| Calcipotriol is a prescription medication to be used only under the supervision of a doctor. It is not known whether vitamin D as a dietary supplement has any effect on vitiligo.
In one early report, lack of stomach acid (achlorhy-dria) was associated with vitiligo. Supplementation with dilute hydrochloric acid after meals resulted in gradual repigmentation of the skin (after one year or more).8 Hydrochloric acid, or its more modern counterpart betaine HC1 (page 473), should be taken only under the supervision of a doctor. |
| High amounts (several grams per day) of niacin, a form of vitamin B3 (page 598), lower cholesterol, an effect recognized in the approval of niacin as a prescription medication for high cholesterol.194 The other common form of vitamin B3—niacinamide—does not affect cholesterol levels. Some niacin preparations have raised HDL cholesterol better than certain prescription drugs.195 Some cardiologists prescribe 3 grams of niacin per day or even higher amounts for people with high cholesterol levels. |
Michael T. Murray
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 If blood sugar levels and AjC levels do not reach the targeted levels with Level 4, then a prescription medication (either an oral hypoglycemic drug or insulin) is required.
Additional Supplements for the Prevention and Treatment of Diabetic Complications
With the presence of any complication, add the following to the foundation supplement program: þAlpha-lipoic acid?00 to 600 mg daily þGrapeseed extract (or other appropriate flavonoid-rich extract, see pages 249-251)? |
| If you are currently taking a prescription medication, you absolutely must work with your doctor before discontinuing any drug or altering any drug regimen. þDiabetes is a multifactorial disease that requires a multifactorial solution: medical, nutritional, and lifestyle changes. Do not rely solely on a single area of focus. You can't just take pills and not change your diet, or do the diet and the pills but ignore the lifestyle issues. Any effective approach for diabetes must be integrated.
How to Use This Book
We have tried to make this book as reader-friendly as possible. |
| If you are taking a prescription medication, ask your doctor if you should avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice. Some drugs, such as Neoral (oral cyclosporin), already carry a warning. For a complete list of drugs currently known to be affected by grapefruit, see www.Drug-Interactions.com.
Fortunately for citrus lovers, there are plenty of other choices. Oranges, tangerines, and tangelos do not contain significant amounts of naringin but have lots of other important nutrients and flavonoids. |
John A. McDougall
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 Two antacids, Prilosec and Prevacid, ranked second and third in 2001 for raking in the largest sums of money spent on any prescription medication, with sales mounting to over $7 billion in the United States in that year alone—for just two medications. The Bortons, especially Larry, confessed to contributing significantly to the success of these drugs and a host of others in their search for relief from their nearly constant "indi-gestion."
GERD is the Word
Dr. McDougall, why does it feel like someone's poured hot lava down my throat almost every time I eat?" Larry inquired. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
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 Although over-the-counter medications such as aspirin and natural therapies come with a lower risk of hemonhaging, they should not be substituted for prescription medication if you are at a high risk for thrombosis.
In all circumstances requiring anticoagulation therapy or antithrombotic therapy, your physician should be consulted if you desire to substitute your medication because the risk can be life-threatening and the appropriate therapeutic dosing is crucial. |
Mark Blumenthal
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 Marketed under the brand name Tanakan® (EGb 761) is a prescription medication (Itil et al, 1996). The standardized extract (EGb 761) is approved for treating symptoms of cerebral insufficiencies, intermittent claudication, Raynaud's disease, certain dizziness and/or tinnitus syndromes, and retinal conditions due to probable ischemia. germany: Only semi-purified normalized (standardized) dry extracts (35-67:1) with less than 5 ppm ginkolic acids are approved drugs of the German Commission E; Active Ingredient Classification ASK No. 05939 (Blumenthal et al, 1998). |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
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| Nimodipine is a prescription medication that dramatically increases cerebral blood flow by acting as a calcium channel blocker. Nimodipine may be of clinical benefit in acute stroke. The recommended dose is 30 mg 3 times a day, although up to 60 mg 4 times a day have been used in studies.
• Aminoguanidine, a medication that prevents glycosylation of proteins and helps prevent mental decline in the elderly, may be useful in preventing thrombotic strokes. The recommended dose is 300 mg once a day with food. This dose should not be exceeded. |
| In refractory cases where overgrowth of yeast is severe, an antifungal prescription medication such as Nystatin or Diflucan may be necessary to eradicate the yeast.
An example of a remarkable clinical case history demonstrates the benefits of restoring the gut flora in a patient with severe abdominal pain resembling a clinical picture of IBS. For this patient, every test had been performed to rule out the cause of the patient's excmciating, debilitating pain, which came in waves of exacerbations and remissions. All tests were negative. |
| Cimetidine (Tagamet)
The drug cimetidine (brand name Tagamet) is sold over the counter and as a prescription medication. It has historically been used to teduce stomach acid production.
In 1988 a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study investigated the effect of cimetidine on the survival of 181 patients with gastric cancer. They were given eithet cimetidine at a dose of 400 mg twice daily or placebo for 2 years or until death. |
Ray Strand, M.D.
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 Williams asked if she'd been taking any prescription medication or over-the-counter drugs like Tylenol. Clarence put Margaret on the phone, and with a voice now raspy and thin, she informed the doctor that she was involved in the Diabetes Prevention Program through the hospital but did not have any idea what she was taking.
Dr. Williams called the program director of the DPP, stating that he needed to know exactly what the examiners had given Margaret.
"Your patient has been taking the new drug, Rezulin, Doctor," came the matter-of-fact reply. |
| Don't you just love being interrupted by prescription medication commercials while watching your favorite TV program? "Life is good; troubles are now gone. No more allergies; no sign of high cholesterol." Happy people are dancing through flower fields or standing at the edge of a rock precipice with their hair blowing in the wind. "This drug will forever change your life ..." Then in turbo speed a voice runs through all the known possible risks involved. I'm sure it's never occurred to you these are only half of the possible symptoms that could arise with that particular drug. |
| Bill's adverse drug event resulted from a physician's error—not using the drug properly according to the FDA's warnings in prescribing a short-term prescription medication with refills over too long a period. With rigorously scheduled days and a focus primarily on disease rather than adverse drug reactions, most doctors are apparently too busy to read all the warning labels. How then can we anticipate that physicians will readily recognize and report an adverse drug reaction when it occurs? Still the FDA considers our reporting system the "best" voluntary system in the world. |
| Here are several guidelines for minimizing your risk of developing a serious adverse drug reaction to over-the-counter medications:
• Remember that over-the-counter medications are drugs and have inherent risks of adverse drug reactions like any prescription medication.
• Be aware of the "active ingredients" contained in each of the over-the-counter drugs you are taking. The box or container of your medication plainly notes these ingredients.
• Read the directions carefully for exactly how and how much you should take of your medication, especially if it is in liquid form. |
| Because herbs are not as potent as synthetic prescription medication, they have fewer side effects. But because they have a drug effect in the body, they do have side effects.
Synthetic Drugs
Manufacturers produce synthetic (pharmaceutical) drugs in a lab. These also block a natural enzymatic reaction in the body in order to create a therapeutic effect—however, they are much stronger than herbs. Until now, this entire book has focused on the development and potential complications of pharmaceutical drugs. |
Kevin Trudeau
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 If you have a medical condition and are taking nonprescription and prescription medication right now, guess what? Those drugs are causing your disease and illness. You can virtually never get well and never cure your disease if you continue to take nonprescription and prescription drugs. This is the bombshell. This is the eye-opener. The drugs cause your disease.
Let me give you one prime example of how drugs cause disease. A little baby is born and immediately given a set of vaccinations. These vaccinations are drugs. They are poisons. They are diseased chemicals. |
Brenda Davis and Tom Barnard
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 Metabolic Stimulants
Herbal fen-phen is an over-the-counter replacement for the once popular prescription medication. It is made from ephedra (ma huang) and a combination of other active ingredients such as St. John's wort, caffeine, and aspirin. Ephedra is on the FDA's list of dangerous diet supplements because of reports of adverse effects, including nervousness, headaches, tremors, insomnia, high blood pressure, irregular heart beat, chest pain, heart attack, stroke, seizures, and death. This is definitely one to steer clear of. |
Death by MedicineGary Null PhD, Carolyn Dean MD ND, Martin Feldman MD, Debora Rasio MD, Dorothy Smith PhD.
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| However, the mortality figures registered in these categories are very low and don't compare with what we know from studies such as the JAMA 1998 study1 that said there were an average of 106,000 prescription medication deaths per year.
WHY AREN'T MEDICAL AND SURGICAL PROCEDURES STUDIED?
In 1978, the U.S. Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) reported that, "Only 10%-20% of all procedures currently used in medical practice have been shown to be efficacious by controlled trial. |
Mark Hyman, M.D.
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 Up until recently PDD was simply PMS (premenstrual syndrome), but women would not have bought Prozac to treat that, so the company relabeled the symptoms and announced that they require a prescription medication to cure. And rather than simply selling it as rebottled Prozac, the company has reissued it with the catchy name Sarafem.
Do these companies really have your interests in mind? Johnson & Johnson had to remove Zomax, a highly successful anti-inflammatory drug, from the market after it caused fourteen deaths from severe allergic reactions. |
Ray Strand, M.D.
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| CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Health Concepts
While conducting the research for this book, I've become more and more overwhelmed by the staggering dependence our society and medical community places on prescription medication, over-the-counter drugs, and herbs. Few of us seriously consider the poor lifestyle habits that may be the underlying cause of the problem.
Excessive weight may account for painful knees, aching hips, high blood pressure, diabetes, increases in acid reflux symptoms, and fatigue. Smoking causes increased risks in high blood pressure, heart disease, emphysema, and lung cancer. |
Earl L. Mindell, RPh, PhD with Virginia Hopkins, MA
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| Drugs have powerful effects on the body, so please don't abruptly stop taking any prescription medication. It's best to work with a health care professional to monitor your health as you switch from drugs to natural alternatives.
This book is not intended to convey the message that all prescription drugs are bad. Used conservatively—with great care, and only when necessary—they can be lifesavers for some people. |
Dr. Vern Cherewatenko and Paul Perry
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 Although it won't put an unconditional end to type 2 diabetes in some people, it will at least reduce the amount of prescription medication that has to be taken to keep your glucose levels under control and to keep the devastating complications of diabetes at bay.
The Diabetes Cure requires more time to take hold than prescription medicine because it is a holistic approach. You can expect to see changes in the amount of prescription medication you are taking in about two to four weeks. |
Earl L. Mindell, RPh, PhD with Virginia Hopkins, MA
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| If you are suffering from severe pain that requires prescription medication, be aware that prescription drugs for pain have the potential to be abused and to cause you harm and even death. On the other hand, nobody should ever suffer unnecessarily from pain out of fear of becoming addicted to a pain drug. If you have acute or temporary severe pain caused by recovery from surgery or a broken bone, for example, it's wonderful to be able to take advantage of the relief that painkilling drugs can give you. That's what they should be used for. |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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 Once while I was on the Amazon, an attack of gout caught me without the prescription medication I usually take to alleviate the inflammation during a crisis. But I had some pills containing cat's claw (una de gato), an herb with anti-inflammatory effects.
I took two pills. No relief. I tried four. Nothing. Then, at six, I began to notice some effect, but it took nearly a dozen to do as much as the drug. While I'm certainly not discarding my prescription medications in favor of cat's claw, in an emergency I'd use the herb again. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
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| Vinpocetine, derived from Vinca minor (lesser periwinkle), has been used as a prescription medication in Europe and Asia for over 20 years. Vinpocetine selectively increases blood flow to the brain and reduces neuronal excitotoxicity, resulting in improved stroke recovery and stroke preventive benefit. Vinpocetine has been shown to increase memory and cognition, improve intellectual performance, and enhance coordination. It has been shown to improve vision, hearing, and tinnitis (ringing in the ears) as well (Subhan et al. 1985; Balestreri et al. 1987; Hindmarch et al. 1991). |
Earl L. Mindell, RPh, PhD with Virginia Hopkins, MA
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| In their fervor over this or that new (and very expensive) wonder drug, these reps press physicians to bypass any lifestyle changes that might help relieve symptoms and to go straight into a course of prescription medication. The practice of prescribing new and more costly medicines over lifestyle changes or older, tried-and-true, less pricey drugs is a major reason why medicine is going bankrupt so quickly and adverse effects are on the rise.
In some instances, a brand-new drug will be sold aggressively to doctors before any substantial, science-based information is available to them. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
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| Ipratropium bromide nasal spray (Atrovent) is a prescription medication that is prescribed for perennial rhinitis. Although this medication would not be appropriate for a simple common cold, if you are plagued with a constant runny nose from allergies or a chronic low-grade infection, Atrovent may help to provide relief. |
Richard P. Brown, M.D., and Patricia L. Gerbarg, M.D.
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 Or Rhodiola rosea may inhibit COMT (catechol-O-methyltransferase) in much the same way as the prescription medication Comtan. Further research will help clarify whether one or more of these actions contribute to the herb's therapeutic value for Parkinson's.
Rhodiola rosea has made a remarkable difference in quality of life for Nathan, a successful 79-year-old businessman who developed Parkinson's after a series of strokes. Barely able to walk and terrified of falling, Nathan hadn't been doing much of anything for himself. He had become completely dependent on his wife. |
| Like many recovering alcoholics, Patty was reluctant to try a prescription medication. But she was open to an alternative treatment.
When a colleague of ours suggested that she start with 100 milligrams of Rhodiola rosea a day and slowly increase her dosage to 300 milligrams a day, Patty agreed. The results were dramatic: Her anxiety subsided almost immediately, and 1 year later, she seldom if ever experienced anxious episodes—even at parties. She also noticed significant improvement in her concentration and memory.
Of course, people prone to depression may become anxious—or vice versa. |
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