Once again NPR's Dr Zorba is handing out crazy advice. He just suggested Neurontin (he called it gabapentin using the generic name) for sleep.
I hope the fellow that called in for the advice does more research on the problems with gabapentin!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Aging and Your Health
One very interesting item I came across in my research about 6 years ago was regarding maintinaing muscle mass as you age.
"ELIXIR GIVES ELDERLY MUSCLE" - Senior citizens could avoid aches & pains by taking athletes' natural amino acid supplements. These also help prevent muscle wasting after chemotherapy. Contact us for excellent quality Natural Amino Acid Supplements
"ELIXIR GIVES ELDERLY MUSCLE" - Senior citizens could avoid aches & pains by taking athletes' natural amino acid supplements. These also help prevent muscle wasting after chemotherapy. Contact us for excellent quality Natural Amino Acid Supplements
Prof. Melinda Sheffield-Moore led the research at University of Texas. She said that a burden of ageing is weakness & muscle wasting. Muscle mass increased by 2-4% in the elderly given small amounts of amino acids, even without additional exercise. She said that with exercise this would strengthen muscles even more. While there isn't necessarily one age where you wake up feeling old, 45 does seem to be an important age when it comes to cardio fitness. In one study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers studied over 20,000 men and women from 1974 to 2006. They looked at lifestyle variables such as body mass index, self-reported aerobic exercise, and smoking while measuring their cardio fitness by using a treadmill test. Researchers found that cardio fitness declines over time, but goes down hill at a faster rate after 45 years of age, at least for those participants who didn't exercise.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Finally, science agrees with herbalYODA on fructose
Food sweetener could be 'fuelling' childhood diabetes, study finds
The sweetener fructose, a cheap sugar substitute found in thousands of processed foods and soft drinks, may be increasing childhood diabetes and the obesity crisis, new findings suggest.
Fructose
By Amy Willis, Daily Telegraph, 13 Dec 2009
In a study by researchers at the University of California, 16 volunteers were put on a controlled diet with high-levels of fructose – a sweetener derived from corn.
After 10 weeks, the volunteers had developed more fat cells around the heart, liver and other major organs as well as showing signs of food processing abnormalities linked to diabetes and heart disease.
Another group of volunteers, who were also on a controlled diet but without the fructose, did not show the fat cell increase or the food processing abnormalities.
Both groups put on the same amount of weight.
Children are said to be in a higher risk group as they are more likely to eat products with high-levels of sweeteners over longer periods of time.
"This is the first evidence we have that fructose increases diabetes and heart disease independently from causing simple weight gain," Kimber Stanhope, a molecular biologist who led the study, told a Sunday newspaper.
The sweetener fructose, a cheap sugar substitute found in thousands of processed foods and soft drinks, may be increasing childhood diabetes and the obesity crisis, new findings suggest.
By Amy Willis, Daily Telegraph, 13 Dec 2009
In a study by researchers at the University of California, 16 volunteers were put on a controlled diet with high-levels of fructose – a sweetener derived from corn.
After 10 weeks, the volunteers had developed more fat cells around the heart, liver and other major organs as well as showing signs of food processing abnormalities linked to diabetes and heart disease.
Another group of volunteers, who were also on a controlled diet but without the fructose, did not show the fat cell increase or the food processing abnormalities.
Both groups put on the same amount of weight.
Children are said to be in a higher risk group as they are more likely to eat products with high-levels of sweeteners over longer periods of time.
"This is the first evidence we have that fructose increases diabetes and heart disease independently from causing simple weight gain," Kimber Stanhope, a molecular biologist who led the study, told a Sunday newspaper.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Veterans, Psych Drugs, and Deaths
Recently reported in Marine Corps Times and other media venues including Preventive Psychiatry E-Newsletter, it has been noted that psychotropic drug-induced sudden deaths are increasing in Iraq War Veterans.
Most of the newer psych drugs are fluoride based and are known to have cardiac effects among the many problems they cause.
Other over looked problems may be from depleted uranium exposure.
If you suppress respiratory function enough you will impact heart function because of low oxygen levels. Old studies showed that low O2 levels in the blood caused more deaths at 4 AM and that often there was evidence of cardiac arrythmia.
Read complete article
Most of the newer psych drugs are fluoride based and are known to have cardiac effects among the many problems they cause.
Other over looked problems may be from depleted uranium exposure.
If you suppress respiratory function enough you will impact heart function because of low oxygen levels. Old studies showed that low O2 levels in the blood caused more deaths at 4 AM and that often there was evidence of cardiac arrythmia.
Read complete article
Interactions: Combined Seroquel, Klonopin, Paxil
clonazepam ↔ paroxetine
Applies to: Klonopin (clonazepam), Paxil (paroxetine)
MONITOR: Central nervous system- and/or respiratory-depressant effects may be additively or synergistically increased in patients taking multiple drugs that cause these effects, especially in elderly or debilitated patients.
clonazepam ↔ quetiapine
Applies to: Klonopin (clonazepam), Seroquel (quetiapine)
MONITOR: Central nervous system- and/or respiratory-depressant effects may be additively or synergistically increased in patients taking multiple drugs that cause these effects, especially in elderly or debilitated patients.
paroxetine ↔ quetiapine
Applies to: Paxil (paroxetine), Seroquel (quetiapine)
MONITOR: Central nervous system- and/or respiratory-depressant effects may be additively or synergistically increased in patients taking multiple drugs that cause these effects, especially in elderly or debilitated patients.
MANAGEMENT: During concomitant use of these three drugs, patients should be monitored for potentially excessive or prolonged CNS and respiratory depression . Ambulatory patients should be counseled to avoid hazardous activities requiring mental alertness and motor coordination until they know how these agents affect them, and to notify their physician if they experience excessive or prolonged CNS effects that interfere with their normal activities.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Bone Health and AntiAcid Drugs
While you now just are learning about the problems with acid reflux drugs you might wish to know that this is no real surprise.
The drugs shutdown acid production in the stomach that impairs protein metabolism because you must have acid to digest protein. Lacking protein interferes with structural health.
Often reflux symptoms are from too little stomach acid rather than too much and yet your mainstream doctor does not evaluate this condition. Any easy test can tell you more using an available supplement.
You may also not have enough enzymatic function and you may eat too fast without thoroughly chewing your food, or eat too many unhealthy foods or smoke.
Anti-acid drugs also impair the P450 detox pathway in your liver, among many of the problems they cause.
Here are a few things to consider already known to Big Pharma: Notice that two of the drugs are fluoride based compounds and all have a benzene component.
You may wish to check all the other information here at Natural Health News about these drugs using the search box.
We also have listed some natural approaches to resolving acid excess.
Please note that these drugs are not good for babies and young children which is a common practice today. Elders may have more problems with the drugs because of delayed metabolism times. In the May 10 Archives of Internal Medicine it is reported that PPI use was associated with a 42% increase in the risk of recurrent C. difficile infection, with the greatest risk among patients older than 80 and in patients treated with antibiotics that were not targeted to the bacterium.
The drugs shutdown acid production in the stomach that impairs protein metabolism because you must have acid to digest protein. Lacking protein interferes with structural health.
Often reflux symptoms are from too little stomach acid rather than too much and yet your mainstream doctor does not evaluate this condition. Any easy test can tell you more using an available supplement.
You may also not have enough enzymatic function and you may eat too fast without thoroughly chewing your food, or eat too many unhealthy foods or smoke.
Anti-acid drugs also impair the P450 detox pathway in your liver, among many of the problems they cause.
Here are a few things to consider already known to Big Pharma: Notice that two of the drugs are fluoride based compounds and all have a benzene component.
The active ingredient in PREVACID Delayed-Release Capsules, PREVACID for Delayed-Release Oral Suspension and PREVACID SoluTab Delayed- Release Orally Disintegrating Tablets is lansoprazole, a substituted benzimidazole, 2-[[[3-methyl-4-(2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy)-2-pyridyl] methyl] sulfinyl] benzimidazole, a compound that inhibits gastric acid secretion.
Musculoskeletal System - arthralgia, arthritis, bone disorder, joint disorder, leg cramps, musculoskeletal pain, myalgia, myasthenia, ptosis, synovitis
NEXIUM Musculoskeletal: arthralgia, arthritis aggravated, arthropathy, cramps, fibromyalgia syndrome, hernia, polymyalgia rheumatica;
The active ingredient in PROTONIX (pantoprazole sodium) For Delayed-Release Oral Suspension and PROTONIX (pantoprazole sodium) Delayed-Release Tablets is a substituted benzimidazole, sodium 5-(difluoromethoxy)-2-[[(3,4-dimethoxy-2-pyridinyl)methyl] sulfinyl]1H-benzimidazole sesquihydrate, a compound that inhibits gastric acid secretion.
Musculoskeletal Disorders: rhabdomyolysis
PRILOSEC Musculoskeletal: Muscle weakness, myalgia, muscle cramps, joint pain, leg pain
You may wish to check all the other information here at Natural Health News about these drugs using the search box.
We also have listed some natural approaches to resolving acid excess.
Please note that these drugs are not good for babies and young children which is a common practice today. Elders may have more problems with the drugs because of delayed metabolism times. In the May 10 Archives of Internal Medicine it is reported that PPI use was associated with a 42% increase in the risk of recurrent C. difficile infection, with the greatest risk among patients older than 80 and in patients treated with antibiotics that were not targeted to the bacterium.
US FDA says acid reflux drugs carry fracture riskhttp://www.medpagetoday.com/Gastroenterology/GERD/20030
Reuters, Tuesday May 25 2010
* FDA recommends lower dose, shorter duration of use
* Drugs include Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid, Protonix
* Package insert labels to include fracture-risk warnings
NEW YORK, May 25 (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators have cautioned doctors and patients of an increased risk of fractures of the hip, wrist, and spine from high doses or long-term use of a widely used class of drugs to control the amount of acid in the stomach.
The class of heartburn drugs, called proton pump inhibitors, include prescription brands such as AstraZeneca Plc's top-selling Nexium and the company's Prilosec, an older generic treatment that is also available over the counter at a lower dosage strength.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday that studies suggest a possible increased risk of bone fractures with the use of proton pump inhibitors for one year or longer, or at high doses.
Package insert labels for the drugs will be changed to describe the possible increased fracture risks, the FDA said.
"Because these products are used by a great number of people, it's important for the public to be aware of this possible increased risk," Joyce Korvick, deputy director for safety in the FDA's Division of Gastroenterology Products, said in an agency statement.
"When prescribing proton pump inhibitors, health care professionals should consider whether a lower dose or shorter duration of therapy would adequately treat the patient's condition," Korvick said.
Moreover, the FDA said doctors and patients should weigh whether known benefits of the drugs outweigh potential risks.
Other proton pump inhibitors used to treat heartburn, known formally as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), include generically available Protonix, Johnson & Johnson's prescription Aciphex brand and Novartis AG's over-the-counter Prevacid.
The FDA recommended that consumers report any side effects or other product problems to its MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program at http://www.fda.gov/MedWatch or by calling 800-332-1088. (Reporting by Ransdell Pierson, Bill Berkrot and Lewis Krauskopf; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)
Malaria Resistant to Drugs
UPDATE: 12/12/09
by Susan Njanji – Wed Dec 9
ABUJA (AFP) – A rise in insecticide resistant mosquitoes has become the latest threat to combating malaria in Nigeria, where roughly up to 300,000 people die each year from the killer disease, experts have warned.
Insecticide resistance deepens malaria crisis in Nigeria
Perhaps we can hope for a turn toward natural methods to fight malaria carrying mosquitoes
-----------------------------------------------
5/31/09 An excerpt from our previous post
by Susan Njanji – Wed Dec 9
ABUJA (AFP) – A rise in insecticide resistant mosquitoes has become the latest threat to combating malaria in Nigeria, where roughly up to 300,000 people die each year from the killer disease, experts have warned.
Insecticide resistance deepens malaria crisis in Nigeria
Perhaps we can hope for a turn toward natural methods to fight malaria carrying mosquitoes
-----------------------------------------------
5/31/09 An excerpt from our previous post
Stephen Fisher, a missionary in Zambia is very successful using iodine to treat people with malaria. He used 20 drops of Iodine in a half glass of water given 4 or 5 times during the first day and then decreased the dose to 10 drops of Iodine 4 times a day for 3 more days. Higher dosages can be administered for much longer since iodine is a nutritional medicine that is needed by the body. Such a protocol can be used for the swine flu or any other type of influenza. Many natural and integrative providers use higher dosages of other iodine forms, namely Lugol’s and Iodoral for cancer treatment.Read complete post
------------------------------------------------------------
Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Quincy Jones, Oprah, Ryan Seacrest, Ted Turner and CNN all chipped in to purchase mosquito nets. Nets have been known for a very long time to be very useful in the prevention of malaria. The One World Campaign against malaria is underway, yet there is an important missing piece.
In addition to mosquito nets, two inexpensive vitamin and mineral supplements reduce the incidence of malaria by one-third.
Malaria parasites 'resist drugs'
International scientists say they have found the first evidence of resistance to the world's most effective drug for treating malaria.
They say the trend in western Cambodia has to be urgently contained because full-blown resistance would be a global health catastrophe.
Drugs are taking longer to clear blood of malaria parasites than before.
This is an early warning sign of emerging resistance to a disease which kills a million people every year.
Until now the most effective drug cleared all malaria parasites from the blood within two or three days but in recent trials this took up to four or five days.
The BBC's Jill McGivering, reporting from Cambodia, says it is unclear why the region has become a nursery for the resistance - but the local public health system is weak, and the use of anti-malaria drugs is not properly controlled.
Drug defence
The artemesinin family of drugs is the world's front-line defence against the most prevalent and deadly form of malaria.
Two teams of scientists, working on separate clinical trials, have reported seeing the disturbing evidence that the drugs are becoming much less effective.
There is particular concern because previous generations of malaria drugs have been undermined by resistance which started in this way, in this part of the world, our correspondent reports.
The World Health Organization warned in 2006 there was a possibility the malaria parasite could develop a resistance to artemesinin drugs, and that there was particular concern about a decreased sensitivity to the drug being seen in South East Asia.
It urged drug firms to stop selling artemesinin on its own in order to prevent resistance building up.
Early results from two studies by US and UK teams have both revealed the early stages of resistance.
Between a third and a half of patients in the US study saw delayed clearance of the malaria parasite.
In the UK study, patients in the Cambodia arm of the trial took almost twice as long to clear the parasite as a comparison group in Thailand.
Professor Nick Day, director of the Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit which is carrying out the UK study, said: "Twice in the past, South East Asia has made a gift, unwittingly, of drug resistant parasites to the rest of the world, in particular to Africa," he said.
"That's the problem. We've had chloroquine and SP (sulfadoxine pyrimethamine) resistance, both of which have caused major loss of life in Africa," he said in reference to earlier generation anti-malarial drugs.
"If the same thing happens again, the spread of a resistant parasite from Asia to Africa, that will have devastating consequences for malaria control," he said.
Prof Brian Greenwood, Professor of Tropical Medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, described the findings as a matter for concern, even though treatment still worked if a full course of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) was taken.
"There is currently no need for panic but it would be serious if these partially resistant parasites reached Africa where great gains in malaria control are currently being made using ACTs and insecticide-treated bed nets," he said.
Health systems
Cambodia has long been a laboratory for malaria investigators and a nursery of anti-malaria drug resistance.
Alongside a weak public health system and poorly-controlled drug use, there are many fake drugs, produced by international criminals.
These fakes often contain a small amount of the real drug to fool tests, which can also help to fuel resistance.
Those working to control malaria are calling for urgent action to contain this emerging resistance.
If it strengthens and spreads, they warn, many millions of lives will be at risk. About half the world's population faces exposure to the disease.
Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/8073118.stm
Published: 2009/05/29 03:36:25 GMT © BBC MMIX
More Mistakes, Can Mainstream Health Continue at this Pace?
Errors in mainstream health have been at issue for a very long time, it is though that they keep getting worse.
One cause of the ignorance factor here, dealing with prescribed medication, is that doctors and NPs, as well as pharmacists, are not providing the required information to patients about drug risk-benefit-side effects, etc as is required.
We have properly prescribed medication as the 3rd or 4th leading cause of death in the US at this time, both in an out of hospital care. Yet at the same time we are in a stranglehold with Big PhRMA and Big Insurance over who pays what and what price will be paid, on top of just what drugs in what form are approved for "standard of care" guidelines (A better reason to go natural).
I liken this story to the issue I commented on regarding the commonality of post-op clots and death.
It is also one reason why I developed "Health Forensics".
The Seattle PI, one host of my "Natural Notes" blog also hosts this one that might give you more insight: Dead by Mistake
One cause of the ignorance factor here, dealing with prescribed medication, is that doctors and NPs, as well as pharmacists, are not providing the required information to patients about drug risk-benefit-side effects, etc as is required.
We have properly prescribed medication as the 3rd or 4th leading cause of death in the US at this time, both in an out of hospital care. Yet at the same time we are in a stranglehold with Big PhRMA and Big Insurance over who pays what and what price will be paid, on top of just what drugs in what form are approved for "standard of care" guidelines (A better reason to go natural).
I liken this story to the issue I commented on regarding the commonality of post-op clots and death.
Most Hospital Patients Don't Know What Meds They're TakingIn my work as a health advocate for many years this is the most common issue I work with for my clients.
"I don't think that's surprising at all. I think that that's the natural consequence of the way in which hospital culture is designed. Patients are given their medicines and they take their medicines," said study author Dr. Ethan Cumbler, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Denver and director of the University of Colorado Hospital Acute Care for the Elderly Service."
Read complete article
It is also one reason why I developed "Health Forensics".
The Seattle PI, one host of my "Natural Notes" blog also hosts this one that might give you more insight: Dead by Mistake
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