Most people take some type of over-the-counter medication. Many people are interested in natural treatments. We can recommend natural options to treat a variety of health conditions. Natural medicines can be prescription or over-the-counter. This can include bio-idential hormones, supplements, creams, vitamins, herbs, and minerals. Although these medications can be effective, everything “natural” is not necessarily safe or effective. Over-the-counter medications are not closely regulated by the FDA and so the dosages, ingredients, and effectiveness can vary depending on the brand/manufacturer. There are also medications that are often not broken down and absorbed, so they would not be effective. There are medications that can interact with or interfere with prescriptions medications. There are also over-the-counter medications that can have unwanted and potentially side effects. We encourage all patients to bring all supplements, herbs, and medications in to review with the doctor for effectiveness and safety. We can make recommendations based on safety and effectiveness. There are several web sites that independently review the evidence of effectiveness of over-the-counter medications as well as the safety, dosage, and ingredients of all the available brands offered. These web sites are subscription based but are excellent and reliable. At the office we also can review your medications and offer written material of safe and effective brands. This is important since there are herbs, supplements and topicals which can be contaminated. Natural remedies can be helpful but it is important to evaluate these since safety and effectiveness are of vital importance.