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

Brian Blum, a cancer survivor, recounts his experience with Chinese herbal tonics that led to a hospital stay. After taking the tonics, his liver enzymes spiked, and an ultrasound revealed a gallstone requiring ERCP. He spent 10 days at Hadassah on IV antibiotics and later had a small bowel obstruction. He concludes he will stick with Western medicine.

Brian Blum, a cancer survivor, describes his decision to try Chinese herbal tonics after years of skepticism. He consulted a Tel Aviv specialist who tested his tonics at Sheba Medical Center. The tonics, containing mushrooms and berries, caused his liver enzymes to spike. His hematologist advised stopping them, and the herbalist acknowledged the risk. An ultrasound revealed a gallstone lodged in his bile duct, requiring an ERCP procedure. He spent 10 days at Hadassah Medical Center on IV antibiotics. A month later, he was re-hospitalized for a small bowel obstruction. Blum reflects on the serendipitous discovery of the gallstone, similar to his cancer diagnosis in 2018. He concludes he will no longer use alternative medicine.