Myopathy known to occur with statins

"While the statins are effective in providing protection from coronary and cardiovascular events, they are known to cause myopathy (usually dose-related) and, rarely, rhabdomyolysis. A clinical diagnosis of myopathy is made when there is muscle pain or weakness accompanied by a creatine kinase (CK) level more than ten times the upper limit of normal. Rhabdomyolysis is a severe form of myopathy with muscle breakdown leading to myoglobinuria, which may result in renal failure and death.

The Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring (CARM) has received eight recent reports (including two fatalities) of rhabdomyolysis occurring in patients taking between 20mg and 80mg of a statin daily."
___________________________________
Gary Moller comments:
This medsafe NZ report raises a number of interesting issues:

Officially myopathy and rhabdomyolysis are "rare" with rates of from 0.03% to 1%. Such rates depend on not just the Dr detecting the condition; but reporting it in such a way that it is recorded in offical databases. In m y experience, this hardly ever happens and only in the most serious cases leading to severe disability or death - assuming the disability or death were directly attributed to the culprit medication.

Co-morbidities and other medications complicate the detective work. So, for example; while the patient might have died from heart failure, the medication might have damaged the heart muscle. Or, as a result of the severe muscle weakness caused by the statin, the patient might have slipped, broken a hip and subsequently died from the complications of a blood clot. The official cause of death would not be the statin.

If these medicines have such nasty side effects, it begs the question: "Why do these things continue to be prescribed?" Especially when there are such effective non-medical alternatives that have absolutely no side effects other than looking and feeling great.

"Because they reduce heart disease risk and because the side effects are very rare", you might say.

"Rare?" At a recent presentation to more than 50 "Oldies" I was cornered afterwards by two women who had been prescribed statins. Both had suffered severe muscular pain and weakness and one had visible severe muscle wasting of her thighs and was having trouble walking. I was horrified at the damage.

Assuming that about 10 of the total audience were on statins, is this occurence "RARE"?

Read more!

Link

Gastric Bypass Horrors

Hi Gary,

Well after 16 weeks my XXXX still has problems from his gastric bypass! The stomach still hasn't healed and his body is rejecting the naso-esophageal feeding tube. He's vomiting most nights and looks like shit!

But he has lost 80kg (or more) from the virtual starvation regime he has been on, so guess that's what they're going to do? He's been told that in the long run it was a success (well.. he has lost the weight...) so now they're going to reverse the procedure. That means another complicated operation and so naturally he's very depressed and more than a little afraid.

He still has a now somewhat deflated spare tire hanging around his waist so will probably need further "body sculpture" surgery to fix that.

He would have achieved the same result if he had not had the surgery and simply drunk the milkshakes he's been squirting up his nose and left it at that.

We are actually concerned about his chances of suviving another operation in his current condition.

Isn't medical science great!

Cheers,

Anonymous
____________________________
Gary Moller comments:
Well, it seems that the pre-holiday hype by the weight-loss surgeons worked and they had at least one taker looking for a "new me" for the New Year.

In my last occupation I got to see a regular procession of failures of routine surgery. For these people that "one in ten thousand" failure rate was 100%. Here in NZ the victim ends up carrying the can. It is very difficult and very costly to sue and the assistance from Accident Compensation is measley to the point of being a miserable insult.

In this case, it would appear there is leakage occuring at one of the points where the stomach and intestine have been severed and joined. The tube is feeding a liquid meal (A poor version of my Super Smoothie) into the gut past the point of leakage. The operation has been a failure and the plan to surgically reverse the procedure is fraught with risk. This poor man is already in a malnourished and weakened state and his friends have every right to fear for his survival.

Read my earlier posting about this kind of mostly unnecessary surgery that is receives so much taxpayer funding. This botched operation has probably cost well over $30k and rising by the day. The reversal will be another $20k. If only there was public funding for a team approach for closely supervised lifestyle, diet and exercise weight loss programmes, similar to what we see on TV reality programmes.

We hear littel about these failures - about 3,000 dead per year in NZ.

In this case, the poor recipient will eventually be chalked up as a success, although with complications. After all - he lost weight didn't he? Let's hope the success is not because he makes a good looking corpse in a regular-size coffin!

Read more!

Warning about serious side effects of Warfarin

The US label for warfarin has been strengthened to include a black-box warning about the risk for major or fatal bleeding.

SIDE EFFECTS: The two most serious side effects are bleeding and necrosis (gangrene) of the skin. Bleeding can occur in any organ or tissue. Bleeding around the brain can cause severe headache and paralysis. Bleeding in the joints can cause joint pain and swelling. Bleeding in the stomach or intestines can cause weakness, fainting spells, black tarry stools, vomiting of blood, or coffee ground material. Bleeding in the kidneys can cause back pain and blood in urine. Other side effects include purple, painful toes, rash, hair loss, bloating, diarrhea, and jaundice (yellowing of eyes and skin). Signs of overdose include bleeding gums, bruising, nosebleeds, heavy menstrual bleeding, and prolonged bleeding from cuts.
_____________________________________
Gary Moller comments:
I have referred to this widely prescribed cardio medication in the past as "rat poison" and we are now seeing plenty of evidence why it should never be given to humans.

Only a fraction of the complications resulting from prescription medications ever get to be reported, so when the authorities start requesting special warnings be placed on the packaging of a pharmaceutical, we should take heed. The problem/threat is probably much larger than it appears.

Most complications are so subtle and take so long to manifest that the association may never be noticed, let alone proven. While the big side effects may be fatal, it is the subtle ones that are the most prevalent and often they go un-noticed and are never recorded. If you take careful note of the list of complications above from taking Warfarin (especially the section that I have highlighted for you), you will not be surprised to learn what I am about to tell you:

The osteoporosis drug, Fosamax is associated with "Fossy Jaw" or death of the bone of the jaw, a horrific disease for which there is no effective treatment. Well, it may not be just Fosamax: I can tell you that Warfarin may be producing similar cases of bone death, possibly the result of chronic micro-bleeding into the bone. I am aware of one case where this appears to be happening with the result that this unfortunate person is steadily losing his jaw bones; but these matters are difficult to prove, as I mentioned earlier. What is most astonishing about this horrific case is he is still being prescribed the Warfarin! This stuff is what horror movies are made out of.

If you want effective alternatives to rat poison to reduce cardiovascular risk, try a daily Kiwi Fruit, fish oil, vitamin E, the B Group of vitamins, magnesium, vitamin C, plus your usual fruit and veges.

Oh! I almost forgot - and exercise.

Read more!

Link

Death By Medicine

Gary, Your quote,"The treatment was a success but the patient died" brings to mind my friend Tess who this applies to partly!
Her obitury would read "The treatment was NEVER a success AND the patient died.

From a 59 year old lady who was active, riding a bicycle, making beautiful craft work soft toys. designing and doing tapestries and knitting she over 5 years became a sad, depressed lady with overwhelming bad health.
She had gall bladder disease but the medical report was misplaced and after 6 mths of recurring attacks it was finally removed via key hole surgery. During that time, her attacks of disabling pain were managed with pethidine injections, which a Dr told me she became addicted to.
From then on things went wrong. Her legs became ulcerated and swollen as did face and neck. they said she had Cushings syndrome. she couldn't walk and became diabetic requiring daily insulin injections and finally died.
The treatment didn't seem to help so they just kept on adding to it.
During the last months of her life she was having 11 different medications daily (22tablets total)
and 10units of insulin daily.
Officially she died from Cushings.
________________________________
Gary Moller comments:
I am sorry to hear of your friend's passing and can understand your concern with the treatment she received.

While she officially died of Cushings, every indication is that she really died from the consequences of medical bungling, the complications from surgery gone wrong and over medication.

Cushing's syndrome occurs when the body's tissues are exposed to excessive levels of cortisol for long periods of time. Many people suffer the symptoms of Cushing's syndrome because they take glucocorticoid hormones such as prednisone which she was taking large doses of over a protracted period of time.

Pancreatitis, leading to diabetes is a complication of keyhole surgery to remove the gall bladder. Such surgery should only be attempted by a specialist in the procedure.

The 12 medications that she was on is a nightmare of potential interactions and adverse reactions (I have seen the list).

Here in NZ it has been claimed that medical error, including adverse reactions to drugs, claims over 3,000 lives per year making this the 3rd leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer. That the very distant 4th placeholder (Road smashes) gets so much attention while medical error receives so little, is a mystery to me and bordering on being downright scandalous.

With the ageing population and the increasing medicalisation of the healthy, I predict it will not be long before medical error becomes the leading cause of preventable death in the developed world.

Read more!

Cortisone Injections - pain relief at what cost? Followup

Here is some feedback from the runner with the ankle pain that I referred to in my earlier article.

“I'm great... I've been back runnning for about 7 weeks...

“When you told me to start back , you will probably remember I still had the throbbing scenario - after that the ankle was giving me pain in the first few weeks of running. I've crept up slowly in kms and have had to go at a slower pace than I want ... but it's now not throbbing at all and only the very rare day do I feel familiar scary pains here and there.in the ankle... if that happens I get as much rest before the next session or swap sessions around.

So to answer your question yes your intervention did work for me, I was going backwards for many months (9 in total ) with the rehab exercises which I reckon were aggravating it more.

Before I ate healthily but now am using protein (just after a session which I never did before), calcium, minerals and flax will keep going and will keep the joint powder going for a good while yet.

Yes looked at the blog, and that is a great article , I hope it helps others make the right decision, all you need is a perceptive experienced advisor.You are the only person that I saw that wanted the entire background to my running habits and history.... and thank you ! “
___________________________

Gary Moller comments:
This very fit woman has made a remarkable return to running training. What she shows is the value of looking at the total person, including her health and exercise history, training programme, diet, physique and biomechanics - and let's not underplay the role of her determination to get back into running!

When attempting to understand how such injuries develop in the first place, it is essential to understand the constant balancing act that is going on inside the body between anabolism and catabolism. Refer to this E-Book here and read the sections about anabolism and catabolism. If an athlete is in a state of chronic catabolism, there is no way that any kind of medical treatment is going to "cure" her.

Although this dedicated runner has made a quick and remarkable recovery, healing and repair should be regarded as a slow and gradual process, taking several months, if not years to fully run their course. Too much therapy is on the basis of a 1/2 dozen visits and, if there is no cure, then more drastic action is recommended like surgery, or cortisone. Of course, these don't work and can leave the athlete with much worse problems over the longterm.

Central to modifying her training and diet and her doing some special exercises, is the moto "Body, heal thyself". This is a phrase all health professionals should constantly mutter away to themselves as a constant reminder that they never heal or cure - it is the patient's body that does that!
______________________________________

If you have a chronic injury or illness that you are getting nowhere with fast, and if you are in Wellington, I run a private clinic in the central city. Get hold of me to arrange a consultation - I really do enjoy the challenge of working with people like you!

Read more!

Death by falling over

"Gary,
I am very sad to say, my wifes dad passed away on sunday. He was 84, but as a young man was an excellent athlete, a natural swimmer, track athlete and even played rugby for XYZ Province while the allblacks were on tour (away) one time.
3 years ago he could give me a good game of tennis.
Less than a year ago, he was knocked over by a dog and his hip broke.
He seems to have fallen into the category of people dying after a hip breakage, he died in his sleep in a home in XYZ Town.
What is the link between breaking a hip and a rapid demise in health resulting in death?
Anon"
__________________________
Gary Moller comments:
First of all my condolences are extended to the family. Knowing Anon reasonably well, I strongly advise that he gets some tennis coaching right away.

Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths and the most common cause of non-fatal injuries and and hospital admissions for trauma. The cause of death is usually a blood clot in the lungs or elsewhere interrupting critical circulation. This is due to the frail state of the person, the immediate tissue trauma of the injury and the formation of blood clots at the injury site and from the immobilisation. Even if they recover from the fracture and are discharged, their even frailer state and the disability from the injury may be so great that their health never recovers and decline can be rapid, usually from pre-existing comorbidities, such as dementia. Getting a dose of the flu may be all that it takes to kill the debilitated person. Anon's family tragedy is being repeated several times daily.

I gained some further details from Anon and learned that his father in law had been on some kind of anti-depressant for many years, as well as medication for blood pressure. It is significant that he had recently gone into a managed care facility. Prior to his fall he had had a number of "turns" which could have been mild strokes. This came as no surprise. Unfortunately, for him and his family, the causes for his demise may have been put in place many years ago when that first pill was prescribed. Here is my speculation about what could have been going on:

• One of the most accurate indicators of decline in health and independence is balance. Medications that are prescribed to alter mood and to control blood pressure may expedite the decline in balance and hasten dulling of the mental faculties. Refer to my article here that expands on this.
  
• I will add that blood pressure medication does not cure blood pressure problems; it merely hides or suppresses the condition - the wolf remains at the door and the problem becomes more and more difficult to manage as time passes. The same can be said in many cases of prescribing mood altering drugs.
  
• Blood pressure medication can cause "brain fog". I recall one insurance study several years ago that found that elderly drivers on blood pressure medication had a nine-fold increase in motor vehicle insurance claims as compared to their non-medicated peers.
• Many of these medications can affect nutrition by causing unpleasant side-effects like cotton mouth and poor digestion. Up to 90% of some groups of elderly may suffer malnutrition. Read Should they Eat Cake?. Weak muscles, dementia/brain fog, osteoporosis and poor balance are killers when combined.
  
• Medications that are being prescribed wholesale to osteoporotic patients nowadays may be causing disastrous problems down the line by hindering bone healing post fracture. Read this Blog
  
• The "turns" that Anon described might have been the inevitable result of progressive cardiovascular disease, including excessively high blood pressure as medication becomes increasingly ineffective. Balance is usually seriously affected by these mini-strokes.
• From personal observation, the very act of institutionalisation may bring about a rapid loss of independence and decline in health status. My article "Should they Eat Cake?" touches on this.
  
• The survival of the debilitated old person, as per above, is under serious threat from a fall and prospects of making a good recovery are not good.
  

What can be done to prevent this sort of tragedy happening? The good news is that much can be done, including:

• Blood pressure pills or not, implement agressive lifestyle and diet changes to address the underlying factors that cause blood pressure and otehr cardiovascular ailments. Go here for more information
  and go here
• For mood and behavioural problems, seek drugs-free treatments, including exercise, nutrition and counselling.
• If on medications, question the need and ask your Dr to help devise a plan to either reduce the dose, or preferably to get off them completely. Ask about drug-free alternatives and do not hesitate to seek second and third opinions.
  
• Exercise vigorously 3-4 times a week. This can be walking and doing resistance exercise like gardening. The Myotec Pocket Gym is designed for safe use by the elderly to keep muscles and bones strong.
• Get outdoors daily to get sunlight on the body. Vitamin D from sunlight + exercise + good nutrition = strong bones and many, many other health benefits.
• If the day is sunless, then get a little Vitamin D (sometimes called cholecalcitrol) from a supplement like cod liver oil or Nutrimon (a low cost chewable multivit for kids; but fine for adults)
  
• Get multivitamins, including the B Group and Vit C; multi minerals, especially calcium and magnesium; and omega3 oils into the daily diet right away and keep these in place during old age. I am running a special this month on the Red Seal Effergize multivitamin tablets.
• Practice balancing skills now and into old age. This can be as simple as practicing balancing on either foot each day. This is also a good test to see if a new medication is affecting balance. (If balance deteriorates, go back to your Dr immediately and ask for a review). If you get really good at balancing on one leg, then try doing it with your eyes closed.
  
• Keep agile: Take up tap dancing, martial arts and walk rutted and rooty trails at every opportunity. Ride a bike. Play tennis (get some professional coaching regardless of age and ability).
  
• Design your house to be "fall friendly". Live in a single level swelling with no hard wood, tile or concrete floors. Fit natural wool carpets with thick underlays. Use non slip surfaces in showers, on steps and paths and light them well. Fit hand rails in bathrooms. Have a proper step ladder for getting up to high cupboards and for changing light bulbs.

If an elderly person is injured from a fall:

• Insist on getting the best treatment by experienced doctors and do not tolerate any delays.
  
• Make sure hospitalised person has a Guardian Angel appointed to look over them (more about this in a later article).
  
• Insist on minimal medication and take the opportunity of hospital monitoring to safely get off any unnecessary drugs that were prescribed in the past.
  
• Insist on high standards of personal hygiene by everyone, including the cleaning of Dr's stethoscopes between patients. Refer to my article about hospital infections.
  
• Get them onto a Super Smoothie and extra vitamins and minerals as well as Omega3 oil like flaxseed oil quickly. (Discuss the Omega3 oil with the Drs first if the patient is on anticoagulants, because these oils have similar properties and the medication might need to be adjusted). You can either make up the Smoothie at home and bring into hospital, or make it by the bedside with a small blender. The fresher the better. The hospital food will only serve to add to an already malnourished state and healing will be seriously compromised.

Finally, ACC have a number of excellent injury prevention resources to prevent falls. Go here for them.

Read more!