Comments on: Coptis detoxifying formula in NYC?

Question: Coptis detoxifying formula in NYC?

spaghetti — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 05:44:30 -0800

Where in NYC can I buy coptis detoxifying formula? What are some other alternative treatments for colitis?

By: anapurna

anapurna — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 06:05:37 -0800

I am an acupuncturist and herbalist who works in New York City.

Coptis Detoxifying Formula is a brand name for a Chinese Herbal Formula called Huang Lian Jie Du Tang you can get patent versions of it in Chinatown - Plumflower or Stork are good brands. Kamwo Herbs and Tea are a good herb shop. They are on Grand street between Mott and Elizabeth 212 966 6370.

However these patent formulas in pill form tend not to be very strong and I'm not sure how effective they would be to treat colitis. In Chinese medicine colitis can have a number of etiologies so you would probably be better served by seeing a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist and getting a Chinese medical diagnosis and a custom made herbal formula.

By: rxrfrx

rxrfrx — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 06:19:36 -0800

For anyone else who's curious, the internet says anapurna's forumula contains:

Rhizoma coptidis (goldenseal)
Radix scutellariae
Cortex phellodendri (phellodendron bark)
Gardenia jasminoidis (cape jasmine fruit)

By: Mayor Curley

Mayor Curley — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 06:33:06 -0800

I feel your pain. Or rather, I felt it over the weekend.

What are some other alternative treatments for colitis?

Psyllium and yogurt. And you'll be so sick of fiber supplements and Breyer's that the moderate improvement won't be worth it

Plenty of exercise and no commercially-prepared food. This is the only thing that largely works, but it's a lot more effort than just paying someone for herbs.

But your chosen method of treatment will appear to work a little bit if you really want it to.

By: spaghetti

spaghetti — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 06:50:33 -0800

What could I expect to pay to see an acupuncturist?

By: pracowity

pracowity — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 07:10:30 -0800

What are some other alternative treatments for colitis?

I have read that "Fifty-two percent of the colitis patients treated with placebo in 11 different trials reported feeling better -- and 50 percent of the inflamed intestines actually looked better when assessed with a sigmoidoscope" -- apparently, if you believe in a colitis treatment, even if it's just a sugar pill, you're half the way to feeling better and being observably better.

So if you have doubts about a treatment, you may have reduced success with it. I, for example, would have little faith in Chinese herbs or needles unless that exact treatment could be shown to significantly, measurably outperform a placebo in several tests run by scientists who don't necessarily have much faith or vested interest in such treatments.

And regardless of your choice of medicine, the success of placebos suggests to me that your mood may play a large role in how your colitis is going, and that you might do well to look for non-medical ways to improve your mood, your positive attitude, your feeling of becoming healthier. How's that for an alternative?

By: anapurna

anapurna — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 07:54:38 -0800

If you want to see an acupuncturist in NYC you can expect to pay anything from $35 to be treated by a supervised student at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (212) 982-4600 to $115 for a consultation with an experienced licensed acupuncturist. I charge $95 but am booked up well ahead so not very useful to you I'm afraid. E-mail me if you want a recommendation.