Skeptical of alternative medicine, I took a leap on Chinese tonics and paid the price – opinion

The author, initially skeptical of alternative medicine, decided to try Chinese herbal tonics for mounting medical issues, despite previous mixed experiences with acupuncture and homeopathy. After finding a Tel Aviv specialist who tested tonics at Sheba Medical Center, the author began taking two mushroom and berry-based concoctions. However, monthly blood work at Hadassah revealed alarmingly high liver enzymes. The herbalist advised, "Stop the tonics immediately! They can affect the liver!" This led to the discovery of gallstones, with one lodged in the common bile duct, causing infection and fever, which was subsequently removed via ERCP. The author endured multiple hospitalizations for related issues, including a small bowel obstruction, and concluded, "I'm never returning to that Chinese medicine doctor. It's Western medicine all the way forward now, baby."