Blog

The products people forget are often the ones that matter. Build a full list, bring your granule bottles and update Christine whenever another clinician changes a medicine.

The products people forget

Ask most people what they take and they will name their prescription tablets straight away. The supermarket herbal tea, the protein powder after the gym, the magnesium tablet used now and then or last month’s cold remedy often slip through. Yet these are exactly the details that make a herbal conversation specific.

Dr Christine Shen, Acupuncturist, asks about everything you use before suggesting herbal medicine in her Lane Cove consulting room. An accurate list saves time and means any advice takes your whole routine into account, not just the parts you happened to remember on the day.

Building your list at home

• Product names, ideally with photos of the labels or the containers themselves.
• How often you take each one, even roughly, including things used only occasionally.
• Medicines started by your GP, another doctor or a pharmacist.
• Products bought online or overseas, and anything you stopped since your last visit.

Because Christine’s herbal medicine comes as granules in bottles, bring those bottles too, or their exact product details, so the discussion concerns the real preparations rather than a general description.

Natural does not mean compatible

Two products described as natural are not automatically safe together. Ask Christine before adding anything new, and let your GP or pharmacist know about the granules as well. Sharing information openly helps everyone involved in your care see the full picture.

After a formula is prescribed

Keep the product name, written directions and review arrangements with the original bottle. If another clinician changes a medicine, tell Christine rather than assuming the earlier herbal plan still applies. If a symptom appears and you are unsure whether it is related, check with her instead of tinkering with the dose.

A habit worth keeping

Store your list on your phone and update it whenever something changes. Bringing the latest version to each Lane Cove appointment, and to your GP visits too, keeps every conversation about herbs and medicines grounded in what you actually use. Family members who help an older relative manage medicines may find the same list just as handy.