medhodgepodge

The air in the building where I work is so dry. I often drink a half gallon of water in a night when I'm working.

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medhodgepodge

http://ping.fm/3fKnW Got something interesting and informative to say? Trade your intelligence for back links at Qassia!

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Better fast food

Let's face it, I'm no cook. Most fast food is pretty much an artery clogging fat load, but something like a baked potato and chili from Wendy's is actually not a bad meal. I get the baked potato (yes, I use sour cream. Because life is too short to eat a !*!&$( DRY POTATO!) and a large chili with onions and cheese. I pour the chili on the potato. Chili is loaded with fiber and nutrients. Potatoes have B vitamins and potassium, especially if you eat the skin. So this is actually a reasonably healthy meal. You can also get a side salad with Italian dressing and make it complete. Well, get whatever dressing you want, but I tend to roll with the oil and vinegar based ones. Ranch is bad because it contains MSG. On my soapbox. MSG is not a "spice." It technically has no flavor of its own. MSG IS A NEUROTOXIN! It alters the brain chemistry of the person eating it. No joke, look it up. Many people are intolerant of this vile substance. For most, it causes intestinal distress to one degree or another. Sometimes it can even cause respiratory distress. I used to be on several asthma meds until I started watching out for MSG in foods. I was able to get off ALL asthma meds. I still have mild asthma but it tends to only be triggered by extreme cold or exercise and does not require medication.

At any rate, yes, you can find healthy alternatives at fast food joints. I know this. I just don't always take them...

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Irresponsible and Reprehensible

The story from MSNBC is about a doctor who performed an abortion on an 18 year old client at 23 weeks. The fetus emerged alive. The clinic's owner cut the cord and placed the newborn and the afterbirth in a garbage bag. Read the story first and then the Curmudgeon's Comment.

The Crusty Curmudgeon sez: Once the fetus was born alive, it was the responsibility of the clinic staff to immediately get medical care for it. Also, it was irresponsible of these doctors to do an abortion at this stage of pregnancy unless there was a compelling medical reason. My belief is that abortion should be available on demand after counseling about all options and possible effects both physical and psychological during the first trimester. After the first trimester, it should be available only if there is a viable medical reason for doing so.

It was reprehensible of the clinic staff to agree to do an abortion so far along without sound medical reason in the first place. It was diabolical of them to not get immediate emergency medical care for the live infant. They should all be stripped of their licenses and jailed immediately.

Monosodium Glutamate: It Straight UP Sucks!

We all should be concerned with getting MSG out of our food supply. This stuff is quite literally a neurotoxin. It does NOT add flavor to food. It alters the brain chemistry of the individual eating a food to which it has been added, so said individual perceives the food as tasting stronger.

MSG generally causes headaches and irritable bowel, but it can also cause respiratory problems. I used to be on several asthma medications. When I became aware of MSG's ill effects, I started reading labels and if it was in something, I passed it up. I was able to get off all asthma meds.

There are studies that suggest that the number of children with autism and ADHD may be related to monosodium glutamate in our food supply. It became widely used after 1950 in the United States. The number of children with such problems rose sharply after that time. Hmmmmm....

As little as 2 tablespoons of MSG can cause animals such as dogs to have seizures.

Do we really need this crap in our food? I think not!

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Correction

http://www.openzine.com/…rangeworld Mistake on the original link to the zine. Sorry about that, y'all

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Got something to say?

http://jobkiller.qassia.com/ Share your articles, stories, poems, rants, and well-written promotions on Qassia and earn links to your own blog or website.

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New Strange World Mini-Zine Issue #2

http://newstrangeworld.openzine.com/ Issue #2 of my mini-zine is ready. Info about bipolar disorder and supplements, plus cool vids and funny pix. Dig in!

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Facebook Cause: Drive for WFMH

http://apps.facebook.com/…ses/190050

Please join my drive to raise money and awareness for the World Federation for Mental Health.

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Affordable insurance plans

http://adjix.com/qrr

Don't have insurance? Check out these plans. As low as $49.95/month. In business since 1982.

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Aqualyte

http://TwitPWR.com/aqualyte/

Yes, this is a product that I sell. I use it myself. Aqualyte is coral calcium. It helps strengthen your bones, of course, but it also alkalizes water or juice. Research shows that alkalizing your diet has wonderful health benefits including the reduction of inflammation in your muscles and digestive tract. Aqualyte comes in easy to use tea bag style sachets, no inconvenient powders, no nasty taste. You can give it to your pets too, and the used sachets can be put in your potted plants to nourish them as well. As little as $25 per month for an individual supply. No hard sell, just check out the web site and decide for yourself.

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Mental Illness = A Crime?

http://www.care2.com/…ail/961442

Is being mentally ill a crime? Please read Mary's story. Her mentally ill brother, a heart patient, died in prison. She wants the justice department to investigate and is being stonewalled. Do not persons with mental illness deserve at least the basic rights? Have we not at least come that far?

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Medication, dependence and addiction

All medications are drugs. Many have potential for dependence and some have potential for addiction. Dependence and addiction are not the same thing. When a person develops a dependence on a medication they will need to taper off use of it. Dependence is a purely physiological condition. Addiction has both physiological ans psychological components. With addiction, a person needs increasing amounts of a substance for it to continue having the desired affect. While a person can experience some distress in discontinuing a medication that they are dependent on, the distress is markedly worse in withdrawing from a medication or substance that they are addicted to.

Statistically, less than 1 percent of people become addicted to any medication. The medications with the greatest potential for addiction are opiate painkillers, not psychoactive medications such as antidepressants.

Why I Hate MSG (from the Experience Project

F or many people, monosodium glutamate causes digestive distess. I am certainly one of those. If I ingest this vile substance, I will be sitting doubled over in agony on that certain throne for a couple of hours.

But worse, MSG also causes respiratory distress. For me it sometimes causes numbness of the lips and tongue. I used to be on asthma medication before I discovered that MSG could cause respiratory distress. When I started being careful to check for MSG on the food ingredient lists, I was able to stop taking asthma medication. However, MSG may be in the "spices" or "flavorings" in certain products. It is (astoundingly) considered a GRAS (generally regarded as safe) food additive.

Studies show that just two tablespoons of MSG can cause seizures in dogs . And since MSG was introduced as a common food additive in 1948, cases of autism and ADHD have risen sharply.

Certain foods contain naturally occurring trace amounts of MSG. Unless a person has a severe glutamine intolerance, these foods will never be a problem. Soy sauce is often vilified, but it would be difficult to use enough that it would become problematic except in the case of a severe intolerance. Foods like soy sauce are not the problem. Added MSG is the problem. MSG is a far from harmless food additive. In my humble opinion, it should be banished from use.

I love the night shift

#Night #shift is the right shift, most of the time. But it can be rough. This website has some tips for #night #owls. http://enw.org/…tShift.htm

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The Flu Shot and Anti-viral medications

This is a reply I posted in response to a post by the Lazy Iguana. I decided to duplicate it here, because unlike my previous post, this is news you can use!

Unless there is a really heinous potentially deadly even to normally healthy people strain of the flu going around, I do not get the flu shot. The flu shot is pretty well a crap shoot. If you are immunocompromised or over 65, you should get the flu shot, because even healthy older people are more prone to the flu becoming pneumonia due to less hardy immune systems, lower lung capacity, and a general slowing of healing functions. But for the rest of us, it isn't as essential.

All this annoying medical training has taught me one thing: the new anti-viral medications are very safe and very effective. The one caveat is that you have to take them as soon as you realize you're really sick. Not just the coughing-stuffy head-sore throat-minor upper chest congestion kind of sick. The kind where you have a cough that feels like you're going to hack up one of your lungs, which may feel like you inhaled sludge. Also there is usually fever and muscle ache with the flu. There isn't a stuffy nose. There might be a sore throat, but it's usually from coughing. At any rate, get ye to the doctor and ask for an antiviral. It won't destroy the viruses that are already in your system but will stop them from replicating so you will get well faster. Rather expensive stuff but very effective. One of the few medications to come along where I've said "this stuff really rules!"

Urinary Incontinence

Here are the results of an exciting quiz that I took at everydayhealth.com

Do You Have an Overactive Bladder?
High risk.
Your responses indicate that you have significant difficulty controlling your bladder, and therefore you are probably experiencing an overactive bladder or some other problem with incontinence. You should make an appointment to discuss your symptoms and concerns with your doctor as soon as possible.

An overactive bladder is characterized by a recurring, strong, and sudden need to urinate. A person with an overactive bladder tends to urinate eight to ten or more times a day, and is also likely to experience leakage in between. The urgent need to urinate, also known as urge incontinence, is a major symptom of an overactive bladder.

This type of incontinence is most common among elderly people, but it’s not a normal part of the aging process, as many mistakenly believe; urge incontinence is caused by other conditions or disorders. The National Institute on Aging reports that it commonly occurs as a result of diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis, and that it can sometimes be an early sign of bladder cancer.

There are three other types of incontinence that might possibly be contributing to your symptoms.

* Stress incontinence: Stress on the lower stomach muscles causes urine leakage. This is most common among younger and middle-aged women.
* Overflow incontinence: An overfilled bladder causes a constant dripping of urine. This can occur, for example, when an enlarged prostate blocks a man’s urethra.
* Functional incontinence: The normal ability to control urination is compromised by an inability to get to the bathroom quickly enough.

In general, women are more likely than men to experience urinary incontinence, mainly as a result of childbirth complications, medical treatment, trauma, and changes that occur in the body with the onset of menopause. But there are many medical problems that can cause incontinence, including weakened or overactive pelvic muscles; bladder nerve damage; limited mobility; urinary tract, kidney, and bladder infections; diabetes; and high calcium levels.

Lifestyle problems, such as obesity, poor eating habits, and smoking can also contribute to incontinence. Obesity has been linked to urinary difficulties in both men and women, but studies show that women with a high body mass index (a BMI of 30 or higher) are more likely to experience stress incontinence. Avoiding bladder irritants, such as citrus and spicy foods, as well as anything sweetened with aspartame (NutraSweet), carbonated drinks, and diuretics such as caffeine and alcohol can make a difference. Quitting or cutting down on smoking may also reduce symptoms of stress incontinence, since female smokers are twice as likely as nonsmokers to develop this type of incontinence.

Additionally, keep in mind that certain medications and pelvic or abdominal surgeries can also cause incontinence, so be sure to discuss any risks as well as possible alternatives with your doctor.

These days, many options are available for treating incontinence, and the treatments are improving all the time. Even if your attempts to solve your incontinence problems were unsuccessful in the past, the health care community’s management of incontinence, including the methods of diagnosis and treatment, has greatly improved in recent years. You don’t have to suffer from the inconveniences and discomforts associated with an overactive bladder or incontinence. You’ve already taken the first step by taking this quiz and starting to educate yourself about incontinence. Next, make an appointment with your doctor, and start down the road to recovery!

My comments: Yes, I do have some issues with urinary incontinence. I am not elderly yet. And I'm not going to take the medications for it. The side effects are worse than the problem. Nor am I going to get that procedure where they inject silicone into the urethra. Are you fucking kidding me? Nobody is sticking a needle in there!
I think I developed this problem mostly due to my tendency to hold my pee for long periods of time when I was younger because of the types of jobs I worked. It would sometimes be a couple of hours beyond when I felt the urge before I would get to the bathroom. When I was in my late 30's it became harder and harder to hold it and by the time I was 40, I had sprung a leak. I use Poise-type pads. For me it seems better than the alternatives!

Dangerous Drugs according to Docs

This article originally found on MSNBC. I'm passing it on in its whole form because I think it's important and relevant. I do NOT claim to have written it.

8 Drugs Doctors Would Never Take
If they won't use these medications, why should you?
By Morgan Lord, Men's Health

Prescription For Danger?
With 3,480 pages of fine print, the Physicians' Desk Reference (a.k.a. PDR) is not a quick read. That's because it contains every iota of information on more than 4,000 prescription medications. Heck, the PDR is medication — a humongous sleeping pill.

Doctors count on this compendium to help them make smart prescribing decisions — in other words, to choose drugs that will solve their patients' medical problems without creating new ones. Unfortunately, it seems some doctors rarely pull the PDR off the shelf. Or if they do crack it open, they don't stay versed on emerging research that may suddenly make a once-trusted treatment one to avoid. Worst case: You swallow something that has no business being inside your body.

Of course, plenty of M.D.'s do know which prescription and over-the-counter drugs are duds, dangers, or both. So we asked them, "Which medications would you skip?" Their list is your second opinion. If you're on any of these meds, talk to your doctor. Maybe he or she will finally open that big red book with all the dust on it.

Advair
It's asthma medicine... that could make your asthma deadly. Advair contains the long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) salmeterol. A 2006 analysis of 19 trials, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that regular use of LABAs can increase the severity of an asthma attack. Because salmeterol is more widely prescribed than other LABAs, the danger is greater — the researchers estimate that salmeterol may contribute to as many as 5,000 asthma-related deaths in the United States each year. In 2006, similarly disturbing findings from an earlier salmeterol study prompted the FDA to tag Advair with a "black box" warning — the agency's highest caution level.

Your New Strategy
No matter what you may have heard, a LABA, such as the one in Advair, is not the only option, says Philip Rodgers, Pharm.D., a clinical associate professor at the University of North Carolina school of pharmacy. For instance, if you have mild asthma, an inhaled corticosteroid such as Flovent is often all you need. Still wheezing? "Patients can also consider an inhaled corticosteroid paired with a leukotriene modifier," says Dr. Rodgers. This combo won't create dangerous inflammation, and according to a Scottish review, it's as effective as a corticosteroid-and-LABA combo.

Avandia
Diabetes is destructive enough on its own, but if you try to control it with rosiglitazone — better known by the brand name Avandia — you could be headed for a heart attack. Last September, a Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) study found that people who took rosiglitazone for at least a year increased their risk of heart failure or a heart attack by 109 percent and 42 percent, respectively, compared with those who took other oral diabetes medications or a placebo.

The reason? While there have been some reports that Avandia use may cause dangerous fluid retention or raise artery-clogging LDL cholesterol, no one is sure if these are the culprits. That's because the results of similar large studies have been mixed. So the FDA has asked GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of Avandia, to conduct a new long-term study assessing users' heart risks. There's only one problem: The study isn't expected to start until later this year.

Your New Strategy
Stick with a proven performer. "I prefer metformin, an older, cheaper, more dependable medication," says Sonal Singh, M.D., the lead author of the JAMAstudy. "Avandia is now a last resort." Dr. Singh recommends that you talk to your doctor about cholesterol-lowering medicines, such as statins or the B vitamin niacin. Swallowing high doses (1,000 milligrams) of niacin daily may raise your HDL (good) cholesterol by as much as 24 percent, while at the same time lowering your LDL and triglyceride levels.

Celebrex
Once nicknamed "super aspirin," Celebrex is now better known for its side effects than for its pain-relieving prowess. The drug has been linked to increased risks of stomach bleeding, kidney trouble, and liver damage. But according to a 2005 New England Journal of Medicine study, the biggest threat is to your heart: People taking 200 mg of Celebrex twice a day more than doubled their risk of dying of cardiovascular disease. Those on 400 mg twice a day more than tripled their risk, compared with people taking a placebo.

And yet Celebrex, a COX-2 inhibitor, is still available, even though two other drugs of that class, Bextra and Vioxx, were pulled off the market due to a similar risk of heart damage. The caveat to the consumer? In 2004, the FDA advised doctors to consider alternatives to Celebrex.

Your New Strategy
What you don't want to do is stop swallowing Celebrex and begin knocking back ibuprofen, because regular use of high doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can lead to gastrointestinal bleeding. A safer swap is acupuncture. A German study found that for people suffering from chronic lower-back pain, twice-weekly acupuncture sessions were twice as effective as conventional treatments with drugs, physical therapy, and exercise. The strategic needling may stimulate central-nervous-system pathways to release the body's own painkillers, including endorphins and enkephalins, says Duke University anesthesiologist Tong-Joo Gan, M.D. You can find a certified acupuncturist in your area at medicalacupuncture.org/findadoc/index.html.

CONTINUED: More input for your second opinion.

Ketek
Most bacteria in the lungs and sinuses don't stand a chance against Ketek, but you might not either. This antibiotic, which has traditionally been prescribed for respiratory-tract infections, carries a higher risk of severe liver side effects than similar antibiotics do. "Ketek can cause heart-rhythm problems, can lead to liver disease, and could interact poorly with other medications you may be taking," says Dr. Rodgers. "Unfortunately, it's still available, and although many doctors are aware of the risks, some may still prescribe it without caution." In February 2007, the FDA limited the usage of Ketek to the treatment of pneumonia.

Your New Strategy
Can't imagine catching pneumonia? The last time the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calculated the top 10 killers of men, this deadly lung infection (along with the flu) came in seventh. Avoid backing yourself into a corner where you might need Ketek by always signing up for your annual flu shot — if you have pneumonia, it'll reduce your risk of dying of the infection by 40 percent. And if you still end up staring at a scrip for Ketek, Dr. Rodgers recommends asking to be treated with one of several safer alternatives, such as Augmentin or the antibiotics doxycycline or Zithromax.

Prilosec and Nexium
Heartburn can be uncomfortable, but heart attacks can be fatal, which is why the FDA has investigated a suspected link between cardiac trouble and the acid-reflux remedies Prilosec and Nexium. In December 2007, the agency concluded that there was no "likely" connection. Translation: The scientific jury is still out. In the meantime, there are other reasons to be concerned. Because Prilosec and Nexium are proton-pump inhibitors, they are both incredibly effective at stopping acid production in the stomach — perhaps too effective.

A lack of acid may raise your risk of pneumonia, because the same stuff that makes your chest feel as if it's burning also kills incoming bacteria and viruses. You may also have an elevated risk of bone loss — in the less acidic environment, certain forms of calcium may not be absorbed effectively during digestion. "The risk of a fracture has been estimated to be over 40 percent higher in patients who use these drugs long-term, and the risk clearly increases with duration of therapy," says Dr. Rodgers.

Your New Strategy
When you feel the fire, first try to extinguish it with Zantac 150 or Pepcid AC. Both of these OTC products work by blocking histamine from stimulating the stomach cells that produce acid. Just know that neither drug is a long-term fix.

"To really cure the problem, lose weight," says Michael Roizen, M.D., chief wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic and coauthor of YOU: The Owner's Manual. That's because when you're overweight, excess belly fat puts pressure on and changes the angle of your esophagus, pulling open the valve that's supposed to prevent stomach-acid leaks. This in turn makes it easier for that burning sensation to travel up into your chest.

Visine Original
What possible harm to your peepers could come from these seemingly innocuous eyedrops? "Visine gets the red out, but it does so by shrinking blood vessels, just like Afrin shrinks the vessels in your nose," says Thomas Steinemann, M.D., a spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Overuse of the active ingredient tetrahydrozoline can perpetuate the vessel dilating-and-constricting cycle and may cause even more redness.

Your New Strategy
If you still want to rely on Visine, at least make sure you don't use too many drops per dose and you don't use the stuff for more than 3 or 4 days. But you'd really be better off figuring out the underlying cause of the redness and treating that instead. If it's dryness, use preservative-free artificial tears, recommends Dr. Steinemann. Visine Pure Tears Portables is a good choice for moisture minus side effects. On the other hand, if your eyes are itchy and red because of allergies, pick up OTC antiallergy drops, such as Zaditor. It contains an antihistamine to interrupt the allergic response but no vasoconstrictor to cause rebound redness.

Pseudoephedrine
Forget that this decongestant can be turned into methamphetamine. People with heart disease or hypertension should watch out for any legitimate drug that contains pseudoephedrine. See, pseudoephedrine doesn't just constrict the blood vessels in your nose and sinuses; it can also raise blood pressure and heart rate, setting the stage for vascular catastrophe. Over the years, pseudoephedrine has been linked to heart attacks and strokes. "Pseudoephedrine can also worsen symptoms of benign prostate disease and glaucoma," says Dr. Rodgers.

Your New Strategy
Other OTC oral nasal decongestants can contain phenylephrine, which has a safety profile similar to pseudoephedrine's. A 2007 review didn't find enough evidence that phenylephrine was effective. Our advice: Avoid meds altogether and clear your nasal passages with a neti pot, the strangely named system that allows you to flush your sinuses with saline ($15, sinucleanse.com). University of Wisconsin researchers found that people who used a neti pot felt their congestion and head pain improve by as much as 57 percent. Granted, the flushing sensation is odd at first, but give it a chance. Dr. Roizen did: "I do it every day after I brush my teeth," he says.

More About Medications on MSN Health & Fitness

Are Generic Drugs Safe?
Rx for Safety
The Health Mistake Too Many Americans Make

The Cheese Is In The House

Which House Character Are You?

More on House. Created by BuddyTV

The rest of it fits, but actually I'm not the cheating kind. I'm quite monogamous by nature.

IBS = Fun (NOT!!!!)

Warning: graphic, crude, visceral humor as a way with coping with a messy and painful condition.
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According to medical textbooks, IBS stands for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. My son has more accurate words to assign to those hated letters. Those words are I Be Shittin'. And it is the truth. But if that were the only problem, it would just be an annoyance. However, with those excessive bowel movements comes screamingly painful abdominal cramps, sweating, chills, shaking legs, and a desire to drive a harpoon through one's abdomen and end the agony.
This has, comparatively, been less bad than some occasions when the pain was bad enough to rival labor cramps, but still, no picnic. There have been a couple times when the pain was so bad I thought about going to the ER. This time I just have a hot abdomen, some painful cramps although not knock-me-over painful, and the inconvenience of having to go to the can every 15 minutes.
How do I know its IBS and not just something I ate?
The bowel movements with IBS, at least in my case, are often normal consistency, they are just too frequent, and there are accompanying abdominal cramps. I sometimes have constipation, sometimes diarrhea. But whatever the case, this shit sucks. I guess I just have to count my blessings that a bad bout generally only happens about once a month. Some people have to face the horror daily.