Dear Kim,
I would have to know the name of the substance. If it is what I think it is I, personally, would not take it. There is likely a big "whoops factor" coming down the road & I would like to know what it is before laying MY life on the line.
She would do a LOT better doing some learning so she would be an informed consumer. Her best place to start (if you think she is willilng to learn) would be with a copy of my book (link on this page). She needs to read the entire book---not just the chapter on arthritis.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: hormone replacement therapy posted by Walt Stoll on July 01, 1998 at 09:32:49:
Dr. Stoll,
Thank you for your follow-up. The HRT is Raloxifene [Evista]
In Reply to: Re: hormone replacement therapy posted by Kim on July 01, 1998 at 10:10:53:
YUP, Kim, that's what I thought.
The whoops factor for this DRUG has not yet been found. However, I predict that it will show up within a year or two.
You, and she, would benefit greatly by reading "Health at the Crossroads" by Dean Black, PhD (also, if you can find a copy, his "Pigs in the Dirt"). They were both published by Tapestry and your library could find copies for you. Also, you could call the publisher at (800) 333-4290.
Let us know what you learn.
Walt
Dear BB participants,
Those of you who are regulars have heard me warn about the inevitable "whoops factor" for any orally available hormones (DHEA & Melatonin are just the two most popular right now).
Well, last week the first definite whoops factor for DHEA was announced. DHEA causes prostate cancer and, although not yet proven, probably breast cancer as well.
I still think that anyone taking an oral hormone needs to be aware that there will almost certainly be found dangerous consequences of the chronic use of that substance.
Estrogen replacement falls into that catagory. However, it has been used for more than 50 years & so we know a lot more about the benefit/risk ratio. Were I a postmenopausal female I would take it for myself whereas I would not take DHEA more than a month or so.
Walt
In Reply to: DHEA Whoops Factor posted by Walt Stoll on July 13, 1998 at 08:35:48:
Dear Walt,
Thanks for bringing up this critical topic publically. From my own experience with DHEA, I'd NEVER take it again. Several years ago, when DHEA was just becoming all the rage (along with melatonin), an alternative MD had me tested for DHEA levels (salivary levels), which were found to be extremely low. I don't know the accuracy of salivary tests for hormone levels, but suspect that serum tests are more precise. Anyway, this well-meaning and generally knowledgeable doc explained to me that DHEA was the "mother hormone" and would convert to pregnenolone, progesterone, testosterone, or whatever other hormone I needed. When I voiced my concerns that in fact DHEA was an intermediary hormone more than a few steps down the hormonal cascade starting at the hypothalamus, I was reassured that this wasn't anything to worry about. Take DHEA, I was told, and you'll decrease stress levels, gain energy, gain lean body mass, increase metabolic rate, and burn body fat. I tried the stuff at very low dosage (can't remember what dosage), for two months. At the end of two months, I was stressed, exhausted, fat as ever, and my serum testosterone levels were sky-high, causing moderate facial hirsutism, and ironically, decreased rather than increased libido. If DHEA really "knows" what one's body needs, it certainly wasn't in close communication with my body. More testosterone production was absolutely the last thing I needed. I dropped the stuff like a hot potato. Skilled relaxation, which starts with the hypothalamus, is in my opinion a far more effective hormone balancer/regulator than any hormone indiscriminately inserted into the overall cascade.
Estrogen I don't have a problem with. It's been around for a long time, tested long-term, and as far as I know, most women docs put themselves on HRT including estrogen when entering menopause.
Melatonin? The "whoops factor" again, definitely. Again, several years ago I tried it for insomnia. In me, it produced the opposite effects of emotional agitation and insomnia.
To borrow your words, Walt, it's definitely "not what you take, but what you do". Sure, there are exceptions, as in the case of estrogen and perhaps natural progesterone, but even when taking these hormones, I believe that skilled relaxation/whole foods diet would make them more effective and probably safer. Thanks for letting me get on the soapbox.
Namaste' Kyra
In Reply to: Re: DHEA. The "mother of all hormones"... posted by Kyra on July 15, 1998 at 17:18:30:
I have been taking 25mg of DHEA for about a year and have never experienced any of the benefits touted for this stuff. Thanks, Walt, for your advice NOT to use it.
I have also been taking 200mcg of Chromium Picolinate, 400mg of Chondroitin and 500mg of Glucosamine on a daily basis for several months. I have been experiencing relatively high blood pressure lately and think it might be due to one, or more, of the above substances. I plan to quit taking them immediately.
Any comments about these products?
Thanx.
Sid
In Reply to: Re: DHEA. The "mother of all hormones"... posted by Kyra on July 15, 1998 at 17:18:30:
Thanks, Kyra!
This is exactly the kind of stuff that needs to get on the BB.
I am embarassed for my colleagues that jump on the bandwagon of hype without doing the hard work of actually thinking. It is the patient that suffers.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: DHEA. The "mother of all hormones"... posted by Sid on July 15, 1998 at 19:36:18:
Hi, Sid.
I would be interested in hearing if your BP responded when you stopped these things. I have "heard" that glucosamine could do this but have no hard evidence to support that.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: DHEA. The "mother of all hormones"... posted by Walt Stoll on July 16, 1998 at 10:36:14:
Kyra, Walt, et al,
I was just recently (w/in 2 mos) put on DHEA along with Testosterone. I'm taking 10 mg 2x/day of the DHEA and 25 mg. 1/day of the Testosterone. I did have a hormone test come back with a VERY low testosterone level.
I read with interest about you being stressed, Kyra, because I have been feeling incredibly stressed out lately, even to the point of not being able to sleep, and a tight feeling in my chest and stomach (nausea almost)nearly all the time. This resulted in getting prescribed GHB 1 hour before I go to sleep. I have just started trying to meditate, but am not doing so well. Should I quit the DHEA?
My doctor now wants me on an adrenal forte supplement, since my thyroid seems okay (a bit low for my age) after tests and temperature readings. I quit taking birth control pills in March, after 15 years straight of using them. Could this just be a temporary adjustment period? Maybe I should just wait it out? Any advice on this, anyone?
Thanks in advance...
trish
In Reply to: DHEA - Yikes! I'm on it now...what do you suggest? posted by trish on July 16, 1998 at 15:33:14:
Dear Trish,
Walt's the expert and I defer to his opinions, but from my perspective I'd stop taking the DHEA immediately. I wouldn't be surprised at all if your increased stress levels, nausea, and chest symptoms were completely DHEA-related. I was just exploring on Medline database yesterday about DHEA and found a bunch of negative stuff about it which I saved but haven't had a chance to review. If you have access to Medline, try find kw DHEA, followed individually by also find kw breast cancer, also find kw prostate cancer, and also find kw danger. Hope this helps!
Kyra
In Reply to: Re: DHEA - Trish, I'd quit taking it right away posted by Kyra on July 16, 1998 at 17:38:17:
I will try to look it up as you suggested. I didn't put two and two together until I read your post, and attributed my stress to a crisis I'm experiencing right now. But it makes sense, and I stopped it as of last night.
I realized that my message was not complete after reading it again this morning. We eradicated a candida infection, but I was still feeling so fatigued that we've gone off looking for other reasons - thyroid, hormones, and adrenals were the next suspects. As I stated , my testosterone is low, but when we tested my thyroid, it seemed to be fine - SO, now we're going the adrenal route. I don't know the ingredients of teh adrenal support yet, as I haven't picked it up. I will be more careful from now on to look for reactions!
Thanks for all of your contributions here, Kyra, you always seem to be able to put in a good word and good information for people!
be well,
trish
In Reply to: DHEA - Yikes! I'm on it now...what do you suggest? posted by trish on July 16, 1998 at 15:33:14:
Dear Trish,
Only your prescribing physician can advise you here. If it were me, I would ask to be gradually taken off it.s/he may not even be aware of the recent findings.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: DHEA - Yikes! I'm on it now...what do you suggest? posted by Walt Stoll on July 17, 1998 at 11:04:27:
Thanks, Walt.
I called my doc and he said (via his nurse) to take 1/2 dose for 3 days, then quit. Yay!
Where can I find the information on the studies you mentioned about DHEA and cancer? I'd like to send it to him, as I'm sure he would want to know, and I am not due to see him for awhile.
I will also look for the info Kyra suggested.
Thanks again! (I feel better already!)
trish
In Reply to: Re: DHEA - Yikes! I'm on it now...what do you suggest? posted by trish on July 17, 1998 at 13:23:44:
Dear Trish,
It was on all of the news services a few days ago. I did not bother to listen for the research since I had been expecting it.
You will be hearing about it.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: DHEA. The "mother of all hormones"... posted by Kyra on July 15, 1998 at 17:18:30:
Dear Kyra,
You raise a question that has troubled me for some time. I have mixed feelings about control of OTC meds and supplements by the FDA and through the influence of other groups. It's true that nutritional supplements haven't caused very many problems in the past, but things are changing. We now have higher potencies and many single component pills that do have potential for abuse. DHEA is a good example. There are people who take it for weight management, energy, sexual performance and a host of other things. Very few people test for physiologic levels of the hormone/precursor, but even those that do seldom test thoroughly enough. For example, while supplementing with DHEA, a DHEA (or DHEA-S) level could be within reference range in blood or urine testing but producing excess levels of Androsterone and Etiocholonolone (both androgens - male hormones) as secondary metabolites. No one knows what the long term effect can be from high levels of these hormones (other than masculating women) in the system, but the salespeople are sure out there pushing the pills, and levels of these androgens are not being monitored.
I'm frightened at the prospect of MORE control by government agencies and torn by the potential health risks of indiscriminate or excessive use of things like DHEA or Niacin. I wonder if we put as much money and effort into education as we do control, if it wouldn't serve us all better. I guess that's why forums like this one have such appeal for me.
Nutritional supplements can be used by anyone to complement their dietary intake of nutrients safely, as a general rule. It's just when they take these substances in pharmacologic doses without the supervision of a trained professional (and that's not the average M.D. or average "holistic" practitioner) that it really disturbs me. Rigid control has never been a good answer, but a "hands-off" attitude seems hazardous to public health. I don't like our current options. There is no easy resolve, either.
The saliva test for DHEA is an accurate monitor for DHEA levels and can be useful as a monitor in some circumstances to determine certain physiologic functions, but only when you know the interactive biochemical relationships. Let me be clear that I DO NOT think it is an appropriate monitoring tool to determine the need for DHEA supplementation or its dosage. Too many variables are left unknown when it is used for that purpose.
I'm sad that you had to find that out first-hand.
Best wishes in your search for better health,
Dr. B.
http://HealthChoice.net
In Reply to: Re: DHEA. The "mother of all hormones"... posted by Dr. B. on July 19, 1998 at 15:12:15:
Dear Dr. B.,
I wholeheartedly agree with what you say. The regulation/control vs. availability/freedom of choice debate troubles me as well. On the one hand, legislating increased regulation would only open the door even wider to indiscriminate bans on the plethora of substances now freely available to the public. I'm sure that the pharmaceutical PACs and the FDA are salivating at the thought of this Pandora's box being opened further. Conversely, the indiscriminate use of potentially risky and insufficiently tested supplements currently available to the general public clearly carries dangers. And who's to say what "testing" as currently conducted is biased by? You would know far better than I.
The only argument I can make to resolve this complex issue is to weigh the morbidity/mortality rates of physician-prescribed drugs/supplements against the same rates for OTC drugs/supplements taken by the self-medicating consumer. If there's relative parity of morbidity and mortality in both cases, then I can't see any reason to regulated OTC drugs/supplements. This is also a risky statement to make, because I know damned well that statistics can be skewed and that data can be falsified, which the FDA, pharmaceutical companies and cohorts are expert at. Their overriding profit motive and backdoor payoffs so often distort the truth. I've also seen far too often how the physician knows less about what s/he precribes than does the seriously self-educated patient/client.
On these bases, I can't subscribe to increased regulation and restriction of availability to any supplements. I believe that increased REAL, UNBIASED health education for the health care consumer is our only viable option. Walt's untiring and pioneering work on this BB presents clear evidence of the usefulness of widespread health care education. Thanks for writing back!
Kyra
In Reply to: Re: DHEA. The "mother of all hormones"... posted by Dr. B. on July 19, 1998 at 15:12:15:
Dear Dr B.,
Once again, wonderful stuff! I could not have said it better myself and so will not even try except to say that I couldn't agree more with everything you said !!!!!!!
I especially agree with your comment about education being at least part of the answer to this dilemma. The public has more sense than the AMA has given them credit for. Certainly, not everyone even WANTS to know. However, I am convinced that a large enough of the population DOES--and that they are the opinion shapers of of our culture--that public education (not biased by the "self-interest groups") is perhaps the most powerful tool we have left.
Namaste`, Dr. B., Namaste` Walt
In Reply to: Re: DHEA. The "mother of all hormones"... posted by Kyra on July 19, 1998 at 17:50:37:
Kyra: "On these bases, I can't subscribe to increased regulation and restriction of availability to any supplements. I believe that increased REAL, UNBIASED health education for the health care consumer is our only viable option."
Agreed! But what an uphill battle on unfair turf. When people use nutritional supplements inappropriately (e.g. too high dose, too low dose, competetive mixtures, disease applications, etc., etc.) based on inadequate knowledge (often from partially educated healthcare providers or marginal supplement manufacturers and their "snake-oil" salesforce), the failures and adverse responses feed the opposition's demeaning rhetoric. It makes it that much harder to defend. It isn't a fair, objective discussion that seeks the good of humankind, but the self-gratification of pseudo-scientific, obstinate arrogance.
Well, some old frustration is showing.
It is encouraging to see so many independent thoughts posted that support a complimentary approach to healthcare. It doesn't seem possible that some things have changed so much since the 70's. It is quite a thrill watching the change.
Dr. B.
http://DirectLab.com
http://HealthChoice.net
In Reply to: Re: Regulation of Supplements (was: DHEA. The "mother...) posted by Dr. B. on July 20, 1998 at 23:41:53:
Dear Dr. B.,
I agree with you 100% again. The battlefield is atrocious, with no completely acceptable out. Every time I walk into a healthfood store I cringe at the amount of absolute cr-p purveyed by misinformed supplement sharks and the potential dangers to unwitting consumers. Every time I walk into my HMO doc's office I cringe at his ignorance of the most basic medicine. I don't say this with any self-inflation, but at this point I think that on relatively simple issues I'm probably better self-educated as to biochemistry, side effects of drugs, and their proper usage than the white-coated moron who stopped learning years ago and is frozen in tne "what's good for one is good for all" mentality. Pardon my ire, but I'm still shaking my head at the jackass I saw a few days ago who was incapable of accurately assessing a TSH level with the lab work-up right in front of him. ("It's right in the middle of the reference range, so it's absolutely perfect.") And then the bureacracy, and as you put it (roughly), the pseudo-science and obstinate arrogance.
It would be great if removing the profit incentive would neatly settle the problem. But remove the big bucks, and NOTHING would be produced, neither by pharmaceutical companies nor OTC supplement producers. Greed rules. Then where would we be? So it's back to education and that stinking uphill battle... The more I've learned about what's going on in this medical miasma, the clearer it becomes to me that I want to become actively involved in healthcare advocacy and monitoring from an educated consumer perspective. I think that many such consumers are needed to create real impact on an industry gone berserk in all aspects.
Kyra
In Reply to: Re: Regulation of Supplements (was: DHEA. The "mother...) posted by Dr. B. on July 20, 1998 at 23:41:53:
Kudos, Dr B., Kudos!
"Once more into the breech me buckos!"
Namaste` Walt
In Reply to: Re: Regulation of Supplements (was: DHEA. The "mother...) posted by Kyra on July 21, 1998 at 02:28:20:
Gee, I just love that kinda' talk!!!
Go for it, Kyra!
Remember that greed DOES rule. The strongest advocacy is $$$. The more information that goes out about dollars spent in "alternative" approaches, the more attention will be give to catering to those dollars. "Lay the trap with bait the 'critter' can't walk away from."
Dr. B.
http://HealthChoice.net
http://DirectLab.com
In Reply to: Re: Regulation of Supplements (was: DHEA. The "mother...) posted by Dr. B. on July 22, 1998 at 12:40:40:
Thanks, Dr B.,
I have found (after years of trying to think the best of my profession) that you are exactly right about the only motivation that seems to move the vast majority of our colleagues.
That is why I no longer try to offer information to my fellow MDs. I am totally focussed, now, on offering information to the public since THEY are the ones who will "vote with their dollars" and "Lay the trap with bait the critter can't walk away from."
Namaste` Walt
I am 50 years old and my gynecologist has recommended that I undergo endometrial ablation via Thermal Balloon Therapy. My physician has not performed any of these procedures, so I hesitate choosing this option without more information.
I also have had rheumatoid arthritis for 14 years, treated with methotrexate, Neoral, and Naprosyn; type I diabetes, 30 years duration, excellent control, treated with external subcutaneous insulin infusion pump for the past 4 years; and hypothyroidism 26 years. After speaking with a Dutch gynecologist on a business trip in Europe, I am afraid of the possible side effects after ablation (e.g., necrosis, infection, etc.) which would require hysterectomy.
Currently, I take Estrace (1 mg daily)and progesterone (10 mg days 12-25). Since my mother had both RA and osteoporosis, I am also at high risk and do not want to risk brittle, thin bones and fractures.
Since my health insurance is Healthpartners, I am also limited in treatment options by managed care requirements.
At this point, I have about 4 uterine fibroids which have not increased in size since starting HRT one year ago (uterus the size of 6-8 weeks pregnancy). With an FSH of 37.3 mIU/mL, my physician believes I am post-menopausal, but she is concerned about the amount of monthly bleeding I continue to experience. At this time, my hemoglobin and RBC are normal and I am not taking iron supplements.
I work full time and periodically travel alone for business, and do not like surprises (unexpected flooding, etc.)
Any suggestions or comments?
In Reply to: Treatment Options for Uterine Fibroids posted by Ruth on July 19, 1998 at 13:39:48:
Walt would probably say that the arthritis at least is unnecessary.
As for the fibroids, you may wish to avail yourself of
castor oil packs.
Get two towels and soak them completely with castor oil.
Lay them over and around the area where the tumor are.
In about a month's time the will have shrunk considerably,
and in about two months they will be gone. Thus far, all
the females in my family swear by this method, although
I myself have never tried it ;-)
You will have to address the root cause of WHY these cysts
are forming. I have heard an interesting theory that fibroids
are a form or negativity "accumulation." Whatever it is, you
will need to deal with it to prevent a reoccurence.
It seems like you are also in need of some sort of exercise
program -one which reaffirms healthful living rather than
dependence on drugs. I would highly recommend the "5 rites"
(see link) and some sort of skilled relaxation program also,
as I am almost certain Walt would recommend.
It seems your body is protesting in a most extreme manner,
and you need to concentrate on what it is saying rather than
trying to manage the symptoms.
A perusal of the archives will probably shed more light on
these various symptoms, and would be time well spent.
Your In The Light,
-Greg
In Reply to: Treatment Options for Uterine Fibroids posted by Ruth on July 19, 1998 at 13:39:48:
Dear Ruth,
Listen to Greg.
I would suggest that BY FAR the most important thing for you to do right now is to LEARN. I assume that is why you are on the internet.
I would start by reading "Mind as Healer, Mind as Slayer" by Dr Pelletier (most recent edition would be best). THEN, you would better understand why I am saying "listen to Greg".
Once you begin to put all this together, you will have many questions. Please ask them here on the bb since others have the same questions and you can save me typing by sharing all this publically. Also your progress, as you become a healthy person, will serve as an education (may I say an inspiration) to those still seeking.
Since you are not yet low in iron, and are not even yet taking it, there is no emergancy to the uterine procedure. I would bet that your utreine conditions would clear up just by getting your endocrinopathy back in balance anyhow (MAH,MAS).
ALL of your conditions are linked by a common cause. You need to become the expert in this--something not so hard to do once you are ready to learn. I am assuming, from your note, that you are already in that catagory.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Treatment Options for Uterine Fibroids posted by Greg on July 19, 1998 at 19:49:32:
Greg,
Who are you anyway? I am very skeptical of your credentials and find your suggestion to use castor oil treatment for fibroids very controversial to say the least. Logistically, how in the world can anyone find a place to soak towels in the oil and apply them to the abdomen without making a huge oil spill mess!
No way am I able to even consider this option!
In Reply to: Re: Treatment Options for Uterine Fibroids posted by Walt Stoll on July 20, 1998 at 09:50:07:
I might look at your book but am very skeptical of hearing that my diabetes, arthritis, hypothyroidism, and fibroids all have a common cause, and on top of that the cure is found by reading a book! I do not have the time to peruse the archives, either.
My background is in the medical field, and yes, unfortunately, I have inherited a genetic predisposition to autoimmune diseases, but they are not curable by mind over matter.
Convince me otherwise, and you would have a believer. I am really surprised that HealthPartners referred me to your bulletin board! I was hoping for some sound medical advice.
In Reply to: Re: Treatment Options for Uterine Fibroids posted by Ruth on July 22, 1998 at 21:11:46:
You are not ready for health. That is unfortunate. Some
souls have need of suffering before the lightbulb goes
on, and I fear that you fall into this category.
If not making "a mess" is more important than "getting better"
then your priorities in this matter are clear.
I nor anyone else can help you until you are ready.
My credentials: My mother was like you. Worse in fact.
She was told by her doctor that she would never be able
to bear children. I'm the second born. What does that tell
you about the effectiveness of this protocol?
-Greg
In Reply to: Re: Treatment Options for Uterine Fibroids posted by Ruth on July 22, 1998 at 21:11:46:
I referred Ruth to this BB from my site, which I think was mistaken for another conventional health service. This isn't the type of help she was looking for. I've let her know this in an email message, but wanted to let know Dr. Stoll and any others know who have responded. :0
In Reply to: In that case, suffer. posted by Greg on July 23, 1998 at 00:50:14:
I was recently told (by way of revelation) that ...
If you try to help a bud to bloom before it is ready, ripping up the petals to find the flower within, you will succeed only in destroying the flower. You can only provide the water and make the way clear for the sun to shine upon it. The flower must find the blossom within itself and in its own time. Patience.
Thank you for your efforts to water so many parched plants.
Louise
In Reply to: Re: Treatment Options for Uterine Fibroids posted by Ruth on July 22, 1998 at 21:11:46:
Dear Ruth,
There is nothing wrong with ignorance. It is correctable!
Twenty years ago I, too, was ignorant about this strange treatment.
Anyone who has studied Edgar Cayce's work knows about castor oil packs.
A few years ago, Harvard medical School decided to put the final Kibosh on the silly notion that castor oil packs (externally) over the liver could improve immunity & liver function. Within less than a year, they had to report that these externally applied castor oil packs did indeed improve immunity AND liver function. Since then they have been trying to figure out WHY this works. There is no longer any doubt that it does.
So far, everything Cayce said, that has been checked out in the laboratory, has been proven to work. Why it works, or how the devil he knew about it, is still up in the air. However, all of these things cause no harm & most of them work when there is nothing else that will.
I have no experience with using the castor oil packs for fibroids but, if I had them, I certainly would give this a try before going for surgery. The packs are applied exactly as those for the liver EXCEPT that they are placed over the lower abdomen rather than over the liver. It is NOT messy.
There is a big research center in Virginia Beach where Cayce's stuff is archived. Also, there is a large center in Scottsdale, AZ where his approaches have been combined with conventional medicine for more than 30 years. Call Tom Johnson (Virginia Beach) at (800) 862-2923 OR call Gladys McGarey, MD at (602) 990-1528, in Arizona to help cure your curable ignorance.
Please take this in the spirit in which it is offered.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Treatment Options for Uterine Fibroids posted by Ruth on July 22, 1998 at 21:19:12:
Dear Ruth,
I hope you have the "time" to read this whole note. If not, forget about any chance that you will be better. This is as good as it gets.
Ignorance is like the old joke about how many psychiatrists it takes to change a light bulb. The answer is only one BUT the bulb has to want to change.
Your closed mind is YOUR burden. No one is gong to change THAT for you till you want it changed.
So long as you are satisfied with a purely conventional way of looking at your own health, you will suffer the consequences. Do you REALLY think that allopathy is the be all & end all of medical knowledge????
If I had not experienced the dramatic effects of a wider way of looking, in my own health, I would never have believed it either. I was teaching medicine at the medical school at the time. Think how hard it must have been for me!
A "medical background" is a handicap in our cases. I submit a quote from Tolstoy about your dilemma:
"I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives."
If you got this far, there might still be hope for you.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Treatment Options for Uterine Fibroids posted by Walt Stoll on July 23, 1998 at 15:23:23:
In Reply to: Re: Treatment Options for Uterine Fibroids posted by Ruth on July 22, 1998 at 21:11:46:
Greg just might be a man who listens to and learns from women!
In any case, his "controversial" suggestion is also the prescription offered by Christiane Northrup, MD(!), a gyn/ob, expert in women's health, and author ("Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom"). She recommends it for several conditions, and I have used it myself. It's easy, not as much of a "mess" as surgery, and effective. You don't need big towels, though. A large piece of flannel, folded several times to a size to cover the area, is often recommended. A couple of hand-towels would do it too. Place a hot-water bottle on top to keep things warm. Breathe, relax, and smile.
In Reply to: "controversial" recommendations? posted by Jenny on July 24, 1998 at 13:48:24:
Dear Jenny,
Christiane is a good friend of mine. I consider her the best OB/GYN in the country. If I was a woman needing medical help I would go all the way to Maine (from Florida) to see her.
Thanks for the info. I would expect nothing less from Christiane.
Namaste` Walt
Dr. Stoll: would you please tell what you have read about
DHEA and a possible connection to breast and prostate cancer. Was it a large study and what level of DHEA was
used and for how long? Thanks. Martha
In Reply to: dhea posted by martha on July 20, 1998 at 14:20:34:
Dear Martha,
It was all over the news and I did not pay much attention to it since I have been expecting it anyway.
My concern now is that it may have been blown out of proportion by the FDA to use it as a reason for making everything in the healthfood store be available by prescription only. The AMA would love that. Consider the hay they made out of the tryptophane (one bad batch) that would have happened even if it HAD been on prescription.
Also consider their bill they keep pushing to make vitamin C be available only in tablets of 100 milligrams of less.
I should have paid more attention but I did not. Let us know what you learn. "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance!"
Walt
My eight year old daughter recently needs to wear deodorant already, she washes real good in the shower, so I know it's not because she doesn't wash good. I think that is strange, could there be somthing wrong with her glands or somthing to cause this or do you think it's normal, just early? She has always been on the thin side and kind of high strung would that be part of it?
Thanks!!!!!
In Reply to: Strange posted by slm on July 24, 1998 at 19:58:13:
Dear slm,
As you well know, children do not have adult body odor because they have no apocrine glands. Apocrine glands only form at puberty and their secretions are the ones that bacteria work on to cause the typical human body odor (pheromones).
This is a good indication that she is entering puberty. Although puberty is coming earlier & earlier (some say because of the estrogenic effects of chemical pollution, electromagnetic smog and night lighting), this IS pretty early even for that.
You need to start watching for any secondary sexual characteristics and, if it were MY child, I would consider seeing a pediatric endocrinologist.
In the meantime, wearing no clothing more than one day before washing it, never using a bath towel twice without washing it (the bacteria that cause the odor grow on cloth) and using some kind of antibacterial bath soap (Dial, Safeguard, P-300, etc) will help keep the bacterial count down. For a while, till her count is down, twice a day bathing would help. This has little to do with cleanliness.
Let us know what happens.
Walt