Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients articles from July 2001

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients archives from July 2001

Literature Review & Commentary.(glucosamine; obesity and sleep-disordered breathing; Procaine for itch treatment; inosine for multiple sclerosis; laughter and allergy relief; plastics and precocious puberty; glutamine and GHB for alcoholism treatment)
July 1, 2001... Glucosamine hits the big time Two hundred-twelve patients with mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 1,500 mg of glucosamine sulfate (GS) or placebo once daily for 3 years....

People-Safe Mosquito Control.
July 1, 2001... Health Risks and Environmental Issues Reducing mosquito habitat and using safer products are wise choices for protecting human health and the environment. The appearance of West Nile Virus two years ago and the way in which it was handled...

New "First Aid Kits" for the New Millennium Now with Natural Devices to Do Battle with the Creepy Tick!
July 1, 2001... A record 50 million Americans will arm themselves this year with tents, packs and FirstAid kits to venture forth for the annual ritual of overnight camping. But on their minds will be a relatively new and very untraditional question, one...

The War on Cancer.(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2001... Against the Double Standard: A Reply to the ACS (Part 1) How does one judge the relative merits of cancer treatments? What are the standards by which a treatment is declared effective or ineffective? The American Cancer Society has an...

What is your Favorite Liver Formula?(Chinese medicine)
July 1, 2001... In my practice one of the most useful formulas has been Ease Plus (Chai Hu Long Gu Mu Li Tang). This formula, although very practically applied today, was developed approximately 1800 years ago. Typical modern applications include helping...

Universal Oral Vaccine: The Immune Milk Saga.
July 1, 2001... Part I An oral vaccine exists that is: * 100% safe for 100% of those who use it; * can be taken orally without any distaste; * can be manufactured in virtually every country in the world with the technology available to each...

Using Homeopathy with Conventional Medications.
July 1, 2001... You may be surprised to learn that homeopathic medicine can be extremely effective even if patients are taking prescription medication. Although many homeopaths would rather not treat patients who are on conventional medications, it is a...

The Study of Fungi is Showing Positive Results.(for improvement of the body's immune function)
July 1, 2001... Recently, mushrooms have become the target of studies trying to determine if fungi have nutritional benefits which could improve the body's immune function. These studies have taken place primarily in China, Japan and Korea. In Japan, when...

Correction Notice...(to article "Bee well: holistic physician Ralph Golan, MD discusses an unusual treatment for a case of inflammatory bowel disease" in the June 2001 issue)(Correction Notice)
July 1, 2001... Corrections to the article in our June issue by Lily G. Casura entitled "Bee Well: Holistic Physician Ralph Golan, MD Discusses an Unusual Treatment for a Case of Inflammatory Bowel Disease" follow. We apologize for these errors. Cover...

CAM Industry Leaders Surveyed, Research Conference Big Draw, Medical Cost Ratios, Update on HCFA and CAM, HIPAA May Restrict CAM Exploration.(complementary and alternative medicine)
July 1, 2001... CAM Industry Self-Perception A snapshot of the emerging complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) industry's self-perception is provided by 81 respondents (77% response rate) to a pre-summit survey leading up to a year 2001 Integrative...

Naturopathic Approach to Alzheimer's Disease.
July 1, 2001... Alzheimer's disease is perhaps the most important of all the degenerative diseases today because of its frequent occurrence and devastating nature. It is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, with all that this implies in the way of...

New Advances in Parkinson's Disease.
July 1, 2001... It has been estimated that in the United States alone more than 1 million people have Parkinson's disease, with more than 50,000 new cases being diagnosed each year. That translates to a prevalence of about 1-2 cases per 1000 individuals in the...

Guest Editorial -- On the War on Drugs.(Editorial)
July 1, 2001... For decades, the US government has waged a relentless "war" on the use of marijuana, opiates, and other substances. Yet, illicit drugs are today more plentiful than ever! Global in scope and costing untold billions of dollars, this war has...

Addictive Drugs & the Brain.(increases dopamine in the brain)
July 1, 2001... Neuroscientists, using MRI and PET scans, have found that the use of addictive substances increases the amount of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain's pleasure centers. Some substances, like heroin, nicotine, alcohol, and amphetamines,...

Treating Addiction with Drugs.(methadone and naltrexone)
July 1, 2001... Drug and alcohol addictions target the pleasure areas of the brain. With long-term use, brain chemistry changes. The number of dopamine receptors in the these pleasure areas decreases, and more stimulation is needed in order to feel normal. In...

Court-Ordered Drug Treatment.
July 1, 2001... Over the last twenty years, the threat of harsh prison sentences has been the government's weapon against domestic drug abuse. As the numbers of prison inmates jailed for substance abuse and the numbers of prisons have grown, a less expensive...

War on Drugs.(statistical overview)
July 1, 2001... According to a YES! article by Carol Estes, a lot of money is being made in the US drug trade. Traffickers make an estimated $450 billion a year; corporations and financial institutions launder an estimated $250 billion in drug money; and the...

Medicinal Marijuana.
July 1, 2001... Researchers are working to harness the medicinal effects of the cannabinoid THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the most powerful therapeutic chemical in marijuana, while avoiding the "high" that it causes. The National Academy of Sciences' Institute...

Psychedelic Plants.(for psychotherapeutics)
July 1, 2001... In an interview with Shaman's Drum editor Timothy White, psychologist Ralph Metzner, PhD, talked about his long-time interest in the creative, spiritual, and psychotherapeutic possibilities of psychedelics, specifically botanical psychedelics....

Addictions.(excerpt from "The Food-Mood-Body Connection" on food addiction treatment)
July 1, 2001... A chapter in Gary Null's recent book The Food-Mood-Body Connection focuses on addiction. In it, he presents the views of several practitioners, including himself, with experience in treating people with all kinds of addictions, especially food...

Beta Blockers -- A Golfing Boost?(some golfers use beta blockers to calm their nerves)
July 1, 2001... When does the use of legal drugs become unethical? In the world of athletic competition, it is when the drug gives an athlete an unfair advantage. Australian golfer Craig Parry charges that some golfers may be using beta blockers, drugs usually...

OxyContin.
July 1, 2001... Since its approval in 1995, OxyContin has been touted by its manufacturer Purdue Pharma L.P. as an effective pain medication that is less prone to abuse than other narcotics. OxyContin is designed to release a synthetic morphine-like compound...

Alcoholism and Its Treatment.
July 1, 2001... Alcohol intoxication and dependence is one of the most pervasive mental disorders in the United States. There are approximately 15.4 million adults with serious alcohol-related problems. Teens and adolescents rate a close second with 4.6...

Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, Detoxification Programs.
July 1, 2001... Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology is the term describing the unity of mental, neurological, hormonal and immune functions with its many potential applications. PNIE addresses the influence of the cognitive images of the mind (whatever its elusive...

Phytotherapy to Assist Opiate Withdrawal.
July 1, 2001... Unfortunately no well-controlled clinical trials have been conducted to assess the value of herbal treatments during or following the trauma of opiate drug withdrawal. However, it can be argued from the known properties of several plants that...

Drug Addictions, Hallucinogens and Shamanism: the View from Anthropology.
July 1, 2001... In the West, many drugs are highly refined and consumed excessively or habitually, in ways that are addictive and unhealthy. However, in traditional societies powerful mind-active plants are consumed ritually for therapeutic purposes or for...

Inmates Defend Acupuncture Treatment of Drug Abuse.
July 1, 2001... Michael, a drug addict at the Maryland Detention Center in Baltimore, said he has found his salvation -- in a needle. Michael is one of about 30 inmates participating in the first jail-based acupuncture detoxtherapy program in. the country....

Community Health Initiative Bare-Bones Acupuncture, Big-Time Recoveries.
July 1, 2001... * "I feel so relaxed." * "It takes away the cravings." * "I'm getting my life back." * "This ain't no program. This is help." That help is a modest walk-in facility in Baltimore's inner city, where people with addictions get...

Opioid Addiction & Chinese Medicine.
July 1, 2001... In James Lake's and my Chinese Medical Psychiatry, readers will see that, under many (if not most). disease categories, substance abuse is one of the three main subcategories of differential diagnosis. According to the National Institute of...

Detoxification Breakthroughs for Addictions & Chronic Toxicity.
July 1, 2001... The increase in worldwide air, water, and food pollution has contributed to the rise in many notoriously complex syndromes involving toxicity which necessitates the clinical use of effective detoxification protocols in clinical practice....

Letters to the Editor.(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2001... Sternal-Costal (SC) and Vertebro-Costal (VC) Syndrome: A Typical Case History Editor: Peter had a sudden chest pain and as a result of the pain, he saw his family physician. He was told that the chest pain was not related to his heart...

Dumping on St. John's wort.(Time Magazine)
July 1, 2001... Time Magazine recently explored the depths of journalistic irresponsibility in its coverage of a study that concluded St. John's wort was ineffective in the treatment of severe depression. The article labeled the herb "Golden dud," and remarked...

Supreme Court Ruling Against Medical Use of Marijuana is Contemptible.
July 1, 2001... "Stupid is as stupid does..." Forest Gump In December, 2000 the Supreme Court raised the ire of the nation by deciding how Florida's election results favored Bush thereby giving him the Presidency. At the time many felt that the...

Unraveling Antidepressant Medications: What You & Your Physician May Not Know.
July 1, 2001... Antidepressant medications are the first line of defense used by most medical doctors and psychiatrists for treating depression. Newer medications are advertised as being improved and presenting with fewer risks and side effects. The truth of...

The Brain's Endogenous Psychedelic.(Review)
July 1, 2001... DMT: The Spirit Molecule by Rick Strassman, MD Park Street Press, One Park Street, Rochester, Vermont 05767 USA; www.InnerTraditions.com Softbound, ISBN 0-89281-927-8, 2001, 358 pp, $16.95 Psychedelic plants and mushrooms have...

The Benefits of Industrial Hemp.(Review)
July 1, 2001... Hemp, Hemp, Hooray! (a video) by L.B. Johnson, P.O. Box 757, Aptos, California 95001 USA; 831-688-0162; Email: lbj@hempvideo.com; http://www.hempvideo.com 58 minutes; $25 (includes shipping) First, let's get one thing clear: industrial hemp...

Women, Heart Disease and Misinformation.(Review)
July 1, 2001... 50 Ways Women Can Prevent Heart Disease by M. Sara Rosenthal Published by Lowell House A division of NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group, Inc., 4255 West Touhy Avenue, Lincolnwood, Illinois 60646 USA Softcover, 2000, $14.95...

A Treasure Trove of Information for Women.(Review)
July 1, 2001... Natural Hormone Balance for Women: Look Younger, Feel Stronger, and Live Life with Exuberance by Uzzi Reiss, MD, with Martin Zucker Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020 USA Hardbound, ISBN 0-7434-0665-6,...

Alternatives for Brain Dysfunction.(Review)
July 1, 2001... Brainrecovery.com: Powerful Therapy for Challenging Brain Disorders by David Perlmutter, MD The Perlmutter Health Center, 800 Goodlette Road North, Suite 270, Naples, Florida 34201 USA Softbound, ISBN: 0-9635874-1-2, 2000, $15.95, 170...

Ipriflavone and postmenopausal osteoporosis.
July 1, 2001... Four hundred seventy-four postmenopausal Caucasian women with bone mineral densities less than 0.86 g/cm squared were enrolled in a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 4-year study. Patients were randomly assigned to...

HRT and ovarian cancer.(hormone replacement therapy )
July 1, 2001... Greater than 10 years of use of conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women was associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer mortality according to a prospective cohort (observational) study of 211,581 women....

Gonorrhea rates on the rise.(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2001... Between 1997 and 1999, the rate of gonorrhea has increased 9% after a 20 year period of decline. In 1997, there were 119 gonorrhea cases per 100,000 women but in 1999 the rate grew to 130 cases. In men, the number of cases increased from...

Vitamin B12 deficiency, infertility and miscarriage.
July 1, 2001... Infertility as a result of vitamin B12 deficiency may be related to anovulation, abnormal cell division in the fertilized ovum or a lack of implantation due to megaloblastoid changes in the endometrium. Recurrent early fetal loss may also be...

Estriol and pelvic floor muscle exercise for stress incontinence.
July 1, 2001... Sixty-six postmenopausal women with stress incontinence (SI) were randomized to a group treated with estriol 1 mg per day and pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME) and a group treated with PFME alone. Patients were evaluated every 3 months and...

Soy and lipids.
July 1, 2001... In a randomized crossover trial, fasting lipid levels were obtained from 18 normocholesterolemic and mildly hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women using 3 different isoflavone supplements for 3 months each. The first phase was placebo, the...

Soy, lipids, bmd and menopausal symptoms in Japanese Women.(bone mineral density )
July 1, 2001... The dietary intake of soy was estimated in 478 postmenopausal Japanese women. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL and apolipoproteins were recorded. Bone mineral density was measured at the lumbar spine by DEXA. Women were categorized as...

Nutrients to Reduce Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal.
July 1, 2001... In alcoholics, the alcohol withdrawal syndrome usually begins 12 to 48 hours after the last drink. Depending upon patient-specific variables, the syndrome may range from mild anxiety to the full-blown presentation of delirium tremens marked by...