Another Vioxx-like occurrence may be on the rise, as warnings about Pfizer’s arthritis pain drug, Bextra, continue to mount.

According to a study of more than 1,500 patients who had previously undergone cardiac surgery, those who were treated for pain with Bextra were more likely to have heart and blood clotting problems than those who received no drug at all.

Associated problems included:

* Stroke

* Heart attack

* Blood clots in the lung

* Deep vein blood clots in the leg

Regardless of the fact that taking Bextra presents such serious health risks, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) still believes the benefits of the drug outweigh the risks when used by the right patients. In light of these health concerns, however, the FDA approved a new label for the drug, which warns that those who recently had heart surgery (or who are allergic to sulfa products) should not take the drug. The revised label also strengthens the warning of the likelihood of severe skin reactions — two of which may result in death.

Bextra is a cox-2 inhibitor, which is a class of painkillers that are popularly used due to their efficiency in treating arthritis pain and other ailments. Vioxx is also a cox-2 inhibitor and was pulled from the market due to the cardiovascular risks linked to taking the drug.

Considering the health risks involved with cox-2 inhibitors, the FDA will be holding a public advisory meeting to discuss the safety concerns of these and other related drugs.

USA Today December 9, 2004

Dr. Mercola’s Comment:

I have previously posted an article warning that Bextra’s risks are even higher than Vioxx’s. And, as this article stated, the FDA is now modifying Bextra’s label to state that taking the drug after having cardiac surgery could increase one’s likelihood of heart and blood clotting problems.

Folks, I saw this one coming years ago: In 2001 I warned my readers of the adverse effects from taking Bextra. This drug is just another cox-2 inhibitor disaster waiting to happen. Pain-killing drugs — meant to relieve symptoms but never the true condition — are rarely necessary.

Why take the risk of serious side effects from anti-inflammatories when you can create your OWN anti-inflammatory, merely by changing the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in your diet?

These two types of fatty acids are BOTH essential for human health. However, the typical American consumes far too many omega-6 fats and not enough omega-3 fats to be healthy.

While the ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats should be 1:1, most people’s intake ratio averages from 20:1 to 50:1! This unbalanced intake could lead to several health problems, whereas proper consumption of omega-3 can help prevent disease or improve many chronic conditions such as:

* Breast cancer

* Diabetes

* Heart disease

* Ulcerative colitis

* Arthritis

* Childhood asthma

* Depression

* Hyperactivity

The easiest way to balance your ratio is to consume more omega-3 fats from good sources and to reduce your intake of omega-6 fats. The primary sources of omega-6 are corn, soy, and canola, safflower and sunflower oils; these foods are overabundant in the typical American diet, which explains our excess omega-6 levels. You want to avoid or limit these oils in order to be optimally healthy.

On the other hand, the best omega-3 fats are those found in fish. That’s because the omega-3 in fish is high in two fatty acids crucial to human health: DHA and EPA. Unfortunately, eating most fresh fish — whether from the ocean, lakes and streams or farm-raised — is no longer recommended.

This is because (if you are an avid reader of the newsletter then you already know) mercury levels in almost all fish around the world have now hit dangerously high levels, and the risks of mercury now heavily outweigh the benefits gained from fish-derived omega-3 fats.

Fortunately there are clean sources of fish oil you can access without having to worry about mercury levels and added toxins, Vital Choice Alaskan Wild Red Salmon comes from the relatively pristine waters of Alaska that have virtually no mercury pollution

Not only is this salmon mercury-free, but it is also loaded with omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, is high in antioxidants to help you live longer and tastes absolutely delicious!

You can also achieve omega-3 benefits by taking fish oil and cod liver oil, as this is a clean, safe and pure alternative to fresh fish. I have researched brands and types of fish oil and cod liver oil extensively and can say with absolute confidence that I recommend Carlson’s brand fish oil and cod liver oil. Carlson’s fish oils are rigorously tested for potency and purity and is a healthy addition to most any diet.

Every year about this time doctors around the world are recommending that people go in and get their annual flu shot. What most people don’t know or understand is just how dangerous this could be, especially for children under the age of 12. When people call and say “My doctor is telling the family to go in and get a flu shot. Should I do it?”?I tell them they should learn about the side effects and decide for themselves?as a chiropractor and naturopathic physician I don’t’ have the time or energy to argue with family practitioners or family doctors who are obviously uneducated on the possible side effects or detrimental effects flu shots or vaccinations in general can have on the body.

I personally have never received a flu shot and have never been ill during the flu season. In my personal opinion I don’t think toxic chemicals and strains of different viruses growing on living tissue belong inside the body. Because of the demand, I want to share with you some of the research that we have found in the latest flu shot trend and the by-products of these supposedly sterile and non-harmful solutions.

I don’t know about you, but I sure would not want any of the following compounds in my bloodstream or deposited in my body. Let’s look at what we have found in the common vaccinations:

Ethylene Glycol: Ethylene Glycol is nothing more than the technical name for anti-freeze, the same stuff that you put inside your car engine. I don’t think I have to tell you what would happen if you ingest antifreeze.

Thimerosal: This is a mercury derived disinfectant and preservative which is used in a majority of the vaccinations and can result in brain injury over a long period of time leading into Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s Disease, lack of memory, sluggish brain performance and also is known to induce auto-immune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, ALS as well as altering and depleting the immune system from working efficiently.

Phenol: Phenol is most commonly used as a disinfectant, also used as a dye, is listened as a carcinogenic agent (cancer-causing) agent and is also known as carbolic acid.

Neomycin and Streptomycin: These compounds are used as antibiotics which have side effects to include severe allergic reactions in some people. It always puzzled me why they are putting two different forms of antibiotics in a viral vaccine.

Aluminum: Aluminum accumulates in the skin, bones, brain and kidneys and can cause Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Aluminum has also caused cancer in laboratory mice. It is commonly used as an additive in most vaccinations.

Formaldehyde: Formaldehyde is used as a preservative. It is also classified as a carcinogenic (cancer-causing agent) and causes the body fluids to become acidic in nature. Formaldehyde will start to preserve your tissues within the body.

I hope that when your doctor starts telling you that it is time for your annual flu vaccine you will present this material to him and ask him how all of these ingredients are going to prevent you from getting the flu. I’ll be very interested in knowing what his answer is to that question. As a side note just to let you know what is being injected to your body, these vaccines are strained through animal or human tissues like chicken embryos, monkey kidney tissue and embryonic guinea pig cells, to name a few.

So what am I supposed to do if I don’t listen to my doctor and I decide not to get an annual flu shot? Well, you have probably made the smartest decision you have ever made in your entire life. So let me give you 5 Simple Secrets and Bonuses to Sailing Through The Flu Season:

Secret #1: Reduce your intake of caffeine, alcohol and carbonated beverages and replace with purified water with addition of organic apple cider vinegar added. Two tablespoons per gallon or a capful per glass. Ideally, you should drink at least

Several methods are being used since time immemorial to cure the condition of hair loss. Hair loss is not just a male problem; it occurs in women too. Only that in women, it is not so very conspicuous. However, there are several treatment methods for both men as well as women. One such unisex treatment method is the hair loss treatment shampoo.

As the name suggests, this is a shampoo – a medicated shampoo, in fact – that is meant to be applied directly over the scalp, when having a bath. It does foam and lather like normal bath shampoos do, but the amount of lather is lesser than them. The shampoo is usually meant to be rubbed onto the scalp with the fingers and work it on slowly. Then it is to be kept on the scalp for a few minutes – five minutes are ideal – and then washed away with water. Cool water (not cold) shows better effects with these shampoos.

Today there are a lot of hair loss treatment shampoos available in the market. You will get one at your nearby drugstore. Or, you could get a prescribed one from a doctor. There are several brands on the Internet too, too many in fact, and deciding the one that would be good for your condition from among them is usually a pain. That is why, getting a hair loss treatment shampoo upon a doctor’s prescription is the best bet.

Most of the hair loss treatment shampoos are all herbal products, and these are very safe to use. At least, most of the genuine ones are! Generally, the herbal ingredients that these shampoos contain are aloe vera, saw palmetto, nettle, primrose oil, wheat extracts, carrot extracts, cucumber extracts, ginseng extracts, avocado extracts, rosemary, citric acid, etc. Several nutrients found in the food such as vitamin B3, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin A and several others are also added for extra effects from the shampoos.

There are also several synthetic shampoos available. These have ingredients like sodium laureth sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine, methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, phenoxyethanol,biotin, glycol stearate and hydrolyzed glycosaminogylacans among others. In all these shampoos, whether they are herbal or synthetic, the water used is always deionized pure water.

Of course, there are many shampoos – in fact most of them – that are a blend of herbal and synthetic products. Different companies have their own formulations too, and depending on the products used, these shampoos can bring additional benefits to the users such as shinier and silkier hair, hair that does not break, dandruff treatment, etc. In that way, other hair issues can also be addressed along with the use of the hair loss treatment shampoos. Because of their medical properties, these shampoos are always much more expensive than the normal shampoos that are available in the market.

If you are thinking of buying a hair loss treatment shampoo for yourself, the price should not be your first deciding factor. Look at the ingredients and study up a little on what they do for the hair. If that is too difficult for you, take a copy of the ingredients and ask your doctor. It is better to get a shampoo that works for you rather than paying good money for something that shows no results at the end of the day.

What Medication Can Cure Me?

1. Am I expecting a cure? Some medications relieve symptoms ? that is, they stop the itching, pain, redness, etc ? but do not actually get to the source of the illness. Some illnesses, like the common cold, can’t be treated/cured, so looking for an OTC drug may be a waste of time; getting rest and drinking fluids may be a better way to spend your afternoon! Other things, like yeast infections, can be treated by over the counter medications; if the infection is making you uncomfortable as well as needing treatment, make sure that you pick a product that gives you both symptomatic relief and treatment.

Is It Safe For Your Child?

2. Is it for your child? If so make sure that you’re getting a drug that can be given to children. Some drugs that help adults can be dangerous for children; others need to be given at a special dosage. Read the fine print on the box before buying for your child.

What About Interactions With Other Drugs?

3. What else am I taking? If you’re on any other medications, whether over-the-counter or prescription, stop by the pharmacist’s desk before heading to the check-out counter. She can check to make sure that the drugs you are taking don’t change the effect of the drugs you are taking.

Wait… Shouldn’t My Illness Be Over Already?

4. Should my illness have ended by now? If you think you have something that has a natural lifecycle - that is, something like a cold that should end on its own - but you don’t feel better after that time is up, you may have misdiagnosed your illness. If you’re having to take pain-reliever nonstop to keep functioning, your body is trying to tell you something and you should listen. What feels like a cold might be bronchitis; that achy foot may require orthotics, not aspirin.

Long Term Medication Use

5. Is it a chronic problem? If you’re having to take over-the-counter medications over a long period of time to prevent symptoms, it is time for your health care practitioner to find out what the underlying cause is. Even something as simple as scaly skin may be a warning sign that you’re developing diabetes. And some relatively harmless medications can have serious long-term consequences; for example, some over the counter pain medications can cause stomach bleeding if you take them for a long time. If you’re taking an OTC medication constantly to reduce long-term discomfort, talk to your health care provider to make sure that a) you’re not missing something important and b) that if it’s a chronic problem, you’re taking medication that your body can handle chronically.

Compare Ingredients

6. What’s the active ingredient? If the same active ingredient is found in both the name brand and the generic, chances are they will have the same effect.

Pregnant Or Breast Feeding?

7. If you’re pregnant or nursing, check with your physician before taking ANY medication, including OTC drugs and alternative products (such as herbal remedies). Some drugs can cross the placenta or through the milk glands, giving your fetus or baby a whopping dose of medication. While the medication might be fine for you, it may not be fine for your baby.

Watch Out For Alcohol

8. Does the medication contain alcohol? If it does, it’s probably going to make you sleepy, it will probably make you feel dehydrated, and adding more alcohol on top of it can be dangerous.

Double-Doses: Be Careful!

9. Am I doubling up? If you’re taking more than one over-the-counter medication, make sure that they don’t have the same ingredients; if they do, you might be doubling the recommended dose of that medication and setting yourself up for unpleasant side effects. This is a particular problem when you take something that combats multiple symptoms of an illness (like “flu” medications that relieve pain, fever, stuffy nose, and sore throat) - often they contain multiple active ingredients, one of which may overlap with another medication (like a pain killer) that you’re taking

Side Effects And Allergies

10. Check the label for side effects and symptoms of allergic reaction. If side effects include drowsiness and you drive a truck or care for several active toddlers, this medication might not be right for you. Similarly, if you start running a fever or develop a rash, having read the label ahead of time will help you know if you need to stop the medication and call a doctor to avert a full-blown allergic attack.

Don’t treat your migraines, prevent them. A life without migraines is obtainable, I know. I was a migraine sufferer for 12 years and have been treating… preventing them for my patients for 15 years. The 95+% success rate achieved at my office comes from a combination of research, common sense and the hard work of my patients.

When I was a teen I suffered from terrible migraines several times a week. Like most of you I tried medications and bio feedback with little help. Regular chiropractic care offered relief, but my migraines continued. Relief came to me by accident, I was doing a food shopping and did not have enough money for everything. I had choice of eating or drinking my daily 2 liter bottle of Pepsi, I chose eating. Like magic my migraines disappeared over the next week. It took several weeks to recognize that soda, alcohol, etc. were causing my migraines, but once I eliminated them I felt great. Trigger foods are well documented but aren’t the whole answer.

When I first started treating patients I was sure that a simple elimination diet was the answer for my migraine patients, but many did not respond. I was determined to find the answer to treating migraines. I did a review of thousands medical research articles on migraines and found the clues I needed. The best way to treat migraines is to successfully prevent them. In order prevent migraines I needed to determine the true underlying reason migraines occur.

They key to preventing migraines is realizing that they are caused by an overload of toxins in the body. A migraine can be seen as a really severe hangover caused not by alcohol, but all types of toxins from in and out of the body. The liver, the body’s main system for eliminating toxins is overwhelmed in migraine suffers. The liver is not diseased, it just is not functioning fast enough to keep the body detoxified. Simple examples of a toxin can be alcohol, chemicals, caffeine, and drugs. Toxins also include hormones and chemical compounds the body naturally produces, but cannot detoxify fast enough. Toxins can even be foods if the digestive tract cannot break them properly, such as preservatives, artificial coloring and artificial flavorings This simple concept has lead to thousands of former migraine suffers living pain free. If toxins and slow liver function lead to migraines; then reducing the toxic load and increasing the livers function will prevent migraines.

Tracey T. was 40 years old and had been suffering with migraines for 13 years. She was taking Pamelor, Topamax, Esgic Plus, and Zomig with no relief. She was under the care of a neurologist, her 4th one, and getting a migraines daily. She was in good health overall and followed a healthy lifestyle; exercised and avoided alcohol and caffeine. She began her nutritional supplements, improved her diet and increased her water intake. Her 2 month check up showed that she had had only 1 migraine in 8 weeks and several mild headaches. She was working with her doctor to eliminate her medication and was now only taking 1, at reduced amount. A six month review showed that she was off all medication and doing great.

There are 10,000s of medical studies on migraines. The medical research I reviewed overwhelmingly supports a lifestyle change with nutritional supplementation approach.

Medical Research …. How it supports this approach

1. low B vitamins and Magnesium levels ……. needed nutrients in liver detoxification

2. woman 3x more likely to suffer with migraines …. woman produce more hormones to that need to be detoxified,

3. increase frequency and severity of migraines with menstrual cycle ……….the female body produce up to 4x as many hormones during a menstrual cycle

4. elimination diets helpful …. reduces toxin intake, less to detoxify so the liver can keep up with demand

5. medications cause 30-40% of headaches …… medications need to be detoxified by the liver, increasing the toxic load

6. triggered by smoke, perfume, etc….. smells are all chemical compounds that increase the toxic load on the liver

There are also two lab tests that support that prove that slower liver detoxification is associated with migraines. The first is a liver function test, this is not your typical blood test. A functional liver test will measure how long it takes your body to breakdown and detoxify different chemical compounds including; caffeine, aspirin, and acetaminophen. The second test in cutting edge genome scanning. Migraine sufferers have been linked to a genetic defect in liver detoxification.

The liver needs about 8 weeks of reduced toxic load and nutritional support to detoxify. When my patients start the process we ask them to keep a diary of every migraine, how severe it was and how long it lasted. Most patients start to see a decrease in the frequency or severity within 3 weeks and are migraine free by their 8th week. Woman can usually tell they are better by their 3rd menstrual cycle. You may find that the 1st and 2nd week are a little rough as you adjust to your new diet and the body dumps the toxins. The following are some guidelines to follow:

Lifestyle changes to Prevent Migraines I recommend that my patients shoot for 100% success. The more you limit the toxins entering your body the greater your chance of success. An elimination diet alone will not work for most migraine sufferers. You will need to take nutritional supplements along with your lifestyle changes to live migraine free. Life does not always allow you to stay within the guideline, do the best you can.

Avoid the following:

caffeine and deceffeianted coffee, teas and sodas

chocolate

artificial coloring

artificial flavoring

preservatives

nuts

personal care products with heavy perfumes, switch to all natural cleaning products, switch to all natural

cigarette smoking or second hand smoke

alcohol - all forms

Consume the following:

60-80 ounces a day

High fiber foods; fruits, vegetables, grains

Nutritional Support: to promote increase liver detoxification

Artichoke

Tumeric

Silmayrin

Glutathione

Cysteine

Cod liver oil

All natural multivitamin

B complex

Patients who are using OTC and prescription medication are slower to detoxify. Migraine suffers presently taking prescription medications should talk to their doctors. Together you can work out a plan to reduce and then eliminate your medications. Patients using medications on an as needed basis try to reduce the frequency of use, after a couple of weeks with new diet and lifestyle.

Questions and Answers:

Q: Why doesn’t my doctor know this?

A: Doctors are trained to treat diseases, not dysfunction. Doctors are most likely causing 30-40% of all migraines from the migraine medication they are prescribing and the rebound effect they cause.

Q: Is your protocol safe?

A: The lifestyle changes and nutritional support recommend are very safe

Q: Can I continue on my medication?

A: Yes, continue on your medication and start the protocol when you are feeling better talk to your doctor

Q: Are there any side effects?

A: You may feel a little worse for 1-2 weeks, but it is worth it to be migraine free in about 8 weeks

Q: What kind and where can I get the nutritional supplements?

A: The nutritional supplements listed are available in any good health food store. My office use professional grade nutrients that are available only through healthcare professionals, they are not available health food stores.

Since 1982 Accutane has been a reliable, if not controversial, drug for treating severe acne. Now with FDA representative David J. Graham’s statement that Accutane should be taken off the market, and pharmaceutical manufacturer La Roche’s defense of Accutane’s safety in a Florida courtroom, access to Accutane faces mounting restrictions.

Author of Acne Messages: Crack the code of your zits and say goodbye to acne, Naweko San-Joyz, understands the concerns facing acne sufferer’s who desire Accutane-like results. San-Joyz conducted research to inexpensively mimic the effects of Accutane. ” Accutane provokes five acne-fighting actions that anyone can replicate using nutrition and self-care”, explains San-Joyz.

Reduce excess oil secretion:

Accutane is a derivative of vitamin A and reduces the secretion of oil by the oil glands.

Foods that supply the body with Vitamin A and beta-carotene (which is converted to vitamin A by the body) include: Liver, oily fish, whole eggs, carrots, sweet potatoes, and broccoli.

Encourage extreme shedding of the skin:

Using a peel is the easiest method to promote shedding of the skin. Exfoliation releases the build-up of dead skin cells, oils and bacteria trapped in the pores, which could lead to the formation of blemishes.

Extreme peels

Peels come in varying degrees, from mild to harsh. The trichloroacetic acid (TCA) peel is an extreme peel that can cost from $100 to $1000 depending on the degree of the treatment. It is only performed in a doctor’s office. The TCA is not a save all however. The peel can make the skin sensitive to the sun cause hyper-pigmentation.

Home use peels:

Several over-the-counter peels contain papaya enzymes or glycolic acid. These peels lightly exfoliate the skin and are safe for weekly use.

Reduce the spread of bacterial infection:

Using an astringent such as witch hazel or apple cider vinegar to disinfect the skin significantly reduces the presence of bacteria on the face. This reduction limits skin inflammation and the likelihood of a pimple developing.

Enhance Fat Metabolism:

Free fatty acids can irritate the skin and provoke acne eruptions. Reducing intake of foods containing hydrolyzed fats will improve fat metabolism. However, do consume essential fatty acids such as Omega-3 and Omega-6, which are found in foods such as salmon and olive oil. These essential fats aid the gastrointestinal tract eliminate pro-inflammatory substances, which reduces the possibility of experiencing acne lesions.

Reduce inflammation:

A strong immune system serves as a buffer against inflammation. Stress reducing activities such as exercising, eating a well-balanced diet and sleeping well boosts the immune system. A diet supplemented with B-Complex, zinc and vitamins C and E likewise enhances the effectiveness of the immune system.

Like Accutane, these five steps will not work overnight. Accutane works via creating a bodily environment that is not conducive to acne. By adhering to the nutritional and aesthetic steps above, anyone can attain clear skin while simultaneously augmenting their health.