Is Epilepsy An Indication For The Medical Use Of Pot?

An increasing number of epileptic patients are using marijuana to reduce their seizures. This group includes some children who have intractable epilepsy that does not respond to standard medications. These patients have been receiving medical marijuana because currently there is no pharmaceutical preparation of cannabis isolated as a drug. but this is changing because a chemical in marijuana that may be responsible for reducing seizures has been found.

This chemical is cannabidiol a derivative of marijuana that shows promise for the treatment o epilepsy in adults and in children. It may also be responsible for some of the other health benefits attributed to medical marijuana. Cannabidiol is manufactured by GW Pharmaceuticals under the name of Epidiolex. Interesting it is formulated without tetrahydrocannabinol, the compound in marijuana that gets people high.

So now we have the possibility of a derivative of marijuana that does not get the user high and still has the potential for treating medical problems. No one knows why or how this compound works but nevertheless it seems to work. A proper clinical test has been approved to determine whether it will diminish seizures in 150 children who have not been helped by standard seizure medication. If Epidiolex proves itself, a door will be opened to explore the potential of using marijuana derivatives for the treatment of other medical problems.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Do You Want To Try Chinese Herbs?

Chinese Herbs At A Famous Hospital

Whatever your opinion about the use of Chinese herbs to treat medical problems, and we must admit that we have little experience with these substances, this story grabbed our attention. A Chinese herbal center opened recently at the Cleveland Clinic. The clinic, which is part of the hospital's Center of Integrative Medicine, has one herbalist who sees patients on Thursdays. Patients must be referred by a doctor who will monitor them to ensure that there are no complications.The clinic is intended to fill a void for patients who are struggling with chronic care problems.

We applaud the Cleveland Clinic for being one of the first important medical facilities to work with these herbs. The problem for many of us who might try herbs on selected patients is that there is little scientific research outside of Asia on the use of these substances in medicine. This lack of information poses a problem for many physicians who might otherwise be interested in prescribing herbs for certain conditions. In an attempt to fill this void the National Institute of Health is currently funding research looking at the fundamental biological mechanisms of some herbal products.

At the Cleveland Clinic's herbal center new patients are given a one hour consultation that includes a battery of questions, a physical examination of the tongue and a traditional Chinese method for pulse taking. They are also asked to sign a waiver acknowledging that "herbal supplements are not a substitute for a medical diagnosis."

On one day at the clinic patients were seen who had problems ranging from chronic pain to anxiety, digestive issues and multiple sclerosis. Infertility, menstrual disorders and PMS are commonly treated with herbs. The jury is still out on the value of the Chinese herbs, but at the Cleveland Clinic the results are being critically evaluated. We should see some significant conclusions within a year or two, and we will all benefit from this information.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Chinese Herbs At A Famous Hospital

Whatever your opinion about the use of Chinese herbs to treat medical problems, and we must admit that we have little experience with these substances, this story grabbed our attention. A Chinese herbal center opened recently at the Cleveland Clinic. The clinic, which is part of the hospital's Center of Integrative Medicine, has one herbalist who sees patients on Thursdays. Patients must be referred by a doctor who will monitor them to ensure that there are no complications.The clinic is intended to fill a void for patients who are struggling with chronic care problems.

We applaud the Cleveland Clinic for being one of the first important medical facilities to work with these herbs. The problem for many of us who might try herbs on selected patients is that there is little scientific research outside of Asia on the use of these substances in medicine. This lack of information poses a problem for many physicians who might otherwise be interested in prescribing herbs for certain conditions. In an attempt to fill this void the National Institute of Health is currently funding research looking at the fundamental biological mechanisms of some herbal products.

At the Cleveland Clinic's herbal center new patients are given a one hour consultation that includes a battery of questions, a physical examination of the tongue and a traditional Chinese method for pulse taking. They are also asked to sign a waiver acknowledging that "herbal supplements are not a substitute for a medical diagnosis."

On one day at the clinic patients were seen who had problems ranging from chronic pain to anxiety, digestive issues and multiple sclerosis. Infertility, menstrual disorders and PMS are commonly treated with herbs. The jury is still out on the value of the Chinese herbs, but at the Cleveland Clinic the results are being critically evaluated. We should see some significant conclusions within a year or two, and we will all benefit from this information.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Is Your Heart Rate Too Fast?

Do you ever wonder if your heart rate is normal?  This topic probably has been discussed with you by your physician, but if it has not here are a few tips. The normal resting heart rate should be in the range of 60 to 80 beats a minute. Some authorities extend this 50 to 100 beats per minute. This number varies from person to person and over the course of the day for the same person.

In general a slower heart rate is healthier than a faster heart rate. If your heart rate is faster than necessary for good health excessive stress is put on your entire circulatory system. In fact recent research has documented an increased risk of heart disease and premature death in people who have faster resting heart rates.

A Danish study published recently in the journal Heart reported that for every 10 beats per minute increase over 50 in resting heart rate  there was a 16% increase in death. The authors concluded that in healthy subjects an elevated resting heart rate is not merely a marker of poor general fitness but an independent risk factor. Other researchers have suggested that the resting heart rate may be a better predictor of premature death than cholesterol and blood pressure.

The take away message is that if your resting heart rate is at the high end of normal you should consult with your physician. If you are physically fit there may be nothing that you can do about it. If you are in poor physical condition a good exercise program may help slow your heart down. An excellent wellness program is found in our book TriEnergetics.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Why Grapefruit Can Kill You

Did you know that eating one whole grapefruit or drinking about 6 ounces of juice can alter the efficacy of many prescribed medications. This includes such favorites as cholesterol-lowering statins, anti-histamines,antidepressants, calcium channel blockers and some HIV drugs. This interaction was first reported 20 years ago and currently about 85 drugs are potentially affected.

The problem with grapefruit, as well as Seville oranges, pomelos and limes, is that some substances found in the juice inhibit an enzyme found in the intestines and liver that aids in metabolizing the drugs. The result of this inhibition is that you end up with a higher level of the active ingredient in your bloodstream. This can lead to adverse effects such as acute kidney failure, heart problems, kidney failure, trouble breathing and gastrointestinal bleeding.

This interaction occurs quickly and can last 24 hours or longer. The effects vary from person to person, but older people are at higher risk. The danger is also greater for drugs that have little forgiveness if the dose is off by even the slightest amount.

The bottom line, if you take a prescription medication, is to check with your health care professional. before consuming grapefruit or other juices mentioned above. If there is an interaction and if you want to stay out of trouble stop drinking grapefruit juice.  Try orange or tangerine juice instead.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Statins The Good News And The Bad News

Do you take a stain drug to lower your cholesterol? If you do, the good news is that the incidence of deaths from coronary artery disease has decreased dramatically. Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs have played a major role. The bad news is that side effects from the statins are not uncommon and some of the side effects can be serious.

A recent study on statins from Harvard published in a major journal, The Annals of Internal Medicine, showed that nearly 20% of the 108,000 people studied reported adverse effects, most often muscle pain Less common complaints included fatigue and memory problems. During the eight year period of the study about 50% discontinued the drugs, at least temporarily. Often the reason for discontinuing was not known.

Our advice to you is that if you are taking a statin and have muscle weakness, pain or tenderness call your doctor and report this immediately. If the statin is the cause, the symptoms should go away within days or weeks. after the drug is stopped. If you continue with the statin in spite of the symptoms the damage could progress and lead to serious complications. There are other potential problems related to the use of statins. They will be discussed in the next blog.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Can Generic Drugs Be Dangerous?

In the last blog we discussed the possible problems that could develop from taking a generic medication. How often do serious problems or side effects occur because of the use of a generic instead of the brand name? Not often but sometimes even once is once to often.

A case to point is the action that the FDA took when it withdrew its approval for a generic version made by Teva Pharmaceuticals of the popular antidepressant Wellbutrin. The reason for withdrawing the approval for this generic version was that as it turned out this version was not bioequivalent to the brand name.

The FDA was forced to do testing on this particular generic version after it received numerous complaints from patients that Teva's version had made them feel woozy, sick to their stomach or even suicidal. It turned out that the generic's active ingredient dissolved four times more quickly in the first two hours that of the brand name because of a different time-release mechanism. In addition on average Teva's product achieved a concentration in the blood ranging from 40% to 75% of the brand name Wellbutrin.

At a meeting of the FDA's advisory committee for clinical pharmacology in 2011 a prominent physician presented evidence of three different generic formulations of levothyroxine. All three were more potent from the branded version and varied from one another. One was 12.5% above, another 9% above and the third 3% above.

Another problem with generics is that an estimated 80% of active ingredients and 40% of finished medications come from overseas. In some cases they are manufactured in facilities that have not yet been inspected by the FDA. Quality can be compromised. For example recently the maker of a generic Lipitor, Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals, recalled 480,000 bottles after tin shards of glass were found inside the pills.

In 2012 Congress  passed the Generic Drug User Fee Ammendments bill. In it the generic drug industry agreed to pay the FDA  $200 million dollars a year over five years to speed up the review and approval of generic drug applications and increase inspections of generic manufacturing plants abroad. This is certainly a step in the right direction.

Nevertheless almost all of us are or will be taking some generic medications. It is important to pay attention to how we respond to the medication and to be aware of any unusual physical symptoms that we may develop while on the medication. Our health may depend on it.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net