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<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#006633" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="065d6c00ddvuru.jpg"> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="082b4ab0.png" border=0 width="180" height="171" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>"Lydia, I think your monthly newsletter reaches many more people than you actually mail it to."</B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Past Newsletters"><U><B>Next</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div>                          <B>    </B></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="562" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 33 ><NOBR><div> <B>HOMEOPATHY:  The Small Is Powerful</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" "><U><B>HOME</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>          </B><A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" An Interview with Lydia"><U><B> An Interview with Lydia</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Appointments"><U><B>Appointments</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Instructions"><U><B>Instructions</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Homeopathy for Children"><U><B>Homeopathy for Children</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Complimentary Medicine"><U><B>Complimentary Medicine</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Pet Treatment"><U><B>Pet Treatment</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bach Flower Remedies"><U><B>Bach Flower Remedies</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><B>Latest Newsletter</B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Past Newsletters"><U><B>Past Newsletters</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lydias Favorite Links:"><U><B>Lydia's Favorite Links:</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Testimonials"><U><B>Testimonials</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Tree"><U><B>The Tree</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Guest Book"><U><B>Guest Book</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Payment "><U><B>Payment </B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Latest Newsletter</U></B></div> <div> <B>May 15, 2002</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Dear friends,</B></div> <div> <B>        Thanks for all the positive responses on my new web site. I'm particularly happy that you can refer friends and family who are interested in homeopathy to justasklydia.com.  My site won't be listed with all the search engines for a few more weeks, but it will be interesting to see how many hits it starts getting when it's listed for the general public.</B></div> <div> <B>         This month I wanted to write a little bit about my feelings about the new "magic bullet" drugs.  Those are the drugs that are given once or only a few times to take care of a medical problem - usually an acute problem.  The one that came to my attention this month was the drug Diflucan.  It was not my first encounter with the problems that it causes in some people.</B></div> <div> <B>        One of the women that I work with, a healthy woman in her late 70's, went to her regular doctor for what appeared to be a mild case of vaginitis.  Because of her high level of health, her age, and her lack of gynecological problems through the years, she felt the symptom of burning warranted a visit to the doctor.  Her doctor wasn't overly concerned, but he did order a sonogram which was fine.  He then prescribed Fluconazole which is known by the trade name of Diflucan.  The drug is an antifungal.  It's used for infections of the blood, mouth, throat, vagina, or central nervous system due to Candida, Aspergillus, and Crytptococcus.  It's a very important drug for fighting opportunistic infections in people with AIDS.  The drug information book that I use for basic information is </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Papyrus" ><A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0553584782/qid=1021655220/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/104-8786934-2445513" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0"><U><B>The Pill Book</B></U></A></FONT><B>, 10</B><B>th</B><B> edition by Harold M. Silverman available in paperback for $6.99.  It said that the most common side effects from Diflucan are nausea, headache, skin rash, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.  It also says that all the side effects are more common among AIDS patients.</B></div> <div> <B>        The affect of the drug on my client was rapid in that the burning quickly and completely went away.  What followed were many days (nine in all) of very uncomfortable stomach upset characterized by a bloated feeling, burping, and general abdominal discomfort that lasted most of the day.  Her appetite was fine, and there were no skin rashes or obvious allergic reactions.  She began to wonder if the burning had been a symptom of a more serious problem - like ovarian cancer - that was now manifesting in other ways.  She was not only uncomfortable but now she was anxious, worried, and unclear what she should do.  Being a generally healthy person, she does not usually call either her doctor or homeopathic consultant until it is clear that a problem is not resolving.  This one just wasn't going away.</B></div> <div> <B>        Finally after a week, she called both the prescribing doctor and me.  She was able to reach me directly that day. After hearing the story and that reasonable exams and diagnostic tests had been done, I suggested a remedy.  I told her that she should have called us both after only three days or less of discomfort.  I mentioned that I had seen Diflucan cause similar reactions in people and that the one dose form seemed particularly capable of causing reactions.  I also suggested that her age had caused her to be a bit more sensitive to the drug and reminded her that she had manifested strong reactions to other drugs she had taken.  </B></div> <div> <B>        That same day she heard from her doctor.  By all accounts, he's a good doctor who she's seen for many years.  He's helped her with many health issues and has an excellent working relationship with her.  With him, she can be sure of being treated with respect and compassion.  However, when she asked him if he thought that the Diflucan could have caused her digestive discomfort, he told her that he had never heard of the drug causing any problems of that sort.  He told her to wait and see if the symptoms subsided.  In fact, after a few doses of the indicated remedy she was feeling markedly better and all symptoms had subsided in thirty-six hours.  I added the incident to my list of drug reactions that anyone working in healthcare sees on a regular basis.  It doesn't mean that the drug is always bad or even that the person should not use it under any circumstances.  Still, it's worth noting both for the person in who the reaction occurred and by any healthcare people working with that person.  With this particular drug, I had already seen the same response in a few of the people I work with.  One of the more serious reactions had been in another older woman.  The symptoms that were bothering them disappeared only to be followed by more troubling digestive side effects.</B></div> <div> <B>        This is something that I have seen too many times for comfort.  It's clear to me that people prescribing drugs should have good knowledge of the different affects of the drug that they are prescribing - both positive and negative.  It's only with that knowledge that they can decide whether it is worth it for their patient to take that drug.  A very strong drug with known digestive side effects might not be the best course of action for an older person with known drug sensitivities.  This is especially true when the problem they are having is something minor and could possibly be taken care of with an over-the-counter product like Monistat or a milder prescription.</B></div> <div> <B>         I was left wondering whether the doctor that prescribed the Diflucan was not aware of the side effects listed for the drug.  It could have also been that he had not kept the type of communication with patients where he would have been told of adverse reactions to a drug.  A third possibility is that he knew of the side effects but due to the dangers of being sued by an unhappy patient was not willing to attribute the digestive problems to the drug.  That possibility is insidious.  It leaves the patient feeling that there might be something more serious wrong with them or that their system in not able to handle a drug that causes no problem for the general population.</B></div> <div> <B>        So, in regard to drugs and their side effects, these are my suggestions:</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>1. Avoid "magic bullet" drugs than are given in one dose or very few doses unless you are having a serious medical problem.  Request that your doctor treat minor problems and mild symptoms with repeated doses that can be stopped if you're having a negative reaction to the drug.  Once larger, one-time doses are in your system, your body must deal with any negative reaction or have the reaction suppressed with other drugs.  The quick action often does not justify the safety issues.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>2. Keep written records of any reactions that appear to be caused by drugs you are taking whether they're prescribed, over-the-counter, or something "natural".  The drug may not be causing the symptoms (it could also be the course of the illness), but you need good clear written information about what's going on in your body.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>3. If you appear to be having a problem after taking a drug, let your doctor know.  Not only is it essential to your case, but it can be critical information for other people who are given the drug.  If you want a second opinion of the possible side effects of a drug, call your pharmacist. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>4. Keep a good current prescription drug book on hand at all times. I use </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Papyrus" ><A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0553584782/qid=1021655220/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/104-8786934-2445513" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0"><U><B>The Pill Book</B></U></A></FONT><B>, and I make sure that everyone in my family has one. It's a bargain at $6.99.  Information is updated regularly since it's in its 10</B><B>th</B><B> edition, and you should replace the book when new editions come out.  If you're having new symptoms after taking a drug, look it up and see if the symptoms are listed.  Because the human mind is very suggestible, it may not pay to read every known side effect of a drug prior to taking it.  If you're running into trouble though, it's wise to check if the symptoms you're having are known side effects.  If so, call your doctor immediately.   </B></div> <div> <B>        As most of you know, I truly believe in the concept of complementary medicine.  I'm not adverse to prescription drugs.  I also believe that it pays to be an informed consumer.  We may ultimately need to acknowledge that the information that doctors can freely give us is reduced by their very understandable fear of being sued.  </B></div> <div> <B>        Next month, I'll write about my feelings on antidepressants.  You might just be surprised at what I think about them.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Good health,</B></div> <div> <B> Lydia Belanger</B></div> <div> <B> </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Papyrus" ><A HREF="mailto:lbel@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:lbel@aol.com"><U><B>LBel@aol.com</B></U></A></FONT></div> <div>                                        </div> <bR> <div> <B>                                                 </B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id29_m.htm" TITLE="Latest Newsletter"><U><B>Back to Top</B></U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>