Gout – Healthy.net

Don’t forget T. L. Cleave in the story of refined carbohydrates

What Doctors Don't Tell You — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 10:49:15 +0000

Following your Special Report on diabetes in the March issue, I must enquire whether you are familiar with the classic work of T.L. Cleave – The Saccharine Disease? The concept of a single ‘saccharine disease’ encompasses many apparently unrelated conditions, all due primarily to the consumption of refined-carbohydrate foods. This is a meticulously argued and carefully documented theory. The research dates from the 1930s onwards and is referenced in detail.

As well as diabetes, other conditions linked to refined carbohydrates include varicose veins, coronary artery disease, appendicitis, cholecystitis, diverticular disease and more.

There is a singularly interesting chapter detailing the relationship between peptic ulcer and refined-carboyhydrate intake.

Cleave also has convincing ideas regarding the role of overconsumption of refined carbohydrates in the causation of hiatus hernia and gout.

This man has many papers and books to his name extending over many years, and there are many other researchers and doctors who back up his theories, but he seems to have been forgotten or ignored. – Francesca Tox, Nesbon, Cheshire

Drugs and breathlessness:

What Doctors Don't Tell You — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 10:49:15 +0000

We now move on to the reader whose 82-year-old father was put on a colourful cocktail of pills for his gout and hypertension. The man has now become very breathless and is suffering night cramps. The reader wanted to know if drugs were the cause of these symptoms before battling it out with the doctor. Before she does, she should look into WDDTY’s database, which has enough information on drugs and its adverse side effects to provide her with needed ammunition (www.wddty.co.uk/login.asp). One reader confirms that “polypharmacy” is indeed the cause of many health problems. He knew of someone who got better once he stopped taking his daily fix of 15 different pills. The reader suggests the use of cherries for gout and hawthorn berries for hypertension as alternative therapies. Another reader also agrees that the drugs are most likely causing the breathlessness and other symptoms as they increase toxicity in the system.

Gout:

What Doctors Don't Tell You — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 20:51:58 +0000

One reader urges caution about last week’s suggestion to eat salicylate-rich fruits such as cherries as this may interact with the warfarin our reader was also taking. At the very least it may have the same effect as the drug, and could cause an excessive thinning of the blood. There’s a similar concern about the recommendation to take cider vinegar, which could also interact with warfarin. A reader knows of one case where someone started suffering from nausea and a lack of appetite when he was taking cider vinegar for an arthritic neck.

Pennywort for Candida, gotu kola for cancer

What Doctors Don't Tell You — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 20:51:58 +0000

Your book The Field proved beyond doubt that all living things can and do communicate by thought with each other no matter where they are in the world. This explains why certain plants and organisms change or mutate at the same time worldwide. I remember when all the musk plants in the world simultaneously lost their scent; we also have bacteria and viruses which mutate to become immune to the latest drugs and antibiotics.

I also believe that the current violent behaviour – terrorism, road rage and the like – are due to thought waves transmitted via the Field and picked up by receptive individuals who then, via their own thought transmissions, influence others. This would account for crowd violence and riots, where normally inoffensive people are drawn into situations they would usually avoid.

The reason for this letter is to tell you about a new arthritis treatment. There is a plant I have learned about from one of my clients, David Cowles, a businessman who lives in Las Vegas. If you log on to http://www.nesgadol.com, you can download his essay on marsh pennywort (Hydrocotyle umbellata).

He is trying to find someone who will analyse the plant to discover its constituents because he has discovered that it has remarkable curative powers. He has cured himself of arthritis, gout, scleroderma, emphysema and Raynaud’s disease. It heals the kidneys, too.

His wife, who suffered from cystitis for 30 years – which no amount of expensive medical treatment had managed to cure – ate just two leaves of pennywort a day and, after five weeks, she was completely cured.

Finally, Russ Maslen, the author of the book Arthritis BC: Before Centella that I published, has discovered that he is suffering from pancreatic cancer. But because he has been eating Centella asiatica (gotu kola) leaves for the past 11 years, the tumour has stopped growing and is now about the size of a walnut.

His oncologist thinks he may have had this tumour all that time and – get this – Russ has foregone all forms of conventional therapy, has not lost weight and is still functioning normally. When I met him recently at his home in New South Wales, Australia, he was fit enough to take my son and me out and about to show us the sights. – Kenneth V. Jackson, Centella Probe (UK), via e-mail

Shoulder & Neck Pain

American Institute for Preventive Medicine — Wed, 06 Dec 2000 13:28:02 +0000

Shoulder and neck pain is a common condition. Driving a golf ball, cleaning windows or reaching for a jar can strain and injure shoulder muscles and tendons, especially in people who are out of condition. Fortunately, this discomfort rarely suggests a serious condition. Causes of shoulder and neck pain include:

Poor posture and/or unnatural sleeping positions. Sleeping on a soft mattress can give you a stiff neck the next morning.
Tension and stress. When you feel tense, the muscles around your neck can go into spasms.
Tendinitis, inflammation of a tendon, the cord-like tissue that connects muscles to bone. Left untreated, tendinitis can turn into “frozen shoulder”, a stiff, painful condition that may limit your ability to use your shoulder.
Bursitis, an inflammation of the sac (bursa) that encases the shoulder joint. Bursitis can be caused by injury, infection, overuse, arthritis or gout.
Osteoarthritis. Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis develops from normal wear-and-tear of the joints as we age or from repeated injuries. Aging can cause the joints to wear out, producing bony spurs that can press on nerves and cause pain.
Accidents and falls. Collarbones can break after falls or auto accidents.
Motor vehicle accidents. You can develop a whiplash injury when your vehicle is hit from behind.
Pinched nerve. Arthritis or an injury to your neck can pinch a nerve in your neck. Pain from a pinched nerve usually runs down the arm and one side only.

Sometimes shoulder and neck pain signal serious medical problems, especially with other symptoms such as stiff neck, sudden and severe headache, dizziness, chest pain or pressure, and/or loss of consciousness.

Prevention

Stretching and strengthening routines, especially before exercising, helps prevent tendinitis. So can using the right equipment and following the proper technique.
Avoid injuries to the shoulder by wearing seat belts in cars and trucks and using protective gear during sporting events.
Avoid vigorous exercise unless you are fit. If you are out of condition, start to strengthen your muscles gradually and slowly increase exercise intensity.
Don’t sleep on your stomach. You are likely to twist your neck in this position.
Sleep on a firm mattress. Use a feather, polyester or special neck (cervical) pillow. Use a thinner pillow or none at all if you have pain when you wake up.

Keep the muscles in your shoulders strong and flexible to prevent injury. These exercises can help:

Stretch the back of your shoulder by reaching with one arm under your chin and across the opposite shoulder, gently push the arm toward your collarbone with the other hand. Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat five times, then switch sides.
Raise one arm and bend it behind your head to touch the opposite shoulder. Use the other hand to gently pull the elbow toward the opposite shoulder. Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat five times, then switch sides.
Holding light weights, lift your arms out horizontally and slightly forward. Keeping your thumbs toward the floor, slowly lower your arms halfway, then return to shoulder level. Repeat ten times.
Sit straight in a chair. Flex your neck slowly forward and try to touch your chin to your chest. Hold for 10 seconds and go back to the starting position. Repeat five times.
Sit straight in a chair. Look straight ahead. Slowly tilt your head to the right, trying to touch your right ear to your right shoulder. Do not raise your shoulder to meet your ear. Hold for 10 seconds and straighten your head. Repeat five times on this side and then on your left side.

Self-Care Tips

Unfortunately, no matter how careful people are, injuries do occur. Injured tendons, muscles and ligaments in any part of the body can take a long time to heal. Longer, in fact, than a broken bone. Don’t ignore the aches and pains. Studies show that exercising before an injury has healed may not only worsen it, but may greatly increase the chance for re-injury.

Put the arm with the injured shoulder in a sling when you take the person to the doctor.

Treating Tendinitis – Taking over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen sodium eases the pain and reduces inflammation. Acetaminophen eases muscle soreness but does not help with inflammation. [Note: Do not give aspirin or any medication containing salicylates to anyone 19 years of age or younger, unless directed by a physician, due to its association with Reye’s Syndrome, a potentially fatal condition.]

R.I.C.E. – Rest, ice, compression and elevation, is the accepted treatment for tendinitis. While the pain could linger for weeks, with the proper and immediate treatment, it usually disappears in a few days.

R — Rest the injured shoulder. Rest prevents further inflammation, giving the tendon a chance to heal. Resume your activities only after the pain is completely gone.

I — Ice the injured area as soon as possible. Immediately putting ice on the injury helps to speed recovery because it not only relieves pain, but also slows blood flow, reducing internal bleeding and swelling.

Put ice cubes or crushed ice in a heavy plastic bag with a little water. You can also use a bag of frozen vegetables. Wrap the ice pack in a towel before placing it on the injured areas.
Apply the ice pack to the injured shoulder for 10 to 20 minutes. Reapply it every two hours and for the next 48 hours during the times you are not sleeping.

C — Compress the shoulder injury. Wear a sling to keep the shoulder from moving, to prevent further damage, and to remind yourself to take it easy.

E — Elevate the shoulder whenever possible to further reduce the swelling.

The swelling is usually eased within 48 hours. Once the swelling is gone, apply heat to speed up healing, help relieve pain, relax muscles and reduce joint stiffness.

Use a heating pad set on low or medium or a heat lamp for dry heat. Or, use a hot-water bottle, heat pack or hot, damp towel wrapped around the injured area for moist heat. [Note: Damp heat should be no warmer than 105¡F.]
Apply heat to the injured area for 20 to 30 minutes, two to three times a day.

Liniments and balms also relieve the discomfort of sore muscles. They provide a cooling or warming sensation. Although these ointments only mask the pain of sore muscles and do nothing to promote healing, massaging them into the shoulder increases blood flow to help relax the muscles.

Treating Bursitis – Prolonged use of a joint or arthritis can cause the pain and discomfort of bursitis. Fortunately, these flare-ups can be controlled by:

Applying ice packs to the sore shoulders.
Taking a hot shower, using a heat lamp, applying a hot compress or heating pad to the affected shoulder, or rubbing the area with a deep-heating liniment.

Treating Neck Pain from Whiplash Injuries or Pinched Nerves – Always see a doctor anytime your motor vehicle is hit from the rear because the accident can cause a whiplash injury. The recommended treatment for whiplash injuries usually consists of using hot and cold packs, massage, exercises, sometimes a neck brace and pain-relieving medications such as aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen and naproxen sodium. Once your symptoms subside, you can resume normal activity.

After first checking with your doctor, you can ease neck discomfort by:

Resting as much as possible by lying on your back.
Using cold and hot packs. See how to use them in the above section on treating tendinitis.
Improving your posture. When sitting, select a chair with a straight back and push your buttocks into the chair’s back. When standing, pull in your chin and stomach.
Using a cervical (neck) pillow or roll a hand towel and place it under your neck.
Avoiding activities that may aggravate your injuries.
Covering your neck with a scarf in cold weather.
Practicing some of the stretching and strengthening exercises listed under the section on prevention on page 106.

Dealing with Arthritis and Osteoporosis – See the section on arthritis on page 165 and the section on osteoporosis on page 172 for information on these conditions.

Questions to Ask

Along with the shoulder and neck pain are you: Feeling pressure in your chest, especially on the left side? Short of breath or having trouble breathing? Nauseous and/or vomiting? Sweating? Anxious? Having irregular heartbeats?

Did you experience a serious injury that caused shoulder and/or neck pain that is not going away and/or is getting worse?

Do you have a stiff neck along with a severe headache, fever, nausea and vomiting?

Do you have any of the following? Severe or persistent pain, swelling, spasms or a deformity in your shoulder? A shoulder that is painful and stiff with reduced ability to move it? Stabbing pain, numbness or tingling? Pain, tenderness and limited motion in the shoulder?

Is the shoulder pain severe or interfering with your sleep? Is the shoulder stiff in the morning, swollen, tender or hard to move?

Gout

American Institute for Preventive Medicine — Wed, 06 Dec 2000 13:28:02 +0000

Gout is a form of arthritis and is most common in men older than 30. It is less common in women. In women it usually comes after menopause. It is caused by increased blood levels of uric acid, which is made by the breakdown of protein in the body. When blood levels of uric acid rise above a critical level, thousands of hard, tiny uric acid crystals collect in the joints. These crystals act like tiny, hot, jagged shards of glass, resulting in pain and inflammation. Crystals can collect in the tendons and cartilage, in the kidneys (as kidney stones), and in the fatty tissues beneath the skin. {Note: Crystals other than uric acid can cause some acute attacks of gout.}

Gout can strike any joint, but often affects those in the feet, such as the big toe, and those in the legs. A gout attack can last several hours to a few days. Persons who have gout can be symptom-free for years between attacks. Gout can be triggered by:

Mild trauma or blow to the joint
Drinking alcohol (beer and wine more than distilled alcohol)
Taking certain medications (e.g., aspirin, diuretics, and nicotinic acid)

Signs and Symptoms

Excruciating pain and inflammation in a joint or joints that strike suddenly and peak quickly
Affected area that is swollen, red or purplish in color, feels warm, and is very tender to the touch
Feeling of agonizing pain after even the slightest pressure, such as rubbing a sheet against the affected area
Sometimes a low-grade fever
Sometimes chills and fever

Treatment and Care

Never assume you have gout without consulting a physician. Many conditions can mimic an acute attack of gout. These include infection, injury, and rheumatoid arthritis. Only a doctor can diagnose the problem.

If you do have gout, treatment will depend on the reasons behind your high levels of uric acid. Your doctor can conduct a simple test to tell if your kidneys arenÕt clearing uric acid from the blood the way they should or to find out if your body simply makes too much uric acid.

The first goal is to relieve the acute gout attack. The second goal is to prevent future attacks.

For immediate relief, your doctor will prescribe colchicine, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication and/or other pain reliever (not aspirin) and tell you to rest the affected joint.
For long-term relief, your doctor will probably recommend that you lose excess weight, limit your intake of alcohol, drink lots of liquids, and take medication, if necessary. One type of medication (allopurinol) decreases uric acid production. Another (probenecid) increases the excretion of uric acid from the kidneys.

(See “Places to Get Information & Help” under “Arthritis” on page 375.)

Thallium

Elson M. Haas MD — Wed, 06 Dec 2000 13:28:02 +0000

Thallium has again become a toxicity concern. Discovered in the 1800s by Sir William Crookes, it was used in medical treatments, for venereal diseases, gout, and tuberculosis. Its toxicity, however, caused it to fall into disuse, though thallium acetate continued to be employed for fungal skin infections for some time.

Industrial use of thallium has increased in recent years. It can form useful alloys with silver or lead and may be a byproduct of zinc and lead production. In electronics, thallium is used in power systems, such as batteries or semiconductors. It is also employed in optical lenses, photo film, jewelry, dyes and pigments, and fireworks. A bigger concern was its uses in pesticides and rodentocides, which were banned in 1975. Thallium sulfate was used with starch and glycerin to treat grains for poisoning squirrels and rodents. This led to some fatalities when humans mistakenly consumed some of that grain.

Thallium is in low concentration in the earth’s crust. Humans cannot tolerate much thallium in their bodies. This mineral and its salts can enter our body through our skin, respiratory tract, or gastrointestinal route. It can be toxic in several ways. First, it can substitute for potassium in certain functions within the red blood cells, such as in the sodium/potassium ATPase. Thallium also has a strong attraction to sulfhydryl groups and thus may interact with these active enzyme sites. Thallium can pass the placenta into the fetus. There is some suggestion that thallium has teratogenic effects.

Thallium has significant toxicity effects both with large acute exposure and lower-level, chronic intake. Acute ingestion can lead to nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, fatigue, and fever. This can be fatal through its secondary agitation state which can cause seizures and then coma and respiratory failure. If people survive this exposure, further problems can affect the kidneys, heart, and nervous system. Sensory and motor changes, peripheral neuropathy, loss of reflexes, hair loss, arrhythmias, and renal disease may result. This may progress over several weeks. Most ingested thallium goes to and is excreted by the kidneys; the remainder is stored in many other tissues.

Chronic poisoning may cause polyneuritis with an inability to walk, fatigue, weight loss, and possibly reduced immunity. Thallium acetate has been used as a purposeful poison on several known occasions. Since it has no color or taste, it is well concealed in food and drinks; and it is not commonly looked for.

Thallium can be measured in the blood or urine. A 24-hour urine collection may reveal increased levels of this toxic mineral. A treatment with potassium chloride or EDTA may show increased levels of thallium in the urine.

Treatment for thallium poisoning is somewhat complex. Agents such as EDTA, dimercaprol, penicillamine, sodium iodide, and thiouracil have all been used with some benefit. Diuresis and potassium chloride are used more standardly to reduce thallium toxicity by increasing excretion levels. Prussian Blue (potassium ferric cyanoferrate) dye has been used to trap thallium in the gut after initial ingestion. Hemoperfusion or dialysis is used to reduce blood concentrations of thallium. Overall, we would be wise to avoid exposure to thallium.