Bottom Line Health
See book keywords and concepts |
| At one time, doctors mainly focused on relieving symptoms using pain medication.
Now: Drug therapies are aimed at curbing the progression of this debilitating disorder.
ARE YOU AT RISK?
Rheumatoid arthritis can occur at any age. Approximately 75% of patients are women, which suggests that hormones may play a role in the disease. Some researchers believe that a viral or bacterial infection may trigger the disorder in some patients. Smoking and stress are thought to contribute to rheumatoid arthritis—but not cause it. |
Shannon Brownlee
See book keywords and concepts |
 After consulting with McKee about Josie's response to the Narcan, he wrote in the girl's chart that she was not to be given any more pain medication unless he was consulted. Then he left for surgery. About an hour later, Josie got another shot of Narcan. She seemed more alert to King, looking around the room and watching a Scooby-Doo cartoon on television. Still worried, King asked McKee to be ready to return at a moment's notice.
Just before lunch, a pediatric anesthesiologist from the pain team stopped in. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
See book keywords and concepts |
 If you decide against any pain medication at the time you write your birth plan, will it still be available should you change your mind at any time during labor?
• If you do decide to use drugs for any pain you might experience, what are the potential side effects? Is it safe for the baby if you breast-feed immediately after using pain medication? Does your physician or midwife use homeopathic and/or natural remedies for pain?
• What methods will be used to monitor the baby during labor?
• Do you have to have your baby in the lithotomy position (flat on your back with your feet in stirrups)? |
Shannon Brownlee
See book keywords and concepts |
| It's easier to acquiesce than to explain why a CT scan won't necessarily help diagnose appendicitis, or why the doctor is certain that the patient's ankle is sprained, not broken, and doesn't need to be X-rayed, or why an MRI won't change the fact that the first remedy for mild back pain is ice, over-the-counter pain medication, and normal activity. As one emergency physician who is a pediatric specialist tells me, he'd rather send a child to radiology than fight with the kid's parents, who will only think he's incompetent because they know their child needs a scan. |
Gary Null and Amy McDonald
See book keywords and concepts |
 I used pain medication. My blood pressure was slightly elevated. Although I considered myself to be nutritionally aware, I used dairy products. My energy was quite low after cancer treatment. I joined a support group to rebuild my immune system. I wanted to be healthy.
The arthritis has diminished. I no longer require medication. I take walks and practice yoga. I am totally vegan, drink juices, and follow a Gary's protocol totally. Group homework assignments expanded my self-awareness and created new insights.
I am delighted with the results of each new blood test. |
| I am not on pain medication. The pain is sporadic. I exercise in a rehab center for my disk problem. My major changes began two to three weeks into the protocol. I am an organic vegan and do not use coffee or sugar. Throwing up stopped when sensible eating and probiotics began. I am a vegeterian cook and intend to study vegetarian meal preparation.
I never saw life in the past as I experience it today.
BENJAMIN
I am a forty-four-year-old man diagnosed as a "worst case disability."
I was considered to be a healthy baby at birth. |
Bottom Line Health
See book keywords and concepts |
| Theory: The fentanyl lozenge dissolves fast, allowing it to be absorbed more quickly than oral pain medication.
Giovambattista Zeppetella, MD, medical director of St. Clare Hospice, Hastingwood, England.
Fiber May Not Really Fight Colon Cancer
Yikyung Park, ScD, visiting fellow, National Cancer Institute.
John A. Baron, MD, professor of medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, NH.
The Journal of the American Medical Association. |
| If their heart rate increases, their doctors should consider providing more pain medication.
ANTIARRHYTHMICS
This class of drugs is used to treat heart arrhythmias. One popular anti-arrhythmic, sotalol (Betapace), is more dangerous for women than for men. Due to differences in the characteristics of the cardiac cell membranes in men and women, sotalol, which acts on these cell membranes, can increase a woman's risk of ventricular tachycardia, a potentially life-threatening arrhythmia. |
Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 One of my main duties is to call in refills for pain medication after surgery. Our surgeons specify brand-name medicines like Vicodin and Lortab because some generic substitutions don't relieve patients' pain.
The next step in our quest for information was to talk to Nicholas Buhay, deputy director of the Division of Manufacturing and Product Quality in the Office of Compliance at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the FDA. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
See article keywords and concepts |
 But primarily, you're going to see the patients on pain medication, sleeping medication and antidepressants -- those three.
Mike: Right.
Dr. Whitcomb: Almost always, my patients will come in on those three. Oftentimes, it'll be on heavy doses. Now, that's the primary treatment that medicine has been providing for fibromyalgia patients. Rheumatologists are doing most of this. I'm not sure why the rheumatologists end up getting these patients, but that seems to be where everyone's sending them. Most of my friends say, "If we don't know what to do with them, we send them to the rheumatologists. |
Jacky Law
See book keywords and concepts |
 The key issue is, of course, the placebo effect, a person's inherent ability to heal, which works irrespective of whether a patient is having needles stuck in them, taking the latest health supplement or swallowing the latest pain medication.
It is ironic that the areas of medicine where the placebo effect has been shown to be most powerful - pain and depression - are precisely the areas at the centre of the recent regulatory storms. And the irony shows succinctly how ultimately self-defeating healthcare systems can be if trust is allowed to slip away.
The placebo effect works on trust. |
Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| What's more, the acetaminophen-aspirin-caffeine combination also beat out the prescription drug sumatriptan (Imitrex) in reducing pain and associated symptoms and reducing the amount of additional pain medication that study subjects needed.358
Prescription Migraine Medicines
TRIPTANS
The biggest advance in the treatment of migraines has been the development in the last decade and a half of medicines called "triptans. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
See book keywords and concepts |
| Taking over-the-counter pain medication such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxin, or aspirin before hangover symptoms begin sometimes helps with the headache; however, extreme caution must be used. When combined with alcohol, these medications may irritate your stomach and can even be toxic to the liver. This is why there is now a required warning label on over-the-counter painkillers, and medications that contain them, cautioning against using them if you consume more than three alcoholic drinks per day. Mixing alcohol with any medication is not recommended. |
Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Serious cases may be treated with prescription drugs, including intravenous antibiotics such as cefazolin (Ancef), cefamandole (Mandol), amikacin (Amikin); pain medication in combination with acetaminophen, such as codeine (Tylenol with Codeine), hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab), oxycodone (Percocet); and intestinal antispasmotics such as L-hyoscyamine (Levsin, Levbid). Injections of Vasopressin may be used to control bleeding diverticula.
For mild conditions, healthcare practitioners typically recommend adequate fluid intake and a high-fiber diet. |
| Another controlled study found a series of eight treatments with spinal manipulation was as effective as conventional medical therapy, but the manipulation group needed less pain medication and physical therapy.95 Practitioners who perform spinal manipulation include chiropractors, some osteopaths, and some physical therapists.
Some researchers suggest that spinal manipulation should not be performed on people with a herniated (slipped) disc, because it may lead to spinal cord injuries. |
| In a preliminary trial, 18 of 26 people suffering from migraine headaches demonstrated an improvement in symptoms following therapy with acupuncture; they also had a 50% reduction in the use of pain medication.59 Previous preliminary trials have demonstrated similar results,60' 61 • 62 which have also been confirmed in placebo-controlled trials.63' 64 Improvement has been maintained at one65 and three66 years of follow-up. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
See book keywords and concepts |
| Is it safe for the baby if you breast-feed immediately after using pain medication? Does your physician or midwife use homeopathic and/or natural remedies for pain?
• What methods will be used to monitor the baby during labor?
• Do you have to have your baby in the lithotomy position (flat on your back with your feet in stirrups)?
• Will you have an episiotomy? (This is an incision made to enlarge the vaginal opening either so that forceps can be used or to hasten delivery or to prevent tearing in this area, which takes longer to heal than an incision does. |
Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| In one large British study, patients undergoing acupuncture took fewer sick days and used less pain medication than they had before treatment.345
Oddly enough, acupuncture seems to achieve these goals even though a properly ran-
*** Acupuncture
In general, acupuncture seems to be a safe way to reduce the frequency of migraines and help sufferers cope with them better. Despite research showing that sham acupuncture works just as well, we suggest that you consult a doctor who has been formally trained in acupuncture technique and is experienced in its use for migraine. |
Eric R. Braverman
See book keywords and concepts |
 TENS units stimulate the release of endorphins, which are the body's own pain medication. The electrical stimulation of muscles through these units induces mild contractions that help to restore strength to atrophied muscles.
The cranial electrical stimulator (CES) is similar in size and electrical function to TENS units. With the CES, the electrodes are placed on the left wrist—site of the left vagal nerve, which connects directly to the midbrain—and on the forehead near the frontal lobes, which are the brain's pacemaker. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
See book keywords and concepts |
| Antinausea and strong pain medication may also be needed.
Q It is wise to seek prompt treatment for a bacterial infection anywhere in the body, such as strep throat or an ear infection.
Q Antibiotics may be prescribed as a preventive for those who have been in close contact with a person who has bacterial meningitis.
Q Adults tend to be immune to H. influenza type B, and the Hib vaccine protects most young children. However, if you have been in close contact with someone who has this infection, you may need to see your physician to inquire about antibiotic treatment. |
James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Between visits to your doctor, you'll find that a wide range of complementary therapies can bolster your immune system and reduce your need for aggressive conventional pain medication. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
See book keywords and concepts |
| Q| pain medication, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, Da-tril, and others) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be used to control inflammation and mild or moderate pain. Narcotics may be needed for severe pain.
Q| Adenosine monophosphate (AMP), a compound that occurs naturally in the body, has been found to be effective against shingles.
Q| Capsaicin has been attracting attention for its ability to relieve pain in persons suffering from postherpetic neuralgia. Capsaicin is not a product of chemical engineering, but a component found in plants of the same family as red peppers. |
John E. Sarno, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 He experienced immediate moderate low back pain, but over the next several days his pain worsened to the point where he had trouble walking and sleeping despite pain medication. He continued to have constant and severe low back pain, and multiple medical evaluations showed no acute traumatic injury. After nearly a year of pain and inability to return to work, he was under the care of a pain specialist with chronic narcotics. Two years after that injury he was placed on Social Security disability. |
| She had resigned herself to living with pain indefinitely and the fact that she would probably not be able to have children because she would not be able to live for nine months without pain medication.
Following the initial consultation, she attended my treatment lectures and then I did not hear from her again until I received a letter a month later. The following is an excerpt from the letter:
I have been very busy living my new pain-free life; I am so excited. To bring you up-to-date, I am doing GREAT! My life changed dramatically after coming to see you. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
See book keywords and concepts |
 The patient should receive some type of pain medication prior to the actual biopsies. 284,285 jt ^s amazing that a dentist will routinely give Novocain to fix dental cavities, but men going through 6-13 biopsies of their prostate gland have been offered local analgesia only for the last 5-6 years. |
| Buprenorp hine
Buprenorphine, a little-known pain medication, is a mild narcotic with agonist and antagonist properties that has a very low addiction liability, if any, indicating that it can be used for a long period of time without development of serious withdrawal symptoms. Buprenorphine is effective in conditions with multiple symptoms because it acts rapidly in depression, reduces pain, and induces sleep (Balint 2002).
Buprenorphine is available as an injectable 0.3-mg ampule, a small dose even for injection. The dosage is variable. |
| In cases when pain medication alone is not enough to make the patient comfortable, the treatment team may decide on treatments that affect the nerves directly. These include alcohol injection in a nerve to inhibit pain response and surgically severing nerves to prevent transmission of pain impulses. Refer to the Cancer Surgery protocol to learn why morphine should be avoided except to alleviate pain in hospice-type settings.
NATURAL THERAPIES Curcumin
Curcumin is extracted from the spice turmeric and is responsible for the orange-yellow pigment that gives the spice its unique color. |
the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books
See book keywords and concepts |
 Over-the-counter antihistamines that don't also contain pain medication (Benadryl 25, Dramamine, Chlor-Trimeton) may subdue your tension headache if you take one or two tablets every four hours, says Dr. Spierings. You can take up to 300 milligrams per day, but don't exceed the daily limit given on the package label, he says.
"These antihistamines can cause muscle relaxation if taken repeatedly," Dr. Spierings says. "They're effective and they get you away from pain medications. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
See book keywords and concepts |
| The scope bends and also blows air into the colon (which inflates the colon, allowing for improved viewing) and transmits an image of the inside of the colon to a monitor for the physician's careful examination of the colon lining. pain medication and a mild sedative may be administered to ensure comfort and relaxation during the examination.
If there are any abnormal findings, such as a polyp or inflamed tissue, they will be removed by the passing of small instruments through the scope. These tissues (biopsy) will then be sent to a laboratory for testing. |
| Participants were not allowed to take any pain medication ot other arthritis treatment during the study. Physicians found that patients taking SAMe improved steadily from the beginning. At the end of the study, about 80% of the subjects who took SAMe reported improvement: 70% of the subjects with the most severe knee pain improved significantly. Side effects were minimal, and only 2.3% of the gtoup stopped taking it because it did not work. The most severe side effect reported was gastrointestinal upset.
In four double-blind studies, SAMe was compared either to placebo ot to NSAIDs. |
Email this page to a friend
