Often referred to as the father of modern heart medicine, Dr. Michael DeBakey died in Houston at the age of 99. Tony Guida recounts the life of a man who helped save the lives of millions.
Showing posts with label Evening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Evening. Show all posts
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
Activity-Linked Heat Illness Needs Prompt Attention
(HealthDay News) -- As the mercury continues to rise, people of all ages should take precautions to ward off heat-related illness while exercising, playing or taking part in any kind of physical activity outside.
"Many cases of heat illness are preventable and can be successfully treated if such conditions are properly recognized and appropriate care is provided in a timely manner," Brendon McDermott, a certified athletic trainer with the University of Connecticut, said in a prepared statement. "We're hoping to educate athletes, coaches, parents and health care providers about what can be done to prevent and treat heat illnesses."
The National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) recently issued recommendations to help guard against illness related to warm-weather activity:
"Many cases of heat illness are preventable and can be successfully treated if such conditions are properly recognized and appropriate care is provided in a timely manner," Brendon McDermott, a certified athletic trainer with the University of Connecticut, said in a prepared statement. "We're hoping to educate athletes, coaches, parents and health care providers about what can be done to prevent and treat heat illnesses."
The National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) recently issued recommendations to help guard against illness related to warm-weather activity:
- Don't start at full tilt. Gradually increasing the intensity and duration of activity helps ready your body for the heat.
- Take rest breaks. Add them to the activity and get adequate rest between bouts of exercise. Good sleeping habits also cut your risk of heat-related trouble.
- Stay hydrated. Drink water or sports drinks well before and throughout physical activity in the heat. If your urine turns a darker color -- more like apple juice than lemonade - that's a quick indicator of dehydration.
- Timing helps. When possible, exercise during the cooler portions of the day -- early morning or late evening.
Back off at signs of trouble. If you don't feel well, reduce the intensity or length of your activity, for example, walk instead of run. If you have symptoms of an illness (e.g., fever, diarrhea, extreme fatigue, etc.) don't exercise at all. These conditions can decrease your body's tolerance for heat and increase your risk of a heat illness.
Even if you think you are prepared, always listen to your body. If you start to feel ill or strange, stop immediately and seek medical attention.
Here are some heat-related ailments to watch for in yourself and others when working or playing in the warm weather:
Exertional heat stroke can result in death unless quickly recognized and properly treated. Watch for an increase in core body temperature (usually above 104 degrees F/40 degrees C); altered consciousness, seizures, confusion, emotional instability, irrational behavior or decreased mental acuity, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea; headache, dizziness, or weakness; increased heart rate; decreased blood pressure or fast breathing; dehydration; and combativeness. Seek emergency medical treatment immediately; if you are waiting for medical help to arrive try immediate whole-body cooling, preferably through immersion in cold water.
Heat exhaustion is moderately serious, usually resulting from fluid or sodium loss in the heat. Loss of coordination; dizziness or fainting; profuse sweating or pale skin; headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea; stomach/intestinal cramps or persistent muscle cramps are its signs. Heat exhaustion patients need to move to a cool, shaded environment, with feet elevated, and be given fluids. If their condition worsens or does not improve shortly, get them to an emergency room. Even if the patient does improve, NATA recommends having a doctor evaluate them.
Heat cramps often occur in people who perform strenuous exercise in the heat. Signs and symptoms include intense pain (not associated with pulling or straining a muscle) and persistent muscle contractions that continue during and after exercise. When heat cramps occur, stop activity immediately, eat salty food, consume a sports drink and stretch the affected muscle. If cramping getting worse or spreads, head to the emergency room.
Hyponatremia happens when a person's blood sodium levels decrease to a potentially fatal level. Over-hydration, inadequate sodium intake or both can cause it, with the result possibly being cerebral and/or pulmonary edema. Signs and symptoms include excessive fluid consumption to the point of weight gain during activity; increasing headache; nausea and vomiting; and swelling of the hands and feet. If the condition involves mental confusion and intense headache, see a doctor. A doctor should also be consulted before resuming outdoor activity in the heat.
More information
Monday, May 05, 2008
Countdown to Race Day, and Stress Levels Are High
Will more work and less running help or hinder my half marathon performance?
by Amanda MacMillan
Race week is finally here: This Saturday at 9 a.m. at Coney Island will be my first real attempt at running a half marathon.
When I began training back in November, I originally planned to be ready for a March 16 race. Then I got sick, lost a few weeks of training, and discovered the Brooklyn Half Marathon was going to be held just one month later and much closer to home.
As soon as I registered for this race, the organizers changed the date, pushing it back a week. Not that I'm complaining; I've appreciated every one of these extra training days—and just this past weekend, I actually reached my goal of an 11-mile run. (The experts say that adrenaline will carry you the last few miles, even if you haven't trained that far. I hope they're right!)
But as race day approaches, I can't decide if this is all happening at the best or worst possible time.
Even without race pressure, this would be one of the most stressful weeks of the year. We're relaunching Health.com in less than a month, and we've been working long days, late nights, and weekends. Lunch and dinner are eaten at our desks, and it's been harder and harder to sneak away for an evening run—or even an hour at the gym.
My sister, who's coming up Friday night and will run Saturday, is taking her finals for nursing school this week, working overtime at her part-time job, and trying to set up her summer internship plans. "If I can make it through exams and actually get to New York without losing my sanity, this race should be a piece of cake," she told me last week.
I'm hoping that her sentiment holds true on Saturday—that all of this week's stress and distraction will make my weekend run feel like a release of energy, a reward for my hard work, and a welcome change from sitting at my computer all week.
There is one good thing about this not-so-great timing: The week before a distance race is the perfect time to "taper," or reduce mileage and intensity, so you're recharged and feeling good for the big day. That means I'm only doing a couple of three-milers this week—and taking Thursday and Friday off completely. If nothing else, at least my legs will be well rested.
Regardless, I feel pretty well prepared. I'm drinking lots of water, checking the weather forecast obsessively (partly cloudy, high of 72, beautiful!), and planning a carb-loading pasta fest for Friday night.
I never thought that a 13-mile run would be the thing that gets me through the work week, but that's exactly what I'm looking forward to right now. Well, that and the massages we've scheduled for later Saturday afternoon.
by Amanda MacMillan
Race week is finally here: This Saturday at 9 a.m. at Coney Island will be my first real attempt at running a half marathon.
When I began training back in November, I originally planned to be ready for a March 16 race. Then I got sick, lost a few weeks of training, and discovered the Brooklyn Half Marathon was going to be held just one month later and much closer to home.
As soon as I registered for this race, the organizers changed the date, pushing it back a week. Not that I'm complaining; I've appreciated every one of these extra training days—and just this past weekend, I actually reached my goal of an 11-mile run. (The experts say that adrenaline will carry you the last few miles, even if you haven't trained that far. I hope they're right!)
But as race day approaches, I can't decide if this is all happening at the best or worst possible time.
Even without race pressure, this would be one of the most stressful weeks of the year. We're relaunching Health.com in less than a month, and we've been working long days, late nights, and weekends. Lunch and dinner are eaten at our desks, and it's been harder and harder to sneak away for an evening run—or even an hour at the gym.
My sister, who's coming up Friday night and will run Saturday, is taking her finals for nursing school this week, working overtime at her part-time job, and trying to set up her summer internship plans. "If I can make it through exams and actually get to New York without losing my sanity, this race should be a piece of cake," she told me last week.
I'm hoping that her sentiment holds true on Saturday—that all of this week's stress and distraction will make my weekend run feel like a release of energy, a reward for my hard work, and a welcome change from sitting at my computer all week.
There is one good thing about this not-so-great timing: The week before a distance race is the perfect time to "taper," or reduce mileage and intensity, so you're recharged and feeling good for the big day. That means I'm only doing a couple of three-milers this week—and taking Thursday and Friday off completely. If nothing else, at least my legs will be well rested.
Regardless, I feel pretty well prepared. I'm drinking lots of water, checking the weather forecast obsessively (partly cloudy, high of 72, beautiful!), and planning a carb-loading pasta fest for Friday night.
I never thought that a 13-mile run would be the thing that gets me through the work week, but that's exactly what I'm looking forward to right now. Well, that and the massages we've scheduled for later Saturday afternoon.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
The "Real" Weight-Loss Numbers
I have been concerned for some time that my measurements are off. Although I am using an expensive and technically advanced digital scale to measure weight loss, there's little consistency in the readings it gives.On some mornings it will read 180 pounds; by the evening, I may weigh 187. Sure enough, the next morning I'll be back down. Continue reading »
Monday, August 20, 2007
Does Pathological Shyness Make for School Shooters?
(HealthDay News) -- What motivates some teens to gun down fellow students in the hallways or grounds of their schools?
Perhaps a characteristic called "cynical shyness." This is an extreme form of shyness affecting mostly males that can lead to violent behavior such as that seen at Columbine, Colo., or, most recently, Virginia Tech, according to researchers who were to present their findings Saturday evening at the American Psychological Association's annual meeting, in San Francisco.
"Cynically shy people are shy people who are motivated toward moving to others, and then they are rejected," said Bernardo Carducci, lead author of the study and director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany.
"In addition to feelings of anxiety about social situations, cynically shy people, who are a small subclass of shy people, also have feelings of anger and hostility toward others and that comes from this sense of disconnect," Carducci explained. "Shyness has more in common with extroversion than with introversion. Shy people truly want to be with others, so they make the effort, but when they are rejected or ostracized, they disconnect. Once you disconnect, it's very easy to start being angry and hate other people. It's you against them, and they become what I call a cult of one. Once you start thinking 'it's me versus them,' then it becomes easy to start hurting these people."
Eventually, the new research may help identify the likely perpetrators of such crimes before they happen, the study authors said.
"It would be great if we could better characterize people who might be likely to do something violent," said Dr. Jane Ripperger-Suhler, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine and a psychiatrist with Scott & White Mental Health Center in Temple. "Right now, our ability to predict violence is not very good at all, so people overreact to a lot of things because of a fear of something happening.
For years, we were under-reacting. It would be nice if psychologists could help us characterize who would be more likely to be a school shooter."
But it's important not to stigmatize shy kids, other experts emphasized.
"Shyness is not inherently a good or bad thing," said Heather Henderson, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Miami. "But one thing we know about shyness in boys, particularly in North America, they seem to be particularly at risk for maladaptive outcomes.
We expect boys to be more outgoing and assertive. Boys are particularly sensitive and are exposed to cues from other people that shyness is not a good thing."
According to the study authors, there are a number of subtypes of shyness, cynical shyness being just one.
For the study, Carducci and a co-author examined news accounts and background information on seven high school shooting cases involving eight teen shooters between 1995 and 2004.
Those individuals were:
Jeffrey Weise -- 16, killed seven people at Red Lake High School in Minnesota as well as his grandfather and grandfather's girlfriend in 2005;
Jamie Rouse -- 17, killed one student and one teacher at Richland High School in Tennessee in 1995;
Luke Woodham -- 17, killed two people at Pearl High School in Mississippi in 1997;
Barry Loukaitis -- 14, killed three at Frontier Junior High in Washington state in 1996;
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold -- 18 and 17 years old, they killed 12 students and a teacher at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999;
Michael Carneal -- 14, killed three girls at Heath High School in Kentucky in 1997;
Kip Kinkel -- 15, killed his parents and two classmates at Thurston High School in Oregon in 1998.
Weise, the two Columbine killers and Kinkel had a "cynically shy score" of 10 (on a scale of 10). Rouse, Woodham and Loukaitis had scores of 8, and Carneal had a score of 6, the researchers said.
Cynically shy people tend to be male and want to relate to other people but just don't know how. As a result, they get rejected, and feelings of hurt gradually turn into intense rage, the study authors said.
This seems to be an extreme version of the frustrations other shy people often face.
"We often misinterpret why people are shy," Henderson said. "If you walk by somebody and avoid eye contact, you interpret that as they don't want to interact, but I think often it's completely the opposite. They really do want to interact and don't know how.
"It's important for parents and teachers to start at a young age, before the person is walking down the high school corridor ready to shoot, not to interpret their behavior as not wanting to interact," Henderson continued. "If we flip our interpretations, people may respond differently.
As a field, we need to understand prospectively what's happening, so we can start identifying kids at a very young age, what would drive a shy kid into this pattern. We don't want the message to be 'shyness will lead to shooting.' "
More information
To learn more, visit the Center for the Prevention of School Violence.
Perhaps a characteristic called "cynical shyness." This is an extreme form of shyness affecting mostly males that can lead to violent behavior such as that seen at Columbine, Colo., or, most recently, Virginia Tech, according to researchers who were to present their findings Saturday evening at the American Psychological Association's annual meeting, in San Francisco.
"Cynically shy people are shy people who are motivated toward moving to others, and then they are rejected," said Bernardo Carducci, lead author of the study and director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany.
"In addition to feelings of anxiety about social situations, cynically shy people, who are a small subclass of shy people, also have feelings of anger and hostility toward others and that comes from this sense of disconnect," Carducci explained. "Shyness has more in common with extroversion than with introversion. Shy people truly want to be with others, so they make the effort, but when they are rejected or ostracized, they disconnect. Once you disconnect, it's very easy to start being angry and hate other people. It's you against them, and they become what I call a cult of one. Once you start thinking 'it's me versus them,' then it becomes easy to start hurting these people."
Eventually, the new research may help identify the likely perpetrators of such crimes before they happen, the study authors said.
"It would be great if we could better characterize people who might be likely to do something violent," said Dr. Jane Ripperger-Suhler, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine and a psychiatrist with Scott & White Mental Health Center in Temple. "Right now, our ability to predict violence is not very good at all, so people overreact to a lot of things because of a fear of something happening.
For years, we were under-reacting. It would be nice if psychologists could help us characterize who would be more likely to be a school shooter."
But it's important not to stigmatize shy kids, other experts emphasized.
"Shyness is not inherently a good or bad thing," said Heather Henderson, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Miami. "But one thing we know about shyness in boys, particularly in North America, they seem to be particularly at risk for maladaptive outcomes.
We expect boys to be more outgoing and assertive. Boys are particularly sensitive and are exposed to cues from other people that shyness is not a good thing."
According to the study authors, there are a number of subtypes of shyness, cynical shyness being just one.
For the study, Carducci and a co-author examined news accounts and background information on seven high school shooting cases involving eight teen shooters between 1995 and 2004.
Those individuals were:
Jeffrey Weise -- 16, killed seven people at Red Lake High School in Minnesota as well as his grandfather and grandfather's girlfriend in 2005;
Jamie Rouse -- 17, killed one student and one teacher at Richland High School in Tennessee in 1995;
Luke Woodham -- 17, killed two people at Pearl High School in Mississippi in 1997;
Barry Loukaitis -- 14, killed three at Frontier Junior High in Washington state in 1996;
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold -- 18 and 17 years old, they killed 12 students and a teacher at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999;
Michael Carneal -- 14, killed three girls at Heath High School in Kentucky in 1997;
Kip Kinkel -- 15, killed his parents and two classmates at Thurston High School in Oregon in 1998.
Weise, the two Columbine killers and Kinkel had a "cynically shy score" of 10 (on a scale of 10). Rouse, Woodham and Loukaitis had scores of 8, and Carneal had a score of 6, the researchers said.
Cynically shy people tend to be male and want to relate to other people but just don't know how. As a result, they get rejected, and feelings of hurt gradually turn into intense rage, the study authors said.
This seems to be an extreme version of the frustrations other shy people often face.
"We often misinterpret why people are shy," Henderson said. "If you walk by somebody and avoid eye contact, you interpret that as they don't want to interact, but I think often it's completely the opposite. They really do want to interact and don't know how.
"It's important for parents and teachers to start at a young age, before the person is walking down the high school corridor ready to shoot, not to interpret their behavior as not wanting to interact," Henderson continued. "If we flip our interpretations, people may respond differently.
As a field, we need to understand prospectively what's happening, so we can start identifying kids at a very young age, what would drive a shy kid into this pattern. We don't want the message to be 'shyness will lead to shooting.' "
More information
To learn more, visit the Center for the Prevention of School Violence.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Constipation and Bowel Movements
By: Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, Ph.D, DACBN
Have You Had Your Bowel Movement Today?
Many people are under the impression they need to have only one bowel movement a week or fewer. Bowel disease, constipation, colon cancer, and stomach pain are all disorders that are leading to what I call the "Silent Killer in America". Colon health and colon problems are the most over-looked health problems in today's society.
Due to the poor diet in America, 200 million people suffer from constipation and do not have the required two to four bowel movements daily. The average person, by the time they are 30 years old, in America, has between 10 to 15 pounds of hard compacted fecal matter in their bowel.
The intestinal tract is composed of the small intestine which is attached to the lower part of the stomach then moves into the large intestine and finally the colon. Whatever you eat has to be properly digested and then move its way through a long, approximately 35 feet in length, intestinal lining to finally exit the rectum. So don't you think the most important area to keep clean in your body would be that 35 feet of food processing wasteland?
Constipation and Bowel Movements
It's important to understand how the digestive track breaks down food into smaller particles and then ultimately into the vitamins, minerals and nutrients you need to survive. As we age, we develop a thick coating along the sides of the intestinal walls as hard as wood and even harder to eradicate.
When this coating adheres to the walls of your intestinal lining and your food tries to move through, it's difficult for your body to absorb the proper amount of nutrients.
These nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream so the blood can carry them to all the organs and tissues in your body. This is why it is essential to not only clean the colon but to purify and keep the whole intestinal lining clean at all times and free from any plaque or debris. You must have a minimum of one bowel movement a day but we recommend having two a day.
After years of research and studying bowel habits, especially constipation and bowel movements in general, we discovered keeping the bowel clean will not only reduce or prevent most types of disease but will also eliminate chronic bloating, symptoms of fatigue, headaches, nausea and a whole list of other symptoms. We recommend and use a product called Oxy-Powder® that will focus on cleansing and keeping clean your whole intestinal tract.
By using Oxy-Powder® every other evening you can ensure that you will have regular bowel movements and keep your intestinal lining clean and functioning properly. You must have regular bowel movements to prevent toxic chemicals from leaking through the walls of the intestinal tract into the blood. I also recommend drinking at least 64 ounces of purified water daily to help the intestinal tract move the toxic residue out of the body.
Constipation and bowel movements irregularity is a sneaky, undiagnosed, disabling epidemic that is sweeping America as we speak. Perhaps all of this doesn't surprise you.
Let's take a look at the following categories of disease and disorders that can be related either directly or indirectly to the colon and constipation: heart disease, high blood pressure, fatigue, irritability, varicose veins, gas, heart burn, bloating, obesity, diabetes, arthritis and more.
Some of these side effects or symptoms are a hundred times worse than the constipation itself. So if your doctor is treating you with traditional drugs or surgery he is most likely covering up your symptoms and possibly making your condition worse.
I recommend the following to ensure a healthy clean colon, easily and naturally without any drugs, surgery or toxic side effects: colon hydrotheraphy, a good diet, lots of live foods, a lot of pure water, the product Oxy-Powder® and exercise.
Constipation and bowel movements have a contradictory relationship--to have the latter on a regular basis the former condition must be eliminated (no pun intended). With a little diligence and common sense, you too can enjoy the benefits of a clean, healthily functioning digestive system!
more info at: oxypowder
more discussion: Forum
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Tuesday, July 04, 2006
I am taking raw garlic with my evening meal.
I am taking raw garlic with my evening meal. It seems garlic can lower blood pressure by 5 to 10%. As mentioned in my previous post, garlic can lower cholesterol 15% which is a plus factor (Using food to control cholesterol). Garlic can also thin blood.A previous post also mentioned kefir, which I take occasionally. Another weapon in the arsenal against high blood.And cut or reduce smoking, which is not a problem as I don't smoke.And my report card - the last test I had done showed that my diastolic blood pressure was reduced from 90 to 85, which is a good sign. I will have to take the test again soon.
Blood pressure: 120 over 80
Blood sugar: 4.6 mmol/L
Looks like it is working.
Natural Treatments for High Blood Pressure
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Quitting Hormone Replacement Therapy?
Provided by: DrWeil.com
Q: I'm currently on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and have been for 10 years. I would like to get off. How do I do this? Do I just quit, or do I need to back it down? -- Terri M.
A: Conventional medical wisdom holds that since you've been on HRT for so long, it would be best to wean yourself off slowly. However, the few studies on this subject suggest that it really doesn't matter whether you go cold turkey or withdraw from the hormones gradually: there seems to be no difference in the incidence of menopausal symptoms that develop as a result.
One study, published in the December 2003 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, found that about one-quarter of the women participating were unable to discontinue hormone therapy because of the withdrawal symptoms they experienced.
The women who had the most trouble quitting had begun taking estrogen after a hysterectomy, and had been on it for 10 years or more. Of the women in the study who succeeded in withdrawing from HRT, 71 percent quit abruptly and 29 percent tapered off HRT.
There was no difference in the incidence of menopausal symptoms between the two groups. Another study, published in the May, 2004 issue of the Journal of Women's Health, also found no difference in symptoms between women who quit abruptly and those who tapered off. If you decide to wean yourself off HRT, discuss your plan with your doctor. I suggest cutting back on HRT over the course of two months.
You can do this by taking decreasingly lower doses of estrogens. You're probably taking 0.625 mg of estrogen daily. You want to bring this down to 0.4, then 0.3 mgs daily. Either ask your physician to prescribe lower-dose estrogen or start taking your pills every other day, instead of daily. Continue taking your full dose of progestin whenever you take estrogen. If your HRT prescription is for a pill that combines both hormones, ask your physician for separate prescriptions so that you can slowly lower your estrogen dose.
Once you're off the hormones, you may experience hot flashes, night sweats or mood swings, and within two or three months you're likely to notice vaginal dryness and loss of fullness of your breasts. Hormonal changes can also lead to some temporary hair loss. If vaginal dryness becomes problematical, try Replens, a non-hormonal gel, which should be applied three times a week, or use the lubricant Astroglide at the time of intercourse. Both are available over-the-counter. Alternatively, speak to your physician about prescription estrogen creams that can be applied vaginally or the vaginal ring (Estring) that time-releases estradiol (a natural form of estrogen) daily; the ring has to be replaced every 90 days.
If you were taking HRT to protect against osteoporosis, make sure that you're getting 1,500 mg of calcium daily from your diet and, if necessary, from supplements. Weight-bearing exercise, such as brisk walking, along with strength training can protect your bones. If a bone density test shows that you're at high risk of osteoporosis, you may want to consider taking Fosamax (alendronate sodium), Actonel (risedronate sodium) or Evista (raloxifene), prescription medications that can help strengthen bone.
Many women find relief from hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness by taking black cohosh (Cimifiuga racemosa) plus 800 IUs of vitamin E daily. Alternatives include the supplements dong quai and evening primrose oil, which work for some women. Two to three daily servings of whole soy foods (tofu, tempeh, edamame, and soy milk) will give you some safe plant estrogen (phytoestrogens) that may help relieve symptoms. If these natural approaches don't help, talk to your physician about Effexor (venlafaxine) or other drugs that can relieve hot flashes.
Andrew Weil, MD
Q: I'm currently on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and have been for 10 years. I would like to get off. How do I do this? Do I just quit, or do I need to back it down? -- Terri M.
A: Conventional medical wisdom holds that since you've been on HRT for so long, it would be best to wean yourself off slowly. However, the few studies on this subject suggest that it really doesn't matter whether you go cold turkey or withdraw from the hormones gradually: there seems to be no difference in the incidence of menopausal symptoms that develop as a result.
One study, published in the December 2003 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, found that about one-quarter of the women participating were unable to discontinue hormone therapy because of the withdrawal symptoms they experienced.
The women who had the most trouble quitting had begun taking estrogen after a hysterectomy, and had been on it for 10 years or more. Of the women in the study who succeeded in withdrawing from HRT, 71 percent quit abruptly and 29 percent tapered off HRT.
There was no difference in the incidence of menopausal symptoms between the two groups. Another study, published in the May, 2004 issue of the Journal of Women's Health, also found no difference in symptoms between women who quit abruptly and those who tapered off. If you decide to wean yourself off HRT, discuss your plan with your doctor. I suggest cutting back on HRT over the course of two months.
You can do this by taking decreasingly lower doses of estrogens. You're probably taking 0.625 mg of estrogen daily. You want to bring this down to 0.4, then 0.3 mgs daily. Either ask your physician to prescribe lower-dose estrogen or start taking your pills every other day, instead of daily. Continue taking your full dose of progestin whenever you take estrogen. If your HRT prescription is for a pill that combines both hormones, ask your physician for separate prescriptions so that you can slowly lower your estrogen dose.
Once you're off the hormones, you may experience hot flashes, night sweats or mood swings, and within two or three months you're likely to notice vaginal dryness and loss of fullness of your breasts. Hormonal changes can also lead to some temporary hair loss. If vaginal dryness becomes problematical, try Replens, a non-hormonal gel, which should be applied three times a week, or use the lubricant Astroglide at the time of intercourse. Both are available over-the-counter. Alternatively, speak to your physician about prescription estrogen creams that can be applied vaginally or the vaginal ring (Estring) that time-releases estradiol (a natural form of estrogen) daily; the ring has to be replaced every 90 days.
If you were taking HRT to protect against osteoporosis, make sure that you're getting 1,500 mg of calcium daily from your diet and, if necessary, from supplements. Weight-bearing exercise, such as brisk walking, along with strength training can protect your bones. If a bone density test shows that you're at high risk of osteoporosis, you may want to consider taking Fosamax (alendronate sodium), Actonel (risedronate sodium) or Evista (raloxifene), prescription medications that can help strengthen bone.
Many women find relief from hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness by taking black cohosh (Cimifiuga racemosa) plus 800 IUs of vitamin E daily. Alternatives include the supplements dong quai and evening primrose oil, which work for some women. Two to three daily servings of whole soy foods (tofu, tempeh, edamame, and soy milk) will give you some safe plant estrogen (phytoestrogens) that may help relieve symptoms. If these natural approaches don't help, talk to your physician about Effexor (venlafaxine) or other drugs that can relieve hot flashes.
Andrew Weil, MD
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Eczema on Hands or Feet?
Eczema on Hands or Feet?
Provided by: DrWeil.com
Q: I have a mild form of skin disease called pompholyx or dishidrotic eczema. I read something about a study in Japan that suggested large doses of niacin would be beneficial for people with this incurable skin condition. Do you have any further information? -- Phyllis A: Pompholyx or dishidrotic eczema is a skin disease characterized by small fluid filled blisters (vesicles) that develop on the fingers, palms and on the soles of the feet and cause intense itching. This disorder can be chronic, flaring up periodically. Fortunately, these episodes become less frequent after middle age.
No one knows what causes pompholyx, although we do know that it develops most often among those between the ages of 20 and 40. Risk factors include stress and allergic contact dermatitis. Some patients are sensitive to metal salts found in certain foods. If so, flare-ups of pompholyx may occur after eating foods containing nickel, cobalt or chromium salts. You can try avoiding the foods in question to see if it helps, although this strategy rarely works. To avoid nickel salts, eliminate canned foods, foods cooked in nickel-plated utensils (including stainless steel, which contains nickel), herring, oysters, asparagus, beans, mushrooms, onions, corn, spinach, tomatoes, peas, whole grain flour, pears, rhubarb, tea, cocoa, chocolate, and baking powder. To avoid cobalt, cut out apricots, beans, beer, beets, cabbage, cloves, cocoa, chocolate, coffee, liver, nuts, scallops, tea, and whole grain flour.
About 30 percent of all cases seem to be related to a contact allergy - often to the nickel present in jewelry.
Conventional medicine treats pompholyx with steroid creams or ointments and with antihistamines to relieve the itching. I've found no study showing that niacin is useful in treatment. But stress reduction techniques can help, and biofeedback is often recommended as part of conventional treatment. I strongly suggest trying visualization or hypnotherapy to take advantage of the mind/body connection in skin disorders.
I also recommend taking gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) for eczema. GLA, an unusual fatty acid found in evening primrose oil, black currant oil and borage, has specific nourishing effects on skin, hair and nails. Take 500 mg of GLA twice a day. I also suggest eliminating milk and milk products and using aloe vera gel, calendula lotion or cream, and tring chaparral lotion, salves or a homemade poultice made from steeping leaves of chaparral (Larrea divaricata) in water and placing a cloth soaked in the liquid on irritated skin for 15-20 minutes four times daily.
Andrew Weil, MD
Last Reviewed: August 2005
Provided by: DrWeil.com
Q: I have a mild form of skin disease called pompholyx or dishidrotic eczema. I read something about a study in Japan that suggested large doses of niacin would be beneficial for people with this incurable skin condition. Do you have any further information? -- Phyllis A: Pompholyx or dishidrotic eczema is a skin disease characterized by small fluid filled blisters (vesicles) that develop on the fingers, palms and on the soles of the feet and cause intense itching. This disorder can be chronic, flaring up periodically. Fortunately, these episodes become less frequent after middle age.
No one knows what causes pompholyx, although we do know that it develops most often among those between the ages of 20 and 40. Risk factors include stress and allergic contact dermatitis. Some patients are sensitive to metal salts found in certain foods. If so, flare-ups of pompholyx may occur after eating foods containing nickel, cobalt or chromium salts. You can try avoiding the foods in question to see if it helps, although this strategy rarely works. To avoid nickel salts, eliminate canned foods, foods cooked in nickel-plated utensils (including stainless steel, which contains nickel), herring, oysters, asparagus, beans, mushrooms, onions, corn, spinach, tomatoes, peas, whole grain flour, pears, rhubarb, tea, cocoa, chocolate, and baking powder. To avoid cobalt, cut out apricots, beans, beer, beets, cabbage, cloves, cocoa, chocolate, coffee, liver, nuts, scallops, tea, and whole grain flour.
About 30 percent of all cases seem to be related to a contact allergy - often to the nickel present in jewelry.
Conventional medicine treats pompholyx with steroid creams or ointments and with antihistamines to relieve the itching. I've found no study showing that niacin is useful in treatment. But stress reduction techniques can help, and biofeedback is often recommended as part of conventional treatment. I strongly suggest trying visualization or hypnotherapy to take advantage of the mind/body connection in skin disorders.
I also recommend taking gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) for eczema. GLA, an unusual fatty acid found in evening primrose oil, black currant oil and borage, has specific nourishing effects on skin, hair and nails. Take 500 mg of GLA twice a day. I also suggest eliminating milk and milk products and using aloe vera gel, calendula lotion or cream, and tring chaparral lotion, salves or a homemade poultice made from steeping leaves of chaparral (Larrea divaricata) in water and placing a cloth soaked in the liquid on irritated skin for 15-20 minutes four times daily.
Andrew Weil, MD
Last Reviewed: August 2005
Friday, February 03, 2006
FIBROCYSTIC BREAST DISEASE
by Tori Hudson, N.D.
Tender or lumpy breasts are one of the most common reasons why women consult their women's health practitioner for assessment and treatment.
Since painful breasts are not always lumpy, and lumpy breasts are not always painful (and neither is usually abnormal), it is useful to create descriptive categories of symptoms and conditions to replace the generic term "fibrocystic."Physiological, Cyclical Pain and SwellingMany women notice painful or sensitive breasts just prior to menstruation.
This has been attributed to a more prominent estrogen than progesterone effect on breast tissue at this time. Occasionally, less progesterone is made late in the cycle, as in irregular ovulation.
Other women may have average amounts of progesterone but increased tissue sensitivity to estrogen with related fluid retention. Most women tolerate this well enough once reassured it is normal, and the symptoms always resolve with menses.
Women who take exogenous estrogen, such as oral contraceptives or estrogen replacement therapy during menopause, may be similarly affected.
Mastalgia Mastalgia refers to any breast pain, unilateral or bilateral, severe enough to interfere with the quality of a woman's life, causing her to seek treatment. Physiologic cyclical mastalgia is this severe about 15 percent of the time, and comprises the bulk of this group.
Women who suffer from noncyclical pain are more rare, and the pain is less likely to be hormonal in cause. Pain may be due to old trauma, acute infection, or sometimes inflammation of the intercostal cartilage, i.e. costochondritis.
In contrast, breast cancer presents as a unilateral painful firm lump about 5 percent of the time. The majority of the time, breast cancer does not present as breast pain, and especially tends not to present as cyclic present pain. Painful swellings that flux with the cycle unchanging over time are not worrisome as cancer signals.
Breast Nodularity or Diffuse LumpinessBreast lumpiness may be either cyclic or non-cyclic, and may be painful. The distinction between these and normal breasts is often simply a matter of degree. Normal breasts are always irregularly textured because the breast tissue is not homogeneous. It is a mix of glands, fat, and connective tissue.
Glands can vary in prominence, and are more or less obscured by fat or fluid, so all breasts feel different on physical exam. Symmetry is important; finding a mirror-image thickening in the opposite breast indicates a normal condition.
Non-Dominant Masses
Densities that are not symmetrical are largely due to benign non-progressive causes, but do require careful distinction from dominant masses.
When palpation of the lump reveals that the density merges in one or more places with the surrounding breast tissue, it is considered "non-dominant" and may be comfortably observed for change over time. When these lesions are biopsied or, preferably, a sample of cells is taken in the office through a needle to be looked at microscopically (fine-needle aspirate), approximately 70 percent will show "non-proliferative changes" (adenosis, fibrosis, microcysts, mild hyperplasia, and more); 20 percent will show "proliferative changes without atypia" -- mostly epithelial hyperplasia. None of these conditions places one at increased risk for cancer, and all are self-limiting.
Only a fraction, roughly the 5 percent that show atypical hyperplasia, carry a significantly increased risk of breast cancer, especially when coupled with a positive family history.
Dominant Masses
Non-cyclical unilateral lesions are clearly distinct on all sides from the surrounding breast tissue.
They persist over time, and except in the very young, demand some kind of assessment. Although rare, breast cancer can occur in women in their twenties. Assessments in younger women are more difficult due to the dense breast tissue therefore rendering mammograms less accurate. And, since most of these unilateral lesions are benign, mammograms and biopsies deserve a more restrained approach, although continued monitoring and revisiting clinical decisions are very important.
Most commonly dominant masses are either fibroadenomas or gross cysts. A fibroadenoma is a rubbery, smooth, benign, fibrous tumor common in younger women. In women under age 25, it can be observed over time. They generally do not grow bigger. Large cysts are more common in women aged 25 to 50 -- an age group when cancer just begins to appear.
They are softer, squishier, and can be made to disappear by draining them through a needle in the office. Unless they recur frequently, no further treatment is necessary. Recurrent large cysts have been shown to slightly increase cancer risk in some studies but not in others; fibroadenomas do not. Unfortunately, non-cyclical unilateral dominant masses can sometimes be cancerous.
Overview of Alternative Treatments for Cyclic Breast Pain and Swelling
Alternative medicine principles for fibrocystic breast tissue or cyclical pain and swelling include the recognition that the liver is the primary site for estrogen clearance or estrogen metabolism. A compromised liver function can lead to a state of estrogen dominance, contributing to texture and density changes in the breast.
To assure that estrogens are being metabolized properly, it may be necessary to provide nutritional and herbal support for the liver.Digestion and elimination are also fundamental factors involved in a more holistic approach to hormone-related health problems.
Women having fewer than three bowel movements per week have a risk of fibrocystic breasts four to five times greater than women having at least one bowel movement per day. The longer it takes food to move through the colon, the more waste products can be reabsorbed into the bloodstream, creating a potentially toxic physiological environment.
Bacterial flora in the large intestine, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, improves the transit time of bowel toxins, as well as improving the excretion and detoxification of estrogens.
NutritionRemoval of caffeine from the diet is probably the most well-known alternative lifestyle approach for fibrocystic breasts. The first randomized study of a large number of women was conducted by Dr. Virginia Ernster.
One hundred fifty-eight women eliminated all caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, and caffeinated medications) from their diets for four months.1 There was a significant reduction in clinically palpable breast findings in the abstaining group compared with the control group, although the absolute change in the breast lumps was quite minor and considered to be of little clinical significance. Several other studies provided mixed reports: three studies show no association between methylxanthines and benign breast disease,2,3,4 and two studies show a correlation with caffeine consumption.5,6
Caffeine content of common items
Beverage
Serving Size
Caffeine (mg)
Coffee, drip
5 oz
110-150
Coffee, perk
5 oz
60-125
Coffee, instant
5 oz
40-105
Doffee, decaffeinated
5 oz
2-5
Tea, 5 minutes steep
5 oz
40-100
Tea, 3 minutes steep
5 oz
20-50
Hot cocoa
5 oz
2-10
Coca-Cola
12 oz
45
Food
Serving Size
Caffeine (mg)
Milk chocolate
1 oz
1-15
Bittersweet chocolate
1 oz
5-35
Chocolate cake
1 slice
20-30
OTC Drugs
Dose
Caffeine (mg)
Anacin, Emprin
2
64
Excedrin
2
130
NoDoz
2
200
Aqua-Ban
2
200
Dexatrim
1
200
How dietary fat affects the human breast is confusing and controversial. Reducing the fat content of the diet to 15 percent of total calories, while increasing complex carbohydrate consumption, has been shown to reduce the severity as well as the actual breast swelling and nodularity in some women.
Reducing the dietary fat intake to 20 percent of total calories also results in significant decreases in circulating estradiol. Since fibrocystic breasts are a result of estrogen dominance, it is logical that decreasing estrogens in the body would improve the symptoms of breast pain and swelling.
However, only a slight reduction in fat intake has repeatedly shown very little, if any, effect on breast problems, including breast cancer. A more rigorous approach to lowering the amount of fat in the diet is clearly needed. Of note, women on a vegetarian diet excrete two to three times more detoxified estrogens than women on an omnivorous diet.Nutritional SupplementsVitamin EFor more than 35 years, clinicians have used vitamin E in the medical management of benign breast disease.
This practice was initially based on positive reports from small numbers of patients as far back as 1965, and in subsequent studies in 1971, 1978, and 1982. When larger numbers of women were studied, vitamin E did not show significant effects. However, two studies demonstrated that vitamin E is clinically useful in relieving pain and tenderness, whether cyclical or non-cyclical.7,8 The studies have been done with varying dosages: 150, 300, or 600 IU daily.
In clinical practice, practitioners generally recommend from 400-800 IU of D-alpha-tocopherol with a minimum trial period of two months.Evening Primrose OilThe pain and tenderness of benign breast disease associated with "cyclic mastalgia" have been alleviated with evening primrose oil, the only one of the fatty acids to be scientifically studied in relation to fibrocystic breasts. In a study of 291 women who took three grams per day of evening primrose oil for three to six months, almost half of the 92 women with cyclic breast pain experienced improvement, compared with one-fifth of the patients who received the placebo.
For those women who experienced breast pain throughout the month, 27 percent responded positively to the evening primrose oil, compared to 9 percent on the placebo.9 Another study of 73 women received three grams per day of evening primrose oil or placebo.
After three months, pain and tenderness were significantly reduced in both cyclical and non-cyclical groups, while the women who took placebo did not significantly improve. IodineThyroid hormone with low or even normal thyroid function may result in improvement of fibrocystic breasts.
These results suggest that iodine deficiency may be a factor in fibrocystic breasts. Breast tissue has an affinity for both thyroid hormone and iodine. Without iodine, it becomes more sensitive to estrogenic stimulation, which in turn produces microcysts high in potassium content. The potassium is believed to be an irritant that produces fibrosis and eventually cyst isolation.
Four types of iodine have been studied in the treatment of fibrocystic breasts, only one of which has been truly effective for both pain reduction and cyst reduction, and free of side-effects on the thyroid gland. All forms of iodine relieve subjective clinical symptoms: sodium iodide (Lugol's solution); potassium iodide; caseinated iodine (protein-bound); and aqueous (diatomic) iodine.
Symptom relief varied a great deal with the different iodines, but only the aqueous or diatomic iodine achieved both symptom relief in 74 percent of the women, as well as objective reduction in nodules and resolution of fibrosis in 65 percent of the patients, without adverse effects on the thyroid gland.10 The recommended dose of aqueous iodine is a prescription of 3-6 mg per day.
Other
Supplements that may improve liver function and thereby perhaps promote a more balanced estrogen metabolism include methionine and choline. B vitamins, particularly vitamin B-6, can help the liver to properly metabolize and conjugate estrogens. Probiotics such as Lactobacillus acidophilus may be able to improve the absorption and transport of estrogen by supporting a normalized intestinal microflora environment.
Botanicals
Herbal therapies for addressing the symptoms of breast pain, swelling, and cystic nodules in breast tissue are largely arrived at from traditional uses of herbal medicines and from observational empirical evidence in clinical practice.
Herbal diuretics can be useful in decreasing breast swelling and the discomfort associated with it.
The most effective of these is dandelion leaf, but other diuretics to consider are cleavers, yarrow, and uva ursi. Poke root has been used in traditional naturopathic medical practices for decades. It can be applied topically as an oil to the breasts, reducing painful lumpiness and nodularity.
Herbal support for the liver improves how the liver metabolizes steroid hormones. Traditional herbs that support the liver and the normalization of biochemical steroid pathways may include burdock root, dandelion root, and milk thistle.
Natural Progesterone
Assuming fibrocystic breasts are at least in part due to a high-estrogen, low-progesterone ratio, then it is logical to use progesterone therapy as a treatment. Many practitioners and women have experienced that the application of natural progesterone in a cream or gel routinely solves the problem. It may be that progesterone is desensitizing the breast to estrogen. General use guidelines are tsp twice per day, on days 15 to 27 of the monthly cycle.
Summary
These simple therapies, along with lifestyle modification, generally yield very satisfying results within 1 to 3 months, even in women with significantly painful breasts. Although uncommon, if there is no change after three menstrual cycles, a more aggressive alternative treatment plan must be initiated.
If this does not bring relief, then the conventional medical approaches, to be contemplated in very difficult, unbearable cases with no response from natural therapies, include decreasing hyperinsulinemia, synthetic progestin, Danazol, Tamoxifen and bromocriptene. Many women's medicine healthcare providers agree that the term fibrocystic breast "disease" or "condition" should be abandoned in favor of a more accurate physiologically based description. Benign breast conditions are present in almost all women to some degree.
Moreover, the widespread misconception that women with painful or lumpy breasts are at increased risk of breast cancer is inaccurate. This reinforces misinformation and fear, and obscures the safe and simple means that exist for obtaining relief and reassurance.
References1 Ernster V, Mason L, Goodson W, et al. Effects of caffeine-free diet on benign breast disease: a randomized trial. Surg 1982;912:263-267.2 Lubin F, et al. A case-control study of caffeine and methylxanthine in benign breast disease. JAMA 1985; 253(16)2388-92.3 Shawer C, Brinton L, Hoover R. Methylxanthine and benign breast disease. Am J Epid 1986;124(4): 603-11.4 Marshall J, Graham S, Swanson M. Caffeine consumption and benign breast disease: a case-control comparison. Amer J Pub Health 1982;72(6):610-12.5 La Vecchia C, et al. Benign breast disease and consumption of beverages containing methylxanthines. JNCI 1985;74(5):995-1000.6 Boyle C, et al. Caffeine consumption and fibrocystic breast disease: a case-control epidemiologic study. JNCI 1984;72(5):1015-19.7 London R, et al. Mammary dysplasia: Endocrine parameters and tocopherol therapy. Nutr Res 1982;7:243.8 London R, et al. Endocrine parameters and alpha-tocopherol therapy of patients with mammary dysplasia. Canc Res 1981;41:3811-13.9 Pye J et al. Clinical experience of drug treatment for mastalgia. Lancet 1985;2:373-77.10 Ghent W, et al. Iodine replacement in fibrocystic disease of the breast. Can J Surg 1993. Oct; 35(5):453-60.
more info at: www.dreddyclinic.com/ and http://www.dreddy-clinic.com/
more discussion: Forum
· Addiction Forum · Ask the Doctors Forum · Ayurveda Forum · Ayurvedic & Thai Herbs Forum · Colon Cleansing Forum · Dental Forum · Diabetes Forum · Diet Forum · General Cleansing Forum · Hepatitis A, B. C Forum · Integrated Medicine Forum · Live Blood Analysis Forum · Ozone-Oxygen-Forum · pH - Alkaline - Acidity Forum · Weight Loss Forum
Tender or lumpy breasts are one of the most common reasons why women consult their women's health practitioner for assessment and treatment.
Since painful breasts are not always lumpy, and lumpy breasts are not always painful (and neither is usually abnormal), it is useful to create descriptive categories of symptoms and conditions to replace the generic term "fibrocystic."Physiological, Cyclical Pain and SwellingMany women notice painful or sensitive breasts just prior to menstruation.
This has been attributed to a more prominent estrogen than progesterone effect on breast tissue at this time. Occasionally, less progesterone is made late in the cycle, as in irregular ovulation.
Other women may have average amounts of progesterone but increased tissue sensitivity to estrogen with related fluid retention. Most women tolerate this well enough once reassured it is normal, and the symptoms always resolve with menses.
Women who take exogenous estrogen, such as oral contraceptives or estrogen replacement therapy during menopause, may be similarly affected.
Mastalgia Mastalgia refers to any breast pain, unilateral or bilateral, severe enough to interfere with the quality of a woman's life, causing her to seek treatment. Physiologic cyclical mastalgia is this severe about 15 percent of the time, and comprises the bulk of this group.
Women who suffer from noncyclical pain are more rare, and the pain is less likely to be hormonal in cause. Pain may be due to old trauma, acute infection, or sometimes inflammation of the intercostal cartilage, i.e. costochondritis.
In contrast, breast cancer presents as a unilateral painful firm lump about 5 percent of the time. The majority of the time, breast cancer does not present as breast pain, and especially tends not to present as cyclic present pain. Painful swellings that flux with the cycle unchanging over time are not worrisome as cancer signals.
Breast Nodularity or Diffuse LumpinessBreast lumpiness may be either cyclic or non-cyclic, and may be painful. The distinction between these and normal breasts is often simply a matter of degree. Normal breasts are always irregularly textured because the breast tissue is not homogeneous. It is a mix of glands, fat, and connective tissue.
Glands can vary in prominence, and are more or less obscured by fat or fluid, so all breasts feel different on physical exam. Symmetry is important; finding a mirror-image thickening in the opposite breast indicates a normal condition.
Non-Dominant Masses
Densities that are not symmetrical are largely due to benign non-progressive causes, but do require careful distinction from dominant masses.
When palpation of the lump reveals that the density merges in one or more places with the surrounding breast tissue, it is considered "non-dominant" and may be comfortably observed for change over time. When these lesions are biopsied or, preferably, a sample of cells is taken in the office through a needle to be looked at microscopically (fine-needle aspirate), approximately 70 percent will show "non-proliferative changes" (adenosis, fibrosis, microcysts, mild hyperplasia, and more); 20 percent will show "proliferative changes without atypia" -- mostly epithelial hyperplasia. None of these conditions places one at increased risk for cancer, and all are self-limiting.
Only a fraction, roughly the 5 percent that show atypical hyperplasia, carry a significantly increased risk of breast cancer, especially when coupled with a positive family history.
Dominant Masses
Non-cyclical unilateral lesions are clearly distinct on all sides from the surrounding breast tissue.
They persist over time, and except in the very young, demand some kind of assessment. Although rare, breast cancer can occur in women in their twenties. Assessments in younger women are more difficult due to the dense breast tissue therefore rendering mammograms less accurate. And, since most of these unilateral lesions are benign, mammograms and biopsies deserve a more restrained approach, although continued monitoring and revisiting clinical decisions are very important.
Most commonly dominant masses are either fibroadenomas or gross cysts. A fibroadenoma is a rubbery, smooth, benign, fibrous tumor common in younger women. In women under age 25, it can be observed over time. They generally do not grow bigger. Large cysts are more common in women aged 25 to 50 -- an age group when cancer just begins to appear.
They are softer, squishier, and can be made to disappear by draining them through a needle in the office. Unless they recur frequently, no further treatment is necessary. Recurrent large cysts have been shown to slightly increase cancer risk in some studies but not in others; fibroadenomas do not. Unfortunately, non-cyclical unilateral dominant masses can sometimes be cancerous.
Overview of Alternative Treatments for Cyclic Breast Pain and Swelling
Alternative medicine principles for fibrocystic breast tissue or cyclical pain and swelling include the recognition that the liver is the primary site for estrogen clearance or estrogen metabolism. A compromised liver function can lead to a state of estrogen dominance, contributing to texture and density changes in the breast.
To assure that estrogens are being metabolized properly, it may be necessary to provide nutritional and herbal support for the liver.Digestion and elimination are also fundamental factors involved in a more holistic approach to hormone-related health problems.
Women having fewer than three bowel movements per week have a risk of fibrocystic breasts four to five times greater than women having at least one bowel movement per day. The longer it takes food to move through the colon, the more waste products can be reabsorbed into the bloodstream, creating a potentially toxic physiological environment.
Bacterial flora in the large intestine, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, improves the transit time of bowel toxins, as well as improving the excretion and detoxification of estrogens.
NutritionRemoval of caffeine from the diet is probably the most well-known alternative lifestyle approach for fibrocystic breasts. The first randomized study of a large number of women was conducted by Dr. Virginia Ernster.
One hundred fifty-eight women eliminated all caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, and caffeinated medications) from their diets for four months.1 There was a significant reduction in clinically palpable breast findings in the abstaining group compared with the control group, although the absolute change in the breast lumps was quite minor and considered to be of little clinical significance. Several other studies provided mixed reports: three studies show no association between methylxanthines and benign breast disease,2,3,4 and two studies show a correlation with caffeine consumption.5,6
Caffeine content of common items
Beverage
Serving Size
Caffeine (mg)
Coffee, drip
5 oz
110-150
Coffee, perk
5 oz
60-125
Coffee, instant
5 oz
40-105
Doffee, decaffeinated
5 oz
2-5
Tea, 5 minutes steep
5 oz
40-100
Tea, 3 minutes steep
5 oz
20-50
Hot cocoa
5 oz
2-10
Coca-Cola
12 oz
45
Food
Serving Size
Caffeine (mg)
Milk chocolate
1 oz
1-15
Bittersweet chocolate
1 oz
5-35
Chocolate cake
1 slice
20-30
OTC Drugs
Dose
Caffeine (mg)
Anacin, Emprin
2
64
Excedrin
2
130
NoDoz
2
200
Aqua-Ban
2
200
Dexatrim
1
200
How dietary fat affects the human breast is confusing and controversial. Reducing the fat content of the diet to 15 percent of total calories, while increasing complex carbohydrate consumption, has been shown to reduce the severity as well as the actual breast swelling and nodularity in some women.
Reducing the dietary fat intake to 20 percent of total calories also results in significant decreases in circulating estradiol. Since fibrocystic breasts are a result of estrogen dominance, it is logical that decreasing estrogens in the body would improve the symptoms of breast pain and swelling.
However, only a slight reduction in fat intake has repeatedly shown very little, if any, effect on breast problems, including breast cancer. A more rigorous approach to lowering the amount of fat in the diet is clearly needed. Of note, women on a vegetarian diet excrete two to three times more detoxified estrogens than women on an omnivorous diet.Nutritional SupplementsVitamin EFor more than 35 years, clinicians have used vitamin E in the medical management of benign breast disease.
This practice was initially based on positive reports from small numbers of patients as far back as 1965, and in subsequent studies in 1971, 1978, and 1982. When larger numbers of women were studied, vitamin E did not show significant effects. However, two studies demonstrated that vitamin E is clinically useful in relieving pain and tenderness, whether cyclical or non-cyclical.7,8 The studies have been done with varying dosages: 150, 300, or 600 IU daily.
In clinical practice, practitioners generally recommend from 400-800 IU of D-alpha-tocopherol with a minimum trial period of two months.Evening Primrose OilThe pain and tenderness of benign breast disease associated with "cyclic mastalgia" have been alleviated with evening primrose oil, the only one of the fatty acids to be scientifically studied in relation to fibrocystic breasts. In a study of 291 women who took three grams per day of evening primrose oil for three to six months, almost half of the 92 women with cyclic breast pain experienced improvement, compared with one-fifth of the patients who received the placebo.
For those women who experienced breast pain throughout the month, 27 percent responded positively to the evening primrose oil, compared to 9 percent on the placebo.9 Another study of 73 women received three grams per day of evening primrose oil or placebo.
After three months, pain and tenderness were significantly reduced in both cyclical and non-cyclical groups, while the women who took placebo did not significantly improve. IodineThyroid hormone with low or even normal thyroid function may result in improvement of fibrocystic breasts.
These results suggest that iodine deficiency may be a factor in fibrocystic breasts. Breast tissue has an affinity for both thyroid hormone and iodine. Without iodine, it becomes more sensitive to estrogenic stimulation, which in turn produces microcysts high in potassium content. The potassium is believed to be an irritant that produces fibrosis and eventually cyst isolation.
Four types of iodine have been studied in the treatment of fibrocystic breasts, only one of which has been truly effective for both pain reduction and cyst reduction, and free of side-effects on the thyroid gland. All forms of iodine relieve subjective clinical symptoms: sodium iodide (Lugol's solution); potassium iodide; caseinated iodine (protein-bound); and aqueous (diatomic) iodine.
Symptom relief varied a great deal with the different iodines, but only the aqueous or diatomic iodine achieved both symptom relief in 74 percent of the women, as well as objective reduction in nodules and resolution of fibrosis in 65 percent of the patients, without adverse effects on the thyroid gland.10 The recommended dose of aqueous iodine is a prescription of 3-6 mg per day.
Other
Supplements that may improve liver function and thereby perhaps promote a more balanced estrogen metabolism include methionine and choline. B vitamins, particularly vitamin B-6, can help the liver to properly metabolize and conjugate estrogens. Probiotics such as Lactobacillus acidophilus may be able to improve the absorption and transport of estrogen by supporting a normalized intestinal microflora environment.
Botanicals
Herbal therapies for addressing the symptoms of breast pain, swelling, and cystic nodules in breast tissue are largely arrived at from traditional uses of herbal medicines and from observational empirical evidence in clinical practice.
Herbal diuretics can be useful in decreasing breast swelling and the discomfort associated with it.
The most effective of these is dandelion leaf, but other diuretics to consider are cleavers, yarrow, and uva ursi. Poke root has been used in traditional naturopathic medical practices for decades. It can be applied topically as an oil to the breasts, reducing painful lumpiness and nodularity.
Herbal support for the liver improves how the liver metabolizes steroid hormones. Traditional herbs that support the liver and the normalization of biochemical steroid pathways may include burdock root, dandelion root, and milk thistle.
Natural Progesterone
Assuming fibrocystic breasts are at least in part due to a high-estrogen, low-progesterone ratio, then it is logical to use progesterone therapy as a treatment. Many practitioners and women have experienced that the application of natural progesterone in a cream or gel routinely solves the problem. It may be that progesterone is desensitizing the breast to estrogen. General use guidelines are tsp twice per day, on days 15 to 27 of the monthly cycle.
Summary
These simple therapies, along with lifestyle modification, generally yield very satisfying results within 1 to 3 months, even in women with significantly painful breasts. Although uncommon, if there is no change after three menstrual cycles, a more aggressive alternative treatment plan must be initiated.
If this does not bring relief, then the conventional medical approaches, to be contemplated in very difficult, unbearable cases with no response from natural therapies, include decreasing hyperinsulinemia, synthetic progestin, Danazol, Tamoxifen and bromocriptene. Many women's medicine healthcare providers agree that the term fibrocystic breast "disease" or "condition" should be abandoned in favor of a more accurate physiologically based description. Benign breast conditions are present in almost all women to some degree.
Moreover, the widespread misconception that women with painful or lumpy breasts are at increased risk of breast cancer is inaccurate. This reinforces misinformation and fear, and obscures the safe and simple means that exist for obtaining relief and reassurance.
References1 Ernster V, Mason L, Goodson W, et al. Effects of caffeine-free diet on benign breast disease: a randomized trial. Surg 1982;912:263-267.2 Lubin F, et al. A case-control study of caffeine and methylxanthine in benign breast disease. JAMA 1985; 253(16)2388-92.3 Shawer C, Brinton L, Hoover R. Methylxanthine and benign breast disease. Am J Epid 1986;124(4): 603-11.4 Marshall J, Graham S, Swanson M. Caffeine consumption and benign breast disease: a case-control comparison. Amer J Pub Health 1982;72(6):610-12.5 La Vecchia C, et al. Benign breast disease and consumption of beverages containing methylxanthines. JNCI 1985;74(5):995-1000.6 Boyle C, et al. Caffeine consumption and fibrocystic breast disease: a case-control epidemiologic study. JNCI 1984;72(5):1015-19.7 London R, et al. Mammary dysplasia: Endocrine parameters and tocopherol therapy. Nutr Res 1982;7:243.8 London R, et al. Endocrine parameters and alpha-tocopherol therapy of patients with mammary dysplasia. Canc Res 1981;41:3811-13.9 Pye J et al. Clinical experience of drug treatment for mastalgia. Lancet 1985;2:373-77.10 Ghent W, et al. Iodine replacement in fibrocystic disease of the breast. Can J Surg 1993. Oct; 35(5):453-60.
more info at: www.dreddyclinic.com/ and http://www.dreddy-clinic.com/
more discussion: Forum
· Addiction Forum · Ask the Doctors Forum · Ayurveda Forum · Ayurvedic & Thai Herbs Forum · Colon Cleansing Forum · Dental Forum · Diabetes Forum · Diet Forum · General Cleansing Forum · Hepatitis A, B. C Forum · Integrated Medicine Forum · Live Blood Analysis Forum · Ozone-Oxygen-Forum · pH - Alkaline - Acidity Forum · Weight Loss Forum
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Balancing Your Hormones Without Drugs... You Can Feel Good Again$19.95  Hormone imbalance can be reversed! Look and feel better than ever, just take the time to learn about yourself and read the information contained in this just released e-book about reversing hormone imbalance. Are you ready to finally look and feel great? If so... read on... - E-Book Version.(BH) |