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Does Your Blood Pressure Medication Increase Your Risk of Cancer? Chiropractic Reduces Blood Pressure without Side Effects.

June 14, 2010 | Filed under: Dr Cohen, Drugs, Heart Health

HiDoc-on-white

A new study,  published in the journal, The Lancet Oncology, analyzes the results of a host of studies of popular blood pressure medicines and found that these “drugs in the class known as angiotensin-receptor blockers showed patients were 1.2 percent more likely to be diagnosed with a new cancer over four years than others who did not take the drugs.”(1)

“…Dr. Steven Nissen, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, said in a commentary the findings were ‘disturbing and provocative, raising crucial drug safety questions for practitioners and the regulatory community.’” reports Reuters.

I mean, this does not surprise me. Many times every month we hear that Drug A causes horrible side effects and may have to be removed from the market. Despite this pattern, the cycle repeats itself because people ask the wrong follow-up question. Instead of asking how to get off the drugs, we ask what drug will be developed or what competitor’s drug will fill the void. So then Drug B is marketed as the new and improved Drug A, only to cause a separate series of side effects – shoot, who knows – maybe enough to finally remove that drug from the market.

The sad thing is that society is going to keep repeating the mistake.

Not to get preachy, but when will people realize that DRUGS, all drugs, effect the biochemistry of the body therefore changing a process within the body? By definition, any chemical alteration will have side effects. When we address the symptom of a problem without treating the cause, we will create additional, new, unnecessary problems.

Here is what I, as a patient, would ask: why is my blood pressure high? What can I do to lower my blood pressure? If there is no option other than a pill (which, by the way, is not the case), what will happen if we suddenly lower my blood pressure with a magic pill?

Apparently, the answer is that I increase my risk of cancer.

Wouldn’t you want to know that? Wouldn’t you think twice about the pill if you knew that?

There are other options for addressing high blood pressure: deep breathing, exercise…and…

Chiropractic has been shown to decrease blood pressure within one visit and have lasting effects without the side effects of pharmaceuticals.And it certainly does not increase your risk of cancer.

Why is the media not talking more about this? Could it be that the billions of dollars the pharmaceutical companies pour into television, magazines and newspaper ads might influence the quality of the reporting of non-pharmacological treatments?

So, since the drug options for lowering blood pressure cause cancer and chiropractic lowers blood pressure without the cancer side effects…does that mean chiropractic can reduce your risk of cancer???

Improve GERD Symptoms Without the Weightgain and Other Drug Side Effects

November 18, 2009 | Filed under: Drugs, General Interest, Headaches

Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD,  which is a return of stomach contents up into the esophagus, which frequently causes heartburn, is typically treated with a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPI) such as Prilosec, Prevacid, and Nexium.  The commonly know side effects include diarrhea and headaches and even hip fractures.

A recent study published in the World J Gastroenterology found that patients on PPIs gained an average of 8 pounds over 2 years of use compared to those receiving a placebo.

This is a significant problem, the study goes on to say “that patients should be encouraged to manage body weight through lifestyle modifications”.  That is good advice but many patients already battle with weight gain so another card stacked against them is not ideal.

I have been able to improve GERD symptoms through natural supplements, supported by the research that do not have this negative affect.  When I work a patient up from a functional medicine approach, this is a common problem that quickly responds favorably to conservative care.  Even if a person is on a PPI, the natural supplement that I use has been shown to decrease heartburn and commonly the need for the medication.  The patient’s medical doctors are often shocked but excited about the improvement because typically a person is on a PPI for life.

These drugs are commonly prescribed prophylactically when a patient has pain that is being managed by NSAIDs due to gastrointestinal events (or bleeding in the patients gut) and very often a person’s pain can be managed through chiropractic care so the need for both the PPI and the NSAID will be dramatically reduced.

Pills 2

Bottom Line: Drugs should be utilized short-term while the health care provider and patient searches for the cause of the problem. Too often patients are put on drugs for life (eg NSAIDs or PPIs) and the cause of the problem is then forgotten about but EVERY drug has a side effect, many of which we don’t know yet.  So utilize medications conservatively, short-term so you can cope as a more sustainable solution is found.

New Heart Risks Found for ADHD Meds, CBS M.D. recommends Chiropractic

June 21, 2009 | Filed under: Drugs, Heart Health

To watch the video click here.

“William Pelham Jr., Ph.D., director of the Center for Children and Families at the State University of New York at Buffalo and not involved with the study, said he thought the findings would establish that, “from a risk-benefit perspective, there is no justification for using stimulants as a first-line treatment [for ADHD].”

“I believe this study will add substantially to recent papers that establish that stimulant drugs, while useful for a minority of ADHD children when needed as a short-term adjunct to psychosocial treatments, have no long-term effects other than serious side effects,” including growth suppression, sudden death, and substance use, he said” according to a recent article in medpagetoday.com.

Ritalin and other ADHD drugs are very similar chemically to cocaine which is one reason it  they are quickly becoming the drug of choice for teens. It’s relatively cheap and accessible for them and is more incognito. And since it’s a prescription drug,  they perceive it to be safe. But if abused by taking at high dosage or by injection or snorting, it can be just as addicting as cocaine according to the U of U.

“The nonmedical use of prescription stimulants among U.S. college students is now at its highest level in 15 years,” said professor Sean Esteban McCabe of the University of Michigan Substance Abuse Research Center according to an article in CCT. Most students contacted at UC Berkeley, Stanford, San Francisco State, Sonoma State, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and UC Santa Barbara said Adderall is usually obtained from friends for free or at cheap prices. But some say they have seen people sell the drug to strangers.

Of course, medications are indicated for some but other safer options should be utilized first before you put your child on a drug of this level. At ProActive Chiropractic, we integrate chiropractic care with many lifestyle and nutritional changes to conservatively manage or co-manage ADHD.  For example, too little sleep can increase hyperactive tendencies according to a study in Sleep described here.

Anti-inflammatory drugs raise dementia risk.

June 18, 2009 | Filed under: Drugs

The study which was expected to show that Anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs would actually lower the risk of dementia showed the opposite.

“During the study, 476 people developed dementia, and heavy NSAID users had a 66% higher risk of developing the condition than those with low or no use” according to a description of the study given by USA Today.

So NSAIDs are increase risk… what helps with risk. Believe it or not curry says researchers at UCLA according to WebMD.

… A big bowl of curry. Now that’s a fun prescription to fulfill.