “Synthetic versus Herbal Medicine”
Hi Rossel! When my Matt was younger I used to give him herbs as meds esp for his cough coz I’m afraid of the side effects that cough medicines could give, esp if its taken most often…Thank God coz for almost 3 years now hindi na talaga siya nagkakasakit except for occasional coughs that would often go away w/in 2 days…I just give him Vit C and B Complex.
And also, medicines nowadays are really expensive esp the branded ones 🙁