There's nothing like Dr Weil to clear my head and put me on the right track to healthy living.

I have read Dr Andrew Weil's books over the years for advice on healthy living and eating. Quite possibly as a result, I currently take no prescription drugs on a regular basis but my husband takes several. When I saw Dr Weil's latest book on medications was available for request on NetGalley, I jumped at the opportunity to educate both of us about the drugs that are frequently prescribed and their side effects. Great information for making informed choices! Many thanks to Dr Weil, the publisher and NetGalley for granting my request.

Too Many Meds: The Problem--and the Solution

1. Antibiotics: Overuse has contributed to drug-resistant 'superbug' bacteria.

Synopsis of advice: Reserve antibiotics for treatment of severe bacterial infections. Chose organic foods or those certified free of antibiotics. Build natural immunities through adequate exercise, rest, etc. Try using natural products for minor infections.

2. Statins: "Medication alone affords only limited protection against heart disease." There should be equal emphasis on lifestyle changes.

3. Medications for GERD: "Addressing the root causes of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) with lifestyle changes and safe and effective alternative remedies is a much better approach." Dr Weil gives several suggestions in this chapter.

I was very interested in this information because my husband takes medication for acid reflux with mixed results.

4. Antihistamines: "Like other long-term suppressive medications, they tend to perpetuate the problem they are meant to treat." Dr Weil suggests some integrative medicine approaches to try.

5. Medications for the Common Cold and Flu: Consider using herbal remedies and supplements that he suggests rather than OTC medications which may have adverse side effects. And NEVER pressure your doctor for antibiotics for cold and flu symptoms which are viral and not bacterial infections.

6. Sleep Aids: Be wary of all these medications. Dr Weil has some integrative medicine approaches to manage insomnia instead.

7. Steroids: "Save these powerful drugs for serious medical conditions and try to wean off them once improvement occurs by instituting other measures to keep symptoms at bay."

8. Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs): These OTC pain relievers are NOT perfectly safe, and Dr Weil has some suggestions for other ways to relieve pain.

9. Psychiatric Medications for Adults: Big Pharma spends some big money on advertising for these types of drugs. Dr Weil feels they should not be used 'as first-line interventions for the most common mental/emotional health problems' and has some alternative suggestions for managing mood disorders.

10. Psychiatric Medications for Children and Adolescents: "Investment in the well-being of children is key to the future of our world. We are doing a vast experiment with our children in maintaining so many of them on psychiatric medications."

11. Medications for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): "ADHD is highly over diagnosed. Children with learning or behavioral difficulties should be carefully evaluated before being labeled with the disorder. For those who do have ADHD, medication can be a viable option but should be just one component of an integrative treatment plan."

12. Opioids and the Treatment of Chronic Pain: "Chronic pain is fundamentally different from acute pain and cannot be managed successfully with medication alone." Dr Weil has several recommendations for an integrative medicine approach to chronic pain, such as: exercise, acupuncture and manipulative therapies, along with standard drug treatments.

13. Antihypertensive drugs: Dr Weil discusses the drugs used to treat hypertension, then lists some ways to try to control blood pressure through diet, exercise, relaxation techniques and supplements.

14. Medications for Diabetes: "Medications for diabetes will always be needed, but they bring with them a burden of side effects and cost that could be avoided with appropriate changes in lifestyle."

15. Medications for Osteopenia and Other Preconditions: "Our health care system has a pill for every ill. Drugs are prescribed for full-blown diseases as well as for conditions that are not yet diseases but might, or might not, someday become them."

16. Overmedication of Children: "The prevalence of medication use in children, along with the unpredictability of individual response and high risk of overdose, add up to powerful argument for the role of integrative medicine in young patients."

17. Overmedication of the Elderly: "Too many older people are on too many medications, putting them at risk for serious adverse reactions and drug interactions. If you have an elderly relative or friend on multiple medications, urge that person to consult a pharmacist for a medication therapy management review."

18. Over-Reliance on Medications: a Pharmacist's View--
"It is important for every patient who is on five or more drugs to have an MTM (see above) session with a pharmacist, because the risk of an adverse drug reaction or drug interaction goes up exponentially when more than that number are prescribed. It is imperative for patients over the age of sixty-five to have this done." Include any OTC meds or supplements you may be taking when you see the pharmacist for consultation.

Last words: this section is a wrap-up of why Dr Weil feels that it is in everyone's interest to reduce overmedication in our society.

Resources: This section gives a link to help find an Integrative Health Professional in your area, his website, and other books and sources.

I would also recommend various videos by Dr Weil which are available on youtube. The more you know, the better choices you can make.

Every day we see countless advertisements for medications. We go to the doctor and expect that we will leave with a prescription that will make us better. But do all of these drugs really make us better? Dr. Andrew Weil in Mind Over Meds helps readers make informed decisions on medication use.


Mind Over Meds goes through most of the commonly prescribed medications in the United States: antibiotics, statins, medicine for Gerd, antihistamines, cold/flu medicines, sleep aids, steroids, psych medicines for adults and children, and several other categories of popularly used medications both over-the-counter and prescribed. Dr. Weil also has writes chapter on over-medication for children and over-medication for the elderly. The last chapter covers medications with a pharmacist, whom Dr. Weil says is an underutilized medical person in the management of medications. All of these chapters were written with other medical personnel who specialize in these areas since Dr. Weil says he is not an expert in each of these areas.


Mind Over Meds could be used as a reference book by reading just the areas that apply to the reader's situation or it could be read straight through like I did. I learned a lot by reading this book and I know I will also use it as a reference book based on that knowledge.


I'm not one that likes to take medications but I think there are times it is necessary to do so. I am also an Andrew Weil fan having read most of his books and followed his anti-inflammatory diet. I like that he is an integretive medicine doctor and works with patients from a holistic perspective and I wish more doctors followed this model. I found Mind Over Meds to be quite interesting. I like that Dr. Weil writes in layman's terms and his books are easy to understand and apply. I would recommend this book to every one to have as a reference and to make informed choices should the need arise either in your own situation or to help your children or elderly parents.


I read an advance reader's edition of Mind Over Meds through Net Galley and Little and Brown publishers. I also purchased a hard copy of this book to keep for future reference.

This book has a very simple message – medications are being over-prescribed by doctors and the patients are suffering for it. Not only are doctors handing out too many prescriptions but patients are expecting it and don’t feel they’ve gotten their money’s worth if they walk out of the doctor’s office without a prescription in their hands. Dr. Weil uses stories of real-life patients to stress his points. He covers such diseases as diabetes and hypertension and how meds are being given too freely to mask chronic pain without getting to the source of the pain. He details what doctors are being taught, what they’re prescribing, the effects on the body of those prescriptions and how often change of diet and life style can do so much more than a pill can. There are also chapters on over-medication of children and the elderly.

I’ve always been an admirer of Dr. Weil and have several of his books. This one will be often referenced in the future as health issues arise. It’s a strong endorsement of alternative medicine. Dr. Weil makes a wonderful point that I, too, long for when he says that someday alternative medicine will no longer be called such as it will be the only medicine being used and there will be nothing alternative about it.

Highly recommended.

This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.

A thorough examination of medications which are commonly prescribed—both how they should be used to best advantage and how many are over-prescribed. Weil and his colleagues present an excellent and useful overview of antibiotics, statins, medications for GERD, sleep aids, steroids, NSAIDS, psychiatric drugs for both children and adults, ADHD drugs, opioids, and drugs for diabetes, hypertension, and osteopenia. Other helpful chapters cover over-medication of both children and the elderly. Written in easily understood language, this book is highly recommended for all readers.

This book is another great example of Dr. Andrew Weil’s books. I have read every one of Dr. Andy Weil’s self-healing books. I love his advice, wisdom and expertise on every subject he writes about. In this book he goes into detail of alternative treatments to use instead of taking the prescribed medication. So many good alternative treatments to some of the most common ailments and diseases. Highly recommend this reference book that you will end up using over and over or passing onto someone with one of the listed aliments.