Tag Archive for: medications

From Polypharmacy to the Natural Way

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When last we left our subject, he had a stent inserted while having a heart attack and was sent to cardiac rehab. He was on six medications (the very definition of polypharmacy) for congestive heart failure, A-fib, and hypertension. He decided that he wanted to get off all the medications he could because they contributed to him feeling weak, with no energy and a foggy brain.

The wellness center he went to had a strong nutrition-education program so while he was exercising, he was learning how to eat. The diet? As much as her wanted of raw, baked, and steamed vegetables; limited amounts of grains, beans, seeds, nuts; no meat. No SOS—that stands for sugar, oil, or salt.

The results? In five months, he lost ten pounds, but that wasn’t a goal. He reduced medications from six to two and will stop another when he’s a year out from his stent. He has normal sinus rhythm, normal blood pressure, and no signs of congestive heart failure. He states that his diet compliance isn’t perfect, but since following the nutrition approach, he has no brain fog, lifts weights, and runs on a treadmill. He wakes up every day with energy.

If you want to really get off medication for cholesterol, BP, and other associated conditions, that’s the natural way. It must be done under supervision and with your physician’s guidance. This man was fortunate that he could afford to participate in the in-patient program where he continued to learn, but many people have done it without an in-patient experience. This case report says it can be done and outlines the way. The effort is up to you.

The Kids’ Top Health Issues webinar on January 26 still has openings. I’ll cover the question I get asked most often in detail: constipation. Reserve your spot today.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: BMJ Case Rep 2018;11:e227059.2. Arch

Here’s a New Term: Polypharmacy

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Polypharmacy is defined as the use of multiple or unnecessary medications.  One of the questions I often get goes something like “How do I get off all these medications my doctor has me on?” Another related question is “I don’t want to take medications—I want to do things the natural way.” These are valid goals, but it may not be easy.

Because of the nature of some conditions, there may be no other way. But when it comes to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension, there may be a lot you can do, and thereby hangs a tale.

Several years ago, an 82-year-old man had been living with several heart issues: coronary artery disease, elevated cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and persistent atrial fibrillation. With multiple medications to control symptoms and treat the conditions, he was a poster child for polypharmacy. He was admitted to a hospital while having a heart attack. The surgeon opened the artery, more medications were added, and he was released. On his follow-up, he was not feeling well, weak, and had periods of brain fog. He was referred for cardiac rehabilitation.

At some point, he decided that he wanted to reduce his medications. Together with a wellness center and under the supervision of his physicians, he changed his diet; on Saturday, I’ll tell you what happened over the next six months.

The Kids Top Health Issues webinar on January 26 still has openings. Every day, more scary headlines cast doubt on science and health practices. For example, will fluoride really impact a child’s IQ? Those questions and more will be covered in this webinar. Reserve your spot today.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: BMJ Case Rep 2018;11:e227059.2. Arch

Energy Thieves: Medications

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Another class of energy thieves is medications. This may not apply to everyone but based on the latest CDC stats, close to 50% of all American adults take at least one prescription drug and almost one-quarter take three medications or more. There are three ways medications can steal your energy when you need it to perform your best.

  • Some medications can directly affect energy levels. Beta-blockers used for hypertension are an example; they’re supposed to slow down heart rate. They can also affect beta-receptors in other areas of your body. The net effect saps energy.
  • Other medications indirectly steal energy. An extreme example would be chemotherapy and radiation during cancer treatment, but some medications such as statins can cause muscle discomfort which can also steal energy levels.
  • Not taking the medications as directed can also steal energy. The simplest example is thyroid medication for hypothyroidism. It’s designed to be taken in the morning (unless otherwise specified by your doctor). If it’s not taken when it’s supposed to be taken, it can’t help with energy levels.

There are numerous medications that can impact energy. The first step is a discussion with your physician to address your concerns; schedule that today. I’ll be discussing strategies to minimize energy loss due to medications in the Super Bowl Webinar on Sunday, but it all begins with a discussion with your doctor.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

Reference: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/drug-use-therapeutic.htm

 

PPIs and Heart Attacks: The Bottom Line

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Here’s why the Stanford Study on PPIs and heart attacks is not as concerning as the press release and the study itself suggested (1-2): it comes down to the data mining.

The data-mining algorithm obtained a lot of data in addition to PPIs, diagnosed acid reflux, and heart disease. It collected data on blood lipids, systolic blood pressure, and smoking status. What it did not do was collect the heights and weights to determine BMI from the medical records. The researchers acknowledged that they had no data on diabetes as well. Of all the information that could . . .

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