Health information

QUESTION: I am on a new high fiber diet, but suffer a bit from some of the
side effects of this new healthy diet
I’ve heard that relief from my problem
may be obtained by using charcoal
Can activated charcoal be used to reduce
my belly cramps?

ANSWER: Yes, it most certainly can
Clinical research has shown that
activated charcoal can significantly lower intestinal gas and its related
symptoms, which include abdominal cramps, bloating, and diarrhea
Activated
charcoal may be helpful, particularly to those who eat high fiber diets, which
are now widely recommended and becoming quite popular
Foods high in fiber
consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables (lightly cooked or raw), whole
grains (cereals and breads), and dried fruits (raisins, prunes, apricots), are
recommended for the prevention of colon cancer as well as more common problems
such as constipation
However, such diets can also cause excessive gas and
flatulence
Activated charcoal may increase your ability to adjust to this
problem, and may be taken without fear, since even when digested in large
doses and for long periods of time, it is safe and without adverse side
effects
This will allow you the best of both worlds; the benefits of a high
fiber diet, and freedom from the discomfort some individuals experience when
beginning such a diet
You will also be happy to learn that the problem
becomes much less as your body adapts to the fiber.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Cardizem
Our price: $0.7
Cardizem (Diltiazem) is used for the treatment and prevention of angina (chest pain).

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QUESTION: I am confused and distressed by all the suffering caused by AIDS,
and by people not being heard when they cry for help
I can not recall
anything like this happening years ago
Does anybody know where this terrible
disease started, and could it have been stopped before it spread this far?

ANSWER: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS, was first seen in the
United States around 1979
The virus that causes the disease probably
originated in Africa, but no one is certain exactly how it spread to this
country.
Researchers do have several theories, however
One is that the French
and Belgians who lived in Central Africa, especially around Zaire, could have
carried the virus back to Western Europe
Another theory states that Haitians
who visited Africa may have brought AIDS back, and Haitian male prostitutes
spread it to U.S
homosexuals vacationing in the Caribbean
Cuban soldiers
stationed in Angola, a neighboring country of Zaire, in the mid-1970’s may
have brought the virus to the Caribbean
Then, the virus was carried into the
U.S
when “undesirables” who included some homosexuals were kicked out of
Cuba by Fidel Castro.
Once in this country, AIDS first appeared among male homosexuals, leading
doctors to call the disease “Gay Related Immune Deficiency.” Later, however,
it began showing up among drug addicts and other people like hemophiliacs who
had received blood transfusions, as well as women and babies, and so and the
name was changed to reflect our newer understanding.
All this of course is theory, and no one really knows for certain
Since
we had little positive proof of its origins, it probably was unstoppable, and
now education and research are the best lines of defense we possess to bring
the tragedy of AIDS under control.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Evista
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Evista (Raloxifene) is used to prevent and treat bone loss (osteoporosis) in women after menopause.

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QUESTION: I know I can handle my liquor, and probably do not become as
affected by alcohol as others might
But after a recent party some of my
friends insisted that I take a cab home when I knew that a cup of coffee or
two was all I needed to make it easy
Were they right in their opinion, or
was I?

ANSWER: Your friends were certainly using good sense and protecting your best
interests by calling a cab to get you home safely
The combination of alcohol
and caffeine can be even more dangerous than alcohol alone
The alcohol
impairs your physical skills and coordination
It impedes judgement and
diminishes key visual abilities, such as your eyes’ ability to adapt to the
dark and readjust to lights
Caffeine, on the other hand, seems to make you
move faster
While it may improve your performance of a simple task, it will
not help you with a difficult one such as driving
Caffeine and other
stimulants may give you the illusion or self-confidence and increase
aggression
The caffeine in a cup of coffee may also give you the false sense
of being alert, but as long as the alcohol is still in your blood your
judgements and skills will be impaired
Your defense of your actions rings an
alarm bell in my mind, and prompts me to offer you a bit more advice in your
own interest
Why not check with someone who understands and counsels
individuals with drinking problems? It might save your life.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Femara
Our price: $6
Femara (Letrozole) is used to treat postmenopausal women with breast cancer.

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QUESTION: On recent television show, a man was portrayed as having lost his
memory
How close to reality is this? Is it really possible for someone to
forget everything about himself and life in general?

ANSWER: The capabilities of the mind are surprising
When a person suffers
from extreme emotional distress, he can really “forget,” or suppress,
information about himself and his life
This may be an attempt of the mind to
make itself more comfortable with a stressful situation
This type of amnesia
is called “functional” or “psychogenic” amnesia
During the time of the
amnesia attack, the person can learn new information and does not appear
generally confused.
On the other hand, victims of “transient global amnesia” appear confused
about recent events, but they know who they are and cannot learn new material.
This type of amnesia is very temporary, and may be triggered by physical or
emotional stress
The victim may behave as if he has had a slight stroke, and
should certainly be evaluated by a physician to be sure there is no other
problem.
Transient global amnesia is probably caused by an interruption of blood
flow to the parts of the brain that are important to memory
Experts in this
field say that the person who suffers from transient global amnesia rarely
needs treatment for any other problems; he simply needs support during the
stressful time of memory loss
If the problem occurs often, aspirin may be
prescribed so that the blood is “thinned” enough so that it flows through
vessels that may be constricted
This same picture may be caused by migraine
in younger people.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Risperdal
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Risperdal (Risperidone) is used for treating schizophrenia or bipolar mania.

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QUESTION: I am going to have an operation to remove a cyst next month
I’ve
never had surgery before and I’m worried that even though I’ll be under
anesthesia, I’m going to feel what’s going on
Does that ever happen?

ANSWER: It is extremely rare for a patient to feel anything or to actually
remember what went on while under general anesthesia, although many patients
express the same fears that you do
Fewer than 1% of patients have real
memories of anything that took place
A much greater number of people, up to
50%, may have awareness of a memory
In such cases, the patient may know
about events that occurred during surgery, but doesn’t know that he knows,
since the memory remains only on a subconscious level
A number of agents
that bring about a loss of sensation are used by trained anesthesiologists to
put a person under general anesthesia
This allows the doctor to perform
surgery, which might otherwise be painful.
The drugs or agents that are used work to achieve necessary muscle
relaxation and to calm fear and anxiety, producing a state of amnesia for the
event
In many cases doctors have patients inhale gases or volatile liquids
that produce this state
On other occasions, sedative-hypnotic drugs are
administered intravenously to achieve the desired results.
It is more than likely, therefore, that you will wake up after it is all
over, and never remember what really took place.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Deltasone
Our price: $0.41
Deltasone (Prednisone) is a synthetic corticosteroid, used for suppressing the immune system and inflammation.

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QUESTION: I have recently had a heart attack, and though I am following all
instructions completely, I am still having chest pains
My doctor has
recommended a test called coronary angiography
Can you tell me about it?
Should I have it? Is it dangerous?

ANSWER: Coronary angiography is a very useful test, allowing doctors to
actually visualize the arteries that supply blood to the heart
By being able
to see these arteries, it allows the doctor to assess how severe a case of
coronary artery disease (CAD) the patient has
This is quite important, since
CAD is believed responsible for one-third to one-half of all deaths in the
U.S., or about 500,000 lives every year.
CAD is caused by a narrowing or obstruction of blood vessels that supply
the heart with oxygen and nutrients
If a patient’s heart is continually
deprived of a sufficient amount of oxygen, it will not function normally.
When complete blockage occurs, and the blood no longer flows to the heart, the
heart tissue supplied by the blocked artery may die, causing a heart attack.
When there is a continuing complaint of pain (angina) the blockage may not yet
be complete
At that point (which seems to be where you are), it is
imperative that the problem is treated as aggressively as possible, and
coronary angiography will allow your doctor to choose the best treatment for
your case
Your previous heart attack is also an additional indication for
angiography at this time
To perform coronary angiography, a catheter is
introduced into an artery in the body
The catheter is passed up the artery
to the aorta (the main artery of the body)
Contrast material or substances
(one which x-rays will not pass through, and frequently referred to as a
“dye”) is then injected into the openings at the base of the aorta where the
coronary arteries originate.
The dye mixes with the blood and fills the passage inside the vessels and
allows the arteries to show up on x-ray film when photographed by a special
x-ray camera
This camera will take many pictures at a rate of from 3 to 6
times per second, which provides detailed information about the condition of
the arteries
At this point in time, coronary angiography gives the physician
the best look into the coronary arteries of any test
Almost any patient
whose treatment depends on the severity of CAD should have the procedure.
Heart patients who have had other tests with inconclusive results may also be
given this test
Other candidates for coronary angiography are those with
severe angina, chest pain, or frequent heart attacks
As with almost all
invasive procedures, there are risks associated with this test, although
coronary angiography is considered very safe
The problem most often reported
after this test is local damage or reaction at the place the catheter was
inserted
The most dangerous side effects of angiography are that it may
induce heart attack or stroke
Stroke may occur once or twice in every 4,000
cases
Heart attacks may occur one to four times in every 1,000 angiographs.
Death due to this test may occur in one to three cases per thousand.
Those at greatest risk are older patients, those with severe CAD or other
advanced cardiovascular disorders.
The decision is up to you, but my advice from the history you have
provided and my feeling that more information may help a well motivated
patient to overcome your present problem is to follow your physician’s advice,
and have the procedure performed.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Zyrtec
Our price: $0.53
Zyrtec (Cetirizine) is used to treat allergies, hives (urticaria), and other allergic inflammatory conditions.

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QUESTION: My sister has been diagnosed as having severe anxiety attacks,
called panic attacks
It has almost destroyed her life
Can you provide a
concerned family with a description of this condition, and possibility for
medical treatment?

ANSWER: Panic, or acute anxiety, attacks are a frightening experience.
Typically, a person having a panic attack will be overcome by terror or a
sense of dread for no apparent reason
The attacks can last anywhere from
two minutes to two hours, and they can occur repeatedly
What’s more, the
attacks are often accompanied by palpitations, trembling, and even dizziness.
Fortunately, there’s hope
There are at least three types of drugs that
can quell panic attacks.
Tricyclic antidepressants are one of the most effective treatments.
These drugs have the fewest side effects and the least potential for abuse.
Imipramine is the tricyclic antidepressant most often used for panic attacks.
Benzodiazepines, such as alprazolam and clonazepam, can also help
In
some cases, clonazepam is a better choice because it causes fewer withdrawal
symptoms when you stop taking it.
Finally, monoamine oxidase inhibitors such as phenelzine are also often
prescribed for panic attacks.
The medication that is prescribed by a physician for you will depend on
your individual patient reactions, the drug’s possible side effects, and your
doctor’s own experience and confidence in a particular treatment
Be sure
your sister obtains complete information about any medicine, so that possible
side effects may not become another source of anxiety for her.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Lukol
Our price: $20.35
Lukol is an indigenous tablet preparation which is administered orally for the treatment of non-specific leucorrhoea.

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QUESTION: Is a case of acute appendicitis more dangerous to an older person?
I always had the notion that only young people could develop this condition.

ANSWER: Although acute appendicitis is primarily a disease of the young, it
is not unusual in older people
The danger lies in delaying treatment (i.e.,
by mistaking the symptoms for those of other illnesses), since a ruptured
appendix can lead to peritonitis, abscess, and even death.
Time, say the experts, is a crucial factor in dealing with the disease,
because mortality rates are highest (especially in the elderly) when emergency
surgery is required
Usually appendicitis follows a pattern: pain begins at
the navel and gradually moves to the lower right side of the abdomen
Nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, tenderness, or low-grade fever normally follow.
With older folks, however, this course may not hold true
Other factors
may hinder proper diagnosis
For instance, in 45% of all cases, pain does not
localize, and in older patients it is always less intense
Special problems
such as senility, fear, or deafness may make communication with the patient
difficult
And other conditions present at the time, such as heart disease,
circulatory problems, diabetes, and intestinal disorders like diverticulitis,
often mimic or mask the symptoms.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Prednisone
Our price: $0.15
Prednisone is a synthetic corticosteroid, used for suppressing the immune system and inflammation.

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QUESTION: I suffer from Raynaud’s Syndrome and am constantly on the lookout
for any new method of treating this most annoying and frustrating condition.
A friend told me of reading about a method that trains the body to respond to
cold without causing the problems in the hands
Do you know anything about
this, and would you explain it to me?

ANSWER: Dealing with the problems caused by Raynaud’s Syndrome can indeed be
frustrating, for this condition causes the smallest arteries of the fingers
(arterioles) to constrict when exposed to colder temperatures, resulting in
extreme reduction of blood flow to the digits, followed by redness and pain
when circulation is restored
Women are affected more frequently than men,
and the medical treatment may leave a good deal to be desired
A new method
of behavioral conditioning, which your friend read about, consists of counter
conditioning the body to cold by exposing the whole body to 0 degrees C air,
while keeping the fingers immersed in warm water at 43 degrees C
This is
done repeatedly, and in many cases a higher skin temperature than previously
noted is found when the patient is exposed to cold temperatures
Many
patients report less problems and feel that the improvement has lasted long
after the conditioning training has been completed
Since there are many
possible causes for the syndrome, a complete and accurate diagnosis is
necessary to assure your condition is suitable for such training, and your
physicians counseling is a must
Of course smoking is a “no-no,” as nicotine
is a potent constrictor of blood vessels
However the technique, which has
now been adapted for home training, offers real promise of improvement, and
should be given a thorough opportunity to work for you.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Seroquel
Our price: $1.05
Seroquel (Quetiapine) is used for treating schizophrenia.

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QUESTION: I frequently bothered by a mild pain in my stomach, followed by
bloating and embarrassing belching
I doubt that it is serious enough to
bother my physician with, but thought you might help me out
What can cause
these symptoms?

ANSWER: Anything that bothers you is “worth bothering” your doctor about!
Gastric discomfort is one of the 15 most common reasons for an adult to visit
a doctor’s office
The discomfort can signal simple problems with simple
solutions or it may indicate a more serious difficulty that needs intervention
now.
The upper abdominal discomfort you describe is called “dyspepsia,” which
is not a disease, but a symptom
It may be a symptom of a variety of gastric
problems, some minor and some serious
Sometimes it signals peptic ulcer
disease, and sometimes it is confused with the pain of coronary artery
disease, called angina.
Before you visit your doctor, take note the characteristics of your
discomfort
Is it relieved with antacids or food? Is it worse at night? Is
it worse when you’re lying down? Do certain foods aggravate the condition?
Is the pain related to an emotional upset? Are you taking medications that
may upset your stomach? Aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and some antibiotics
can cause dyspepsia
Do you drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes? Both can
cause this problem.
See your doctor and describe the problem
The more specific information
you can provide, the better diagnosis your doctor can make.
After talking with you and examining you, your doctor may feel he needs
some tests before he can accurately diagnose your problem
Dyspepsia is a
condition that may require some patience to satisfactorily treat
How you and
your doctor approach the problem will depend on many factors, including your
age and general health.
Upper gastrointestinal studies have often been the first test ordered in
a situation like this, but some doctors are now questioning how much useful
information is obtained in an “upper G.I.” Endoscopy (or gastroscopy) is a
procedure where a flexible tube is passed through the esophagus, stomach and
upper G.I
tract, and the physician inspects the inside of the tract through
this tube, or “scope.” Increasingly, this has become the first test performed
in cases like yours, because inflammation can be detected using this procedure
and a biopsy can be taken when necessary, through the endoscope.
When the problem is diagnosed and treated, and you are finally symptom
free, you’ll be glad you “bothered your doctor.”

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Zimulti
Our price: $3.2
Zimulti (Rimonabant) is an appetite suppressant diet pill.

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