HealthBeat News

Category: Drugs and Alternatives

  • Orlistat – Do You Really Use This Dangerous Stuff?

    Orlistat – Do You Really Use This Dangerous Stuff?

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    It seems that not a week – no, make that not a day – goes by that the FDA isn’t forced to announce yet another warning regarding the risks to life and health of the drugs that it has so cavalierly approved at the behest of it’s masters in Big Pharma.

    This week’s eye-opener is the announcement that the “weight-loss” drug Orlistat and it’s Over-The-Counter (O.T.C.) counterpart Alli must now carry a label warning about the potential for severe liver damage.

    You can find the FDA announcement here on their website:

    It seems that some of the victims of this bad joke of a drug died or needed a liver transplant.

    Yep, that’ll help ya lose some weight for sure!

    While this is news here, it is not a surprise – I warned you about Orlistat over 3 years ago!

    Here is that article reprinted from the 02/15/2007 issue of HealthBeat News:

    Embarrassing Diet Drug Gets FDA OTC Approval

    by Mark Ziemann, R.N.

    Whoo-ee! Yet another prescription drug of questionable value now approved for unlimited over-the-counter (OTC) sales! Now we can poison ourselves without a doctor’s prescription.

    Is there nothing that Big Pharma in collusion with the FDA isn’t willing to foist upon us?

    Orlistat (xenical), a dubious weight loss drug brought to you by Drug Giant Roche, is now available as an Over-The-Counter drug to anyone foolish enough to believe it might help them lose weight. It’s O.T.C. name is “Alli.”

    [Dr. Myatt’s note: If you read the studies and calculate your way through the obtuse statistics, you’ll find that patients on Orlistat lost about 2 pounds per month— that’s right— a total of two pounds per month— on a combination of the drug, diet and exercise. Excuse me, folks, but if you don’t lose at least 8 pounds per month on a combination of diet and exercise and NO drugs, you’re doing something wrong with your dieting efforts].

    This drug offers both medically dangerous AND truly embarrassing side effects with use, which perhaps explains why over 50% of people in the drug studies dropped out after a short time. If you understand how this stupid drug works, I think you’ll see why we say “stay far, far away” from it and all other prescription diet drugs.

    Orlistat “works” (whoopee — remember, about two pounds per month!) by blocking the absorption dietary fat. The misguided thinking here is that “fat makes you fat,” and anything done to stop the body from absorbing fat must of course result in weight loss. What hogwash! Not only is fat essential to life as we know it (ever heard of “essential fatty acids?”), but there are a whole host of fat soluble vitamins blocked from absorption as well.

    This is such a serious problem that even the FDA alludes to it in carefully understated terms, saying: “Because of the possible loss of certain nutrients, it is recommended that people using Orlistat should also take a multivitamin at bedtime.” The fact that the FDA has actually recommended the use of multiple vitamins indicates that the nutrient loss is serious indeed.

    It’s the “other” side effects that are more noticeably inconvenient. After all, a deficiency of say, fat-soluble vitamin D won’t be immediately apparent, but will show up months or years later as osteoporosis or prostate cancer. Few people will connect the dots to Orlistat, at least not for many years and beaucoup bucks in Big Pharma income. But the immediate side-effect is what gets attention, as well it should. The FDA, using language carefully crafted to not offend their benefactor Roche Pharmaceuticals, blandly states that “the most common side effect of the product is a change in bowel habits, which may include loose stools.”

    Roche has been a little more forthcoming on their website. They list a veritable cornucopia of side effects. I hate to let this discussion degenerate into “potty-talk,” but that is what most of these side effects involve. The most common “adverse event” is discretely referred to as “oily spotting” – I won’t describe this any further other than to say that your nice white underwear will need washing (maybe degreasing?) more often – and this apparently occurs without your knowledge.

    Then there is the second most common “adverse event” – delicately referred to as “flatus with discharge.” I’m guessing this little “oopsie” probably occurs with your knowledge – let’s just hope it doesn’t happen in public too often.

    The third most common “adverse reaction” is carefully termed as “fecal urgency” and I’m guessing that it goes along with number two (no pun intended) above, as in “Oops! I thought it was just a little gas but… would you direct me to the restroom?”

    Then there is the “adverse event” of all adverse events: Roche admits that 7.7 percent of patients taking their drug Xenical (orlistat) experienced “fecal incontinence,” an out-and-out “oops – I filled my pants” kind of adverse event. Golly folks, this really sounds like something that I want to rush right out and buy, so that I can deny my body the essential fats and fat soluble vitamins it needs while at the same time increasing my laundry bills and my potential for public humiliation. (NOT!)

    On the other hand, maybe Roche has some kind of sweetheart deal going with the makers of adult diapers? Or maybe they are hoping you’ll buy some of their anti-anxiety drugs so you won’t care that you keep soiling your drawers?

    The Orlistat folks also aren’t mentioning is that another drug, Sibutramine (a “head med”), outperformed Orlistat in nearly every study of weight loss. [Still nothing amazing, however. Sibutramine resulted in a 10-12 pound total weight loss — another whoop-de-do — and also caused elevated blood pressures and pulse rates].

    Meanwhile, a safe and effective nutritional substance does what Orlistat does, only better. (But it’s a natural substance and therefore unpatentable, so you may not hear about it anyplace else but here). It won’t leave you filling your pants every time you sneeze just so that you can block the absorption of dietary fats. This substance is called chitosan, and it is “Nature’s Fat Grabber.”

    Chitosan, a fibrous material derived from the outer shell (exoskeleton) of crustaceans, absorbs dietary fat and carries it through the G.I. tract without being digested. It will absorb fat (even the essential fats) and fat-soluble vitamins, but unlike orlistat that that blocks absorption, Chitosan binds these substances and carries them out of the body. No fecal urgency, no “oily spotting,” no need for diapers while using it. Studies have shown a 6 pound-per-month weight loss, which clearly outshines the above-mentioned drugs, plus a lowering of blood pressure. Chitosan also helps to lower cholesterol levels and has proven useful in kidney disease.

    I certainly don’t recommend Xenical (Orlistat) use. There are no long-term studies showing that ANY of the FDA-approved diet drugs are safe for long-term use. Even chitosan should not be used with every meal, but instead reserved for those meals that are high in non-essential fats. (Like maybe a big blow-out dinner party). For kidney failure, chitosan is taken between meals and can and should be used long-term.

    There’s usually more than one way to skin a cat, and I’d use chitosan LONG before I’d give this or any other dangerous and ineffective diet drug a try.

    Cheers,
    Nurse Mark

  • Niacin And Niacinamide Confusion!

    Niacin And Niacinamide Confusion!

     

    By Nurse Mark with Dr. Myatt’s replies to reader inquiries.

     

    We have written recently about both niacin and niacinamide – two different forms of one vitamin. The similarity in the names seems to be causing some confusion in our readers – as will be seen by these two recent inquiries and Dr. Myatt’s responses to them.

    Rene recently wrote:

    I have arthritis in my left knee.  I have had a total knee on the right knee and do not wish any more surgery if possible.  I take glucosamine with MSM.  I read on your site about nacinamide 1000iu TID and would like to try this but am a little concerned about the safety of such a large dose.  Some sites state that nacinamide can be damaging to the liver in high doses and some sites say it is just the nicotinic acid.  I need assurance that this large dose won’t hurt my liver.
    Thank you, Rene

    And Dr. Myatt replied: 

    Niacin and niacinamide are different forms of a B vitamin.

    I have never seen niacinamide cause elevated liver enzymes.

    It is NIACIN that can sometimes cause this effect, although that is rare as well.

    Niacinamide does not effect cholesterol levels the way niacin does.

    I’m getting really great feedback from people who are using niacinamide for arthritis.

    It also has a wonderful effect on memory.

    Get the full story with references here: http://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/Niacinamide.htm

    In Health,
    Dr. Myatt

    Then Ray wrote to ask:

    hi! a question, I take 500 to 750 mg. of niacin a day. you talk about niacinamide for arthritis does both work the same or is one better than the other? I prefer the burn but if niacinamide is better than I’ll need to switch. thank you for your advice it’s appreciated.

    To which Dr. Myatt answered:

    Hi Ray:

    Niacin is for lowering cholesterol and raising the “good cholesterol,” HDL. It works better than any drug for raising HDL.
    Learn more here: http://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/niacin.htm

    Niacinamide, a different form of the same vitamin, is the form used for arthritis and memory.
    Learn more here: http://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/Niacinamide.htm

    They are not interchangeable for these purposes.

    Please feel free to use our website as a great, free, scientifically-based “look-’em-up” for a wide variety of health conditions plus information about vitamins, minerals, herbs and other natural remedies.

    In Health,
    Dr. Myatt

    There you have it – even though they sound similar, Niacin And Niacinamide are very different forms of the same vitamin with very different effects and uses.

    Hope that clears up any confusion for the rest of our readers!

  • Aspirin Or Grapeseed For Blood Thinning?

    Aspirin Or Grapeseed For Blood Thinning?

     

    By Dr. Myatt with Commentary by Nurse Mark

     

    Modern medicine is awfully quick to whip out the ol’ prescription pad and alter someone’s ability to clot their blood. Coumadin (AKA warfarin – rat poison – it’s other use) is perhaps the most popular of the prescription anticoagulants with a relative newcomer Plavix nipping at Coumadin’s heels in popularity among doctors. Since Coumadin is such an old drug and the patents have long expired and generic versions of the drug all fight for profits. Plavix on the other hand is still under patent meaning that drug giants Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis still get all those lovely profits.

    For non-prescription “blood thinners” – most doctors will recommend “an aspirin a day” for just about anything – despite recent findings that this is not only outdated but is actually downright dangerous according to a recent article in the British Medical Journal.

    Fortunately, many folks are catching on to this “you gotta take a blood-thinner” scam that conventional medicine and Big Pharma pushes on us – but the subject is still fraught with confusion and misinformation. After all, if your conventional doctor paints pictures of doom and gloom for you if you don’t follow his advice and just take that little aspirin each day… well, most folks just take it. “After all, my doctor must know what he’s doing, right?”

    Personally, as a Nurse I really dislike the term “blood thinner” – because that is not really what we are trying to do. The term “blood clotting inhibitor” would be more accurate, and what we really need to accomplish is normalization of the clotting pathways so that our blood can clot when it should and not clot when it shouldn’t.

    Here is a recent letter that is an example of the confusion and uncertainty that we see about this subject.

    Wendy writes:

    I recently went to emergency diagnosed with a transient ischemic attack. The doctor prescribed one full strength aspirin per day, which from what I have found seems a large dose. They found no reason for the TIA in all their tests. Heart & arteries are good, no brain damage they were able to detect, cholesterol levels are all below normal, no high blood pressure, blood sugar okay. I am a smoker and I have been under a great deal of personal stress. I have been taking 100 mg of CoQ10, 600 mg of L-Carnitine, Vitamin E, and I started taking grape seed extract, but got concerned when a small shallow cut bled copiously. I picked up some low dose aspirin and need to know if it is safe to take the aspirin and grape seed together. Any other recommendations would be appreciated.

    Wendy is on the right track – and here is Dr. Myatt’s reply:

    Hi Wendy:

    Here’s the full scoop on preventing TIA and blood viscosity problems: http://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/stroke.htm

    The whole purpose of taking aspirin (or grape seed) is to thin the blood, so if you noticed that you were bleeding more easily with grape seed, that what it is SUPPOSED to do! You are at far less risk of excess bleeding using herbs like grape seed, bromelain, or ginkgo than with something nasty like rat poison… uh, I mean coumadin (or even aspirin).

    As you will see on the stroke info. page, smoking is a HUGE risk factor for such an event. If you’ve ever though of quitting, now would be the time.

    You will also note the long list of imbalances than can cause such an “event.” Conventional medicine does not evaluate for all of these risk factors. I am available for consultation by phone if you would like to examine why this happened to you and how to prevent any future such events.

    Hope this helps and I hope you Kick Butt!

    In Health,
    Dr. Myatt

    Finally, the whole aim of the game really shouldn’t be to just “thin the blood” to somehow prevent it from clotting – it should be to normalize the blood’s ability to clot and to prevent it from clotting inappropriately. There are many herbs that will accomplish this very safely and effectively. High-dose Fish Oil like Dr. Myatt’s Maxi Marine O3 can also contribute to healthy normal blood viscosity as well as providing a host of other health benefits.

    Another supplement recently developed by Dr. Myatt is Maxi Flavone –  a superior broad-spectrum blend of antioxidant flavonoid herbs that is highly protective against a wide variety of radical oxygen species (ROS) and will also serve to normalize blood viscosity and clotting pathways.

    All this without the risk of hemorrhaging from the slightest cut or injury – just imagine what might happen if you were taking a drug like Coumadin or Plavix or aspirin- and you were involved in, say, an automobile accident…

    With that in mind, remember that Vitamin K – the “clotting factor” is essential to keeping our blood clotting mechanisms normal and healthy. Vitamin K does not make blood clot – it makes it possible for blood to clot when it needs to. Vitamin K is also important to healthy bones and deficiencies are associated with osteoporosis as well as with blood that clots poorly.

    As always, please feel free to follow the links within this article to find further information and references regarding those items.

  • Have we ever heard of the "Asparagus Cure"?

    Have we ever heard of the “Asparagus Cure”?

    By Nurse Mark

    We receive helpful emails from folks daily, wanting to let us know about some “new development” or some “newly discovered” cure for this or that. Others just want to know what we think of the claims that arrive in their email inboxes.

    Such was the case for an email touting the “Asparagus Cure” that is enjoying yet another trip ’round  the internet as it has done many times over the last several years. In case you haven’t received this particular email at least once (lucky you!) it extols the wonders and virtues of asparagus as a cure for almost everything and offers instructions for making a rather unappetizing paste of this otherwise delicious vegetable, to be administered to a “patient” four times daily. Yuk!

    As you might have suspected, this is not a “cure” that we here would place much faith in.

    Here are some of the ways that you can tell an article in your mailbox is suspect:

    The “references” mentioned doesn’t exist or they refer to non-peer-reviewed studies or to “studies” performed by or for the company marketing the product or there are none mentioned at all. In the case of the “Asparagus for cancer” article, the “Cancer News Journal” cannot be found. A quick internet search of the term “Cancer News Journal, December 1979” produces just over 5000 results – and it looks like all of them refer to this one Asparagus email. None that I could find referred to any “real” journal or to any other article attributed to this journal. My guess: this is an imaginary article in a made-up “journal” – but it sure sounds impressive, doesn’t it!

    The original author or “researcher” mentioned in the article cannot be found. In this case the person mentioned in the “Asparagus” article cannot be found in any search except in relation to this emailed article. One might think that “Richard R. Vensal, D.D.S.” might have published something else or might be otherwise locatable – but there’s nothing – not not even an obituary or a claim to be in hiding from “those who are suppressing this miraculous cure”…

    The purported “biochemist” in this email also is not identified – odd, since says this is such an important work.

    “Proof” is offered in the form of testimonials or anecdotes. The “proof” of the effectiveness of asparagus in this email comes entirely from anecdotes – and those anecdotes are all of unidentified persons. That in itself might not be so alarming (in order to preserve patient confidentiality), but there is no way to contact any of the doctors mentioned for verification that they did indeed do the tests that are claimed to “prove” the miraculous curative effects of asparagus. The purported author – claiming to be a biochemist – offers his personal testimonial and claims to have lab results to back up his reports – but he fails to offer either his name or a look at his labs…

    Finally, there is the urging that this email be forwarded to “please spread the news” – or alternately “email this to 10 (or 50, or 100) of your friends”… folks, this makes this not only junk mail, but in my opinion a form of internet virus – that is being spread willingly by humans who are duped into choking the internet by sending this sort of thing off to everyone in their address book!

    Even a broken clock tells the right time twice a day…

    And for every scheme or outlandish protocol or bizarre cure that is out there you can find at least one person who will swear on a stack of bibles that this, and this alone, is responsible for curing his or her (or aunt Effie’s or grandpa Grump’s) illness. Never mind that we have no proof that there ever was an illness, or that if there was an illness that there might have been something else (or several things) responsible for the cure, or even that there might have been a spontaneous remission or cure.

    So:

    Is it possible that asparagus cured these people? Yes, it is.

    Is it possible that asparagus will cure whatever ails you? Yes, it is – and so might green apples or coral calcium or standing on your head.

    Does asparagus contain some valuable nutrients? Yes, of course it does.

    Is it likely that asparagus, and asparagus alone, is a miracle cure? Nope.

    Is there any scientific, verifiable evidence that asparagus possesses magical curative properties? Nope, none.

    Why am I so down on asparagus? I’m not! Asparagus is a wonderful, delightfully tasty treat that is high in several important nutrients. I enjoy asparagus every chance I get – lightly steamed with stems in boiling water, smothered in Hollandaise sauce or butter… Mmmm! But I don’t delude myself that it is a cure-all!

    Now, having said all that, here is the note that started all this:

    Hi Dr. Dana,
    What’s your take on this ? 
    be well,
    Bill

    Fwd: Fwd: Asparagus…..whether U believe it or not…

    Just take a few minutes and its worth reading…..whether U believe it or not…..

    Pls. read the contents below & pass to your friends

    [The email can be found at Snopes.com along with their take on it’s validity]

     

    And here is Dr. Myatt’s reply:

    Hi Bill:

    Here is an article that sums up asparagus: Are You a Deer In The Headlights?

    There must be 1,279 herbs and supplements that people tout as being a “cure for cancer.” The problem is that most of these “results” are not generally reproducible for most people. Asparagus doesn’t make my “top ten list” of well-proven substances for cancer.

    My ten cents worth, for free!

    In Health,
    Dr. Dana

  • For GERD: If Not An Acid Blocker Drug Then What?

    If You Don’t Want Me To Take An Acid Blocker Drug, Then What Drug Should I Take?

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Big Pharma sure has done a great job of brainwashing America (and much of the rest of the world): The Big Pharma spinmeisters have not only managed to convince people that their symptoms and complaints are somehow the fault of our frail, pitiful human bodies (rather than a direct result of lousy diet, toxic environment and unhealthy lifestyle) they have created an absolute, unwavering, even fervently religious belief that the mighty gods of Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline and the lesser deities of the smaller drug companies have the answer – the cure – the salvation – for whatever ails us in the form of some one or other of their patented concoctions.

    Even those who fancy themselves to be following a more “natural” path to health often fall prey to the “magic bullet” syndrome that has been insinuated, promoted, and perpetuated by Big Pharma for decades: the idea, the belief that somewhere and somehow there is one special thing – one magic bullet – in the form of a drug or a vitamin or an herb that will “do the trick”.

    If only it were so…

    While there is no doubt that Big Pharma has their lap-dogs at the FDA working overtime to suppress any knowledge of natural solutions that might lead to better health, and to eliminate any competition to their patented toxic potions by whatever heavy-handed means necessary (see our recent alerts: Vitamins To Be Outlawed! and Dietary Supplements In The Political Crosshairs Again! Action Alert! for action you must take if you want to preserve your right to vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other natural remedies!) we here at The Wellness Club will never try to tell you that there is any one simple, magic natural cure – it is just not that easy!

    In fact, that is the very definition of “Holistic Medicine” – at least as far as we are concerned: human health is a complicated subject, and must be approached in a comprehensive, all-inclusive way. There is rarely a simple, one-substance fix to any health concern!

    K recently wrote to ask:

    I read the article on acid blockers by Nurse Mark.  If not acid blockers, what do you recommend in their place?

     

    Nurse Mark answers:

    Hi K.

    I’m not sure which of our recent HealthBeat News articles you are referring to – but the bottom line is the same in all of them: no one suffers from GERD or heartburn because they are somehow lacking adequate amounts of acid-blocking drugs in their system. The cure for GERD is to correct the underlying problem, not to just shut off acid production. There is not any other drug that we would recommend in place of acid blocking drugs – not H2 antagonists, not proton pump inhibitors, not even simple pH modifiers like calcium carbonate, aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, sodium, or bismuth subsalicylate: these are all drugs and substances intended and approved for short-term use only. Please re-read these two articles for some self-help ideas:

    Help – I’m Hooked On Acid Blocking Drugs!

     

    and

    There Is Relief For GERD – But Why Take Our Word For It?

     

    And if that doesn’t help, please read the article written by Dr. Myatt herself on the subject:

    What’s Burning You?

     

    For those who are absolutely unable to wean themselves away from acid-blocking drugs – and it can be a difficult chore for some – there are some protocols that involve gradual stepping-down of drugs combined with supportive natural supplements that are very effective. This does involve working with a knowledgeable holistic physician like Dr. Myatt though – so you might want to consider at least a Brief Phone Consultation with Dr. Myatt to discuss your options.

    I know that this is not the easy answer you were looking for – but I hope that re-reading these articles will give you some self-help ideas and that if you are still stuck that you will consider a consultation with Dr. Myatt.

    Cheers,
    Nurse Mark