Alternative medicine: Are you being honest with your doctor?

When I went to a trainer this summer to learn about a holistic breathing method thought to improve asthma symptoms, I didn't tell my allergist. I was worried he'd dismiss it with a wave of his hand, and I wanted to learn the method with an open mind. More importantly, I was worried I'd lose him as a physician. I rationalized that because I wasn't changing my medications or treatment plan, it wasn't important. But looking back, I think the honest thing to do would have been to tell him. After all, I expect him to be honest and up front with me.

It turns out, I'm not alone. Over one third of Americans are turning to natural and holistic medicine to cure what ails them, but many of those patients are keeping mum when it comes to telling their Western doctors. Fearing that their physicians will be angry with them or will drop them as patients, they carry on a relationship with both practitioners. You don't have to have a medical degree to realize this could be dangerous.

I can understand why people do it. I did it, after all. If you have an old-fashioned doctor or one who doesn't believe in alternative medicine, you're likely not to get much support. Try to remember, however, that in the doctor-patient relationship, you're the customer. Honesty is the best and safest policy for getting the combination of treatments -- be they alternative or Western -- that you need.