Check for side effects before you pop that pill

Recently I focused on a personal experience with a combination of two medications prescribed by my doctor. Yet people take diet pills and other supplements on a regular basis without checking to see if there will be a drug interaction or a side effect. Many times they don't take the often repeated advice of checking with their health professional or at least their pharmacist or do research to check to see what the side effects of diet pills could be for them. The internet is a great way to do that, it doesn't replace sound medical advice, but as I've learned, at times it can be more trustworthy since medicine is not always foolproof...

All you need is love...

In 2004 the journal Science reported 900 women when polled gave "intimate relations" a positive score of 5.10, compared to 4.59 for socialising. Housework scored 3.73, which was better at least than working at 3.62.

It's also been reported often in the past few years that being married makes you healthier and happier, in part due to sex. About 40% of married people have sex twice a week, compared to 20-25% of single and cohabitating men and women. Over 40% of married women said their sex life was emotionally and physically satisfying, compared to about 30% of single women. For men, it's 50% of married men are physically and emotionally contents versus 38% of cohabitating men.

This creates the rise in products to enhance that "experience" with a selection of prescription drugs and non-prescription products like extenze. Which then creates the old adage - Make love not war...

:-)

Ferrous Sulfate interacts with Synthroid...

To help combat my severe anemia the doctor put me on a megadose course of Ferrous Sulfate (iron) - the normal dosage is 325 mg a day - I am supposed to take it three times a day for a total of 975 mg per day. While my hemoglobin count - which is supposed to be at least 12 (it was almost 8) has been slowly increasing, I wasn't feeling better. I was feeling worse.

I've been taking Synthroid for about 15 years and I asked as I normally do, will the Ferrous Sulfate interact with it and was told no when it was prescribed. There have been a few previous times when the doctor has said no and the pharmacy has let me know that there was an interaction. Nothing was said when I got the script and I was given a higher dosage of Synthroid at the same time the Ferrous Sulfate was prescribed.

Normally I search out drug interactions myself just to be safe since once in the past decade the doctors and the pharmacy missed one drug interaction but with this supposed wonderful new computer system that our pharmacy touts, I'd lulled myself into a false sense of security. Today I was searching Ferrous Sulfate to see if perhaps the reason I wasn't feeling better was because of the high dosage I'm on. It was then I discovered that the FDA website had a warning about a possible drug interaction. I did some further searching and discovered:

14 patients with hypothyroidism who were taking a stable long-term regimen of levothyroxine demonstrated an increase in mean serum thyrotropin (thyroid-stimulating hormone, or TSH) level from 1.6 to 5.4 mU/L following the addition of ferrous sulfate (300 mg administered simultaneously with levothyroxine 30 to 60 minutes before breakfast) for 3 months. A total of 11 patients had increases in serum TSH at week 12 compared to baseline, including two that had levels above the upper limit of normal for the assay, indicating the presence of hypothyroidism. Nine of the eleven also had an increase in signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism based on subjective evaluation using a clinical score.

What does that mean? The combination of the Ferrous Sulfate and the Synthroid appears to be creating a scenario where it's increased my hypothyroidism.

Moral of the story? You can't trust the medical profession or apparently the drug interaction computer system. What makes this situation more frustrating is I had talked with my physician's staff yesterday and told them I was feeling worse not better and with the rising hemoglobin levels I should have been feeling at least a bit better. Their suggestion was to "pop another iron pill" which I did not do since I was already on three times the normal dosage. It's too early to tell if I've discovered what is going on and I know this will not impact most of my readers but could help those searching for information at a later time.

I'll update this thread either way.

Supplements online...

It's pretty amazing how many different types of supplements you can find to purchase online. From hgh for sale to a nutritional supplements, it's out there. Research is something I always recommend but I also always recommend asking your health professional first. It is fairly clear most people don't take that extra step and in some cases may not really get a benefit from a product that for their particular situation, may not be needed...

History of HGH

Maurice Raben took HGH from human pituitary glands to successfully treat a GH-deficient boy in the 1950's. The limited ability to treat children who experienced growth stunting began but problems continued as the main source of this was through a autopsies.

Then a synthetic formulation was made, which created controversy when it was not used for the original purpose, which was to treat children and a few other rare health conditions. Now hgh is still out there in some forms but is not from humans and is marketed as a way to prevent aging. Some people obtain it in an injectable form, of which concern regarding side effects has been raised. The FDA has not approved other medical use of human growth hormone other than to treat 7 specific medical conditions.

Did you know abestos comes from mines?

The picture is a mine in Canada, where chrysotile asbestos is mined and where 95 percent of the asbestos mined in Canada is shipped out of the country. It is believed that using the right chemical formulation makes asbestos not have the same risks earlier products using it had, yet it was known for well over a hundred years that there were health concerns related to the older forms of asbestos. While the illness and death of those exposed to asbestos was the source of lawsuits even back in the late 1920's, Mesothelioma was not recognized until the 1960's. While it is considered a rare form of cancer, there have been a number of well known people who have died from it. Including Steve McQueen, though was his exposure from his earlier years in the navy or from his race car days when asbestos was used as an insulation in protective wear worn by drivers has been debated.

Focusing on white voters...

Two articles today specifically reference the white race when it comes to health insurance and the Democratic Party. I'm not sure I agree with the findings of the one article that White men shun Democrats is happening by the millions as the opinion writer suggests, I think it's more likely those who did not support Obama or the health care reform feel more strongly now than before. I've not heard one white male that I know that supported Obama say he's now going to become a Republican.

When you take this next article from National Journal into consideration, Dems Caught In Populist Crossfire, it points out that most white americans don't think they will benefit from the health care reform bill.

That is one area the Democratic Party did really fail in, communicating what the bill was about. People are not sure as to what it means for them. One part of the article:

In the Kaiser poll, even fewer noncollege than college-educated whites said that the plan would benefit the country. In one sense, that's ironic: Census figures show that noncollege whites are more than twice as likely to lack health insurance as whites with a degree. But these working-class whites have grown more skeptical than better-educated whites that government cares about their needs. And the searing recession has only hardened those doubts. In a recent memo, Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg warned that these anxious and alienated voters are approaching a "tipping point" that would send them hurtling toward Republicans in November. House Democrats seem aware of that risk: Of the 34 Democrats who opposed the final health care bill, 28 represent districts with an above-average share of whites without college educations.

This basically means the real problem is a lack of information and faith. It's impossible for many (including myself) to have faith in the government or either political party. Which means the task is to provide as much information as possible. As the second article points out, keeping children on insurance until age 26 will benefit middle class families, and with the job market being a problem in some areas, the pre-existing condition clause is a huge problem for many who struggle to pay COBRA and then when that runs out? Had few options.

Things people don't like to talk about...

Having been pregnant more than once, more than twice, more than three times (smile) -- I'm often the person that is called for advice as to "what's normal" and what's not. One of the things most asked about, typically in a hushed manner is hemorrhoids. Yes, I know some of you, especially the guys are saying "ewww" but many women experience them during the last stages of pregnancy. Not only is it not fun but since it's not talked about often, few know if there is a cure for hemorrhoid attacks that works or if it's something that you just have to bear until the pregnancy is over. It could be said to be a tender subject. What's my suggestion? Witch hazel as a compress, it's a great product for a variety of things from a face astringent to helping reduce swelling...

:-)

Supplements versus pain pills...

I suffer from joint pain as well as a close friend of mine. She takes a variety of different herbal supplements that she says works for her to reduce her pain level. I've tried some of the same products as well as quite a few others over the years and have not yet found one that works for me.

However, I also don't take pain pills very often, since they can have troubling side effects, especially if taken on a regular basis. It means living with pain, which many do. It also means trying to find a doctor that will actually address your pain level. I've had some very miserable experiences with physicians and am currently looking for a new doctor again. When you take a bag full of the previous medications that have been tried and they don't listen? You know you are wasting time and money...

Zinc is my new friend....

A friend of mine told me that his doctor had told him to take Zinc, not the lozenges, but the actual Zinc in a pill form, that most of the multivitamins out there even prenatal vitamins don't have the amount of Zinc that is needed to help boost your immune system.

I admit at first I scoffed, because I do have a weak immune system and I typically get very sick a few times each winter, with pneumonia and bronchial infections being common and typically end up having to take a steroid pack or two each winter. However, I decided to try it, the key of course with my memory is to remember to take it every day. The other key is to not take too much, a 50 mg pill of Zinc is enough, too much Zinc can cause other problems so it's not like Vitamin C where some take megadoses of that when they are coming down with something. It's not recommended you take more than that though I know some companies manufacture a 100 mg dosage.

I have gotten sick so far this year since I started taking the Zinc, however, I have not been sick as long as some of the non-Zinc taking members of my household who are younger and do not have a weakened immune system. You should talk to your health care professional or at the very least if you are on other medications ask your pharmacist if you can take Zinc with your other medications but? So far it does appear to be making a difference for me.

Bureaucracy creates jobs...

No where is that more evident than when it comes to the government benefit system, especially related to the disability appeal system. Companies have been formed specifically to try to help people navigate a system that has become at times too complex for the average person to try to work their way through. Companies like Allsup have helped more than 130,000 people, which while it's great they have found a way to not only help people but to employ people, makes you wonder as to the larger issue of how things got that complex in the first place and what the real solutions are.

Comparing women to smokers...

One of the things that always amazed me was that health insurance companies will pay for Viagra and other male products designed to help a man have a sex life but the coverage is not equal when it comes to birth control. Let's look at the statement that's created some political outrage:

In promoting the House health bill, New Jersey Democrat Frank Pallone made reference to discrimination by insurance companies, citing their reluctance to insure people with preexisting conditions and differences in costs based on gender. "But that's not against the law," Texas Republican Pete Sessions said.
Pallone replied, "No, but we would make it against the law. Why do you have a problem with that?" he asked. "Why should a woman pay more than a man?"
"Well, we're all different," Sessions explained. "Why should a smoker pay more," he said before getting interrupted by a burst of chatter throughout the room.

Let's first flash back to how long the Viagra versus Birth Control debate has been happening...1998 where in Viagra: A Tale of Two Pills it's stated:

Compare the erection-in-a-bottle with the basic contraceptive needs of all heterosexually active women who do not wish to become pregnant. While many health insurers are guaranteeing free or low-cost romps to men, they are by and large denying most women the contraceptive coverage that is a fundamental health care necessity for 20 - 30 years of their adult lives (the alternative being, on average, a potential 8 - 15 pregnancies in a woman’s lifetime). According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, 33 million American women are in need of contraceptive services and supplies, yet most women using birth control pay for it themselves. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) notes that two-thirds of U.S. women of childbearing age rely on private, employer-related plans for their health coverage. While 90% of these health plans cover prescription drugs and devices, a large majority exclude prescription contraceptives from coverage. Only 33 percent of large group health plans cover the birth control pill. Other contraceptive methods are even less financially accessible. Is it any wonder that women of childbearing age pay 68% more in out-of-pocket medical expenses than their male counterparts?

Things have changed a little since 1998, 27 states have regulations that require health-insurance plans that cover prescription drugs provide equitable coverage for contraceptives, but it's far from equitable.

What about smokers? Interestingly enough, insurance companies will pay for smoker cessation products and programs, with more each year...Medicare does allow payment for physicians who provide counseling on smoking cessation and since 2006 they have included some smoking cessation products prescribed by physicians to be covered.

Medicaid does not cover family-planning services that promote fertility, which means in the states that cover birth control or family planning to prevent pregnancy and the places that will pay to help men get an erection and will pay for smoking cessation; if you can not conceive? Too bad...It is rather ironic that insurance companies will pay for an abortion, but many of them will not pay for fertility treatment. That's an inequity most people don't talk about...

Medical billing staff are the problem...

I've discovered one of the main stumbling blocks to getting the medical care or prescriptions you need isn't just the lack of health insurance or bad health insurance coverage -- it's getting past the medical billing people.

Let me share a true life adventure...Our insurance company changed the co-pay for our office visits before the date they were supposed to. So when I went to the doctor I paid what I was supposed to pay but the doctor's office claimed I owed an additional $15.00 before I was supposed to owe it. Then they started adding on late fees even though I called, explained and the insurance company said they would straighten it out.

So then I needed a prescription...since I hadn't paid my balance even though they knew why -- they wouldn't schedule an appointment or ask the doctor for a refill. This is a prescription I need to take, they didn't care. It was either pay the now up to $40.00 or not get my prescription. So, I started to have problems because all this time I'm out of my prescription. I was about ready to go to urgent care which would have been more than a regular office visit because these medical billing people were just plain rude over $40 mind you, that I wasn't even supposed to have to pay. I called the doctor's office today after hours and got to talk to one of the actual doctors. He apologized and told me that I should never have to go without my medication and that he would phone something in. When I went to pick it up? He phoned in two weeks worth...The soonest they told me they could get me in was three weeks...Which means it's either find a new doctors office or end up paying something I don't owe since even with the insurance company telling them I don't owe this they won't budge and still going a week without a prescription I'm supposed to take every day. While everyone is debating health care, there should be better rules in place when it comes to basic rights to medical care...

The continuing health care battle..

While the President takes to the airways and in print to point out what he feels are phony health care claims it was interesting to note that there are also those claiming that the President himself is guilty of telling whoppers related to health care.

What many do seem to agree with is that there will be no death panels, at least beyond what already exists because the real truth of the matter is people every day are turned down by insurance companies procedures that are considered experimental or when they cap their lifetime amount. That is in essence a death panel, just the same as those who don't have health insurance who require expensive surgery or treatment don't receive it.

At the very essence of this discussion is should the government demand you have health insurance and if so, how can it be made affordable, because if it was affordable now, some of those who don't have it? Would already have it. It also makes me wonder about things like life insurance, there are many people who don't have it no matter how often the year about term life insurance at wholesale insurance prices. I also wondered about vision and dental insurance, those are optional for many people and dental care can be just as expensive and a risk to your well being. Can the government just stop with making sure basic health care is available at an affordable rate for all US citizens, or if this does happen will it just be the beginning is impossible to know...

Democrats against Democrats on Health Care...

I received this via e-mail:

Lisa Renee -

Vote Now
We need your help with an important decision.

Democracy for America has teamed up with the Progressive Change Campaign Committee to run tough ads pressuring Democratic Senators who've taken millions of dollars from health and insurance interests while standing in the way of one of President Obama's top priorities -- a public healthcare option.

The question is: who do you want to see us pressure first with TV ads in their home state?


Our ads don't pull any punches, because it's up to us to make sure Democratic elected officials feel some heat if they're on the verge of opposing the President and 76% of Americans who want a public option.

Here are eight senators who may stand in the way of the public option -- along with the total amount of money they’ve received from health and insurance interests. Who should we target first with local ads?

Sen. Max Baucus $3,973,485
Sen. Evan Bayh $1,565,088
Sen. Kent Conrad $2,154,200
Sen. Dianne Feinstein $1,749,887
Sen. John Kerry $8,994,077
Sen. Mary Landrieu $1,653,943
Sen. Joe Lieberman $3,308,621
Sen. Ben Nelson $2,214,715

The problem is of course that they are basing this on a poll of only 1008 adults that if you actually read the polling data? Was not an accurate representation of American voters, here are the political persuasions of those polled:

Strong Democrat ...21
Not very strong Democrat ..10
Independent/lean Democrat ...10
Strictly independent ...18
Independent/lean Republican...9
Not very strong Republican ..7
Strong Republican ...14
Other (VOL) ..7
Not sure ....4

If you take the time to read the full poll, and you have faith in such polling, only 33% think Obama's health care plan is a good idea - 32% think it's a bad idea and 30% don't know. The actual question related to the public plan is not shared accurately - the poll question actually was:

34a. In any health care proposal, how important do you feel it is to give people a choice of both a public plan administered by the federal government and a private plan for their health insurance––extremely important, quite important, not that important, or not at all important?

Extremely important ....41
Quite important ....35
Not that important ..12
Not at all important ...8
Not sure ....4

This same polling group also feels that by a margin of 44% that we should initiate a military action against North Korea...Not to mention 20% of them have a unfavorable opinion towards Muslims. Five percent of them were not sure who they voted for as President and 18 percent didn't vote. The largest percentage of the polling base as far as employment? Retired at 27%...Thirty nine percent stated they went to Church more than once a week.

These are not stats that match up to the Average American voter...BUT if you are going to cite this poll as being accurate then you can't cherry pick one question, and the reality is this same group that thought there should be a public option either doesn't support or doesn't know if they support Obama's health plan by a 62% majority.

Which means most of American, including those polled, either don't support this plan or don't know enough about it. I tend to believe with the latter because there is so much misinformation out there, it's hard for the Average American voter to even know what they should believe.

Cookies and e-coli

I was checking the news outside of our area, and on the Rochester, New York news it was reported that while Nestle company recalled batches of Tollhouse cookie dough last month the strain of the disease found in the cookies doesn't match the strains that made people sick. It makes you wonder how quickly a Rochester medical malpractice attorney will get involved. It also makes me wonder exactly how many strains of e-coli could have been in the cookies in the first place for there not to be a match and how reliable the testing is....

Has the media turned on Obama?

It's really hard to not notice some of the headlines being selected when some media sources are writing about the President. While it's safe to say some of these journalists were not overly supportive of Barack Obama as a candidate, it seems as if it is harsher than it was during the past two new presidential administrations. What made me start thinking about this in earnest this morning was this headline, Does Obama Know What He's Doing?.

Since we tend to exaggerate some memories of the past and diminish others, I returned back to something I had read years ago, from 2001, How Bush Versus Clinton Fared In the Press in preparation for what I hope will be a similar research study done when Obama finishes his first 100 days, though I'm not sure if they will compare him to both Bush and Clinton, probably only to Bush, which is why this will be more important to give us the full picture. One of the most interesting items from 2001 was the difference in the coverage:

The most striking single statistic is the drop in the amount of coverage of Bush versus Clinton in their early days.

The drop-off is across the board—across TV, newspapers and newsweeklies. Network television was down 43%, newspapers 38%.

The reality is it would make more sense to compare the first 100 day coverage to former President Bill Clinton because of the economy and because of the above referenced drop in coverage for former President George Bush. It appears that is not the case this time around.

Whether by design or accident, Clinton was attached in news pages to the economic downturn of 1993. That may have been because Clinton, as a Democrat who had campaigned on the economy, felt a need to carry through with the promise that he would be more responsive to economic changes than his predecessor.

There are lots of sub-categories to the material provided by the Project for Excellence in Journalism on this topic, it's one that you can spent quite a bit of time reading if this topic interests you.

The purpose of online medical sites

There are a variety of different online medical sites out there, some that provide information on an exact disease, condition or illness, and others that provide some of that as well as legal information. Years ago very few sites like this existed and even law firms did not do much to market themselves. Now there are a variety of sites focusing on issues from cerebral palsy to rare forms of cancer that can be caused by certain environmental factors.

The information gap those who do not have access to the internet face increases each year...

Caffeine as a diet drug...

I remember years ago when I worked at a local gas station one of my co-workers was convinced that drinking diet pop heavy with caffeine would help her loose weight. It really didn't, as later studies have shown that even sugar free pop can make you gain wait with the way it metabolizes through your system. In other products that use caffeine, like Fenphedra it's stated that the addition of what some refer to as "a legal form of cocaine" which is what the Coca Cola company came up with when they had to stop using the "real thing" (Yes, ironic twist of a slogan) was caffeine, which now of course has been modified and has been used in a variety of diet pill formulations for many years.

Does it work? While most diet products contain more than just caffeine, here is what researchers say about caffeine alone as a diet product:

Here's what researchers have found:

* Caffeine may act as an appetite suppressant.
* Caffeine may increase your body's ability to burn calories.
* Caffeine acts as a diuretic, this water loss may temporarily decrease your body weight.

People hate liberals enough to kill them...

That's the reality of the world we live in, hatred drives people to murder, and in this situation it was hatred towards liberals that is stated as the reason Jim Adkisson killed two people and wounded seven.

What drove him over the edge? Our economy and his inability to find a job, which he blamed liberals for. Unfortunately it can't be said the hatred is one sided with posts like this one on the Obama website.

Or this one, the reality is there are unbalanced people out there who murder people who did not deserve to die. These people who do these shootings are responsible for their own actions, his blaming liberals is just as wrong as liberals blaming conservatives...Voting for McCain or voting for Obama is not going to create more Jim Adkisson's or less of them. Or will it? Some blog posts out there like this one pointing out the years of hearing hatred aimed at liberals as if they were some type of enemy is a factor. I remember very well things like this, which are supposed to be funny, but many don't see the humor in them.

This discussion is not new, it's been happening for several years, flash back to three years ago.

We want to find someone to blame for this kind of thing, the media goes as far as to point out books that Adkisson had by Bill O'Reilly, Michael Savage, Sean Hannity in his home. AHA! We then grasp that as a reason. Yet is it a reason? If we exhibit just as much hatred, how does that make us any different?

Our society has many messages of hate, from both sides, how do you we change that and is it even possible?