THE REAL TRUTH

PILL APPROVED TO HALT FEMALE PERIODS INDEFINITELY

2007-05-23T05:59:00.001-07:00

WASHINGTON, May 22 (AP) — The first birth-control pill meant to put a stop to a woman’s monthly period indefinitely has won federal approval, the manufacturer said on Tuesday.

When taken daily, the pill, called Lybrel and made by Wyeth, can halt women’s menstrual periods indefinitely and prevent pregnancies.

It is the latest oral contraceptive approved by the Food and Drug Administration to depart from the 21-days-on, 7-days-off regimen that had been standard since birth-control pill sales began in the 1960s, and is the first made to put off periods altogether when taken without a break.

Wyeth, based in Madison, N.J., plans to start Lybrel sales in July. The company said it had not determined a price. The pill contains a low dose of two hormones already widely used in birth-control pills, ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel.

Most of the roughly 12 million American women taking birth-control pills do so to prevent pregnancy. Others rely on the hormonal contraceptives to control acne or regulate their monthly periods.

Some nontraditional pills like Yaz and Loestrin 24 Fe shorten monthly periods to three days or fewer. Seasonique, an updated version of Seasonale, reduces periods to four times a year. With Lybrel, 59 percent of women who took it in tests had no bleeding after six months.

However, 18 percent of women dropped out of studies because of spotting and breakthrough bleeding, according to Wyeth.

Still, Dr. Vanessa Cullins, vice president for medical affairs at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said Lybrel would be welcomed by the woman seeking relief from the headaches, tender breasts, cramps and nausea that can accompany monthly periods.

Jean Elson, a University of New Hampshire sociologist, said the pill left her with mixed feelings.

“I certainly can understand the benefits of taking these kinds of medications, but for most women menstruation is a normal life event, not a medical condition. Why medicate away a normal life event if we’re not sure of the long-term effects?” said Ms. Elson, who researches medical sociology.

SOMBRA , BIOFREEZE, TENS UNITS

2007-05-16T04:30:00.001-07:00

Baker Chiropractic, PA not only is the place for excellent care in Longview Texas, but we also carry a line of products to ease your muscle spasm and pain.

We carry Sombra, a pepper based liniment which offers warm relief to pain.

We also carry soothing, cool biofreeze, the green gel that soothes those tense muscles.

We also carry Transcutaneous Electrical Muscle Stimulators for those patients treated at Baker Chiropractic who may need an alternative pain management method.

And last but certainly not least, we carry the fine therapeutic line of pillows from Mellow Out Spa , Inc.

Please come in at 1420 McCann St., Longview Texas, in the Brookwood Shopping Village, or call us at 903-753-5400.

MISBRANDING OF OXYCONTIN- A FELONY COMMITTED

2007-05-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

An interesting story has surfaced that THE REAL TRUTH had to comment on.

Apparently, there has been felonious misbranding of oxycontin, and a big fine has been assessed because of it.

http://www.tothecenter.com/news.php?readmore=1809
"Charges brought against OxyContin maker in misbranding case
By Sari N. Kent:
Staff Writer: ToTheCenter.com

The maker of OxyContin, a powerful painkiller and three of its current and former executives pleaded guilty Thursday to misleading the public about the drug’s risk of addiction.

According to the Forbes web site, “Purdue Parma L.P., its president, top lawyer and former chief medical officer will pay $634.5 million in fines for claiming the drug was less addictive and less subject to abuse than other pain medications, U.S. Attorney John Brownlee said.”

In addition, the Reuters web site reported, “The company pleaded guilty to felony misbranding of OxyContin with the intent to defraud and mislead.”

The article went on to say, “OxyContin, prescribed for patients with moderate to severe pain, is now regulated as a controlled substance with the same addictive potential as morphine. The drug had become a favorite of narcotics abusers and was blamed for greatly contributing to several deaths. The FDA now requires the drug to carry a ‘black-box warning,’ the strongest type of warning for an FDA-approved drug, on its label.”

The FDA, “will continue to do all we can to protect the public against drug companies and their representatives who are not truthful and bilk consumers of precious health care dollars,” Margaret O.K. Glavin, associate commissioner for regulatory affairs at the FDA said in a statement."

Also from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10118248

OxyContin Addiction Case Yields Millions in Fines

" The company that makes the painkiller OxyContin, and three of its current and former executives, pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of misleading the public about the drug's risks.

Purdue Pharma LP and the executives will pay a total of $634 million in fines. The Connecticut-based company pleaded guilty to a felony charge of misbranding with the intent to defraud and mislead. Its president, chief legal officer and former chief medical officer also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge.

U.S. attorney John Brownlee said Purdue Pharma had deliberately downplayed OxyContin's potential for abuse and addiction.

"Simply put, the genesis of OxyContin was not the result of good science or laboratory experiments. OxyContin was the child of marketers and bottom-line financial decision-making," Brownlee says.

He says that beginning in 1996, Purdue Pharma began holding focus groups with doctors about its new long-lasting painkiller. Many of the doctors said they were reluctant to prescribe the drug because they worried about its potential for abuse. So the company's sales representatives began misleading physicians about OxyContin. They said, for instance, that the drug produced no euphoric feelings for users and that users suffered no withdrawal symptoms when they stopped taking it.

Within a few years, Brownlee says, use of the drug exploded.

"The result of these misrepresentations and crimes sparked one of the nation's worst prescription-drug failures," Brownlee says. "OxyContin is nothing more than pure oxycodone: a habit-forming drug derived from the opium poppy."

This case was brought in western Virginia, which, like many rural areas, has had to grapple with widespread abuse of OxyContin.

William Masello, the assistant chief medical examiner for the region, says that in 1996, three people died from OxyContin abuse in the area. Masello says that by 2003, the number had climbed to 44.

"Both the law enforcement people and myself here noticed a major uptick in the number of deaths and the number of crimes related to opiate drugs, the principal of which was OxyContin," Masello says.

Thursday's guilty pleas come two days after the drug maker reached a settlement with 26 states and the District of Columbia, which said the company failed to adequately disclose the drug's risks.

For its part, Purdue Pharma issued a statement Thursday acknowledging that some of its employees had misrepresented the drug before 2001. But it said that since then, it has implemented new training, monitoring and compliance procedures to ensure that the same thing doesn't happen again.

Of the $634 million the company has agreed to pay, about $130 million will go to pay claims from private lawsuits. The rest will go to federal and state agencies, including a Virginia program for monitoring prescription-drug abuse."

To quote that teacher from the Beavis and Butthead cartoon....
"Drugs are bad, OKAY?"

Women should worry about quitting SMOKING more than HPV

2007-04-05T23:57:00.000-07:00

All the nonsense about the "scary" HPV infection (90 percent of women are undetectable 2 years after infection) leads us to ask what is the REAL TRUTH about what women should worry about with regard to their health.

How about stopping smoking tobacco?

Fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_tobacco_smoking
we read the following:
"The main health risks in tobacco pertain to diseases of the cardiovascular system, in particular smoking being a major risk factor for a myocardial infarction (heart attack), diseases of the respiratory tract such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and emphysema, and cancer, particularly lung cancer and cancers of the larynx and mouth. Prior to World War I, lung cancer was considered to be a rare disease, which most physicians would never see during their career. With the postwar rise in popularity of cigarette smoking came a virtual epidemic of lung cancer.[3], [4]
Incidence of impotence is approximately 85 percent higher in male smokers compared to non-smokers[5], and it is a key cause of erectile dysfunction (ED)[6] [7]. Smoking causes impotence because it promotes arterial narrowing [8].
Tobacco related illnesses kill 440,000 USA citizens per year[9], about 1,205 per day, making it the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S."

Consider the statistics. Cervical cancer is associated with less than 4000 deaths of women each year. Smoking tobacco and related illnesses cause a bit less than half a MILLION every year. In only five days, more Americans die from illnesses associated with smoking tobacco, than die in a year from cervical cancer.

JUST STOP SMOKING LADIES. Smoking, unlike cervical cancer, is NOT a rare cause of death. It is a major one. So worry less about that Gardasil nonsense, and more about throwing the cigarettes away.

And, THAT'S the REAL TRUTH!

The Truth about Gardasil , Human Papilloma Virus, and Cervical Cancer

2007-04-05T23:04:00.000-07:00

The governor of Texas, Mr. Perry, received 5000 dollars (from Merck Pharmaceutical) closely in time to his signing of an executive order, which sought to mandate all young women , within a certain age range, to be subjected to the Gardasil medication, made by Merck.

Perry claimed it was a "coincidence". Others may draw a different conclusion.

The Attorney General let him know that he could not legally force young girls to take the KoolAid...er....Gardasil. He could only suggest it.

Gardasil was being marketed loosely as a "cervical cancer vaccine". It is most certainly NOT a "cancer vaccine". It does not prevent one developing cancer of the cervix.

Can Gardasil even guarantee that those taking the medication will not contract any of the strains of HPV? No, they cannot.

BACKGROUND AND STATISTICS
Cervical cancer is NOT the leading cause of death in women. So first off, money spent on it could be better spent on the Number One cause of death in women in the United States.

According to the CDC, because of early detection, cervical cancer has been steadily DECLINING for the PAST 40 years. Declining NOT because of the use of Gardasil, but because of the use of PAP smears for early detection.

A look at recent statistics shows not only is it declining, but when you think about the fact there may be 150 MILLION women in the United States, the numbers of diagnosis of cervical cancer are relatively small.

From the CDC we read:
"According to the U.S. Cancer Statistics: 2003 Incidence and Mortality report, 11,820 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2003, and 3,919 women died from the disease that same year. 2 It is estimated that more than $2 billion per year is spent in the United States on the treatment of cervical cancer. 3For more information, view 2002 Cancers grouped by geographic area, National Cancer Institute—State Cancer Profiles, or Screening and Risk Factors Report: Had a Pap Smear in Past 3 Years and No Hysterectomy, 2004, All Races, Female, Ages 18+.-->"

So, in 2003, less than 12,000 women were diagnosed, and less than 4000 died with cervical cancer, out of almost 150 MILLION! That seems like a relatively RARE cause of death in women to me...almost 4000 out of 150,000,000.

In fact, according to the CDC, concerning HPV infection and how serious the infection is (or is not)...their website says
"Most people who become infected with HPV will not have any symptoms and will clear the infection on their own."

On the CDC website, under "IS THERE A CURE FOR HPV?"
they say this, reinforcing their previous statement.

"There is no "cure" for HPV infection, although in most women the infection goes away on its own."

Even MORE importantly, under the question
WHAT IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN HPV AND CERVICAL CANCER?
the CDC says this:
"All types of HPV can cause mild Pap test abnormalities which do not have serious consequences. Approximately 10 of the 30 identified genital HPV types can lead, in rare cases, to development of cervical cancer. Research has shown that for most women (90 percent), cervical HPV infection becomes undetectable within two years".

Now, read the above statement again...everyone...
"Approximately 10 of the 30 identified genital HPV types can lead, in rare cases, to development of cervical cancer. " It says IN RARE CASES...rare cases...get it ?

Can the CDC be any MORE clear than saying that in RARE cases it can lead to cervical cancer? I think it is stated very clearly.

Now, we have established that it is RARE for HPV to lead to cervical cancer, and statistically, cervical cancer RARELY leads to death.

Gardasil is supposed to protect against FOUR types (strains) of the HPV virus. There are 30 types of the HPV virus. Only TEN of the 30 can lead to, in RARE cases, cervical cancer. Gardasil does not even claim to protect against half of those ten. It only claims to protect against FOUR of the ten...although they claim that those four account for 70 percent of the small number of cervical cancers linked to HPV. So, Gardasil claims to help protect against FOUR of the THIRTY strains of HPV (types 6, 11, 16, and 18), and we know that in 90 percent of females, HPV infections become undetectable in two years, WITHOUT ANY INTERVENTION.

Remember, this vaccine will not treat active genital warts or HPV-related cancers, and it will not cure HPV infection.

Possible , common side effects to women using Gardasil include, but are not limited to:

=====>pelvic pain;
=====>severe stomach pain; or
=====>pain, swelling, or stiffness in your joints.
=====> fever
=====> dizziness
=====> nausea
=====> bronchospasm and difficulty in breathing

Other reported adverse effects

Adverse Experience (1 to 15 Days Postvaccination)
GARDASIL (N = 5088) %
Placebo (N = 3790) %
Pyrexia (Fever)
13.0
11.2
Nausea
6.7
6.6
Nasopharyngitis
6.4
6.4
Dizziness
4.0
3.7
Diarrhea
3.6
3.5
Vomiting
2.4
1.9
Myalgia (muscle pain)
2.0
2.0
Cough
2.0
1.5
Toothache (yeah, TOOTHACHE)
1.5
1.4
Upper respiratory tract infection
1.5
1.5
Malaise
1.4
1.2
Arthralgia (joint pain)
1.2
0.9
Insomnia (difficulty sleeping)
1.2
0.9
Nasal congestion
1.1
0

SOUNDS LIKE FUN DOESN'T IT!

So, now, you have the straight dope, from the CDC.

You don't catch HPV from sitting next to someone folks. It is not like a cold. So, a lot of this hysteria is just that.

There is an old saying "Follow the money". Wanna see who benefits from hysteria over inflated claims of the dangers of HPV infection? Follow the money. Gardasil is adminstered via THREE SHOTS.

How much does it cost? From http://cancer.about.com/od/hpv/p/gardasil.htm we read
"Gardasil Cost: It has been estimated that Gardasil will cost between $300-$500. Federal programs will fit the bill if recommended by the immunization committee."

From http://uuhsc.utah.edu/pharmacy/bulletins/gardasil.html
it has a chart that says the AWP (average wholesale price) per series is
$450.00.

Now, if every young girl in school HAD been able to be forced to have been given this medication by mandate of governor Perry, think of that 450 dollars multiplied by the number of girls in the age range.

Seems like a good investment of only Five Thousand dollars, doesn't it?

MDs may do a lot of harm before they lose their licenses in Texas

2007-04-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

Let's take the case of Dr. Eric Scheffey,MD. One can still find him listed at healthgrades.com as an orthopaedic surgeon, even though he was arrested in Colorado.

Many people know the story of Eric Scheffey, especially doctors. Let's look at some of the facts about this orthopaedic doctor.

Wednesday, August 27, 2003
Medical Board Panel Votes to Suspend License of Dr. Eric Scheffey
http://www.tmb.state.tx.us/news/press/2003/082703.php
"A panel of the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners took action to temporarily suspend the license of Eric H. Scheffey, M.D., License #E6607, of Houston, after a determination that Dr. Scheffey’s continuation in the practice of medicine presents a continuing threat to the public welfare.
The temporary suspension hearing took place Tuesday under the Board’s authority to suspend physicians’ licenses when it determines there is a threat to the public welfare. The suspension will be effective with the board’s issuance of the Temporary Suspension Order.

The panel, composed of two physicians and a public member, reviewed Dr. Scheffey’s care and treatment of 10 patients. The panel determined that Dr. Scheffey violated the Medical Practice Act by his “failure to treat a patient according to the generally accepted standard of care”; nontherapeutic prescribing; failure to maintain adequate medical records; billing for treatment that was “improper, unreasonable, or medically or clinically unnecessary”; and repeated or recurring meritorious health care liability claims.

The length of a temporary suspension order is indefinite but it remains in effect until the board takes further action. "

Note, this was a "temporary suspension" in 2003. this was AFTER the decision in the following case http://www.14thcoa.courts.state.tx.us/case/opinions/022102/000424f.pdf

And then, this :
http://www.goodlifemag.com/archives/09-05/09-05_doctors.htm
"The board made headlines across Texas this year by revoking the licenses of several infamous physicians in Dallas, Houston and Fort Worth. In February, the board handed down a record fine of eight hundred and forty-five thousand dollars to Houston orthopedic surgeon Eric Heston Scheffey, MD, for performing unnecessary surgery and overbilling the Texas Workers' Compensation system. (See accompanying article, "Notorious Predator or Insurance Company Victim?")."

What is The Real Truth about...Pre-Participation Physicals performed by Doctors of Chiropractic

2007-04-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

For every good and useful thing in the world, there are forces wanting to destroy it, and which work tirelessly to rob you and me of the ability to benefit from those good things.

Chiropractic is a holistic, drug-free, and conservative healthcare method. Since Chiropractic began in 1895, there have been many, many attempts to interfere with patient's rights to have this great form of care. The most recent, here in Texas, is an ongoing battle by certain people in the medical community.

Recently, an allopath (i.e. M.D.) who is an orthopod, based in Houston, expressed, in an article entitled "The Legislature Will Listen" which appears on the Texmed.org website, which is a site associated with the Texas Medical Association, an organization that filed what I consider a frivolous lawsuit (the Attorney General in his answer to the suit on behalf of the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners pointed out that the TMA has no standing to file the lawsuit) and in their lawsuit, claim Chiropractic doctors don't have the right / ability to diagnose their own patients, the following :

"The first was that the Houston Independent School District passed a rule to allow chiropractors to do sports physicals on students for participation in sports. I am aware of the training of chiropractors and it was my opinion that they did not have the training nor expertise to evaluate or diagnose many of the problems that would prevent a child from participating safely in school sports. As we are all aware, there have been several high school deaths in football over the last few years."

Let's look at how credible that statement is, shall we? Number one, I don't believe this orthopod who wrote this silly article, ever went to Chiropractic school, and if deposed today, would be able to fully describe the hours of education, what Chiropractic doctors take in school, and in general, I believe he is incredibly ignorant on the topic. Of course, as an MD, speaking of ignorance, perhaps he should read this study.
http://www.ejbjs.org/cgi/content/abstract/84/4/604

The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery did a study in 1998 and 2005, and found that on a test of the musculoskeletal system, orthopaedic doctors to be, and practicing doctors, had a high failure rate, showing inadequate understanding of a field they are trained in.

I quote from the study reported in EJBJS :
"Results: Two hundred and forty (58%) of the 417 program directors of internal medicine residency departments responded. They suggested a mean passing score (and standard deviation) of 70.0% ±; 9.9%. As reported previously, the mean test score of the eighty-five examinees was 59.6%. Sixty-six (78%) of them failed to demonstrate basic competency on the examination according to the criterion set by the internal medicine program directors. The internal medicine program directors assigned a mean importance score of 7.4 (of 10) to the questions on the examination compared with a mean score of 7.0 assigned by the orthopaedic program directors. The internal medicine program directors gave twenty-four of the twenty-five questions an importance score of at least 5 and seventeen of the twenty-five questions an importance score of at least 6.6.

Conclusions: According to the standard suggested by the program directors of internal medicine residency departments, a large majority of the examinees once again failed to demonstrate basic competency in musculoskeletal medicine on the examination. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that medical school preparation in musculoskeletal medicine is inadequate. "

Now, would you want one of THESE orthopods examining your child for a pre-participation school sports physical with this kind of failure rate?

Me neither!