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QUESTION: My friend was in an automobile accident, and when we were finally
permitted to visit him we found, in addition to all the tubes and wires
attached to him, that he was also being fed through a tube that was placed in
his nose
Does this mean he is in very serious condition? How can he get
enough food that way to keep him strong? We are very concerned and would like
your help.

ANSWER: Feeding a patient through a nasogastric tube (it passes through his
nose, down his esophagus and probably ends in his stomach or possibly the
duodenum, the first part of the small intestine) is a procedure that can be
vital to the recovery of your friend
When a patient is unable to swallow
because of disease, or in acute care of trauma, the nutritional elements
needed by the body can be delivered through the tube, and then digested and
absorbed by the body’s own intestinal system
The material used is a complete
diet, and contains all the necessary carbohydrates, fats and proteins the body
requires in forms that make digestion easy
Most formulas are prepared
commercially, are sterile, and contain the minerals and essential chemicals
also needed
There are several choices for physicians to chose from,
depending upon the condition of the patient
The feedings may given
continuously, about 50 ml to 100 ml an hour, or may be given as meals, using
200 to 300 ml several times a day
Nasogastric feedings are generally used
for patients who require this type of nutritional treatment over the short
course, and the tube will be replaced every 2 to 3 weeks
While all the tubes
and wires may look frightening to you, they are all serving a necessary
purpose, and are helping the nurses and doctors to render the care to your
friend that he needs
While I can’t evaluate the seriousness of his
condition, I hope that by the time you read this, he will be up and about, and
that you will be convinced of the ability to nourish a patient through a tube.

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.

Shuddha Guggulu
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Shuddha Guggulu lowers the cholesterol and triglycerides levels in blood.

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QUESTION: I am almost too embarrassed to visit my physician once again, with
yet another episode of vaginitis
I seem to be very prone to this problem,
and hope you can offer some simple way to treat this infection that doesn’t
require complicated treatment or prescription medications.

ANSWER: I wish it was all that simple, but it isn’t
Your physician is not
apt to be surprised by your visit, as vaginitis is probably the most common
complaint of women seeking medical help for gynecological problems
Vaginitis
is, as you indicate, an infection that affects the mucosal tissue that lines
the vaginal tract
While there are many possibilities, there are essentially
three types of organisms that can be the cause
Most common are bacteria,
usually identified as Gardnerella vaginitis
Although this organism is
present in 50 to 60% of normal, healthy women, the number of bacteria present
increases dramatically in an acute infection
This is accompanied by an
increase in the number of anaerobic bacteria as well
Another culprit is
Trichomonas vaginitis, a protozoa, that may be responsible for as many as 1/3
of all cases of vaginitis
Fungal infections caused by Candida albicans are
frequent in pregnancy and after the use of antibiotics such as tetracycline.
Each type of infection requires a different therapy, an effective antibiotic
or antifungal agent, which can only be prescribed after the diagnosis has
been made
Most physicians can make the diagnosis after a careful examination
and may confirm the diagnosis using their office laboratory, but a culture of
vaginal secretions may be required in some cases
If your situation reveals
the same infection, time after time, your sexual partner may also require
treatment to prevent a situation graphically described as “ping pong”
vaginitis
Overcome your feelings of embarrassment, and get the situation
straightened out now
You can easily avoid some of the serious complications
that might be in store for you if you don’t.

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.

Effexor
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Effexor (Venlafaxine) is an oral antidepressant drug.

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Glucotrol XL
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Glucotrol XL (Glipizide) is an anti-diabetic drug (sulfonylurea-type), used along with a proper diet and exercise program to control high blood sugar.

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QUESTION: I have watched some of the difficulties which my friend must
overcome to maintain her strictly vegetarian diet
She looks wonderful, but I
doubt that I could emulate her discipline, although she claims I could lower
my blood pressure if I did
Is there any evidence to back up her statement?

ANSWER: There are many factors which act upon the level of our blood
pressure, and some of them concern the foods we eat as well
It makes
clinical trials that look at the effect of diet upon blood pressure pretty
hard to conduct, and even more difficult to evaluate
To be sure that a
vegetarian diet was the cause of the lowered blood pressure, two almost
identical groups would have to be studied, that restricted alcohol, tobacco,
and other stimulants, one group having an otherwise unrestricted diet, and one
group being vegetarian
Studies of groups of Mormons (who eat meat) and
Seventh Day Adventist vegetarians have provided some interesting statistics,
since the vegetarians did live longer, and their blood pressure findings were
lower
That leaves us with a general opinion that such a diet is beneficial,
but without specific answers as to what part of the diet may be responsible.
Lactovegetarians, who supplement their diet with dairy products, also appear
to have lower blood pressures
This may be due to their lower levels of
weight and healthier levels of cholesterol and other fatty-like materials
(lipids) in their blood
You could probably lower an elevated blood pressure
with a simple salt restricted weight reduction diet as well, particularly if
you added a regular dose of exercise.

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.

Revia
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Revia (Naltrexone) is used for treating alcoholism and narcotic (opioid) addiction in adults.

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QUESTION: I am a 58 year old female
My doctor tells me I have something
called Wolfe-Parkinson-White Syndrome
Could you explain this for me, please,
and also tell me how it will affect me?

ANSWER: It is amazing how many clinical practitioners retain the use of such
names for medical conditions, but perhaps it is understandable when you know
that the descriptive name for your condition is “anomalous atrioventricular
excitation”
That is not much help either in trying to understand the meaning
of a condition, which in many people provokes no symptoms
The diagnosis is
made by examining an electrocardiogram, which may have been taken during a
routine annual examination or used to seek an explanation for an episode of
rapid heart beat (paroxysmal tachycardia) which can occur in about 10% of
people with this condition
Wolfe-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW) is the
result of a congenital variation in the heart conduction system
Instead of
the impulses passing through a junction point in the system, called the A-V
node, they by pass this control by using a second conduction pathway, not
usually present in most people, and arrive at the ventricle of the heart
before the normal impulses
This can provoke the abnormal beating of the
heart
Usually these episodes resolve by themselves, and the condition is
considered benign
When these abnormal rhythms continue, medication such as
propranolol or procainamide can be used
When the presence of another
abnormal beat, atrial fibrillation, complicates the treatment of the disease,
an operation to cut the abnormal pathway may be considered
However, the odds
are all in your favor, with the chances being that this condition may never
cause you any inconvenience at all.

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.

Himplasia
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Himplasia is used to maintain a healthy prostrate and an effective reproductive function.

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QUESTION: With a great deal of discomfort in my premenstrual period, I have
decided to try to control my body fluids by reducing my sodium intake
I have
stopped using the salt shaker, but have little knowledge of how much is too
much when it comes to sodium
Can you offer some information with a few
specific numbers I might understand?

ANSWER: You have the right idea, but as with many people, require just a bit
more information to make things clear
First important number is that the
body probably only needs about 200 mg of sodium per day, or the equivalent of
about 1/10th of a teaspoon of salt
Common table salt (sodium chloride) is
60% chlorine and only 40% sodium
There are 2300 mg of sodium in a full
teaspoon full of salt, and for normal individuals with no medical need to
restrict intake, it is probably safe to have about 1100 to 3300 mg of salt per
day, or about a teaspoon and a half
However it is estimated that most
Americans will have a daily intake of about 4000 to 5000 mg a day, or the
amount in 2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons
It is not, however, all coming out of the
salt shaker
Only about 1/3 of the salt we consume is salt from shakers or
used in cooking
About 1/4 to 1/2 comes from the processed foods we eat,
which is why reading labels has become a must for all health conscious
individuals
The rest of our daily intake is in natural form in the
unprocessed foods we eat, although such foods are generally low in sodium.
Since we need sodium as part of our normal physiology, most people need only
be sodium conscious to adequately control their intake
The next vital
information to obtain is a list of foods and their sodium content, too long to
include here
In that way you may calculate with some certainty your daily
intake, and cut back if it is necessary.

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.

Cardura
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Cardura (Doxazosin) is used for the control of elevated blood pressure (hypertension).

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QUESTION: With some horrible varicose veins to mar the “beauty” of my legs, I
dread the coming of the summer season and wearing shorts
A friend has
advised that I look into something called “scleroid injections”
Do you know
what she is referring to and will you please explain it to me?

ANSWER: While the terminology is slightly off, the suggestion has some merit.
She is referring to “injection sclerotherapy,” a procedure in which a liquid
capable of damaging the tissue that lines the veins is injected directly into
the vein
The physician will use one of many techniques to “empty” the vein
first, and to be sure the injected liquid remains in the selected area.
Immediately after the injection, compression bandages will be put into place
to assure that the walls of the injected vein are held together, so that the
healing process that follows the injury provoked by the injection will seal
the vein and collapse the varicosity
Since the secret of the success of this
procedure is that the vein be completely obliterated by the fibrotic tissue
produced during healing, your leg will have to remain in compression bandages
for three weeks or more
You will be encouraged to continue to walk about as
much as possible, to help circulate your blood through the leg normally
One
other caution
If you presently take birth control pills, you will have to do
without them for at least 6 weeks before the injection, as they may possibly
lead to the formation of undesired blood clots
Since there are other
considerations, discuss the procedure at length with your surgeon before
proceeding.

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.

Sorbitrate
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Sorbitrate (Isosorbide) is used for preventing symptoms of angina(chest pain).

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QUESTION: I have an adorable and lovable grandfather
He is not only warm
and caring, but alert and interesting
Every time he drops something, or
slips, or forgets where he has placed his glasses, he mumbles, “I guess I’m
getting senile.” I wish there was something I could do to prevent that
disease from striking him
Can you help?

ANSWER: Have I got good news for you! There is no such disease as
“senility”, and it is not a “must” condition for those who are getting just a
few years older
Surely, there are some changes in the way an older person
thinks, just as there are physical changes that occur with age, but according
to a 1980 report from the Task Force sponsored by the National Institute of
Aging, “Normal aging

does not include gross intellectual impairment,
confusion, depression, hallucinations or delusions
Such symptoms are due to
disease and indicate the need for diagnosis and treatment”
To be sure there
are incurable diseases that strike the elderly, such as Alzheimer Disease,
that cause mental impairment, but there are some 100 reversible conditions
that mimic this disorder, and that can be treated effectively
Although
medical research is currently working on many of the problems of the aging, it
may well be that your grandfather may never need them
The best methods to
avoid the problems of aging are to maintain an active life that involves both
body and mind, careful attention to a balanced diet, and a well conceived plan
to promote physical fitness
Regular, brisk walks are as useful and
beneficial as regular training programs are to athletes
While all these may
help, my guess is that your visits may well be the best preventive medicine
available.

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.

Parlodel
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Parlodel (Bromocriptine) is used to treat persistent breast milk production, lack of a menstrual period, infertility, and other conditions associated with high prolactin levels.

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QUESTION: I remember, years ago, reading rumors that some famous screen
actors had died suddenly during the sex act
Nowadays, these sudden deaths
seem caused more by drugs than sex
Do you believe that those old rumors
where true, and if so, what do you think the cause of death really was?

ANSWER: My memory goes back as far as yours does, but I don’t ever remember
any specific medical conditions that were part of those reports and stories.
If causes were determined, they never appeared in the press, and I prefer it
that way, personally
Back in 1965 a Dr
H.A
Heggveit wrote an article in
the American Heart Journal in which he coined an interesting name for these
occurrences
He called them “Mort D’Amour”, the “death from love”
In his
article he speculated that there could be four causes of such a death, a
sudden increase in blood pressure, a change in the beating of the heart from a
normal regular rhythm to an irregular one that failed to pump blood to the
body and brain, a failure of sufficient blood to reach the heart causing
ischemia (lack of oxygen), and finally a rupture of a blood vessel in the
brain due to an aneurysm or thinning of the vessel wall
Certainly those
conditions could occur, and would explain why death struck at that particular
moment
I suppose all those risk factors still exist, but hopefully, some of
the new advances in medical technology are now helping to prevent them from
occurring with any great frequency
Tests, such as the stress test for
cardiac function and newer techniques in visualizing the arteries of the
heart and brain, may be effective in diagnosing these conditions so that
corrective treatment is started and these tragedies are averted
There are
few things more private than a person’s death, and when that moment arrives, I
would choose that it not be used to expose an individual’s final moments to an
insensitive and perhaps unfeeling public
So the lack of such reports lately
sits fairly well with me, and I hope it continues.

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.

Glucophage
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Glucophage (Metformin) is used for treating type II diabetes in adults and children.

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Inderal
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Inderal (Propranolol) is used for treating high blood pressure and angina pectoris (chest pain).

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QUESTION: Could you please review the causes and cures of shingle? My
husband has had a bad case which is in the seventh week
He still has welts
and stabs of pain in his back
What can be done to help him?

ANSWER: Shingles, also known as Herpes Zoster, can be a tormenting disease,
with severe pain and a characteristic rash that seems to wind across one side
of the body like a fiery red snake
In fact that is where the name comes
from, as “herpes” is the Greek word for “serpent”
The problem may start with
symptoms of chills, fever, and the aches and malaise that comes with any viral
infection
These symptoms may occur two or three days before the rash
develops
Herpes is caused by an infection of the varicella-zoster virus in
nerves which start in the spinal cord and run out across the body
The rash
develops along the route of the infected nerve which produces the thin, snake
like appearance
The clusters of blister-like rash will begin to crust and
scab about 5 days after they appear
Although this disease may occur in
people of any age, it is more common in individuals over the age of fifty, and
it is in this older group that the pain often continues for months and years.
Known as “posthepatic neuralgia,” it is a difficult condition to treat.
Analgesics, alone or in combination with tricyclic antidepressants (like
amitriptyline) may be helpful in suppressing the pain
Frequently injections
of corticosteroids (like prednisone) are used to reduce the inflammation and
pain
Acyclovir (Zovirax) has been shown to be helpful in treating herpes
zoster in the early and acute stages
When the lesions have disappeared but
pain remains, a new product, capsaicin topical analgesic cream (Zostrix), can
be applied directly to the skin in the tender areas, and can effectively
control the pain
Capsaicin is a natural chemical derived from plants in the
solanaceae or nightshade family which includes the tomato and the garden
pepper
The good news is that one attack of herpes usually confers immunity
so you won’t have to worry about it ever returning.

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.

Cymbalta
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Cymbalta (Duloxetine) is used for treating depression and generalized anxiety disorder.

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QUESTION: I visited my sister in her brand new home last week
While she put
on a great show that all was well, I noticed some actions of my brother in law
that are worrisome
He just wasn’t right
Would you please list some of the
symptoms of depression that might help me solve this problem?

ANSWER: A short visit may not have been adequate enough to provide you with
the clues you are seeking, but I will give you some important information to
think about
Depressed patients always seem to be sad, and may even break
into tears over little things, while watching an incident on a television show
that is not particularly distressing to others
They feel tired most of the
time, even when there has been adequate rest and little work
They are
usually irritable, become upset rapidly and tend to be bothered by little
items and insignificant incidents
They are not much fun to be around as they
have no enthusiasm for new projects, no feelings of enjoyment even for
pastimes they relished
Headaches are frequent symptoms, as are complaints
about indigestion and constipation
Loss of interest in food may lead to
weight loss
When they do talk, they may express sentiments of feeling
unworthy or guilty, unwanted and unneeded
Frankly speaking, this is not a
condition in which you should be playing amateur detective
Get back on that
phone and call your sister for an honest and concerned discussion
If these
symptoms are present, and she may be aware of others, it’s time for
professional help, for depression can be helped, in many ways, effectively and
rapidly
To ignore it may invite tragedy.

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
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Zimulti (Rimonabant) is an appetite suppressant diet pill.

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