Question:

AMA Wants Halt on Drug Ads Aimed at Consumers Group says doctors need to learn more about pros and cons of prescription medicines By Steven Reinberg THURSDAY, June 15 (HealthDay News) — In an effort to make prescription-drug ads aimed at consumers more understandable and informative, the American Medical Association is calling for a temporary halt on advertising for newly approved drugs. The AMA is also calling for guidelines for future ads, which would be subject to approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before they appeared. At its just-concluded annual House of Delegates meeting in Chicago, the AMA endorsed a policy asking for a temporary moratorium on so-called direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of new prescription drugs and implantable medical devices. "A temporary moratorium on DTC advertising of prescribed drugs and medical devices will benefit both the patient and physician," AMA President-elect Dr. Ronald M. Davis said in a prepared statement. "Physicians will have the opportunity to become better educated on the pros and cons of prescription drug uses before prescribing them, and will be better able to determine when they are best suited for their patients’ medical needs." Medical devices were added to the proposal because many doctors who spoke at the AMA meeting said direct-to-consumer ads for medical devices were already appearing, Davis told HealthDay. "This is happening in such fields as orthopedics," he said. The association plans to ask the FDA to enact the policy, so the length of any moratorium would be determined by the drug agency. "If you have a drug which is critical to the treatment of a particular disease for which alternate treatments are not available, that would push to limiting the length of the moratorium," Davis said. The AMA also endorsed new guidelines for advertising prescription drugs to consumers. The guidelines call for providing objective information about the benefits and risks of a drug as determined in clinical trials. They also urge more research into the effects of direct-to-consumer advertising on "the patient-physician relationship, overall health outcomes and health-care costs." The doctors’ group also wants the FDA to approve all direct-to-consumer ads before they appear. "We crafted our proposal to provide for very tight FDA authority over DTC ads," Davis said. In addition, ads should allow enough time or space for consumers to understand all the warnings, precautions and potential side effects, without being distracted by other content in the advertisement, the doctors’ group said. The ads should also refer patients to their doctors for a full explanation of a drug and its use, and be targeted to age-appropriate audiences, the guidelines state. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said it generally supports the AMA’s position. But the drug industry group believes its own voluntary monitoring program is sufficient to deal with the content of direct-to-consumer ads. "PhRMA appreciates and supports the American Medical Association’s continuing efforts to improve patient education and to provide quality information on health conditions and the treatment options available to conquer disease," Dr. Paul Antony, chief medical officer for the group, said in a prepared statement. "Informed patients are better patients and DTC advertising provides doctors and patients with accurate, educational information about disease and treatment options." "PhRMA and its member companies announced last year its voluntary Guiding Principles on Direct-to-Consumer Advertisements About Prescription Medicines in an effort to further enhance the educational value of prescription drug advertising," Antony added. "While there are subtle differences between the Guiding Principles and the AMA’s report, both emphasize the critical need to educate physicians and other health-care providers about a new medicine before it is advertised to the public." Dr. Peter Lurie, deputy director of consumer advocacy group Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, thinks the AMA proposal doesn’t go far enough to guarantee complete information on prescription drugs to the public. "The AMA suggestion is fine but it is nonspecific," said Lurie, adding there’s no mention of how many years the moratorium would be in effect. "All that is up in the air, and there is no reason why that can’t be made more specific," he said. The most important part of the proposal calls for the FDA to prescreening ads, Lurie said. "If prescreening really happened that would be a big help," he said. "The real solution to the problem of lack of patient information is not to leave it to the market, where self-interested people advertise only those products on which they can make a buck," Lurie said. "The real solution is to provide patients with government-sanctioned information on each and every drug." Another consumer advocate doesn’t think the AMA proposal would do anything to protect the public. "Direct-to-consumer drug ads are dangerous and should be illegal," said Gary Ruskin, executive director of the consumer watchdog group Commercial Alert. "The AMA’s policy is so weak that it will do little, if anything, to protect public health. It won’t make much of a difference at all." The AMA’s Davis said his group considered a ban on direct-to-consumer ads but opted for FDA oversight instead. "There are some potential benefits from DTC advertising," he said. "In particular, educating the public about the availably of new medications and prompting discussions between patients and physicians about new medications." But there are some risks, Davis added. "Such as building up false expectations among patients about what these drugs may or may not do, or whether they are appropriate for the disease or condition that a patient has," he said. "Laying out the advantages and disadvantages of DTC ads and the benefits and harms, we came down on the side of tight FDA oversight over DTC ads as opposed to a total ban," he said. More information To learn more about direct-to-consumer ads, visit the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. SOURCES: Ronald M. Davis, M.D., president-elect, American Medical Association, Chicago; Peter Lurie, M.D., M.P.H., deputy director, Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, Washington, D.C; Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Washington, D.C.; Gary Ruskin, executive director, Commercial Alert, Portland, Ore; June 14, 2006, American Medical Association’s annual House of Delegates Meeting, Chicago This is a story from HealthDay, a service of ScoutNews, LLC. http://health.ivillage.com/othernews/0,,wbnews_99f3b9fp,00.html?dst=rss ~*~Would you respect my mind more if it bounced gently when I walked?~*~ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Is RLS listed in the DSM IV? I know AD and depression are. — Doug

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve got to agree with this. After seeing a ridiculous ad for "restless leg syndrome" and a corresponding drug to "treat" it I can’t say I put much faith in pharmaceutical companies anymore. I’m not sure what you mean?  I can tell you that RLS (restless leg syndrome) does exist and it really sucks!  Try to imagine a bunch of your muscles and joints feeling like there are little worms crawling through them.  It bothers you so much that you have to constantly stretch and move about, but that feeling still doesn’t go away. Imagine it feeling that way in your shoulder and you stretch and move it so much that you pull your shoulder joint out of place so the bones are grinding together where they shouldn’t be.  You cause yourself intense pain trying to get rid of that damn feeling but it just won’t go away. You continue to do damage to your joints and the pain gets worse and worse as you develop arthritis.  Still the damn "creepy crawly" feeling persists. It’s sort of like the old joke "It hurts when I move like this"…. "Well don’t move like that!"  Problem is that you can’t stop. Tony — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

– The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

::Is RLS listed in the DSM IV? I know AD and depression are. It is not. It is considered a sleep disorder, not a mental one. Jackie ~*~Would you respect my mind more if it bounced gently when I walked?~*~ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Is RLS listed in the DSM IV? I know AD and depression are.

I’m sure there are a few more illness’ that have been added since the first DSM.  Does that mean those illness’ are all new to the human race?   Or maybe, just maybe they weren’t always recognized for a long time? Tony — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I don’t know what insurance you have, or exactly what condition you have Medicaid/Medicare, and schizoaffective. They’ve tried down at the doctor’s office to get Prevacid for people. My nurse has been jumping through hoops, and my new private Medicare company won’t provide anything for stomachs other than Zantac, which is incredibly cheaper than Prevacid. And they won’t even pay for benzos period. BTW, I just wondered whether or not I could make money as a clown that visits psych wards. I could be "Benzo the Clown", and honk my horn and generally make everyone nervous and crazy. Aside from the two facts that 1) it’s a horrible idea, and 2) I’d never do it, it sounds like a plan. Ian

LOL!  I like that, "Benzo the Clown"!  I might be able to do something like that.  The only reason I like Halloween is because if I’m all dressed up as something/someone, and you can’t see my face, then I have already danced in public, which is normally something I’d never ever be able to do.  Maybe if I get a full face transplant I’ll be cured?  ;-) Tony — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I’ve got to agree with this. After seeing a ridiculous ad for "restless leg syndrome" and a corresponding drug to "treat" it I can’t say I put much faith in pharmaceutical companies anymore. I have heard from various people and on some public radio shows that the pharmaceutical companies don’t want to cure AIDS. The only reason I’ve heard that seemed somewhat legitimate was that they don’t want to cure it because then they’ll lose their long-term customer base of people who have to take their maintenance drugs for the rest of their lives just to stay alive. I’m so cynical these days I’m inclined to beleive it. — Doug

A doctor told my mother – back in the ’60’s – that they would never find a cure for cancer because it was too lucrative not to. However – I take that with one huge grain of salt.  My mother had Paranoid Personality Disorder, and I’m sure the doctor DID say that, my mother didn’t lie about things, but I don’t believe what he said, even one tenth as much as she did – that’s exactly the sort of thing she would have suspected, anyway.  There could be a bit of truth in it, but I’m just not quite that paranoid about them being that greedy. Maybe I’m gullible, I have no clue.. I do think that the price of meds is ridiculous. Some meds – if you weighed them and compared them to gold at the same weight, are more expensive than gold – many of them are the only thing sustaining someone’s life. I don’t think it’s right to charge that amount of money, I don’t care how difficult the process is to manufacture the stuff.  I think they take advantage of people who are in a position to not be able to say, "No thanks." Sally — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – to get their way, a doctor has to jump through hoops and go through channels to convince the insurance companies that the patient really DOES need ..whatever… Yeah, I got taken off Prevacid and put on Zantac for my stomach ills. Even two of those Zantac a day doesn’t always help, and I can feel my esophagus (sp) getting more ulcerated by the day. One day the ulcers will really be there, and I’ll have to have all sorts of horrible surgeries and leech bleedings, or whatever it is they do to people in the hospital, and Medicare will have to pay for that. They also don’t cover Klonopin, or *any* benzos, for that matter, as the Derider had to find out as well. Luckily my *Medicaid* pays for my benzo, so that’s good, but I got real lucky with disability, and almost everyone else who gets a benzo is screwed. Ian — http://sundry.ws/

Ian, I don’t know what insurance you have, or exactly what condition you have – I will tell you that I had both a gastroenterologist as well as my internal medicine doc tell me that I NEEDED to take 2 Prilosec per day.  My insurance company would only cover 1 per day. It took a call from my doctor to get them to approve 2, but they did, and my Prilosec is covered. If you really NEED Prevacid, then have your doctor’s office call the insurance company.  If they still say no, you contact them. You tell them that you have about a million choices of private insurance companies to choose to cover your medicine (and they know that is true) – tell them to get the lead out, or you will switch companies. Do not be nice about it.  Don’t know if that will work, but that is what I was fully prepared to do if they didn’t cover the Prilosec.  Do not fool around with a bad stomach problem.. not getting the proper treatment for it can lead to trouble later. Benzo’s – I know so many people are on Klonopin, and it IS a YMMV thing.. but Xanax works well for me, and it is cheap as it can be. It’s so cheap, I have not even bothered to see if  my insurance will cover it with a pdoc call. I get 90 of them for about $8 and having Triple A knocks a couple of dollars off of that.  You may NEED Klonopin, but it’s more expensive than Xanax (NOT Xanax XR, that stuff is too expensive for anyone to take)… You could discuss with your doctor and give it a trial run – Xanax duration is shorter than Klonopin but I think it knocks out my panic better. Depends on your own needs and whether Xanax would fit those needs or not.  Just my 2 cents. Sally — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I haven’t worked in the medical field for awhile, but I bet the doctors *really appreciate* it (not) when a layman comes in and asks for Helpor to live a full life. I can see that now.  Yep. Some docs might perscribe the stuff, if it does no harm,

<snip Think of how many Drs. give patients an Rx for an antibiotic when they have a common cold.  It’s useless, but it keeps the patient happy because they think it makes them well. The same is sure to be happening with all the new drug commercials. Pass me the purple pills please. Tony — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I don’t know what insurance you have, or exactly what condition you have

Medicaid/Medicare, and schizoaffective. They’ve tried down at the doctor’s office to get Prevacid for people. My nurse has been jumping through hoops, and my new private Medicare company won’t provide anything for stomachs other than Zantac, which is incredibly cheaper than Prevacid. And they won’t even pay for benzos period. BTW, I just wondered whether or not I could make money as a clown that visits psych wards. I could be "Benzo the Clown", and honk my horn and generally make everyone nervous and crazy. Aside from the two facts that 1) it’s a horrible idea, and 2) I’d never do it, it sounds like a plan. Ian — http://sundry.ws/ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I’ve got to agree with this. After seeing a ridiculous ad for "restless leg syndrome" and a corresponding drug to "treat" it I can’t say I put much faith in pharmaceutical companies anymore.

I’m not sure what you mean?  I can tell you that RLS (restless leg syndrome) does exist and it really sucks!  Try to imagine a bunch of your muscles and joints feeling like there are little worms crawling through them.  It bothers you so much that you have to constantly stretch and move about, but that feeling still doesn’t go away. Imagine it feeling that way in your shoulder and you stretch and move it so much that you pull your shoulder joint out of place so the bones are grinding together where they shouldn’t be.  You cause yourself intense pain trying to get rid of that damn feeling but it just won’t go away. You continue to do damage to your joints and the pain gets worse and worse as you develop arthritis.  Still the damn "creepy crawly" feeling persists. It’s sort of like the old joke "It hurts when I move like this"…. "Well don’t move like that!"  Problem is that you can’t stop. Tony — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I’ve got to agree with this. After seeing a ridiculous ad for "restless leg syndrome" and a corresponding drug to "treat" it I can’t say I put much faith in pharmaceutical companies anymore. I have heard from various people and on some public radio shows that the pharmaceutical companies don’t want to cure AIDS. The only reason I’ve heard that seemed somewhat legitimate was that they don’t want to cure it because then they’ll lose their long-term customer base of people who have to take their maintenance drugs for the rest of their lives just to stay alive. I’m so cynical these days I’m inclined to beleive it. — Doug

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – AMA Wants Halt on Drug Ads Aimed at Consumers Group says doctors need to learn more about pros and cons of prescription medicines By Steven Reinberg THURSDAY, June 15 (HealthDay News) — In an effort to make prescription-drug ads aimed at consumers more understandable and informative, the American Medical Association is calling for a temporary halt on advertising for newly approved drugs. The AMA is also calling for guidelines for future ads, which would be subject to approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before they appeared. At its just-concluded annual House of Delegates meeting in Chicago, the AMA endorsed a policy asking for a temporary moratorium on so-called direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of new prescription drugs and implantable medical devices. "A temporary moratorium on DTC advertising of prescribed drugs and medical devices will benefit both the patient and physician," AMA President-elect Dr. Ronald M. Davis said in a prepared statement. "Physicians will have the opportunity to become better educated on the pros and cons of prescription drug uses before prescribing them, and will be better able to determine when they are best suited for their patients’ medical needs." Medical devices were added to the proposal because many doctors who spoke at the AMA meeting said direct-to-consumer ads for medical devices were already appearing, Davis told HealthDay. "This is happening in such fields as orthopedics," he said. The association plans to ask the FDA to enact the policy, so the length of any moratorium would be determined by the drug agency. "If you have a drug which is critical to the treatment of a particular disease for which alternate treatments are not available, that would push to limiting the length of the moratorium," Davis said. The AMA also endorsed new guidelines for advertising prescription drugs to consumers. The guidelines call for providing objective information about the benefits and risks of a drug as determined in clinical trials. They also urge more research into the effects of direct-to-consumer advertising on "the patient-physician relationship, overall health outcomes and health-care costs." The doctors’ group also wants the FDA to approve all direct-to-consumer ads before they appear. "We crafted our proposal to provide for very tight FDA authority over DTC ads," Davis said. In addition, ads should allow enough time or space for consumers to understand all the warnings, precautions and potential side effects, without being distracted by other content in the advertisement, the doctors’ group said. The ads should also refer patients to their doctors for a full explanation of a drug and its use, and be targeted to age-appropriate audiences, the guidelines state. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said it generally supports the AMA’s position. But the drug industry group believes its own voluntary monitoring program is sufficient to deal with the content of direct-to-consumer ads. "PhRMA appreciates and supports the American Medical Association’s continuing efforts to improve patient education and to provide quality information on health conditions and the treatment options available to conquer disease," Dr. Paul Antony, chief medical officer for the group, said in a prepared statement. "Informed patients are better patients and DTC advertising provides doctors and patients with accurate, educational information about disease and treatment options." "PhRMA and its member companies announced last year its voluntary Guiding Principles on Direct-to-Consumer Advertisements About Prescription Medicines in an effort to further enhance the educational value of prescription drug advertising," Antony added. "While there are subtle differences between the Guiding Principles and the AMA’s report, both emphasize the critical need to educate physicians and other health-care providers about a new medicine before it is advertised to the public." Dr. Peter Lurie, deputy director of consumer advocacy group Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, thinks the AMA proposal doesn’t go far enough to guarantee complete information on prescription drugs to the public. "The AMA suggestion is fine but it is nonspecific," said Lurie, adding there’s no mention of how many years the moratorium would be in effect. "All that is up in the air, and there is no reason why that can’t be made more specific," he said. The most important part of the proposal calls for the FDA to prescreening ads, Lurie said. "If prescreening really happened that would be a big help," he said. "The real solution to the problem of lack of patient information is not to leave it to the market, where self-interested people advertise only those products on which they can make a buck," Lurie said. "The real solution is to provide patients with government-sanctioned information on each and every drug." Another consumer advocate doesn’t think the AMA proposal would do anything to protect the public. "Direct-to-consumer drug ads are dangerous and should be illegal," said Gary Ruskin, executive director of the consumer watchdog group Commercial Alert. "The AMA’s policy is so weak that it will do little, if anything, to protect public health. It won’t make much of a difference at all." The AMA’s Davis said his group considered a ban on direct-to-consumer ads but opted for FDA oversight instead. "There are some potential benefits from DTC advertising," he said. "In particular, educating the public about the availably of new medications and prompting discussions between patients and physicians about new medications." But there are some risks, Davis added. "Such as building up false expectations among patients about what these drugs may or may not do, or whether they are appropriate for the disease or condition that a patient has," he said. "Laying out the advantages and disadvantages of DTC ads and the benefits and harms, we came down on the side of tight FDA oversight over DTC ads as opposed to a total ban," he said. More information To learn more about direct-to-consumer ads, visit the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. SOURCES: Ronald M. Davis, M.D., president-elect, American Medical Association, Chicago; Peter Lurie, M.D., M.P.H., deputy director, Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, Washington, D.C; Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Washington, D.C.; Gary Ruskin, executive director, Commercial Alert, Portland, Ore; June 14, 2006, American Medical Association’s annual House of Delegates Meeting, Chicago This is a story from HealthDay, a service of ScoutNews, LLC. http://health.ivillage.com/othernews/0,,wbnews_99f3b9fp,00.html?dst=rss ~*~Would you respect my mind more if it bounced gently when I walked?~*~ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

– The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Purple pill, my aunt Fanny.

I was just thinking about the purple pill. They got around the whole problem of explaining the side effects by *not telling you what the purple pill was*. You had to go to your doctor. "Doc, can I have the purple pill?" "Are you sure you *really* want the purple pill?" "Yes, doc, I’m dyin’ for it. I just know it’s what I need." "Why not this nice pink pill?" "No, doc, I need the purple!" I think it was Prilosec. Ha. I take Zantac. Ian — http://sundry.ws/ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – "Direct-to-consumer drug ads are dangerous and should be illegal," said Gary Ruskin, executive director of the consumer watchdog group Commercial Alert. He doesn’t say why, though. One has to guess at what he means, or ask the person who wrote the article and neglected to give his reasons. Certainly I can’t see any benefit to these drug ads, as it’s the doctors who should be learning about the medication, not the patients. They’re the prescribers. I can’t recall ever having a discussion with my doctor about some new drug I saw on TV. I do agree, though, that those warnings in the commercials are just plain silly, speeding past you like bad ending credits on a B-grade movie. <cut to shot of people playing tennis "Ask your doctor about Helpor! It can lower your bad cholesterol by up to 40 points!" <cut to shot of people eating at a fancy restaurant <man speaking quietly, at double speed "May cause temporary blindness, extreme reaction to sunlight, shortness of breath, uncontrollable flatulence, and hives. Do not take Helpor if you are allergic to anything organic. Do not take Helpor if you have high-blood pressure, diabetes, liver disease, or hemmorhoids." <cut to shot of people laughing in a convertible "So ask your doctor about Helpor! And live life to the fullest." etc. etc. What a bunch of crap. Where do you think the money comes to pay for these commercials anyway? Why not start a new ad campaign? No more commercials, and the price of the drugs is cut in half. Everyone wins. Ian — http://sundry.ws/

LOL Ian, You are hysterical.  Those ads always say something about living life to the fullest, whatever the hell that means. Last time I lived my life to the fullest, I didn’t remember what happened the next day.  I had to cut that out. I haven’t worked in the medical field for awhile, but I bet the doctors *really appreciate* it (not) when a layman comes in and asks for Helpor to live a full life. I can see that now.  Yep. Some docs might perscribe the stuff, if it does no harm, but most are not going to apprieciate being told how to practice medicine.  They only went to school for a million years so they might learn a thing or two. Those ads on TV are for new meds.. they may be better. They may not.  Maybe an older, cheaper one would do as well or better.  I say.. let the drug companies run their ads, but put that on as a disclaimer. In big bold letters. They’d never run another ad.  That ought to fall under the truth in advertising law somewhere. The ads aren’t the half of it.  The real culprits are the insurance companies. They are your health care providers, people. They tie the hands of doctors – at sometimes very crucial times – and dictate what can and can’t be done – and to get their way, a doctor has to jump through hoops and go through channels to convince the insurance companies that the patient really DOES need ..whatever… between the those idiotic ads, the insurance companies.. the doctors are put in one difficult place.  Something needs to be done so that physicians are the ones who are handling the patients’ care . Seems like it gets less that way everyday.  I didn’t even touch the topic of malpractice insurance.. Sally — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

to get their way, a doctor has to jump through hoops and go through channels to convince the insurance companies that the patient really DOES need ..whatever…

Yeah, I got taken off Prevacid and put on Zantac for my stomach ills. Even two of those Zantac a day doesn’t always help, and I can feel my esophagus (sp) getting more ulcerated by the day. One day the ulcers will really be there, and I’ll have to have all sorts of horrible surgeries and leech bleedings, or whatever it is they do to people in the hospital, and Medicare will have to pay for that. They also don’t cover Klonopin, or *any* benzos, for that matter, as the Derider had to find out as well. Luckily my *Medicaid* pays for my benzo, so that’s good, but I got real lucky with disability, and almost everyone else who gets a benzo is screwed. Ian — http://sundry.ws/ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

AMA Wants Halt on Drug Ads Aimed at Consumers Group says doctors need to learn more about pros and cons of prescription medicines By Steven Reinberg THURSDAY, June 15 (HealthDay News) — In an effort to make prescription-drug ads aimed at consumers more understandable and informative, the American Medical Association is calling for a temporary halt on advertising for newly approved drugs. The AMA is also calling for guidelines for future ads, which would be subject to approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before they appeared.

<snip Well it’s about damn time!  Might be too little too late, but it’s an improvement. Purple pill, my aunt Fanny. Deirdre the Derider — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

"Direct-to-consumer drug ads are dangerous and should be illegal," said Gary Ruskin, executive director of the consumer watchdog group Commercial Alert.

He doesn’t say why, though. One has to guess at what he means, or ask the person who wrote the article and neglected to give his reasons. Certainly I can’t see any benefit to these drug ads, as it’s the doctors who should be learning about the medication, not the patients. They’re the prescribers. I can’t recall ever having a discussion with my doctor about some new drug I saw on TV. I do agree, though, that those warnings in the commercials are just plain silly, speeding past you like bad ending credits on a B-grade movie. <cut to shot of people playing tennis "Ask your doctor about Helpor! It can lower your bad cholesterol by up to 40 points!" <cut to shot of people eating at a fancy restaurant <man speaking quietly, at double speed "May cause temporary blindness, extreme reaction to sunlight, shortness of breath, uncontrollable flatulence, and hives. Do not take Helpor if you are allergic to anything organic. Do not take Helpor if you have high-blood pressure, diabetes, liver disease, or hemmorhoids." <cut to shot of people laughing in a convertible "So ask your doctor about Helpor! And live life to the fullest." etc. etc. What a bunch of crap. Where do you think the money comes to pay for these commercials anyway? Why not start a new ad campaign? No more commercials, and the price of the drugs is cut in half. Everyone wins. Ian — http://sundry.ws/ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Question:

it has been relatively established that our diets are deficient in many nutrients-we have stripped the soil of its mineral and micronutrient levels, so using a supplement is a good idea with your docs’ blessing.

Here’s an alternative point of view: The Soil Depletion Song The refrain that depleted soils yield less nutritious fruits and vegetables is one story that refuses to go away even though there is minimal evidence for it. Vitamins are not found loose in the soil just waiting for plants to soak them up into their roots. Plants synthesize their vitamins from a variety of building blocks in the soil. Minerals are taken up from the soil, but if there is a deficiency in a mineral needed for growth of the plant, it simply does not yield commercially viable amounts of fruits or vegetables. Many people hold the belief that commercial fertilizers lack some nutrients that are present in the soil or in organic fertilizers. This is simply not true. Most commercial fertilizers are formulated to give the highest yield of whatever crop they are used on. *While there may be some variations in mineral levels of produce due to soil content, only selenium varies markedly*. Some plants can take up lead in very variable amounts depending on the immediate environment. HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Depleted soil is not commercially profitable. Therefore, farmers use fertilizers containing all the needed nutrients for specific crops. While organic farming may be more environmentally friendly, there is no nutritional difference in vitamins or minerals between crops grown under these two conditions. Dr. David Klurfeld is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.   In addition, he is Editor in Chief of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, one of the top nutrition research journals in the world. Finally, he is an active researcher in the area of nutrition and prevention of chronic diseases with over 130 publications in the biomedical literature in the last 20 years. http://www.nutritionnewsfocus.com/archive/SoilDep.html — The charter is available at:

Question:

Hello, My dr prescribed Prevacid for my IBS.  This is for a 2 month trial.  He is concerned that I have pain upon palpitation just under the rib cage.  He is leaning toward Sprue but wanted to try this before going onto more expensive testing. Has this helped anyone?

Response:

1 Imodium AD per day completely cures my IBS. I’m lucky.

Response:

Hi Dee, I tried Prevacid.  It didn’t work for me.  That was 3 years ago.  Now, as my digestion is getting worse, my doc is doing the tests (endoscopy w/biopsies) to test for other things (chronic diarrhea).  I will check if he is testing for Sprue. I also had the pain just under ribcage from one side to the other, and mainly under solar plexus. You may want to look up Sprue on WebMD, if the symptoms match, the Sprue test may be worth it. As far as the Prevacid, I would think I would want to be checked for a disease before taking an Rx that can cause other diseases/side effects.  All the pills I took at the time I took the Prevacid was what gave me gastritis. ugh! I hope it helps. God bless, KJ "Dee Armstrong" <d…@armstrongauctions.com

wrote in message

news:10cvh6t3em3ibb@corp.supernews.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

Hello, My dr prescribed Prevacid for my IBS.  This is for a 2 month trial.  He is concerned that I have pain upon palpitation just under the rib cage.  He

is

leaning toward Sprue but wanted to try this before going onto more

expensive

testing. Has this helped anyone?

Response:

Question:

Hi there~~ I’ve been taking Prevacid 30 mg once/day for several months now, and at first it was great; solved the acid problems that Zantac couldn’t touch anymore.  Now it’s almost as worthless as the Zantac was. In August, my insurance started fussing about the Prevacid, wanting a letter from my doctor.  That took awhile, and in the meantime, my doc called in a scrip for Protonix.  I didn’t know about that, so was surprised when I picked it up, but wound up not having to take it, as I got a month’s worth of Prevacid samples from my doc to tide me over until insurance got over themselves and approved the Prevacid for a year. Now, however, I’m considering taking the Protonix to see if it will be any better than the Prevacid.  Opinions?  I’ve read the prescribing info on it, and am a little concerned about the possible allergic reactions they mention, rare though they may be.  Also, I take Zoloft and Topamax.   From the sounds of it, those won’t interact with Protonix, but could anyone verify that in English?  LOL Thanks for any info/experiences, Tami

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hi there~~ I’ve been taking Prevacid 30 mg once/day for several months now, and at first it was great; solved the acid problems that Zantac couldn’t touch anymore.  Now it’s almost as worthless as the Zantac was. In August, my insurance started fussing about the Prevacid, wanting a letter from my doctor.  That took awhile, and in the meantime, my doc called in a scrip for Protonix.  I didn’t know about that, so was surprised when I picked it up, but wound up not having to take it, as I got a month’s worth of Prevacid samples from my doc to tide me over until insurance got over themselves and approved the Prevacid for a year. Now, however, I’m considering taking the Protonix to see if it will be any better than the Prevacid.  Opinions?  I’ve read the prescribing info on it, and am a little concerned about the possible allergic reactions they mention, rare though they may be.  Also, I take Zoloft and Topamax.  From the sounds of it, those won’t interact with Protonix, but could anyone verify that in English?  LOL Thanks for any info/experiences, Tami

My doctor told Me that if 30mg of Prevacid did not work that further testing would be needed… In other words, you probably have a more serious condition than simple heartburn…

Response:

What are you eating with the Prevacid? I know alot of people who get on these drugs who still think they can eat out at Chilli’s and other places. Fact is stomach problems require lifestyle changes and returning to a natural diet. Sure its okay to reward yourself sometimes. Have you changed your diet completely?

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi there~~ I’ve been taking Prevacid 30 mg once/day for several months now, and at first it was great; solved the acid problems that Zantac couldn’t touch anymore.  Now it’s almost as worthless as the Zantac was. In August, my insurance started fussing about the Prevacid, wanting a letter from my doctor.  That took awhile, and in the meantime, my doc called in a scrip for Protonix.  I didn’t know about that, so was surprised when I picked it up, but wound up not having to take it, as I got a month’s worth of Prevacid samples from my doc to tide me over until insurance got over themselves and approved the Prevacid for a year. Now, however, I’m considering taking the Protonix to see if it will be any better than the Prevacid.  Opinions?  I’ve read the prescribing info on it, and am a little concerned about the possible allergic reactions they mention, rare though they may be.  Also, I take Zoloft and Topamax.   From the sounds of it, those won’t interact with Protonix, but could anyone verify that in English?  LOL Thanks for any info/experiences, Tami

Response:

I have been on Protonix off and on for a couple of years.  Sadly, it is true…no ppi is gonna do the trick without serious dietary changes.  I have been in denial, but recently I think I have woken up. Protonix works pretty well and I have had no side effects.  When my diet was crazy, I would think the drug wasn’t working anymore.  I tried Nexium and Prilosec at different times.  AFTER 1 WEEK…NO ACID REFLUX…BUTTTTT in it’s place this feeling that my food wasn’t digesting.  I couldn’t even burp if I wanted to.  It was soooo miserable.  Both times it went away when I got back on Protonix after a couple of days.  I now keep a food journal and I must say that the most significant thing I have noticed:  if I eat small amounts at a time, I have so little problem.  If I eat alot at one sitting, it is NO BUENO!!!!  I would not hesitate to try Protonix….I think it works really well if your diet is right.

Response:

Question:

Hi I’m new to this group, and wondered about certain symptoms, and if anyone has experienced them. To start I’m a Clinical Lab Scientist, so I know most of the tests available in the lab, GI lab, and in the hospital. I’ve had bouts of diarrhea, and constipation since I was a teenager. Ten years ago I had some bleeding, and of course the GI specialist did a colonoscopy. He did not find anything but some internal hemorrhoids, which run in my family. Recently however, I have been having cramps or the urge to go, and all I pass is small stools, with mucous. Then I have a day or two with painful crampy diarrhea, so much so that it feel my anus is prolapsing. I also feel bloated all the time, symptoms get better with an enema or if I take Metamucil.  I’ve done stool cultures, parasite studies, occult blood tests, white cell studies, and they have been negative repeated times. I’m terrified of cancer, and of having to go through another colonoscopy. It is becoming an obsessive pattern, and I have no recourse but to go through our medical system which I sometimes hate. Has anybody diagnosed with IBS felt these symptoms before? Your response would be appreciated, thanks. Manny

Response:

Manuel Fernandez Jr wrote in message <370AC442.66BCE…@linkline.com

… Hi I’m new to this group, and wondered about certain symptoms, and if anyone has experienced them. To start I’m a Clinical Lab Scientist, so I know most of the tests available in the lab, GI lab, and in the hospital. I have no recourse but to go through our medical system which I sometimes hate. Has anybody diagnosed with IBS felt these symptoms before? Your response would be appreciated, thanks. Manny

My symptoms are very similar to yours and I have had most of the tests all with negative results. I was told I have IBS and am trying to find a way to cope with it which I am finding difficult. R.C.

Response:

Sounds like IBS.   I recently participated in a study using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to ease symptoms of IBS.  It worked very well for me. Additionally, for many people low doses of antidepressants, or Buspar (an anti-anxiety that acts more like the anti-depressants, and is non-sedating and non-addictive) can ease or eliminate the symptoms. K. ********************************************************* Blessed is he who has learned to laugh at himself, for he shall never ceased to be entertained                                           —John Powell kmot…@aol.com

Response:

Manuel Fernandez Jr wrote in message <370AC442.66BCE…@linkline.com

…

.

I’ve had bouts of diarrhea, and constipation since I was a teenager. Ten years ago I had some bleeding, and of course the GI specialist did a colonoscopy. He did not find anything but some internal hemorrhoids, which run in my family. Recently however, I have been having cramps or the urge to go, and all I pass is small stools, with mucous. I’ve done

stool cultures,

parasite studies, occult blood tests, white cell studies, and they have been negative repeated times. I’m terrified of cancer, and of having to go through another colonoscopy. It is becoming an obsessive pattern, and I have no recourse but to go through our medical system which I sometimes hate. Has anybody diagnosed with IBS felt these symptoms before? Your response would be appreciated, thanks.

———————————————————————– My granddaughter has had similar symptoms.  Here’s what we’ve tried: Eliminating milk products and wheat products from the diet, since they are the culprets that are most likely to cause allergic reactions. Eliminating Levsin and other IBS drugs which can slow down the natural bowel contractions. Large soap and water enemas, as she has gone to the emergency room several times with severe vomiting and diarreah, only to find she was loaded with gas and hard stool that the diarreah seems to bypass somehow.  She also stays away from lettuce and spicey foods. The thing that helps her most is the enemas.  Even though there sometimes is not a lot of stool, it seems to rid her of the "poisons" inside and lets her start fresh again. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

me wrote in message <7egr9s$e0…@remarQ.com

… My symptoms are very similar to yours and I have had most of the tests all with negative results. I was told I have IBS and am trying to find a way to cope with it which I am finding difficult.

*********************************************** Have you considered taking aniti-depressants?  Paxil works so well for so many. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

In article <7ejsti$9e…@bgtnsc01.worldnet.att.net

,

   Granny’sGhost <grannysgh…@worldnet.att.net

wrote: she was loaded with gas and hard stool that the diarreah seems to bypass somehow.

I think this kind of d is caused by the gut wall producing liquid instead of absorbing it. I’ve seen a cat produce a very watery motion immediately after an encounter with trespassers, and have had the same sort of reaction myself to sudden stress. I have no medical training. Joyce. —

Response:

I’ve been experiencing some cramping like pains just uner my sternum. At first I could not relate it to any time/action/food – several weeks it seemed totally random.  Finally was able to reproduce it in it’s most severe form; strong cramping pains for about 1 hr or so.  To do that, I drink my usual glass of OJ at 8am and have a banana at 9am. By 9;15, it’s on.  The OJ alone doesn’t bother me at all.  I did eat a banana one day at 4pm and had very little pain, but it did seem like the level went up a point or two.  So anyway, I’ve tried Tums, Malox, etc, but there was never any heartburn.  Doc put me on Prevacid for a week or two but they could’ve been jelly beans as they didn’t help at all.  Then he puts me on Dicyclomine 10mg and says it might be IBS. I’ve done some reading on IBS and I have yet to experience any other symptoms that most talk about.  Bowel movements/stools/etc are the same as they’ve ever been.  When the cramping sets in, it’s usually very light, almost unnoticable.  When it’s stronger, I feel like I need to go, but I can sit until my legs go numb because I don’t really have to!  After an hr or 2, the symptoms subside.  I’ve tried to determine what fits best – tapeworm, ulcer, etc – nothing fits.  I’m not a bundle of nerves or stressed out either.  I eat pretty healthy – fruits veggies, low sat fats, no fast foods, no smoking, no coffee, just tea or alcohol – probably one of each per week.  I excercise (run/bike) regularly and am a bit skinny for a 6 footer at 155lbs. I am however frustrated and tired of the pain and would like to resolve this thing!  Next visit will be to the GI specialist I suppose. So if you hvae a clue/advice/etc, drop me a reply…..and good luck in your battles!

Response:

"LarryM" <larrymull_NOSP…@yahoo.com

wrote in message

news:lnogtucabgisfeiaislvvcfvjsi4vfrk70@4ax.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

I’ve been experiencing some cramping like pains just uner my sternum. At first I could not relate it to any time/action/food – several weeks it seemed totally random.  Finally was able to reproduce it in it’s most severe form; strong cramping pains for about 1 hr or so.  To do that, I drink my usual glass of OJ at 8am and have a banana at 9am. By 9;15, it’s on.  The OJ alone doesn’t bother me at all.  I did eat a banana one day at 4pm and had very little pain, but it did seem like the level went up a point or two.  So anyway, I’ve tried Tums, Malox, etc, but there was never any heartburn.  Doc put me on Prevacid for a week or two but they could’ve been jelly beans as they didn’t help at all.  Then he puts me on Dicyclomine 10mg and says it might be IBS. I’ve done some reading on IBS and I have yet to experience any other symptoms that most talk about.  Bowel movements/stools/etc are the same as they’ve ever been.  When the cramping sets in, it’s usually very light, almost unnoticable.  When it’s stronger, I feel like I need to go, but I can sit until my legs go numb because I don’t really have to!  After an hr or 2, the symptoms subside.  I’ve tried to determine what fits best – tapeworm, ulcer, etc – nothing fits.  I’m not a bundle of nerves or stressed out either.  I eat pretty healthy – fruits veggies, low sat fats, no fast foods, no smoking, no coffee, just tea or alcohol – probably one of each per week.  I excercise (run/bike) regularly and am a bit skinny for a 6 footer at 155lbs. I am however frustrated and tired of the pain and would like to resolve this thing!  Next visit will be to the GI specialist I suppose. So if you hvae a clue/advice/etc, drop me a reply…..and good luck in your battles! wow I have the same problem with pain just under the sternum. I never had

associated it with the IBS. I was concerned that it was heart related and after numerous trips to the er and many tests, i was convinced that i was crazy because the Docs would never find anything wrong and told me that it was "chest-wall" pain. How interesting to find that it could be IBS related.

Response:

Question:

Thanks for the suggestion!  I try not to use it if possible but sometimes you just can’t avoid it. — Cyberhugs, DianeW

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Diane and the rest of you who have difficulties with tape removal injuring your skin— This last time Butch was in ICU, one of the nurses told us to use lots of alcohol on a wad of cotton or gauze to soak and dissolve the adhesive on tape before removing it.  Butch’s skin is very thin and fragile too.  Hope this helps you guys. kate Ditto what everyone else has said.  Pred had made my skin so fragile that bandaids rip it off!  I have to pay close attention to wound care whenever I have a cut.  I make sure I always have my little first aid kit in my purse or car so that I can prevent an infection from the begining of even a tiny scrap. Having said all this, have you been checked for diabetes?  That’s a big problem with diabetes.  If not, it might be worth a mention to your doctor on your next visit, especially if you are on steroids. — Cyberhugs, DianeW Hang in there Brad. I heal sloooowly also. It’s the RA for me. I just have to pay a lot more attention to the wound. johnie Do any of you RA sufferers have wounds (cuts, etc) that just won’t heal? I’m still waiting for a final diagnosis, but I was told that one of the probs RA sufferers CAN have are wounds that take forever to heal. I have a small cyst behind my ear that refuses to go away. My doctor has looked at it one week and it was almost gone.  The next week it had filled with blood and had to be drained.  Another week, it looked like I had accidebntly popped it and I totally emptied it and the doc said that would likely be the end of it.  Today it had filled again. Doc said if it didn’t take care of itself, he would lance it and stitch it up. Just another freakin’ annoying thing to go along with the pain and burning…. Brad

Response:

alt.support.arthritis: Ditto what everyone else has said.  Pred had made my skin so fragile that bandaids rip it off!  I have to pay close attention to wound care whenever I have a cut.  I make sure I always have my little first aid kit in my purse or car so that I can prevent an infection from the begining of even a tiny scrap.

Jim’s aunt is on Prednisone and gets frequent skin tears. I use transparent dressings on them. Try to avoid anything with adhesive tape on it. The transparent dressings are made by several companies, 3M, Convatec, Smith & Nephew, Hollister, and more. They cost  more, but can be left on for 5-7 days, they encourage moist wound healing, and don’t remove skin when they are removed. They come with special directions for removal. You might want to consider them. Having said all this, have you been checked for diabetes?  That’s a big problem with diabetes.  If not, it might be worth a mention to your doctor on your next visit, especially if you are on steroids.

Good idea. Joan Ignore posts from ironjustice, aka Tom Hennessy. He has a terminal case of verbal diarrhea with mental constipation.

Response:

alt.support.arthritis: There is lots of evidence for aloe being successfully used to shorten healing times for skin problems. Has anyone tried that?

Aloe is good for minor burns and scrapes. Or at least it has been for me. Ignore posts from ironjustice, aka Tom Hennessy. He has a terminal case of verbal diarrhea with mental constipation.

Response:

@rogers.com says… Do any of you RA sufferers have wounds (cuts, etc) that just won’t heal?

I dunno about wounds.  Haven’t tested it yet, thank God.  But, bruises seem to last forever.  I’m taking MTX and pred, so I know these are contributory factors.  I don’t know whether my other meds have any bearing on healing.  Have you considered your medications?  Has your doc? — Di "May all your weeds be wildflowers." Anonymous dabell at optonline dot net www.pbase.com/di

Response:

Diane and the rest of you who have difficulties with tape removal injuring your skin— This last time Butch was in ICU, one of the nurses told us to use lots of alcohol on a wad of cotton or gauze to soak and dissolve the adhesive on tape before removing it.  Butch’s skin is very thin and fragile too.  Hope this helps you guys. kate

Ditto what everyone else has said.  Pred had made my skin so fragile that bandaids rip it off!  I have to pay close attention to wound care whenever I have a cut.  I make sure I always have my little first aid kit in my purse or car so that I can prevent an infection from the begining of even a tiny scrap. Having said all this, have you been checked for diabetes?  That’s a big problem with diabetes.  If not, it might be worth a mention to your doctor on your next visit, especially if you are on steroids. — Cyberhugs, DianeW

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hang in there Brad. I heal sloooowly also. It’s the RA for me. I just have to pay a lot more attention to the wound. johnie Do any of you RA sufferers have wounds (cuts, etc) that just won’t heal? I’m still waiting for a final diagnosis, but I was told that one of the probs RA sufferers CAN have are wounds that take forever to heal. I have a small cyst behind my ear that refuses to go away. My doctor has looked at it one week and it was almost gone.  The next week it had filled with blood and had to be drained.  Another week, it looked like I had accidebntly popped it and I totally emptied it and the doc said that would likely be the end of it.  Today it had filled again. Doc said if it didn’t take care of itself, he would lance it and stitch it up. Just another freakin’ annoying thing to go along with the pain and burning…. Brad

Response:

There is lots of evidence for aloe being successfully used to shorten healing times for skin problems. Has anyone tried that? David

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Having said all this, have you been checked for diabetes?  That’s a big problem with diabetes.  If not, it might be worth a mention to your doctor on your next visit, especially if you are on steroids. I have been checked for diabetes.  The RD gave me a full workup and everything came back fine. Only meds I am on are Prevacid for my stomach and Mobicox for the (assumed) RA.  I was on Celebrex for a few months, but that did nothing. Brad

Response:

Ditto what everyone else has said.  Pred had made my skin so fragile that bandaids rip it off!  I have to pay close attention to wound care whenever I have a cut.  I make sure I always have my little first aid kit in my purse or car so that I can prevent an infection from the begining of even a tiny scrap.

Double ditto.  I too have extremely fragile skin and my forearm is nearly always bruised, and I generally have no idea at all where I got the bruises. It affects my clot time as well, so when I do bleed, it seems to go on forever. Anne AAC/AAF/AFBV62.0844.AZ http://www.tckworld.com/opfoot

Response:

@rogers.com says… Do any of you RA sufferers have wounds (cuts, etc) that just won’t heal? I’m still waiting for a final diagnosis, but I was told that one of the probs RA sufferers CAN have are wounds that take forever to heal. Some of the slow healing is probably due to the drugs.  Methotrexate can slow healing down and, as Melinda mentioned, so can prednisone.

This has been a problem since the summer.  I was on Celebrex then and am now on Mobicox. Brad

Response:

Having said all this, have you been checked for diabetes?  That’s a big problem with diabetes.  If not, it might be worth a mention to your doctor on your next visit, especially if you are on steroids.

I have been checked for diabetes.  The RD gave me a full workup and everything came back fine. Only meds I am on are Prevacid for my stomach and Mobicox for the (assumed) RA.  I was on Celebrex for a few months, but that did nothing. Brad

Response:

Ditto what everyone else has said.  Pred had made my skin so fragile that bandaids rip it off!  I have to pay close attention to wound care whenever I have a cut.  I make sure I always have my little first aid kit in my purse or car so that I can prevent an infection from the begining of even a tiny scrap. Having said all this, have you been checked for diabetes?  That’s a big problem with diabetes.  If not, it might be worth a mention to your doctor on your next visit, especially if you are on steroids. — Cyberhugs, DianeW

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hang in there Brad. I heal sloooowly also. It’s the RA for me. I just have to pay a lot more attention to the wound. johnie Do any of you RA sufferers have wounds (cuts, etc) that just won’t heal? I’m still waiting for a final diagnosis, but I was told that one of the probs RA sufferers CAN have are wounds that take forever to heal. I have a small cyst behind my ear that refuses to go away. My doctor has looked at it one week and it was almost gone.  The next week it had filled with blood and had to be drained.  Another week, it looked like I had accidebntly popped it and I totally emptied it and the doc said that would likely be the end of it.  Today it had filled again. Doc said if it didn’t take care of itself, he would lance it and stitch it up. Just another freakin’ annoying thing to go along with the pain and burning…. Brad

Response:

@rogers.com says… Do any of you RA sufferers have wounds (cuts, etc) that just won’t heal? I’m still waiting for a final diagnosis, but I was told that one of the probs RA sufferers CAN have are wounds that take forever to heal.

Some of the slow healing is probably due to the drugs.  Methotrexate can slow healing down and, as Melinda mentioned, so can prednisone. — Visit my website: http://www.mzuschlag.com

Response:

Hang in there Brad. I heal sloooowly also. It’s the RA for me. I just have to pay a lot more attention to the wound. johnie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Do any of you RA sufferers have wounds (cuts, etc) that just won’t heal? I’m still waiting for a final diagnosis, but I was told that one of the probs RA sufferers CAN have are wounds that take forever to heal. I have a small cyst behind my ear that refuses to go away. My doctor has looked at it one week and it was almost gone.  The next week it had filled with blood and had to be drained.  Another week, it looked like I had accidebntly popped it and I totally emptied it and the doc said that would likely be the end of it.  Today it had filled again. Doc said if it didn’t take care of itself, he would lance it and stitch it up. Just another freakin’ annoying thing to go along with the pain and burning…. Brad

Response:

Brad, I heal amazingly quickly unless there is prednisone on the scene.  If I have takne pred for a few weeks, my healing rate goes way down.  As soon as I’m off pred for a month, I am healing quickly again. M

Response:

Do any of you RA sufferers have wounds (cuts, etc) that just won’t heal? I’m still waiting for a final diagnosis, but I was told that one of the probs RA sufferers CAN have are wounds that take forever to heal. I have a small cyst behind my ear that refuses to go away. My doctor has looked at it one week and it was almost gone.  The next week it had filled with blood and had to be drained.  Another week, it looked like I had accidebntly popped it and I totally emptied it and the doc said that would likely be the end of it.  Today it had filled again. Doc said if it didn’t take care of itself, he would lance it and stitch it up. Just another freakin’ annoying thing to go along with the pain and burning…. Brad

Response:

Question:

I like Ultram…even more since it went generic.  I am on Prevacid for stomach acid, so I can’t really take NSAIDS, I don’t like being doped up on narcotics, so Ultram is nice because it just relieves pain and has no side effects for me.

Response:

Called my RD today because the codeine didn’t work well, and she prescribed Tramadol. Those of you on Tramadol/Ultram, how did it work for you? Side effects?

I took it for OA pain and it was quite effective but after a month I could no longer sleep more than a couple of hours a night.  I stopped it and began to sleep again.  I tried the drug again and by day 2 was unable to sleep. The list of side effects includes sleeplessness.  I’m not generally one who "gets" the side effects of a med but I sure did on Ultram. Good luck. Cindy Donnell

Response:

I’ve been taking Ultram for about a year.  It works well for me- not complete pain relief, but takes it to a level I can live with.  The worst side effect is the sweating!   Walking across the room can make me dripping wet- mostly the head, face and scalp.  I also have some minor nausea, but frequent small snacks help with that. I had a bad virus 2 weeks ago which necessitated a trip to the ER.  The anti-nausea meds caused a bad reaction for me and I had to quit all my meds while I cleaned out my system.  I went thru a bad spell of withdrawal from dropping my 20 mg. of pred and my 400 mg. Ultram cold-turkey. Now I will use Ultram for a month, use another pain med for a week and then back on Ultram.  I hope this will prevent further problems for me. YMMV Good luck and I hope you find relief from your pain. Leslie Acquiring a dog may be            ,-.~~~.-, the only opportunity a                V)’   ‘(V human ever has to                     (_o_) choose a relative.            Golden Retriever "A dog’s life is too short. It’s

Question:

Greetings Beth,      I sounds like you’re really suffering.  Have you considered making changes to rebuild your body’s nutrients?  (Read Mike’s post….his wife is on to an excellent doctor!)  Linus Pauling, the two-time Nobel Prize winner stated that, "You can trace every sickness, every disease, and every ailment to a mineral deficiency."      You might want to take a look at:      http://www.timeforbetterhealth.com/Products/Phytomax/PhytomaxFrameset… and http://www.timeforbetterhealth.com/Products/MaximolSolutions/MaximolF… and http://www.timeforbetterhealth.com/Products/NoniAuthenticHawaiian/Haw…      Just some thoughts–      Suzanne – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve been on Nexium for 6 months unfortunately it has not fixed the previous damage in me. my doctor says i have the worst damage he has ever seen in someone so young (30) and says my only choice is to take Nexium until i qualify for surgery (weigh under 200 pounds). Hi all Nexium is due for release in Australia tomorrow, has any body heard of or used this drug.

Response:

Hi Beth… What kind of "damage"?  (Newbie here). — Laurie ~*LiveLoveLaugh*~ "Does fuzzy logic tickle?"

: I’ve been on Nexium for 6 months unfortunately it has not fixed the previous : damage in me. my doctor says i have the worst damage he has ever seen in : someone so young (30) and says my only choice is to take Nexium until i : qualify for surgery (weigh under 200 pounds).

: Hi all : Nexium is due for release in Australia tomorrow, has any body heard of or : used this drug. : : : :

Response:

I’ve been on and off nexium for 18 months.  It has worked wonderfully, but not all the time.  I am finding more relief now by losing weight, and MOST IMPORTANTLY descreasing the size of my meals.  I keep dinner to one plate (no seconds, ever) and I can now sleep the whole night pain free.  Better than drugs.  Nexium is, however, a nice short term approach.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Beth… What kind of "damage"?  (Newbie here). — Laurie ~*LiveLoveLaugh*~ "Does fuzzy logic tickle?" : I’ve been on Nexium for 6 months unfortunately it has not fixed the previous : damage in me. my doctor says i have the worst damage he has ever seen in : someone so young (30) and says my only choice is to take Nexium until i : qualify for surgery (weigh under 200 pounds). : Hi all : Nexium is due for release in Australia tomorrow, has any body heard of or : used this drug. : : : :

Response:

Hi all Nexium is due for release in Australia tomorrow, has any body heard of or used this drug.

Response:

Hi all Nexium is due for release in Australia tomorrow, has any body heard of or used this drug.

As a current user of nexium, and a former user of prilosec, they seem identical to me. — Richard W Kaszeta http://www.kaszeta.org/rich

Response:

I’ve been on Nexium for 6 months unfortunately it has not fixed the previous damage in me. my doctor says i have the worst damage he has ever seen in someone so young (30) and says my only choice is to take Nexium until i qualify for surgery (weigh under 200 pounds).

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all Nexium is due for release in Australia tomorrow, has any body heard of or used this drug.

Response:

I have been taking 30 mg. of Prevacid for close to 2 years now.  I still have some symptoms so my doctor just gave me 3 weeks of Nexium (40 mg.) samples  to try.  Has anyone else tried this drug?  Len

Response:

yes i have tried it too  works like prevacid 30 mg in my opinion i was taking prevacid for 4 yrs now been on nexium for 1month now still get heartburn if i dont take any meds

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have been taking 30 mg. of Prevacid for close to 2 years now.  I still have some symptoms so my doctor just gave me 3 weeks of Nexium (40 mg.) samples  to try.  Has anyone else tried this drug?  Len

Response:

Question:

Hi…anyone here with Barrett’s as well as Ulcerative Colitis?  Just wondering how you deal with it all.  Along with diabetes and lactose intolerance, it seems that the list of food I CAN HAVE is much shorter than the list I CAN"T HAVE……any suggestions for replacing spaghetti sauce on pasta or pizza …can I use onion and garlic powders to season or wine to cook with if it cooks out?  Thanks, Dody

Response:

I know this will sound gross, but spaghetti sauce bothers me as well and I use some butter and tomato ketchup instead. I don’t have Barretts but UC Debbi

……any suggestions for replacing spaghetti sauce on pasta or pizza – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – …can I use onion and garlic powders to season or wine to cook with if it cooks out?  Thanks, Dody

Response:

I have barrett’s and Chron’s.  I get a gastroscopy to make sure that it hasn’t become malignant.  There are hints that it would like to tht way.  This is one reason that gastric reflux which can cause Barrett’s is more than a minor inconvenience that can be treated with an over the counter remedy. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi…anyone here with Barrett’s as well as Ulcerative Colitis?  Just wondering how you deal with it all.  Along with diabetes and lactose intolerance, it seems that the list of food I CAN HAVE is much shorter than the list I CAN"T HAVE……any suggestions for replacing spaghetti sauce on pasta or pizza …can I use onion and garlic powders to season or wine to cook with if it cooks out?  Thanks, Dody

Response:

I can’t use butter but I could try a little olive oil…and I was under the impression that ketchup was as bad as spaghetti sauce as it is acidic??   Dody

Response:

I find that it doesn’t bother me but anything else tomato base like does. Debbi

I can’t use butter but I could try a little olive oil…and I was under the impression that ketchup was as bad as spaghetti sauce as it is acidic??

Dody

Response:

My doctor  isn’t sure what I have yet. He just knows my larnyx is inflammed, they haven’t done the test for barretts yet, but I’m SURE I will be looking forward (NOT) to that! I’m stuck on prevacid for another 3 weeks till they make sure it’s not helping. The doc seems to think I may have gerd, but I have no symptoms of acid relux or anything. Will post more after the 6th to let you know Kimi

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have barrett’s and Chron’s.  I get a gastroscopy to make sure that it hasn’t become malignant.  There are hints that it would like to tht way.  This is one reason that gastric reflux which can cause Barrett’s is more than a minor inconvenience that can be treated with an over the counter remedy. Hi…anyone here with Barrett’s as well as Ulcerative Colitis?  Just wondering how you deal with it all.  Along with diabetes and lactose intolerance, it seems that the list of food I CAN HAVE is much shorter than the list I CAN"T HAVE……any suggestions for replacing spaghetti sauce on pasta or pizza …can I use onion and garlic powders to season or wine to cook with if it cooks out?  Thanks, Dody

Response:

Kim….I didn’t have any symptoms of acid refux except once in awhile…my main symptom was a "full feeling" in my chest and a 40 pound gorilla sitting on me. Good luck in your tests.   Dody

Response:

Question:

My doctor currently has me on Effexor, Wellbutrin, Elavil, Dexedrine, and Klonopin. I am concerned about the number of medications and the different side effects. Anyone with experience with these in combination? Especially with long-term use? Thanks.

Response:

My doctor currently has me on Effexor, Wellbutrin, Elavil, Dexedrine, and Klonopin. I am concerned about the number of medications and the different side effects. Anyone with experience with these in combination? Especially with long-term use? Thanks.

OMG…….I don’t know much about combo drugs like that, but it sounds unlikely.  I took Wellbutrin with Celexa and that was a great combo for about 4 months.  I became hypomanic by the 7th month and just stopped cold turkey off the meds.  I don’t recommend that to anyone!  It was just awful and it hurled me into a massive depressive relapse lasting for almost 8 months. My concern is the Wellbutrin+Effexor.  I’ve not seen that before. Take care, Carrie

Response:

My doctor currently has me on Effexor, Wellbutrin, Elavil, Dexedrine, and Klonopin. I am concerned about the number of medications and the different side effects. Anyone with experience with these in combination? Especially with long-term use? Thanks. Immediately find a new Dr. – anybody -and fire him. That is insane! Why a stimulant and a depressant? That’s quackery.

You are JC.  LOL.  Nice posting handle!  I feel so much more better posting here. Carrie LOL

Response:

I am on Effexor, Wellbutrin, Neurontin, Ritalin and Provigil.  Some of them are listed as having interactions with each other.  I think the doctor who is prescribing them knows what she is doing. The Effexor/Wellbutrin combination is the one I have been on the longest – over a year. Is your doctor a GP or a specialist? That may have a lot to do with how much they know about drug interactions. If it is a GP, they may not know enough about mixing all these drugs. But if they are specialists, they have probably worked with many  patients who have used these drugs in various combinations. Plus, I am sure you were not just put on all the drugs at once. One was started, then one added, then some time later another and another. With each addition you would have noticed new side effects or adverse affects. If you are very concerned about your drug regimen, speak to your doctor about it. Effexor has a discontinuation syndrome. Do not stop it unless you talk to your Dr. Just about all drugs have side effects of one type or another. The real question is, do the positive effects of the drugs outweigh the side effects? Are you better now than you were before you were on the drugs? Good Luck R

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My doctor currently has me on Effexor, Wellbutrin, Elavil, Dexedrine, and Klonopin. I am concerned about the number of medications and the different side effects. Anyone with experience with these in combination? Especially with long-term use? Thanks.

Response:

I would worry when you withdraw Klonopin.  Be sure to go down slowly to minimize benzodiazepine withdrawl syndrome.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My doctor currently has me on Effexor, Wellbutrin, Elavil, Dexedrine, and Klonopin. I am concerned about the number of medications and the different side effects. Anyone with experience with these in combination? Especially with long-term use? Thanks.

Response:

piggy backing here ~~ same goes for the Wellbutrin, nice and slow. Carrie

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I would worry when you withdraw Klonopin.  Be sure to go down slowly to minimize benzodiazepine withdrawl syndrome. My doctor currently has me on Effexor, Wellbutrin, Elavil, Dexedrine, and Klonopin. I am concerned about the number of medications and the different side effects. Anyone with experience with these in combination? Especially with long-term use? Thanks.

Response:

I would worry when you withdraw Klonopin.  Be sure to go down slowly to minimize benzodiazepine withdrawl syndrome.

Squiggles, is that you?

Response:

piggy backing here ~~ same goes for the Wellbutrin, nice and slow.

Sometimes rough and fast works just as well.

Response:

I would worry when you withdraw Klonopin.  Be sure to go down slowly to minimize benzodiazepine withdrawl syndrome. Squiggles, is that you?

– No, I would be more specific and emphatic. Squiggles

Response:

My concern is the Wellbutrin+Effexor.  I’ve not seen that before. Take care, Carrie

I’ve been taking the Effexor + Wellbutrin combo for over 3 years.

Response:

I have asthma with aspergelosis and at times it is extreme and use prednisone. I also have chronic ulcerative colitis for which I used to take sulfasalazine. I did not notice any asthmatic reaction from this sulfa drug, but quit mainly because of noticing no improvement and didn’t like taking handfuls of it.  

Response:

This gal is taking sulfasalazin (500 mg).  Stopped taking it and am nearly back to normal, whatever that is for me Thanks for responding…

One other thought – you might be allergic to sulfa. — CBI, MD "Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it." -Andre Gide

Response:

This gal is taking sulfasalazin (500 mg).  Stopped taking it and am nearly back to normal, whatever that is for me Thanks for responding…

Drugs of the class to which sulfasalazine belong are known to trigger asthma in about 10% of asthmatics. It would be more accurate to say that aspirin triggers wheezing in 10% of asthmatics and related compounds, such as Motrin/Advil, do so less often. Sensitive people are called "aspririn sensitive asthmatics". Sulasalzine is less related and so many people find that if they are sensitive to aspirin they can still take it. It sounds like you are one of the unlucky few who can’t tolerate it. I think you should stop the sulfasalazine and report to your rheumatologist immediately that you think it is making you wheeze. You and all the doctors involved in your care should be aware of the possibility that you might react similarly (and much more severely) to all NSAIDS (aspirin, Advil/Motrin/ibuprofen, Aleve/naproxen, and others). Again, Plaquenil is a different drug entirely (it is an antibiotic used to treat Malaria that seems to affect RA for some reason). I would not expect this to cause similar problems. — CBI, MD "Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it." -Andre Gide

Response:

This gal is taking sulfasalazin (500 mg).  Stopped taking it and am nearly back to normal, whatever that is for me Thanks for responding…

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am new to this group and I have a question that I hope can be answered. I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis (on top of being asthmatic)  that I am currently taking the prescription drug sulfasalazin (plaquenil) for.  I have been taking it for 1 month now.  I really think this is the culprit that is causing my breathing to be so bad.  I have woken up at night a few times gasping for air and trying not to panic till I can get to my nebulizer. Does anyone here have any information or any thoughts that they can share with me on this? A quick search indicates that this medication may be an NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammitory Drug).  A small percentage of asthmatics are sensitive to these medications.  I recommend that you contact your doctor and ask if this is actually an NSAID and if so, what you should do. Sulfasalazine is related to NSAIDs and quite possibly can be exacerbating the asthma. Plaquenil is a different drug that is used as a disease modifying agent in RA. I would guess that the first question would be to figure out which he is taking. — CBI, MD "Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it." -Andre Gide

Response:

I am new to this group and I have a question that I hope can be answered.  I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis (on top of being asthmatic)  that I am currently taking the prescription drug sulfasalazin (plaquenil) for.  I have been taking it for 1 month now.  I really think this is the culprit that is causing my breathing to be so bad.  I have woken up at night a few times gasping for air and trying not to panic till I can get to my nebulizer. Does anyone here have any information or any thoughts that they can share with me on this?

A quick search indicates that this medication may be an NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammitory Drug).  A small percentage of asthmatics are sensitive to these medications.  I recommend that you contact your doctor and ask if this is actually an NSAID and if so, what you should do. "The commander in the field is always right and the rear echelon is wrong, unless proved otherwise."    General Colin Powell

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am new to this group and I have a question that I hope can be answered. I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis (on top of being asthmatic)  that I am currently taking the prescription drug sulfasalazin (plaquenil) for.  I have been taking it for 1 month now.  I really think this is the culprit that is causing my breathing to be so bad.  I have woken up at night a few times gasping for air and trying not to panic till I can get to my nebulizer. Does anyone here have any information or any thoughts that they can share with me on this? A quick search indicates that this medication may be an NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammitory Drug).  A small percentage of asthmatics are sensitive to these medications.  I recommend that you contact your doctor and ask if this is actually an NSAID and if so, what you should do.

Sulfasalazine is related to NSAIDs and quite possibly can be exacerbating the asthma. Plaquenil is a different drug that is used as a disease modifying agent in RA. I would guess that the first question would be to figure out which he is taking. — CBI, MD "Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it." -Andre Gide

Response:

I am new to this group and I have a question that I hope can be answered.  I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis (on top of being asthmatic)  that I am currently taking the prescription drug sulfasalazin (plaquenil) for.  I have been taking it for 1 month now.  I really think this is the culprit that is causing my breathing to be so bad.  I have woken up at night a few times gasping for air and trying not to panic till I can get to my nebulizer. Does anyone here have any information or any thoughts that they can share with me on this?

Response:

Hi Stacy, this should suffice. Scroll down to Type 2 Drugs: Class Action at the American Diabetes Association web site. This is being pulled out of the Diabetes Forecast magazine. I have provided a link. NOTE : The information under the Type 2 drugs is larger than your screen may show, so you may need to scroll across the screen to see the rest of it. http://www.diabetes.org/diabetesforecast/2000BuyersGuide/default.asp If you want to look up any medication, you can try www.rxlist.com , and see if there is any info on the medication. Other than that, you might check and see if your local library has a Physician’s Desk Reference, and you can look up the medications in that. Here are more web sites that might be helpful to you in one way or another. http://www.discoveryhealth.com/DH/ihtIH/WSDSC000/21054/21054.html http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH?r=WSCHN000&t=8124 Gina

Response:

Does anyone have any suggestions on where I could look to find information on the various diabetes medications?  I am Type II and I’m currently taking 2.5 mg glyburide twice a day.  I’d like to learn about other medications and the differences between them.

Response:

Does anyone have any suggestions on where I could look to find information on the various diabetes medications?  I am Type II and I’m currently taking 2.5 mg glyburide twice a day.  I’d like to learn about other medications and the differences between them.

A very worthwhile activity!  Here’s a good link:         <http://www.diabetes.org/ada/medicaltreatment.asp While you are at it, it might be good to check relative prices of these medications:  <http://drugstore.com or <http://rxplanet.com Those outside the US, prices may be much different (usually lower). While we’re on the topic of medications, I recently started on Prandin. Prandin causes your body to make more insulin.  You take it just before a meal, and its effect is gone within two hours.  You don’t need to take it for any meal where you are carefully counting your carbs, but for those times when you want a full meal with all the associated carbs, it works quite well.  In fact, if you *don’t* eat all those carbs, you’ll probably go low and need some sugars.  Very effective.  I had lentil soup (quite starchy) and chicken noodle casserole for lunch yesterday, with a couple saltine crackers.  This was a BIG lunch.  Two hours later: 119.  I’d expect 300 without it. Ask your doctor if they have a sample vial.  It is particularly effective along with glucophage.  Anyone want to guess what the URL is?  http://www.prandin.com .  Are we getting the idea? Jude —         Crouch Enterprises – Telecom, Internet & Unix Consulting       Oak Park, IL  708-848-0134  URL: http://www.pobox.com/~jcrouch

Response:

Newly diagnosed here.  An RN, but out of the loop for a year or so.  Am in the process of losing 60 lbs, but have no meds yet.  Would ultimately like to manage this with no meds if all my labs come back saying that I can.  However, in the mean time, what do others think and what experience do others have with taking meds like metformin and advandia until the weight is gone and then tapering off (with an enlightened MD’s advice, of course)?  Just diagnosed Monday, trying Bernstein/Schwarzbein approach, BG’s averaging 144, including high AM fasting, but I may be hoping for too much too soon. Cindy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Does anyone have any suggestions on where I could look to find information on the various diabetes medications?  I am Type II and I’m currently taking 2.5 mg glyburide twice a day.  I’d like to learn about other medications and the differences between them. A very worthwhile activity!  Here’s a good link:    <http://www.diabetes.org/ada/medicaltreatment.asp While you are at it, it might be good to check relative prices of these medications:  <http://drugstore.com or <http://rxplanet.com Those outside the US, prices may be much different (usually lower). While we’re on the topic of medications, I recently started on Prandin. Prandin causes your body to make more insulin.  You take it just before a meal, and its effect is gone within two hours.  You don’t need to take it for any meal where you are carefully counting your carbs, but for those times when you want a full meal with all the associated carbs, it works quite well.  In fact, if you *don’t* eat all those carbs, you’ll probably go low and need some sugars.  Very effective.  I had lentil soup (quite starchy) and chicken noodle casserole for lunch yesterday, with a couple saltine crackers.  This was a BIG lunch.  Two hours later: 119.  I’d expect 300 without it. Ask your doctor if they have a sample vial.  It is particularly effective along with glucophage.  Anyone want to guess what the URL is?  http://www.prandin.com .  Are we getting the idea? Jude

Response:

Thanks, Jude.  I fully intend to do the dietary control and exercise, although with one person saying one thing and vica versa, I’m a bit confused.  Guess I have to see what works for me.  For now, very little in the way of carbs and eating protein, veggies and sm. amounts of fats when hungry.  And water, water, water.  I really don’t want to take meds, but am willing to in order to get my blood sugar down.  Once the weight is off, I hope to control it with diet and exercise.  Perhaps I didn’t clarify that. Cindy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Newly diagnosed here.  An RN, but out of the loop for a year or so.  Am in the process of losing 60 lbs, but have no meds yet.  Would ultimately like to manage this with no meds if all my labs come back saying that I can.  However, in the mean time, what do others think and what experience do others have with taking meds like metformin and advandia until the weight is gone and then tapering off (with an enlightened MD’s advice, of course)?  Just diagnosed Monday, trying Bernstein/Schwarzbein approach, BG’s averaging 144, including high AM fasting, but I may be hoping for too much too soon. I haven’t taken avandia, but I have taken metformin (Glucophage) since diagnosis.  There is a period of two weeks or so when you must overcome some diarhhea, just so you know.  It is generally prescribed at a small dosage, then increased once the body is accustomed to the effects and can overcome them.  The clinical literature says that they did not test dosages less than 1500mg per day, but some of us are getting good results at dosages less than that.  The biggest benefit to metformin is that it seldom causes lows, which makes tighter control easier. A lot of people experience weight loss with metformin, the average in the tests was 8 pounds. Remember that part of the therapies with all oral medications is dietary control and exercise. All the best to you. Jude

Response:

My husband started with one 500 mg tab of metformin when first diagnosed and with diet and exercise the bg’s and the weight dropped dramatically.  After 18 months or so he got complacent as he felt well, the diet went by the wayside, weight crept on and tabs got forgotten quite often.  Result was he got very sick very quickly including his eyesight being irreparably damaged.  He was well one day and sick as a dog the next.  His bg’s were 20.00.  The doc put him instantly on 3 X 500 mg metformin and told him to get an endo appointment pronto.  He got no diarhoea, the weight and bg’s came down again but not as quick as the first time round. He is fairly well controlled at the moment (3 months down the track).  If he had stuck to the diet and exercise the first time round I am confident he could have gone off meds.  His dad has gone from insulin to now metmorfin and his doc is also confident he can go off meds eventually as he is a well-behaved diabetic Jan

Newly diagnosed here.  An RN, but out of the loop for a year or so.  Am in the process of losing 60 lbs, but have no meds yet. Would ultimately like to manage this with no meds if all my labs come back saying that I can.  However, in the mean time, what do others think and what experience do others have with taking meds like metformin and advandia until the weight is gone and then tapering off (with an enlightened MD’s advice, of course)?  Just diagnosed Monday, trying

Bernstein/Schwarzbein approach, BG’s averaging 144, including high AM fasting, but I may be hoping for too much too soon. Cindy Does anyone have any suggestions on where I could look to find information on the various diabetes medications?  I am Type II and

I’m currently taking 2.5 mg glyburide twice a day.  I’d like to learn about other medications and the differences between them. A very worthwhile activity!  Here’s a good link: <http://www.diabetes.org/ada/medicaltreatment.asp While you are at it, it might be good to check relative prices of these medications:  <http://drugstore.com or

<http://rxplanet.com Those outside the US, prices may be much different (usually lower). While we’re on the topic of medications, I recently started on Prandin. Prandin causes your body to make more insulin.  You take it just before a meal, and its effect is gone within two hours.  You don’t need to take it for any meal where you are carefully counting your carbs, but for those times when you want a full meal with all the

associated carbs, it – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – works quite well.  In fact, if you *don’t* eat all those carbs, you’ll probably go low and need some sugars.  Very effective.  I had lentil soup (quite starchy) and chicken noodle casserole for lunch yesterday, with a couple saltine crackers.  This was a BIG lunch. Two hours later: 119.  I’d expect 300 without it. Ask your doctor if they have a sample vial.  It is particularly effective along with glucophage.  Anyone want to guess what the URL is?  http://www.prandin.com .  Are we getting the idea? Jude

Response:

Newly diagnosed here.  An RN, but out of the loop for a year or so.  Am in the process of losing 60 lbs, but have no meds yet.  Would ultimately like to manage this with no meds if all my labs come back saying that I can.  However, in the mean time, what do others think and what experience do others have with taking meds like metformin and advandia until the weight is gone and then tapering off (with an enlightened MD’s advice, of course)?  Just diagnosed Monday, trying Bernstein/Schwarzbein approach, BG’s averaging 144, including high AM fasting, but I may be hoping for too much too soon.

I haven’t taken avandia, but I have taken metformin (Glucophage) since diagnosis.  There is a period of two weeks or so when you must overcome some diarhhea, just so you know.  It is generally prescribed at a small dosage, then increased once the body is accustomed to the effects and can overcome them.  The clinical literature says that they did not test dosages less than 1500mg per day, but some of us are getting good results at dosages less than that.  The biggest benefit to metformin is that it seldom causes lows, which makes tighter control easier. A lot of people experience weight loss with metformin, the average in the tests was 8 pounds. Remember that part of the therapies with all oral medications is dietary control and exercise. All the best to you. Jude —         Crouch Enterprises – Telecom, Internet & Unix Consulting       Oak Park, IL  708-848-0134  URL: http://www.pobox.com/~jcrouch

Response:

Ask your doctor if they have a sample vial.  It is particularly effective along with glucophage.  Anyone want to guess what the URL is?  http://www.prandin.com .  Are we getting the idea? A vial?  Is this injected?

A small bottle containing medicines.  No, it is in tablet form. Jude —         Crouch Enterprises – Telecom, Internet & Unix Consulting       Oak Park, IL  708-848-0134  URL: http://www.pobox.com/~jcrouch

Response:

I never tout things on this site, or any other for that matter, but my Son sent me a neighborhood Philadelphia paper with an ad for perscriptions from Israel. Since I’m retired Air Force I don’t pay for my Meds, but I pass this along for anyone who might awnt to investigate this. One of the sample prices they list is Glocophage 800 Mgs.180 count for $41 versus $218 in the U.S. F.

Response:

: I never tout things on this site, or any other for that matter, but my Son : sent me a neighborhood Philadelphia paper with an ad for perscriptions from : Israel. Since I’m retired Air Force I don’t pay for my Meds, but I pass this : along for anyone who might awnt to investigate this. One of the sample : prices they list is Glocophage 800 Mgs.180 count for $41 versus $218 in the : U.S. : F. The question I have is what is the cost for generic metformin in the US?   That is what I take and, fortunately, am covered by an insurance plan.   Wendy Baker

Response:

I never tout things on this site, or any other for that matter, but my Son sent me a neighborhood Philadelphia paper with an ad for perscriptions from Israel. Since I’m retired Air Force I don’t pay for my Meds, but I pass this along for anyone who might awnt to investigate this. One of the sample prices they list is Glocophage 800 Mgs.180 count for $41 versus $218 in the U.S. F.

these are the prices for drugstore.com partnered with Rite Aid in the USA:   Glucophage tablets  60            180 500MG $46.78   $128.25   eneric Metformin HCl tablets  60            180 500MG $33.22   $85.93 Glucophage tablets    60          180 850MG $78.38   $219.15   Generic Metformin HCl tablets   60           180 850MG $51.22   $130.07     Glucophage tablets      60           180 1000MG $95.90   $265.57   Generic Metformin HCl tablets      60          180 1000MG $55.48   $136.31 Mack Type 1 since 1975 Minimed 508 Insulin Pump http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org http://www.insulin-pumpers.org http://www.us.zerolimit.net (irc server webpage for our chat room) #diabeticnet is the name of our IRC chat on zerolimit.net http://www.zerolimit.net/files/zl-mirc.exe  http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/misc/webtv.html http://www.xs4all.nl/~ircle/  <–Ircle Mac IRC software

Response:

Dear Jerry, Vicodan is a combination drug composed of acetaminophen 500 mg and hydrocodone, a synthetic narcotic, similar to but more active than codeine. It is addictive. I am also a recovering alcoholic, and have used narcotics for acute conditions, i.e. post-op pain. I also have chronic pain from MS but avoid opiates since they are really not effective. There are other nonnarcotic agents which block the formation of substance P, a culprit produced in nerve pain. Are you specifically taking vicodin for headaches only? If so, there are several NSAIDS which are effective in the relief of headache pain. Perhaps you may wish to discuss these options withyour pdoc. Take care and be well, Lynda

Response:

Hi Jerry,     Love your colors.     I have never heard of vicodin (hydrocodone) being used for low moods of bipolar.  It is a painkiller not a mood stabalizer or antidepressant.     I guess I dont know why that medication.  I would need more info to answer properly   Treacha     :as the tree grows…     :the bird flies…the cloud forms…     :wherever you go, there you are

Response:

jerry– hydrocodone is an opiate, so im not sure it would help a depression (besides sedate you???) and you being a recoving alcoholic? ive heard of people getting addicted to it…i would press him for specific details supporting his action (as in something that you could go read and understand youself)…also, vicodin can go toxic–i tried to od on it. wish i could see your pictures alexia – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –                                 [Image] Is there anyone else out there being prescribed (vicodin) hydrocodone for their low periods besides me? This is a low dosage and my pdoc says I can not get addicted at these levels.