But Safety Net Flimsier
MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical Writer
POSTED: 10:40 am MDT June 7, 2009
UPDATED: 5:02 pm MDT June 7, 2009
BALTIMORE -- At one of the nation's top trauma hospitals, a nurse circles a patient's bed, humming and waving her arms as if shooing evil spirits. Another woman rubs a quartz bowl with a wand, making tunes that mix with the beeping monitors and hissing respirator keeping the man alive.
They are doing Reiki therapy, which claims to heal through invisible energy fields. The anesthesia chief, Dr. Richard Dutton, calls it "mystical mumbo jumbo." Still, he's a fan.
"It's self-hypnosis" that can help patients relax, he said. "If you tell yourself you have less pain, you actually do have less pain." Click here for the rest of the article...
Monday, June 8, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Who does Oprah go to for women's health advice?
Posted on: June 4, 2009 4:30 PM, by PalMD
One of Oprah's favorite resources for women's health is Dr. Christiane Northrup, a gynecologist with bizarre ideas about health and disease. On the air, she has disputed the connection between HPV and cervical cancer, an uncontroversial scientific fact. Her un-belief in an important scientific fact is disturbing, but if you dig around her published writing a bit, it's even scarier. This doctor is to women's health what Dick Cheney is to human rights.
Northrup on fibroids
Uterine leiomyomas, better known as fibroid tumors, are common, non-cancerous tumors of the uterus. They can be completely asymptomatic, or can cause significant pain, bleeding, and fertility problems. These tumors are fed by hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, and manipulation of these hormones can sometimes help with symptoms. That's the facts. In Northrup's world, things are a bit different. If her writing makes you feel a bit like Alice, you're not alone. It starts with some normal ideas, such as the anatomy of fibroids, etc., but as soon as she starts to talk about cause, we are well down the rabbit hole. Click here for the rest of this post...
Note from Andrea: This doctor is obviously not a fan of bioidentical hormones. I include his article on the blog for two reasons: to remind women of the challenges we face when trying to get proper hormone balance (I wish I could tell you this is one of the few doctors who does not believe in BHRT, but you all know better), and that while Dr. Northrup has a huge following, a lot of women have issues with some of her views. Nothing in the bioidentical hormone replacement world (or any world for that matter!) is all good/bad, right/wrong, there is a huge amount of gray area. Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone!
One of Oprah's favorite resources for women's health is Dr. Christiane Northrup, a gynecologist with bizarre ideas about health and disease. On the air, she has disputed the connection between HPV and cervical cancer, an uncontroversial scientific fact. Her un-belief in an important scientific fact is disturbing, but if you dig around her published writing a bit, it's even scarier. This doctor is to women's health what Dick Cheney is to human rights.
Northrup on fibroids
Uterine leiomyomas, better known as fibroid tumors, are common, non-cancerous tumors of the uterus. They can be completely asymptomatic, or can cause significant pain, bleeding, and fertility problems. These tumors are fed by hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, and manipulation of these hormones can sometimes help with symptoms. That's the facts. In Northrup's world, things are a bit different. If her writing makes you feel a bit like Alice, you're not alone. It starts with some normal ideas, such as the anatomy of fibroids, etc., but as soon as she starts to talk about cause, we are well down the rabbit hole. Click here for the rest of this post...
Note from Andrea: This doctor is obviously not a fan of bioidentical hormones. I include his article on the blog for two reasons: to remind women of the challenges we face when trying to get proper hormone balance (I wish I could tell you this is one of the few doctors who does not believe in BHRT, but you all know better), and that while Dr. Northrup has a huge following, a lot of women have issues with some of her views. Nothing in the bioidentical hormone replacement world (or any world for that matter!) is all good/bad, right/wrong, there is a huge amount of gray area. Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone!
Losing Weight After Menopause
By Michael O'Reilly, M.D.ThirdAge Women's Health Expert
Q: Why do our metabolisms give in after menopause? Why do we have to work so hard to lose weight at this stage? What's going on with our bodies? And do you have medical suggestions for dealing with this? Diets don't work for me. Click here to read answer...
Q: Why do our metabolisms give in after menopause? Why do we have to work so hard to lose weight at this stage? What's going on with our bodies? And do you have medical suggestions for dealing with this? Diets don't work for me. Click here to read answer...
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Could you be in Perimenopause?
Tina Richardson was 38 years old when she first started to experience severe hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings. Now 43, she says, she has hot flashes daily and every night she wakes drenched in perspiration. One day she can feel on top of the world, and the next she cries for no apparent reason. Click here to read the rest of the article...
Friday, June 5, 2009
Increasing Your Sex Drive as You Age
Menopause has a terrible reputation, and for good reason. Many women experience a loss of sexual desire and/or the ability to achieve orgasm as they age. One reason is scientifically linked to a waning production of the hormone progesterone, which is instrumental to relaxation. This is just one of the many reasons why I believe that the most important organ for having great sex is the brain: if you can't relax and turn off your brain, how will you be able to turn yourself on? Click here to read the rest of the article......
Oprah Winfrey Responds to Report She Gives Dangerous Medical Advice
Thursday June 4, 2009
CelebNews@Usmagazine.com! - Oprah Winfrey Responds to Report She Gives Dangerous Medical Advice ShareThisOprah Winfrey is speaking out about Newsweek's latest cover story which claims that she abuses her influence and credibility by promoting health "cures" that are ineffective and dangerous. Click here to finish the article...
I'm trying to post a comment to the article in the appropriate section, but the system on the US Weekley website keeps going down.....
CelebNews@Usmagazine.com! - Oprah Winfrey Responds to Report She Gives Dangerous Medical Advice ShareThisOprah Winfrey is speaking out about Newsweek's latest cover story which claims that she abuses her influence and credibility by promoting health "cures" that are ineffective and dangerous. Click here to finish the article...
I'm trying to post a comment to the article in the appropriate section, but the system on the US Weekley website keeps going down.....
Thursday, June 4, 2009
(Canadian) Users of Premarin drug stunned by price hike
Updated Wed. Jun. 3 2009 10:50 PM ET
Women who take the hormone replacement therapy drug Premarin are getting a big case of sticker shock when they renew their prescriptions these days.
That's because as of April 1, a month's supply of the medication has risen an astonishing 800 per cent, from about 14 cents a pill to about $1.24 a pill.
The price hike isn't due to any changes in the drug's formulation or packaging; it's simply a matter of supply and demand, says its manufacturer, Wyeth Canada. Click here to read the rest of the article...
Women who take the hormone replacement therapy drug Premarin are getting a big case of sticker shock when they renew their prescriptions these days.
That's because as of April 1, a month's supply of the medication has risen an astonishing 800 per cent, from about 14 cents a pill to about $1.24 a pill.
The price hike isn't due to any changes in the drug's formulation or packaging; it's simply a matter of supply and demand, says its manufacturer, Wyeth Canada. Click here to read the rest of the article...
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Live Your Best Life Ever!
Wish Away Cancer! Get A Lunchtime Face-Lift! Eradicate Autism! Turn Back The Clock! Thin Your Thighs! Cure Menopause! Harness Positive Energy! Erase Wrinkles! Banish Obesity! Live Your Best Life Ever!
By Weston Kosova and Pat Wingert
NEWSWEEK
Published May 30, 2009
From the magazine issue dated Jun 8, 2009
In January, Oprah Winfrey invited Suzanne Somers on her show to share her unusual secrets to staying young. Each morning, the 62-year-old actress and self-help author rubs a potent estrogen cream into the skin on her arm. She smears progesterone on her other arm two weeks a month. And once a day, she uses a syringe to inject estrogen directly into her vagina. The idea is to use these unregulated "bio-identical" hormones to restore her levels back to what they were when she was in her 30s, thus fooling her body into thinking she's a younger woman. According to Somers, the hormones, which are synthesized from plants instead of the usual mare's urine (disgusting but true), are all natural and, unlike conventional hormones, virtually risk-free (not even close to true, but we'll get to that in a minute). Click here to read the rest of the story....
This story is getting a HUGE amount of media attention, and as I write this post on Wednesday evening, I am watching Steven Colbert dedicate most of his show's first segment to the story (in a satirical way, of course, and full disclosure, I am a big Colbert fan!), including a clip of Oprah's BHRT show with Suzanne Somers talking about injecting estrogen into her vagina daily. The story is generating a lot of controversy........this is not the way we want publicity for BHRT, but it is what it is. I'd be interested in your comments about the story, I am going to try and get a discussion started over on the Oprah.com website (that should be interesting). Leave me a comment!
By Weston Kosova and Pat Wingert
NEWSWEEK
Published May 30, 2009
From the magazine issue dated Jun 8, 2009
In January, Oprah Winfrey invited Suzanne Somers on her show to share her unusual secrets to staying young. Each morning, the 62-year-old actress and self-help author rubs a potent estrogen cream into the skin on her arm. She smears progesterone on her other arm two weeks a month. And once a day, she uses a syringe to inject estrogen directly into her vagina. The idea is to use these unregulated "bio-identical" hormones to restore her levels back to what they were when she was in her 30s, thus fooling her body into thinking she's a younger woman. According to Somers, the hormones, which are synthesized from plants instead of the usual mare's urine (disgusting but true), are all natural and, unlike conventional hormones, virtually risk-free (not even close to true, but we'll get to that in a minute). Click here to read the rest of the story....
This story is getting a HUGE amount of media attention, and as I write this post on Wednesday evening, I am watching Steven Colbert dedicate most of his show's first segment to the story (in a satirical way, of course, and full disclosure, I am a big Colbert fan!), including a clip of Oprah's BHRT show with Suzanne Somers talking about injecting estrogen into her vagina daily. The story is generating a lot of controversy........this is not the way we want publicity for BHRT, but it is what it is. I'd be interested in your comments about the story, I am going to try and get a discussion started over on the Oprah.com website (that should be interesting). Leave me a comment!
MEDICALLY SPEAKING: Minimally invasive procedure can shrink uterine fibroids
By Dr. Anthony Jennings
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
3:14 AM CDT
Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumors diagnosed in premenopausal women. The National Institutes of Health estimates that as many as 75 percent of American women of childbearing age may have at least one fibroid tumor. While these masses of tissue that form on the uterine walls are not life-threatening, they can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms. Read the rest of the article...
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
3:14 AM CDT
Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumors diagnosed in premenopausal women. The National Institutes of Health estimates that as many as 75 percent of American women of childbearing age may have at least one fibroid tumor. While these masses of tissue that form on the uterine walls are not life-threatening, they can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms. Read the rest of the article...
My Brief Life as a Woman
By Dana Jennings
As my wife and I sat on the couch one night this past winter, reading and half-watching the inevitable HGTV, I started sweating hard and my face got so fevered and flushed that I felt as if I were peering into an oven.
I turned to Deb and said, “Man, I’m having a wicked hot flash.” And she said, “Me, too.” Then we laughed. You laugh a lot — unless your hormones are making you cry — when you’re having menopause with your wife. Click here to read the rest of the article....
As my wife and I sat on the couch one night this past winter, reading and half-watching the inevitable HGTV, I started sweating hard and my face got so fevered and flushed that I felt as if I were peering into an oven.
I turned to Deb and said, “Man, I’m having a wicked hot flash.” And she said, “Me, too.” Then we laughed. You laugh a lot — unless your hormones are making you cry — when you’re having menopause with your wife. Click here to read the rest of the article....
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Should patients post reviews of doctors?
Posted: Tuesday, Jun. 02, 2009
Karen Garloch writes on Health for The Charlotte Observer. Her column appears each Monday.
E-mail Karen Garloch (704) 358-5078
Angie's List was started 14 years ago to provide consumers with a list of home contractors and reviews by people who had used their services.
Just over a year ago, the Indianapolis-based company expanded to include reviews of doctors and other health-care professionals, an addition that co-founder Angie Hicks says has been very popular with subscribers.
Hicks, who visited Charlotte last week, said the number of health-care categories on the list has tripled to 150, and about a quarter of the postings are now related to health care. Read the rest of the story by clicking here...
I'm curious to know what you alll think of this---------I have posted positive reviews of both of my physicians, Dr. Carr (hormonal care) and Dr. Hines (pain management physician in Huntersville). While the temptation is great to post nasty reviews of a few physicians/health care providers I have had in the past, it's not something I would do. I would, however, post that I was very unhappy with a physician's care and that I wouldn't return to his/her office. I also would not sign a waiver/gag order as described in the article.
Karen Garloch writes on Health for The Charlotte Observer. Her column appears each Monday.
E-mail Karen Garloch (704) 358-5078
Angie's List was started 14 years ago to provide consumers with a list of home contractors and reviews by people who had used their services.
Just over a year ago, the Indianapolis-based company expanded to include reviews of doctors and other health-care professionals, an addition that co-founder Angie Hicks says has been very popular with subscribers.
Hicks, who visited Charlotte last week, said the number of health-care categories on the list has tripled to 150, and about a quarter of the postings are now related to health care. Read the rest of the story by clicking here...
I'm curious to know what you alll think of this---------I have posted positive reviews of both of my physicians, Dr. Carr (hormonal care) and Dr. Hines (pain management physician in Huntersville). While the temptation is great to post nasty reviews of a few physicians/health care providers I have had in the past, it's not something I would do. I would, however, post that I was very unhappy with a physician's care and that I wouldn't return to his/her office. I also would not sign a waiver/gag order as described in the article.
One of my favourite quotes---
"What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us."
- Henry David Thoreau
- Henry David Thoreau
Some Women Turn To Hormones
POSTED: Tuesday, May 19, 2009
UPDATED: 12:55 pm CDT May 20, 2009
SAN ANTONIO -- Many medical doctors don't like them. Pharmaceutical companies don't like them and the Food and Drug Administration doesn't approve them.
So with that much opposition to bioidentical hormones, it's a wonder anyone would ever use them, but they do, and some women swear by them.
Five months since starting bioidentical hormone therapy, Penny Phillips said she is 45 pounds lighter, happier, and weaning off the antidepressants she's been taking for decades. Click here to read the rest of the story... (including my comment in the comments section!)
This story is from a San Antonio, TX television station. There is also a short video to watch. I'm sharing with my blog readers to increase awareness of how divided the medical community is about BHRT.....some doctors are advocates and routinely use it in their practices, some think it "might be ok" but have no idea how to prescribe it, and some will laugh patients right out of their offices and think it's just a scam. Makes it tough for those of us who need it to get proper care. It is getting (slowly) better, I feel like we've come a distance in the three years I've been on it, but there is a long, long way to go to educate women and their doctors (it's sort of the can you teach an old dog new tricks!) Have a great day, everyone, it's going to be hot here in Charlotte, NC---92 degrees! I hope everyone is enjoying this lovely month!
UPDATED: 12:55 pm CDT May 20, 2009
SAN ANTONIO -- Many medical doctors don't like them. Pharmaceutical companies don't like them and the Food and Drug Administration doesn't approve them.
So with that much opposition to bioidentical hormones, it's a wonder anyone would ever use them, but they do, and some women swear by them.
Five months since starting bioidentical hormone therapy, Penny Phillips said she is 45 pounds lighter, happier, and weaning off the antidepressants she's been taking for decades. Click here to read the rest of the story... (including my comment in the comments section!)
This story is from a San Antonio, TX television station. There is also a short video to watch. I'm sharing with my blog readers to increase awareness of how divided the medical community is about BHRT.....some doctors are advocates and routinely use it in their practices, some think it "might be ok" but have no idea how to prescribe it, and some will laugh patients right out of their offices and think it's just a scam. Makes it tough for those of us who need it to get proper care. It is getting (slowly) better, I feel like we've come a distance in the three years I've been on it, but there is a long, long way to go to educate women and their doctors (it's sort of the can you teach an old dog new tricks!) Have a great day, everyone, it's going to be hot here in Charlotte, NC---92 degrees! I hope everyone is enjoying this lovely month!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Vitamin D may help prevent knee osteoarthritis
Fri May 29, 2009 2:04pm EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Low levels of vitamin D are associated with the loss of cartilage in the knee joint of older individuals, researchers in Australia report.
"Cartilage loss is the hallmark of osteoarthritis," Dr. Changhai Ding told Reuters Health. By the time patients reach the point of needing knee replacement, 60 percent of cartilage has been lost, he said. To read the rest of the article, click here...
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Low levels of vitamin D are associated with the loss of cartilage in the knee joint of older individuals, researchers in Australia report.
"Cartilage loss is the hallmark of osteoarthritis," Dr. Changhai Ding told Reuters Health. By the time patients reach the point of needing knee replacement, 60 percent of cartilage has been lost, he said. To read the rest of the article, click here...
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