Alzheimer’s Agitation can be Helped

Agitation in Alzheimer’s can now be helped by the drug combination of quinidine and dextromethorphan.  This complication can be devastating for family members and nursing home personnel.  However, even better results have been reported  by treating affected patients with low level laser therapy  around and below the skull.  The latter usually gets great results in 5-10 treatments.  Occasional maintenance therapy might be needed.  Memory problems are slower to respond, but the loss of agitation shows the greatest improvement.

See Alzheimer’s Association Congress Proceedings, and painmanagementusa.com

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Cognitive Decline After Major Surgery

A report at the Alzheimer’s Association Congress in Washington DC showed that at least 20% of patients who undergo major surgery show significant cognitive decline after the surgery.  It makes sense to me for such patients to receive a couple of vitamin C IVs prior to surgery to reduce the risk and improve recovery followed by a phosphatidyl choline and glutathione IV after surgery to preserve mental function.  I have tried this and it works.  The IVs are given in our office will not be covered by Medicare, but they are not that expensive, and the consequences of not taking this precaution might be major.

See Alzheimer’s Association Congress Proceedings, Dr. Katie J. Schennings.

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Take Aspirin or Not?

Generally speaking, aspirin is recommended after a patient has a heart attack and for primary prevention of heart or stroke events for 87% of men and 16% of women, ages 45-79 y.o.  In real life, doctors recommend aspirin on only 34% of men and in a robust 42% of women.  This means the US Preventive Services is out of touch with practicing physicians and their patients.  One major probable reason is that aspirin can cause brain hemorrhage and life-threatening gastric ulcers.  I usually suggest a more gentle route of nattokinase, garlic, vitamin E, EDTA, or other more natural combination to reduce the risk and avoid the side effects.

See US Preventive Services Task Force, latest issue.

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Dramatic Increases in the Cost of Drugs and Nutrients

In both the Senate and House of Representatives, there have been recent inquiries about drug companies that buy the rights to produce critical drugs and then greatly increase the price.  Turing Pharmaceuticals recently increased the price of Daraprim, which is the only drug approved for severe toxoplasmosis infections, by 5000%.  Complementary physicians can treat many diseases with high dose IV nutrients such as vitamins C and B-complex.  However, nutrient supply companies are also gouging the public.  Vitamin C for IV treatment recently jumped up from $13 to $65 with no explanation.  It might be a good time to send a note of concern to our elected officials.

 

See Associated Press article for Nov. 5, 2015.

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The Other “Drug Problem”

A JAMA article showed that the number of US adults who take prescription drugs increased from 51% to 59% from 1999 to 2012.  The prevalence of those taking 5 or more drugs almost doubled during the same timeframe, from 8% to 15%.  Large increases were noted for drugs to treat cholesterol, depression, acid reflux, and muscle spasms.  The effect was irrespective of age.  Please listen carefully to all the side effects mentioned in the TV advertisements for drugs.

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Metformin Can Increase Neuropathy

Metformin is a very commonly prescribed drug for Diabetes, polycystic ovaries, and even has been touted as an anti-aging therapy.  However, a Swedish study has found that metformin can cause a vitamin B12 deficiency, which in turn has been linked to peripheral neuropathies.  If you are taking metformin, you should be tested for B12.  If you already have a neuropathy a trial of B12 injections might be beneficial.

 See Family Practice News, October 15, p. 3.

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Chelation is Much More Effective than New Drug to Prevent CV Death for Diabetics

The new drug, empaliflozin, reduces the risk for future cardiac events, including premature death by 14% when added to conventional care.  This was in the front-page article of Family Practice News in October.  However, the TACT study of chelation produced a reduction of the same end points by about 50%.  Chelation also reduces the toxic metal load for patients, which might lessen the risk of cancer and other diseases.  If you are a diabetic, or even a pre-diabetic, I urge you to consider chelation.  Without chelation, having diabetes shortens the lifespan by 5-7 years.  Nothing works better.

See Family Practice News, October 15, 2015, p. 1.

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The FDA IS Going After Arthritic Patients and Their Docs?

Word is out that the FDA is formulating regulations to prohibit or restrict the use of Platelet Rich Plasma, which is spun down from a sample of your own blood and then injected into your unstable joints.  To me this is an outrageous intrusion into the patient/doctor relationship.  However, I have found by talking to many of my colleagues that simple prolotherapy using dextrose and lidocaine works just as well and is safer and cheaper than PRP.  We use prolotherapy all the time with excellent results for most patients.

See  The Pulse of Natural Health,  April 28, 2015.

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Estimate Your Heart Age. If it is High, Do something About it!

Go to cdc.gov/heartdisease/heart-age.htm, and follow the instructions to calculate your heart age.  If it is higher than your chronological age, you can lower your heart age with diet, exercise, stress reduction, smoking cessation, and most importantly in my experience, by getting chelation therapy.  It is never too late—start today.  You can also go into much more detail about your risk of heart attack or stroke by going to an alternative doctor.

See cdc.gov/heartdisease/heart-age.htm.

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Why the Cost of Meds and Vitamins are Escalating Rapidly

Specialists in Infectious Disease are anticipating an increase in cost for Daraprim, which is a major drug to treat life-threatening parasitic diseases. Only one company makes.  The cost is $13.50 per tablet for this 62 y.o. drug.  Turing Pharmaceuticals has recently bought the company that makes the drug and has announced that it will now charge $750 per pill.  IV vitamin C until recently cost us about $12 a bottle.  Next thing we know the price jumped up to $65 per bottle, with no explanation.  We can get a blood test for vitamin D3 for about $40 for a patient.  The usual charge for free-standing or hospital labs for the same test can range from $200-400.  Corporate greed is killing our health care system.  I hope someone can stop this from happening.

See the Toledo Blade, September 21, 2015, p. 4.

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Poor Circulation Might be More Dangerous than You Think

Dr. Samih Bittar wrote a special article to the Toledo Blade on the dangers of poor circulation.  This affects 8 million Americans, many of who are not aware that they have a problem.  Signs and symptoms include pain in your calf with exercise, pain in the front of your foot, sore on your feet that do not heal easily, shiney skin or loss of hair in your feet, and a weak pulse on top of your foot or behind the medial ankle bone.  If you have these complaints, you should be tested by an ultrasound or at least by checking the blood pressure in the arm and leg.  The latter should be higher than the former.  What you can do is control your diabetes, BP, and cholesterol, quit smoking, get regular exercise.  Above all, see an alternative doc and get chelation therapy—it could make a big difference to feel better and to avoid getting a major heart attack.

See Toledo Blade,  Peach section, September 21, 2015.

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A Fresh Look at Saving a Million Hearts

The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians has launched the Million Hearts program in 20 sites throughout Ohio.  Mainly it consists on putting more targeted patients on drugs for hyperlipidemia and hypertension.  First of all, there are natural ways to accomplish these goals.  Secondly, the new Boston Heart Blood profile goes into far more detail about the risks that each patient has for developing vascular problems, while documenting nutritional and lifestyle approaches that can effectively reduce these risks.  The lab accepts assignment as long as you have Medicare or some form of insurance other than Cigna (so there is no cost to the patient).  Thirdly, we now have proof that chelation therapy is effective for preventing heart attacks.  If you procrastinate and ignore these effective treatments, you risk sudden death from our number one killer, heart disease.

Go to www.ohioafp.org.

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A “New” Approach to Cancer

An article in the New England Journal of Medicine called “Releasing the Brakes on Cancer Immunotherapy” was really excited about new ways to activate the immune system, rather than to simply destroy it with chemotherapy.  One of the precautions noted is that too much activation can result in autoimmune problems.  Interestingly, there was no mention of high dose IV vitamin C and oral vitamin D3, which are both helpful for immune deficiency as well as autoimmune diseases.  We have been using this approach for many years with good success.

See the NEJM, Sept 8, 2015.

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10 Million Steps to Prevent Falls

Falls are a leading cause of death for people greater than 65 y.o..  You might have missed it, but it is not too late to participate in the 10 Million Steps program centered around September 23, the National Falls Awareness Day.  Walk a mile, take a selfie, and post it on social media using the hashtags #PreventFalls and #10MStepsOH.  Regular walking for 15-30 minutes a day is one of the best ways to prevent falls (and heart attacks too).

Google National Falls Awareness Day.

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Take Aspirin or Not?

The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommends that you take 81 mg aspirin daily if you are in your 50’s or 60’s, you have at least a 10% risk of having a heart attack over the next decade, and you have no increased risk for bleeding in the stomach or brain.  You might also get some protection from colon cancer as well.  Personally, I would rather take nattokinase and/or ultra pure fish oils, a more natural approach.

See the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force Report on low-dose aspirin, Sept, 2015

 

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Clinical Guidelines for Treating Recurrent Stones is Painfully Inadequate

The American College of Physicians publishes guidelines for treating recurrent kidney stones.  Once you have one, your chance of having another is at least 50%.  The guidelines recommend increased water consumption, reduced carbonated beverages, and if needed, thiazide diuretics, potassium citrate, or possibly allopurinol.  A more natural approach would be to be sure you balance your calcium intake with magnesium and you add vitamin B6.  Then if the stone is of the most common variety (calcium oxalate), you measure the urine for organic acids.  If the oxalate levels are elevated, you reduce them in your diet.  I went from having stones every two weeks to no stones for 6 years by eliminating cashew nuts from my diet.  So much for Guidelines.

See the American College of Physicians Guidelines on Recurrence of Kidney Stones.

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Heart Attack Survivors Have an Increased Risk of Cancer

A Danish Study confirmed what they knew in Switzerland since the 1970’s, that heart attacks and cancer risk are related, probably because of toxic metal exposure and inadequate anti-oxidants.  The cancer risk was almost twice as great in the patients who had myocardia infarctions.  The Swiss study by Blumer 30+ years ago showed a 90% reduction in cancer over 15 years in patients who had been treated with EDTA chelation therapy.  One more reason to get chelated.

See Family Practice News, April 1, 2015, p. 4.

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Look at Your Kidney Function to Assess Your Heart Attack Risk

Cholesterol and blood pressure readings are common risk factors for heart disease, although the former is probably over-rated.  Now we know that a very common test to assess kidney function may be an even better predictor of coronary artery disease.  Ask your doctor about this important new finding.  Deterioration of kidney function occurs early and usually progresses slowly.  If you are concerned, get an ultra-fast CT scan or IMT carotid artery test to see if you are developing plaque.  Interestingly, chelation therapy reduces cardiac events but also can improve mild to moderate kidney function, according to peer-reviewed research.  The best preventative you can take is chelation.  Don’t wait until it is too late.

See the work of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Dr. Matsushita.

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GERD Drugs Can Lead to Heart Attacks

Over-the-counter drugs such as Prilosec and Previcid are linked to an increased risk of heart attacks according to data that extends back 15 years.  It is suspected that the mechanism is promotion of inflammation and clotting.  Other acid suppressors do not have this action, but they are also less effective.  My recommendation is to find the cause, which might actually be too little acid or a response to food allergy, which can be treated with desensitization by many integrative physicians.  If you have to take one of the offending drugs, you should also take nattokinase, an enzyme that reduces inflammation and clotting.
 

See the PLOS One study, which was quoted in the June, 22, 2015 issue of the Toledo Blade, section D, page 1.

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Anxiety in Young People Needs to be Treated

Anxiety can start as early as 4 y.o., and it is often ignored between the tumultuous transition from youth to adulthood.  Teenagers are often sent to college without medications, which can lead them to taking self-medication in the form of illicit drugs, according to the CUCARD study at Columbia University.  It is so much easier and effective to teach all children simple tapping procedures on acupuncture points that is very effective and has no side effects.  If you know a youngster in distress, I can teach them what to do in two minutes, or you could encourage them to look up a lesser version called EFT on the internet.

See Anne Marie Albano at the CUCARD study at Columbia University in New York.

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Chemotherapy can Worsen End-of-life Quality of Life

A study in JAMA confirmed  what many patients fear about cancer chemotherapy.  If it is continued to the end of life, too often the side effects from the drugs are worse than any benefit that is derived.  The time comes when enough is enough for these toxic medications.  On the other hand, vitamin/mineral therapy, orally or IV, can improve the quality of life near the end, in my experience.  It is really worth the effort to find an oncologist who will work with nutrition for this devastating disease.
 

See JAMA Oncology, July 23, 2015.

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The Healing Power of Music

Music therapists who work in nursing homes across the country are finding that listening to favorite music through headphones improves the mood and increases cognitive skills for Alzheimer’s patients.  The need for medications is reduced.  Not infrequently, patients who not spoken for a long time begin to speak again and recognize family members.  It is predicted that one out of every 8 baby boomers will get Alzheimer’s disease.  So begin the music habit now.

 See AARP Bulletin, July-August, 2015, p. 30-31.

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Beware Text Messages on Vaccinations

A recent study from Columbia University found that they could better convince parents to get their children a second flu shot each year by sending them an educational text message as a reminder.  They failed to mention in their message that the flu shots are now the only childhood immunizations that contain mercury.  I do not recommend mercury laced flu shots, especially for the growing brains in children.  Much safer is a homeopathic like mucococcinium and even more effective in my opinion.
 

See Family Practice News, January, 2015, p. 5.

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Simple Measures to Deal with Toxins

We received a great message from Dr. Sharon Norling about the impact of toxins in our environment and important steps you can take to minimize the risk.  She suggests the following:  Avoid topping at the gas pumps, use a natural bug repellent, use only natural cleaning products, avoid artificial air fresheners, dryer sheets, and fabric softeners, switch to a natural brand of toiletries, eat organic produce as much as possible, remember that processed foods are processed with chemicals, avoid artificial food additives, replace amalgam fillings, and install an appropriate water filter on all your faucets.

 

See Dr. Sharon Norling in Medical Moments.

 

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Vaginal Estrogen Not Linked to Cancer

Oral or topical synthetic estrogen is commonly used to treat symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness.  Estrogen in this form has been linked to endometrial cancer.  A new report from Kaiser Permanente in Santa Clara, California shows if the estrogen is given in lower doses vaginally, there is no increased risk for cancer.  I would suggest that adding some natural progesterone and using bio-identical hormones are even safer.  This is good news for women who continue to suffer from such symptoms.

See Family Practice News, June 15, 2015, p. 23.

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Another Reason to Avoid Artificial Sweeteners

Researchers at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York have established a link between regular use of artificial sweeteners and the most common form of thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis).  Equal, Nutrasweet, and Splenda are common culprits.  They are commonly used in diet sodas.  Interesting enough, the use of these products might actually cause weight gain.  Neurologic side effects have also been reported.  If you already have a thyroid problem, there is preliminary information that giving up the sweeteners might eliminate the thyroid disease.

 See Family Practice News, June 15, 2015, p.16.

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Walking can Help Knee Arthritis

A report at the World Congress on Osteoarthritis  reported that regular walking can reduce the pain of arthritis in the knees.  Even walking on concrete can be helpful.  Recommendations are to start at 3000 steps a day and work up to at least 6000 steps.  Walking fast enough to work up a sweat is desirable, which usually takes about 100 steps per minute.  Of course, a doctor should review the recommendation for each patient.

See Family Practice News, June 15, 2015, p. 10-12.

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Saving Your Brain

An article in AARP refers to the Institute of Medicine’s report on effective ways to save your brain as you age.  Listed benefits include regular exercise, staying socially active, eating a healthy diet, and getting a good night’s sleep.  Stimulating the mind by playing cards, reading, writing, volunteering, and attending worship services are helpful but the jury is still out on commercial brain games that have been advertised.  Keeping your heart healthy and your blood pressure low are definitely important, but there is no evidence that taking statin drugs is useful.  I would add that taking certain supplements like Prevagen, acetyl-l-carnitine, and phosphatidyl serine can be very helpful.  We offer cold laser treatments in the office, which is very promising.

 See the AARP Bulletin, June, 2015, p. 16.

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Bulging Discs in the Low Back are Common

50% of patients have bulging discs on MRI’s.  There is no correlation between sciatic pain and bulging discs.  Do not get surgery for this problem.  It might make matters worse.  If you have back pain, several natural therapies can be very effective, such as acupuncture, pain neutralization technique, manipulation, decompression, and prolotherapy.

See Overdiagnosed by Dr. H. Gilbert Welch.

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Keep the Scope Out of Your Knees!

40% of patients without pain or a history of significant injury have damaged cartilage on X-rays or MRI.  Studies show that after 5 years, those who had surgery for this problem with an arthroscope do no better than those treated medically.  Nutritional supplements might be better yet, certainly with much less side effects. 

See Overdiagnosed by Dr. H. Gilbert Welch.

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Gallstones That Don’t Hurt

About 10% of people have gallstones found with ultrasound with no symptoms of gall bladder disease.  Surgery is often recommended, even though there is no risk involved.  Most do not require surgery.  Some can be passed by a Gall Bladder flush.  There are many versions described on the internet.

See Overdiagnosed by Dr. H. Gilbert Welch.

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Exercise Can Often Be More Effective Than Taking Another Drug for Cardiovascular Disease or Diabetes.

Exercise Can Often Be More Effective Than Taking Another Drug for Cardiovascular Disease or Diabetes.

A study quoted in JAMA and published online in the British Medical Journal looked at meta-analyses for 4 drug and 12 medication clinical trials.  They concluded that researchers and clinicians concentrated so much on drug therapies that they ignored the great health benefits of exercise.  Regular aerobic activity reduced mortality and the prevention of coronary artery disease and diabetes more effectively than combinations of drugs.

See JAMA 2013;310:2026-2027.

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Evidence-Based Medicine Must Incorporate Patient Preferences

A recent JAMA editorial stressed that scientific evidence is not sufficient for making patient care decisions.  One guideline is that all patients should receive statin drugs.  However, a study showed that 70% of diabetic patients with low cardiac risk who were told about the limited benefit and potential side effects of statins refused to take the drugs.  It is the job of doctors to present the evidence and the options (yes, that should include chelation therapy for patients with vascular disease), but it is the right and responsibility for the patient to make the ultimate decision on what therapies they want to utilize.

See Montori VM, JAMA 2013;310:2503-2504.

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Stents Have No Benefit Over Medical Therapy for Arterial Blockage with Minimal or No Symptoms

Do you have reduced blood flow to your heart but this is not giving you significant symptoms like prominent chest pain and shortness of breath?  The name for reduced blood flow is ischemia, and it is often found incidentally with stress EKG’s, stress echoes, and angiography.  The usual treatment is angioplasty plus stents, but this treatment is no better for reducing future cardiac events than taking standard cardiac meds.  On the other hand, taking chelation therapy does reduce future cardiac events.  Evidence-based medicine shows the difference clearly.  But most cardiologists are not yet abiding by the evidence.

See Dr. Kathleen Stergiopoulus from SUNY—Stoney Brook School of Medicine for a meta-analysis that included the MASS II, COURAGE, BARI 2D, and FAME 2 clinical trials and JAMA 2013;309:1241-1250.

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Cholesterol in the Diet Appears Not to be the Bad Guy

The government’s Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has recommended that dietary avoidance of cholesterol is no longer needed for most patients.  We still want to avoid saturated fat and trans fats.  But foods such as eggs, which contain high levels of cholesterol, are no longer considered a problem.  Finally, a nutritional guideline that makes sense.

Reported in the Toledo Blade, Feb. 11, 2015, page 1.

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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has a Much Better Name

The Institute of Medicine proposed a new name for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:  “Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease”.  It is cumbersome but it better describes a problem that can devastate the victims.  Usually the illness is triggered by a virus, allergy, or environmental toxins.  It is marked by a profound depletion of energy following minimal physical or mental activity.  Drug therapy give little relief, but integrative treatment of a yeast imbalance, allergy desensitization, and thyroid and adrenal support can be very helpful.

Google the Institute of Medicine report on CFS, April, 2015.

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Medication Costs Skyrocket

An analysis by Express Scripts in March, 2015 showed that many patients in the U.S. spend $50,000 per year or more for medications.  One of the key factors is specialty meds.  For example, the new Hepatitis C drug, Sovaldi, which is very effective, costs $1000 a pill and must be taken daily for 3 months.  Even if you have insurance that pays for drugs, the portion of the bill that you are responsible for can be extremely expensive.  Half of elderly patients take 10 prescriptions or more. I have noticed that many doctors who give CME lectures are required to disclose that they hold stock in Big Pharma.  It really pays to lead a healthy lifestyle to stay well, and to take nutritional supplements instead of drugs whenever you can.

Reported in the Toledo Blade, May 18, 2015.

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Diabetes is Substantially Over-treated in Older Adults

A ten-year study by Dr. Kasia Lipska of Yale showed the alarming result that we are over-treating diabetic patients 65 years of age and older.  Oral and injectable hypoglycemic agents cause 25% of emergency hospitalizations for adverse drug events in this age group.  Tight control of the blood sugar with drugs can lead to low blood sugar, increased mortality, falls and accidents, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and poor health-related quality of life.  It makes sense to utilize lifestyle improvements and natural remedies that do not run the risk of hypoglycemia instead of multiple drugs, which are both expensive and dangerous.
 

See the Jan. 12, 2015 on-line issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.

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Low-fat diets are a Nutritional Myth

Dietary guidelines commonly given to patients for weight loss and cholesterol control are not effective, according to a review article in American Family Physician.  Diets higher in fat produce and sustain as much or more weight loss than lower fat or calorie-restricted diets—this is supported by an A-level evidence rating.  The problem foods are simple carbohydrates, ultra-processed foods, junk foods, and preserved meats, which should be avoided, especially if you have pre-diabetes, diabetes, obesity, or the metabolic syndrome.

See the American Family Physician, May 1, 2015 issue, p. 635-636.

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Be Very Careful with Calcium Supplementation

 

A Cochrane review of calcium supplementation, which is a routine recommendation by most physicians, especially for women, shows that it may do more harm than good.  The number needed to treat to prevent one fracture was 302 and the number needed to treat to cause one major cardiovascular event was 178.  However, the obvious problem with treatment was not discussed.  Everywhere in the body, calcium interacts with magnesium.  If you take calcium supplements, you should always balance them with at least half as much magnesium.  It is dangerous not to do so.

 

See the American Family Physician, May 1, 2015 issue, p. 634-635.

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Breakthrough Therapies for Autism and ADHD

 2015 is a very good year for children and adults with autism and attention deficit disorder.  Dr. Stephen Kaufman from Denver has discovered a brain technique reflex that instantly quiets the brain and lets it focus.  This can be learned by the caregiver or even administered by the patient himself.  Dr. Kaufman will be teaching the technique at a workshop in Denver June 6-7.  I will attend.  Dr. Ty Vincent from Alaska developed a variation of the Low-dose Allergy treatment (LDI) that also might produce excellent improvements for these problems.  A few drops of this allergy treatment is given by mouth once every two months.  Both of these treatments are available at COHA in Bluffton or Toledo.

Google Drs. Kaufman or Vincent for more info or contact COHA at 800-788-4627.

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A Calcium Score of Zero Means You Do Not Need Statin Drugs

Many patients feel the pressure from their doctors to take statin drugs long term to reduce their cholesterol levels.  A report presented at the winter American Heart Association suggested you get an Ultra-fast CAT scan test to determine your calcium score in your coronary arteries. About half of the non-diabetic patients screened had a score of zero, which means they were at very low risk of having a heart attack.  Even if their cholesterol levels were elevated, it did not make sense for them to take statin drugs, which can cause significant side effects.  This test does not require an order from a physician and is available at many hospitals.  The cost varies from $100-300.

Google Dr. Khuram Nasir of the center for prevention and wellness research at Baptist Health Medical Center in Miami Beach for details.

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Is There no Exit From Chemical Pollution?

 A class of chemicals known as poly and perflouroalkyl substances (PFASs) commonly used in thousands of products from pizza boxes to carpet treatments can persist in the body for many years and predispose us to cancer.  Manufacturers are proposing replacement chemicals that might be even more dangerous.  Nowhere on earth is free from chemical pollution.  This stresses the importance of eating organic as much as we can and doing something to help our bodies detoxify.  Sweating from a sauna or exercise can be effective.  The common herb, milk thistle is a good detoxifier.  We recommend a 7-day detox program with supplements once a year as a preventive measure.

 Contact our office at 800-788-4627 for more details or Google Detoxification.

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Vitamin B3 Reduces the Risk of Common Skin Cancers

Basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers are the most common cancers.  They often result from excessive sun exposure, even years prior to their appearance.  Three million cases are diagnosed yearly.  Scalely patches called actinic keratosis (AK) can be pre-cancerous.  An Australian study has shown that we can reduce the incidence of both AK and these skin cancers by taking 500mg a day of Nicotinamide (vitamin B3).  At this dose there were no side effects.  A prescription is not required, but you do have to keep taking the vitamin to maintain the results.

Google Diona Damian of the Dermatology Division of the University of Sidney in Australia.

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Great Lakes Area Ranks High in Allergies

 A national report about the “wheeziest and sneeziest” cities in the U.S. ranks Toledo 17^th, Dayton 15^th, and Detroit 7^th.  Industrial pollution coupled with our history of containing the “Black Swamp” in the area north of Bluffton makes us a prime area for allergy and asthma.  Fortunately, we have a simple but powerful remedy for these conditions called Low-dose Allergens (LDA).  If all you have is airborne allergies, two treatments per year by mouth usually produces excellent results without side effects.  If you are food or chemically sensitive, you have to take the treatments once every two months initially, but then they are gradually spread out.

Contact our office at 800-788-4627 for more details or Google LDA.

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A Wonderful New Book from Dr. Derrick Lonsdale

I want to tell my blog readers and patients about a new book, A Nutritional Approach to a Revised Model for Medicine.  He links high-calorie malnutrition to the lead that caused the fall of the Roman Empire.  He describes how conventional medicine has evolved and how alternative medicine is primed to rescue it from its failures.  He shows us how the brain works and how important energy metabolism run by the limbic system is to optimal function.  He illustrates how some of the procedures of alternative medicine fit with the new model of medicine.  And he gives us many examples from his 64 years of practicing medicine.
 
The book is available from Amazon

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A Simple Formula for Healthy Aging from Dr. C

Eat lots of veggies, good protein, and some fruits.  Avoid much sugar, fatty and creamy foods, fast and processed foods.  Drink ample water.  Eat some good foods raw.  Do not fry or grill your foods, slow cooking is better.  Get regular physical exercise, moderate, not excessive.  Don’t forget to exercise your mind as well, be socially involved.  Do something to deal with stress, laugh a lot.  Use natural therapies rather than medications whenever you can.  Take vitamins D3 and C, and other supplements prescribed by an expert.  Detoxify with herbals (milk thistle is good) and chelation for toxic metals, desensitize your allergies.  Sleep 7-8 hours per night, no more, no less.

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Burning Mouth Syndrome

Burning mouth syndrome is often missed, perhaps because patients are frustrated that they have not been helped or have even been ridiculed.  The incidence has been reported as somewhere between 1 and 40%.  The cause is unknown, although some speculate a connection to smoking or food allergies.  One promising new treatment is LDI (low-dose immunotherapy), along with anti-yeast protocols.

Call our office at 800-788-4627 to set up a free consultation to discuss a burning mouth.

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Acupuncture for Hot Flashes

Breast cancer survivors can have terrible problems with hot flashes, and they cannot take estrogen for effective treatment.  Gabapentin (Neurontin) is commonly prescribed to try to treat them.  In a study comparing gabapentin with electroacupuncture, the acupuncture proved to be much more effective and safer (48% of the gabapentin users had treatment-related side effects).  Patients were treated for 8 weeks, but were followed for 24 weeks.  The magnitude of benefit of the acupuncture was even greater at 24 weeks than it had been during the treatment phase.

Dr. Chappell offers acupuncture for hotflashes.

See Family Practice News, January 2015, p. 18.

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Crohn’s Disease Often Triggered by Antibiotic Use

Finally, conventional medicine is realizing that inflammatory bowel problems such as Crohn’s disease can be triggered by the use of prescribed antibiotics.  Dr. Ryan Ungaro from the Icahn School of Medicine in Mt. Sinai, New York identified metronidazole and quinolone antibiotics as the most common culprits, creating a condition called dysbiosis.  This in turn can trigger an autoimmune response, which can make the patient very sick.  Recommended prevention (by me) includes using herbal preparations instead of antibiotics and including probiotics at the same time.  Further, we use LDI (low-dose immunotherapy) to desensitize patients who have already developed Crohn’s disease.

Call our office at 800-788-4627 to set up a free consultation to discuss Crohn’s disease.

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Endometriosis Yields to HCG Injections

Thanks to Ronald Steriti, ND and Jonathan Wright, MD (in his excellent newsletter, Nutrition and Healing), we are now aware that HCG injections once or twice a week for at least 3 months can dramatically improve endometriosis without the usual treatments of high-dose hormones, pain medications, and/or a hysterectomy.  HCG is the basis of a pregnancy test and is also used to help people off-label to lose weight.  Large doses have been found to be safe.

Contact an alternative doctor and write to www.wrightnewsletter.com, Sept, 2014 issue.

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Diagnosing Fibromyalgia Becomes Much Easier

Dr. Andrew Gross of the University of California, San Francisco, claims that the usual physical exam to assess 18 potentially tender trigger points required by the American College of Rheumatology to diagnose fibromyalgia is “a complete waste of time”.  He uses a simple questionnaire instead that asks for such symptoms as widespread pain present for at least 3 months, fatigue and poor sleep.  After the diagnosis is made, however, I believe that alternative treatments such as LDI (low dose allergens) and Naltrexone are far superior to conventional treatments, which are mostly limited to pain pills and anti-depressants.

Call our office at 800-788-4627 to set up a free consultation to discuss fibromyalgia.

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Lung Cancer Screening for Current and Previous Smokers

The US Preventive Services Task Force came out with a recommendation last year for smokers.  Cancer is the second leading cause of death and lung cancer is the leading type of cancer deaths for both men and women.  One reason is that most lung cancers are not detected until they have spread.  The new recommendation is that heavy smokers aged 55-80 and those who have quit smoking in the past 15 years should have annual low dose CAT scans to look for potentially curable lung cancers.  Once someone has quit smoking for 15 years, the screening can be stopped.

 

Google the USPSTF guidelines for more details.

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Answers to Rosacea

A new Rosacea topical treatment appears to be very promising.  Ivermectin in a 1% cream was used for 12 weeks with an average two to fourfold better improvement over placebo.  It should be available soon.  Alternative treatments that appear to be even more effective include low-dose immunotherapy (LDI) and smooth beam laser treatments.

Call our office at 800-788-4627 for more information.

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Psoriasis Bites the Dust

A study reported in Family Practice News in the March 1, 2014 issue showed that you could reduce the annual cost of the usual treatment of psoriasis from $11,757 to $7,786 by using a combination topical treatment of calcipotriene and the steroid, betamethasone.  However, a new treatment of desensitizing called low dose immunotherapy (LDI) seems to be very effective (based on anecdotal reports) at an annual cost of no more than $1200 for the first year and gradually less cost over time.

Call our office at 800-788-4627 for more information or to set up a free consultation.

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Moderate Exercise Improves Stroke Risk

You don’t have to be a mountain climber to reduce your risk of stroke.  Moderate activity such as brisk walking, golf, recreational tennis, cycling on a flat surface, and volleyball reduced the risk of stroke by 12-30%.  For women who increased their risk by taking synthetic hormone replacement, exercise mostly counteracted the risk.

See Family Practice News, March 1, 2014, reporting on the California Teachers Study of 133,479 women.

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Blueberries for Blood Pressure

A study of 40 postmenopausal women with hypertension showed that after two months, those who ate the equivalent of a cup of blueberries a day had lower blood pressure (5%  systolic and 6% diastolic).  In the treated patients, nitric oxide was increased, which might be the mechanism, since the latter is known to relax arterial blood pressure.

See Johnson, SA at Florida State Univ, the lead author for an article in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

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Patients with Arthritis Have Increased Risk for Heart Attacks

There is further evidence that chronic inflammation is an important risk factor for heart attacks.  Such auto-immune diseases as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis carry an increased risk, even if they are treated with powerful disease-modifying drugs.  Inflammation is a complex issue, and we need to do everything we can to control it, especially when present in chronic diseases.  Nutrients and anti-oxidants should be included in the treatment.  The drugs are not the complete answer.

See Coblyn JS.  Ann Rheum Dis, Feb 2015.

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The Women’s Health Crisis That’s a Secret

During the last 30 years there has been a dramatic increase in autoimmune diseases.  24 million Americans are afflicted, which is twice the number that have cancer.  80% of those are women.  This includes almost 100 difference diagnoses, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Crohn’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.  Fibromyalgia is technically not auto-immune but in many ways it acts like it.  Lyme disease also acts like these problems. We do not know why they occur, but my feeling is that it has something to do with toxicity and a malfunctioning immune system.  One of the triggers is probably allergy.  Low-dose allergy treatments can have dramatic effects in treating these problems.

For more info, Google low-dose allergens.  Many of the rules that previously had to be followed no longer applied, making the treatment much easier to take this year than last.

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C-pap Treatments are getting ready for Prime Time

Sleep apnea is more common in adults than asthma.  A Cleveland Clinic report showed that sleep apnea might lead to accidents, stroke, hypertension, coronary artery disease, atrial fib, and postoperative complications.  If there is any question, a sleep study is now recommended prior to elective surgery.  C-pap can then be given post-op.  Emergency technicians are now being taught to treat patients with C-pap instead of trying to intubate patients who have a compromised airway.

  See the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, Nov. 2009, p. 98-103.

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Endometriosis Breakthrough Treatment

Endometriosis is often severe enough to require surgery.  However, the new Low-dose allergen treatment (LDA) that includes yeast desensitization might well clear the problem up completely without surgery.  Another treatment that has shown significant regression is HCG given once or twice a week (1000 to 5000 iu per dose).

See Jonathan Wright’s Nutrition and Healing newsletter, Sept. 2014, p.3.

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Stents Fail to Give Long-term Benefit

Norm Shealy, a holistic neurosurgeon, points to recent news from the AMA journal that 52% of patients who get stents fail to have long-term help.  32% die within 2 years, 20% re-block their arteries within 6 months, and 2% die during the actual procedure.  Bypass surgery is even worse.  You can often take chelation therapy instead of surgery, or if surgery is really needed, then take chelation afterwards to protect against re-stenosis.  This is common sense, but unfortunately not yet common practice.

See  JAMA Neuro, published on-line January 12, 2015.

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Eczema Linked to Hard Water

A British study looked at 1300 infants and found that eczema was present in 45% more children who were exposed to hard water instead of soft water.  In addition to increased calcium carbonate in the water, the affected children had to have a loss of function gene (FLG), which is common.

 See Family Practice News, November 1, 2014, p.18-19.

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Hospitalizations from Heart Failure are Higher During the Holidays

During the 4 days immediately after Christmas, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and the Super Bowl, the rate of admissions to the hospital for heart failure patients is 11-14% higher than the rest of the month, according to Mahek Shah at the annual meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America.  Dr. Shah speculates that the mechanisms could be the amount of rich, salty foods consumed or it could be delay in seeking medical care at holiday time.  The message is eat healthy snack foods, lower in salt, especially at festivities and family gatherings.

See Dr. Shah’s work analyzing 22,728 patients at Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia.

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Concussions Require Cognitive as Well as Physical Rest

Coaches and teachers routinely make sure that students who suffer a concussion get some time off from physical activity to recover.  But only half as many insist that study time, computer time, test-taking and other mental activities be significantly limited post-concussion.  Otherwise, recovery can be delayed, and permanent effects might be more likely.

 See Dr. Kelsey Logan’s comments at the American Academy of Pediatrics meeting.  He directs Sports medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center.

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Depression Linked to Obesity

The National Center for Health Statistics reported that women aged 40-59 and men over 60 y.o. who are overweight are more likely to be depressed, whether they are taking medications or not.  If you are overweight, you might consider that you could be depressed.  Such treatments as yeast, food allergies, amino acids, SAMe, and counseling could solve both problems.  Not everyone who is depressed is aware of it.  A professional evaluation is often helpful.

See the NCHS study based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.  More info from lfranki@frantlinemedcom.com.

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ADHD is Often Missed in Adults

A presentation at the European College of Neuropsychopharmocology showed that 15.8% of nonpsychotic outpatients had adult ADHD that had not been previously diagnosed.  Medication can be helpful, but Dr. Johannes Thome, chair of the Dept. of Psychiatry at the the University of Rostock in Germany stressed that “pills don’t give you skills.”  He emphasized that psychological therapies are important as well.  Those of us in Integrative Medicine would also look for yeast imbalance, food allergies, B12 responders, toxic metals, low dose naltrexone, homeopathics, and other treatment options that have been successful in children with ADHD.

See the report of the ECNP congress in Family Practice News, Nov. 15, 2014, p. 10.

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A Toxic Metal use in Dyes for MRI Testing Stays with You Forever

Dr. Joe Hickey has demonstrated that Gadolinium, a toxic heavy metal that is administered as a contrast material for most MRI’s to sharpen the images, stays with the patient indefinitely if not treated.  Gadolinium acts similarly to lead, mercury, and arsenic to increase the risk of chronic degenerative diseases over years of exposure.  To find out if you have a toxic residue of Gadolinium, ask your integrative physician to do a challenge test with EDTA.  The treatment is chelation therapy.
 

Go to www.icimed.com to find a doctor knowledgeable about this problem.

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Powerful Relief from Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia

Jacob Teitelbaum, MD has a 5-part program to address these difficult but very treatable conditions that he calls “SHINE”.  The 5 areas that must be addressed are Sleep, Hormone deficiencies, Infections, Nutritional deficiencies, and Exercise as able.  Low-dose Naltrexone (LDN) has also shown great promise.  More recently, Dr. Ty Vincent from Alaska as shown how the allergy/sensitivity treatment known as Low-dose Allergens (LDA) can be modified to treat these problems effectively.  At Celebration of Health Association in Bluffton, Ohio, we use all three of these modalities.  Our patients are really excited by their results.
 

Contact Celebration of Health Association website  

 www.endfatigue.com , or Google Low-dose Naltrexone.

 

Pain Relief in Minutes

Dr. Steven Kaufman of Denver has invented the pain neutralization technique with several important corollaries.  No drugs, no surgeries, no treatment devices, just light pressure from the treatment practitioner’s hands.  Those trained in Kaufman’s, procedures, as I have, find that they can often dissolve pain rapidly.  Permanent resolution might evolve in 1-4 treatments with relatively little cost and no side effects.

Find out more from Jonathan Wright’s newsletter, Health and Healing, June 2013 issue, or from going to www.painneutralization.com.

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Good News for Runners!

Dr. Lo reported on a comforting study at the American College of Rheumatology meeting in Boston.  Runners who do not start running with arthritic knees do not have an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis due to running at any time of their life.  Go ahead and run.  It’s good for you.

 

Go to familypracticenews.com

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Tylenol (Acetaminophen) Does Not Outperform Placebo for Low Back Pain

A large study in Australia treated low back pain patients with acetaminophen or placebo.  The median recovery time for both groups was 17 days.  There was a minimal relief of pain with the drug, much like using NSAID’s like ibuprofen and Aleve.  Most patients recover from acute low back pain reasonably well with maintaining activity and utilizing safer modalities as needed, such as acupuncture, massage, chiropractic, and herbal supplements.
 

See the Lancet, July 24, 2014 issue.

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To Tan or Not to Tan

The answer is not to tan, especially with indoor tanning booths.  The Surgeon General estimates that indoor tanning might be associated with 400,000 new cases of skin cancer and 6000 melanomas each year.  9000 people die of melanomas yearly.  One in three white women, aged 16-25, use tanning booths.  The best protections outdoors are hats and clothing.  Sunscreen might protect against harmful UV exposure, but it has to be applied repeatedly, and it reduces the body’s production of vitamin D, which can have its own set of problems.  Get your vitamin D level checked with a blood test, especially at this time of year.  Supplementation is often indicated to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis.

Google the Surgeon General’s report on indoor tanning for more info.

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The Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy, Phase 2The Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy, Phase 2The Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy, Phase 2The Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy, Phase 2The Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy, Phase 2

TACT-1 was a huge study that showed that chelation therapy can prevent future cardiac events for patients who had suffered a previous heart attack.  Chief Investigator, Dr. Gervasio Lamas, has published the study in major journals and presented the data at many medical schools across the U.S.  The most impressive part of the study was a 51% reduction in cardiac events in diabetic patients over a 5-year period.  The FDA was impressed as well, but they demand a confirmatory study for acceptance of chelation therapy.  Thus we now have TACT-2.  If you know anyone who is a diabetic and has had at least one heart attack, please have him or her contact our office to find out if they are eligible to participate in the study.  They would have a 2/3 probability of receiving $10,000 worth of treatment, without cost.

Call Celebration of Health Association at 800-788-4627.

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What do Autoimmune Diseases, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Yeast Have in Common?

All of these medical problems involve malfunctions of the immune system.  Conventional treatments for them are powerful, expensive drugs that have potential side effects.  For many, treatment has had limited success.  We now realize that a significant factor for all of these problems can be a sensitization which occurs to common bacteria that reside in the patient’s digestive tract.  This sensitization might be reversed by treating with a very low dose allergen treatment (LDA), much like homeopathic remedies.  This is a natural treatment that can be given orally without severe dietary restrictions.  The details were presented at the fall meeting of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine.  It is an exciting new approach that we are delighted to offer at our clinic.

 

Google Low Dose Allergen treatment or contact our office in Bluffton, Ohio at 800-788-4627.

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