QuestionSeven years ago I was prescribed Levaquin for a non-existent UTI. Immediately I began to experience pain in my legs, increasing to the point I couldn't walk. I stopped the Levaquin after researching the side effects on the Internet and was able to return to normal life with durable pain. For several years the pain migrated all over my body but focused mostly in my legs. I went to a nutritionist, a chiropractor, a neurologist, making changes in my diet and lifestyle. I exercise at the gym 3 days a week and eat no sweets and drink only water but the pain has not diminished. I take Vitamin C, E, ALA, Krill oil, B12, Ubiquinol. BP is 121/71. Last month my left big toe and the one next to it started feeling strange, like they were bound by a string. I have trouble walking and bad balance and my neurologist thinks I have PD but is not sure. I am resisting taking prescriptions or having surgery. Thank you for your time.
AnswerHello Winnie,
I am sorry to hear of your complaints.
It sounds like you are doing all that you can : "....I went to a nutritionist, a chiropractor, a neurologist, making changes in my diet and lifestyle....". I really do not think I have much to add, but I'll try.
With your nutritionist and/or doctor of chiropractic; have you done a thorough detoxification? It sounds like you are motivated and disciplined; maybe 7, 14, 21 days of detoxification will help. Have you detoxed?
Many times people do add the correct supplements, perform the right exercises, have a proper lifestyle. But- if we have not completely (or as complete as possible) washed out the old problem substances, adding new good substances is not enough.
I think all I can contribute to you is:
to do a Detox diet for at least 7 days, preferably 14 or 21 days. Detox procedures such as lymphatic drainage massage during this time period, perhaps a colonic or two, perhaps those foot ION bath detox procedures (some DCs now have them in their offices). Even if you have detoxed before, perhaps a different or longer detox is necessary.
It is no use crying over spilled milk, but sometimes people read these discussions, so if you do not mind- some information that may not help you, but will inform others:
".....I was prescribed Levaquin for a non-existent UTI.....", Medications, appropriately prescribed can work wonders. Medications also have complications and side effects. Benefits must outweigh risks.
Antibiotics are often prescribed for infections. To be most effective, an Antibiotic must be specific for a specific infection. Doctors 'culture' the infection (take a sample) to determine which Antibiotic is best. Without a culture, the antibiotic may not be the best one for the problem.
".....Immediately I began to experience pain in my legs, increasing to the point I couldn't walk....."- medications have side effects and complications. The internet is a great place, information is freely available, use it! Medications have benefits and risks- learn those risks, learn the benefits- then decide if a specific health treatment is right for you.
".....my neurologist thinks I have PD but is not sure...."- take appropriate testing steps, get a thorough diagnostic workup, be as sure as possible.
One nutritional supplement I would add is proteolytic enzymes. You talk of pain, pain is usually secondary to inflammation. Proteolytic enzymes a few times a day are anti-inflammatory- add them to your regimen.
Continue with the nutritionist and chiropractor. Unfortunately it can take months, years to BUILD health; and only moments to destroy health.
In my Staten Island practice I often hand out information sheets to my patients, perhaps these will interest you:
PAIN
Pain is a 憆ed light on the dashboard?
Pain is your body telling you that something is wrong.
That RED LIGHT on the dashboard of your car-
-- do you ignore it until the car breaks down,
or do you get it checked and correct the problem?
Pain,
pain in your body-
-- do you ignore it until your body breaks down,
or do you get it checked and correct the problem?
Pain, do you cover up the pain by taking a painkiller?
Take a painkiller, mask the pain, and allow a problem to progress in your body?
NOTICE ON PAIN RELIEVERS:
Label changes ORDERED by FDA; the FDA announced proposed label changes for OTC over-the-counter pain relievers to include the potential for stomach bleeding and liver damage (FDA news 206- 207; 12-9-06) ;
The American Heart Association issued a scientific statement recommending medical doctors change the way they prescribe OTC pain relievers from a first choice to an alternate of recommending non-pharmacologic treatment (AHA statement 2-26-07).
NSAID Acceleration of ARTHRITIS; an important side effect of Aspirin and other NSAIDS is that it will inhibit cartilage repair and accelerate cartilage destruction ( Journal of Rheumatology, 1982; 9: 3- 5 ). Many times people take NSAIDS for the pain of Arthritis, not realizing these drugs may make the underlying condition worse. These medications cover up the pain, and cause the problem to worsen.
Pain can often be the result of the Vertebral Subluxation Complex.
Vertebral Subluxation ( 慥SC?, 憇ubluxation? )
Vertebral Subluxation is actually a quite common condition. Doctors of Chiropractic look for pathological conditions which may require referral to other specialties, and also look for 慡ubluxation? Other disciplines look for pathology, but overlook the importance of alignment and movement in the spine which affects our nervous system (the master control system- ALL health disciplines learn this). VSC- 慡ubluxation??can be the cause of many symptoms and conditions.
Only a Doctor of Chiropractic will evaluate and treat for VSC, as well as other pathology.
The course of VSC is highly variable. Some patients with VSC literally cannot walk, yet other patients with similar test findings may be able to run marathons or lift heavy weights. Some patients immediately develop symptoms related to the VSC, some patients take years to develop symptoms. Some people suffer for only a few days with pain and symptoms, some people suffer for months. Some people recover in days, some take months or years, depending upon severity of the condition.
A subluxation interferes with the proper functioning of the nervous system (the master system which controls and coordinates all function within the body) and may cause various other conditions, symptoms and problems.
The Vertebral Subluxation Complex describes what happens when spinal bones lose their normal movement patterns and position. When subluxated, joints are in a stressed, vulnerable, compromised condition. Subluxation may cause Arthritis, Disk Herniation, or aggravate such conditions.
Vertebral Subluxation cannot be corrected through chemicals (medicine), stretching, yoga, vitamins or physical therapy alone. Subluxation- a neuro/skeletal/muscular- mechanical- problem requires a mechanical correction- - - a manipulation, best performed with the chiropractic adjustment.
Dr. Victor E. Dolan, Doctor of Chiropractic; Diplomat, American Chiropractic Board of Sport Physicians; Diplomat, American Academy of Pain Management; Certified Clinical Nutritionist (IAACN); FIRST Chief of Chiropractic in a Hospital in New York State (DHSI); As Seen in PREVENTION Magazine
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HOMEOSTASIS
"Homeostasis" is the ability of a system to maintain itself. Every Biology or Chemistry student knows the term 慼omeostasis? The human body, given no interference, with proper input, is a homeostatic system. The human body can maintain itself as a healthy organism given proper input, proper support. Place stress on the system, have improper input, and the system becomes less efficient, goes 憃ut of balance? and eventually breaks down.
揌omeostasis? starts in our tiny cells!- yes, our cells maintain homeostasis. Our cells make up our tissues- our tissues have a certain BALANCE- our tissues endeavor to maintain homeostasis. Tissues build into an Organ- a heart, lung, intestine; yes even our organs have a homeostatic balance. Finally, these organs build into a body- US, you, me! Our Body has a homeostatic balance. Out of balance = out of health.
Homeostasis- for our body to thrive, rather than just survive, needs proper input: proper rest, exercise, diet, vitamins, water, clean air, and efficiently running cells, tissues, organs, systems. Any improper input or inefficiency will reduce homeostasis, reduce efficiency and eventually lead to a breakdown of the entire system.
All of our cells, tissues, organs have particular 'enemies'. For instance our diet could cause heart disease or high blood pressure: eating a poor diet leads to an inefficiency which ultimately leads to a breakdown in the system (our body).
Our nervous system also has an 'enemy' to homeostasis and efficient performance: the Vertebral Subluxation Complex (VSC). Improve efficiency, improve health by combating VSC!
Build health, improve health, 'do the right thing'; i.e.; eat correctly, take supplements as needed, proper rest, exercise, and keep your body working at improved efficiency- i.e.; chiropractic to remove nerve interference.
Building Heath- a history:
What ? ! , I have to brush my teeth!?,,, after EVERY meal ! ? ,,,,, For the REST of my life ! ? ! ... I don抰 want to. period. I won抰. To heck with it ! If I get a hole (cavity), THEN I抣l take care of it. Maybe I won抰 get any cavities anyway?.
It took the American Dental Association YEARS to educate people that they should brush frequently to avoid dental disease. It has taken YEARS to educate patients that visits to the Dentist for hygiene, cleanings, flossing, coatings, etc. are necessary to PREVENT dental problems. Some people still do not floss after every meal, some do not even brush often enough (yyyuuukkkk), so some people still have severe dental problems despite all the knowledge about PREVENTION and dental health maintenance that is out there. Can you believe it ?? !!
Some people have the same problem with PREVENTATIVE Spinal Health
that used to exist with preventative dental health. Some people come to the Doctor of Chiropractic and say, ?..do not adjust me, just give me therapy...? some people say,
?..What ? ! , I have to practice SPINAL HYGIENE !?!, (practice proper postures, proper movement patterns, and see the Chiropractor periodically !?!), Naahh, ... I don抰
want to. period. I won抰. To heck with it! When I get PAIN, then I抣l take care of it.
( pain is often the LAST symptom to appear- whether a cavity or a heart attack ! )
Nerve Interference- decreases your body's efficiency, decreases homeostasis, decreases health:
Vertebral Subluxation Complex (a.k.a. 憇ubluxation?(nerve interference)
The vertebral subluxation complex can be the underlying cause of many healthcare problems. A subluxation interferes with the proper functioning of the nervous system (the master system which controls and coordinates all function within the body) and may cause various other conditions, symptoms and problems.
This (Subluxation) is a serious condition identified by its five parts:
Spinal Kinesiopathology, Neuropathophysiology, Myopathology, Histopathology, Pathophysiology.
The Vertebral Subluxation Complex describes what happens when spinal bones lose their normal movement patterns and position.
Automobile accidents, improper lifting, improper posture, alcohol, emotional stress, chemical imbalances, and long periods of sitting can cause the Vertebral Subluxation Complex.
Vertebral Subluxation cannot be corrected through chemicals (medicine), stretching, yoga, massage, vitamins or physical therapy alone. Subluxation- a neuro/skeletal/muscular- mechanical- problem requires a mechanical correction- - - a manipulation, best performed with the chiropractic adjustment. For good health- Treat the Cause, not just the Symptoms.
ONLY a Doctor of Chiropractic evaluates for the Vertebral Subluxation Complex, as well as other pathologies.
Chiropractic corrects the Vertebral Subluxation Complex. Chiropractic helps restore HOMEOSTASIS to the body. Chiropractic helps restore homeostatic balance to your nervous system--- the MASTER Control system.
You cannot be 慼ealthy?if you have a Subluxation. You cannot be 慼ealthy?if you are out of balance. You MAY feel it, with a pain, stiffness, or a 慿ink?in your neck/ back. You may NOT even feel it-
just as people often do not feel the cavity growing in their tooth,,,, until it hits the nerve; or you may not feel it at all, like people do not feel high blood pressure or diabetes until AFTER damage has been done!! PREVENTION- Visit the Doctor of Chiropractic REGULARLY,,, just like your dentist! (practice spinal hygiene as you do dental hygiene) -PREVENTION!-
Build health, build balance, help your body maintain homeostasis! Practice good spinal hygiene, just as you practice god dental hygiene. See your Doctor of Chiropractic for a preventive regimen of chiropractic, rather than waiting for pain or a problem ?wherever that pain/ problem/ condition may be expressed in your body.
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Medication Side Effects:
"Death by Medicine" (1) is an eye-opening paper published as a Web exclusive in the March 2004 issue of Life Extension, a monthly magazine dedicated to "up-to-date coverage of the latest scientific and medical breakthroughs from around the world." As the grim title suggests, the paper explores the hazards of conventional medicine in the United States, analyzing and combining the complete published literature to date regarding injuries and deaths attributable to medicine.
In their introduction, the authors note: "Never before have the complete statistics on the multiple causes of iatrogenesis been combined in one paper. Medical science amasses tens of thousands of papers annually - each one a tiny fragment of the whole picture. ... Each specialty, each division of medicine, keeps their own records and data on morbidity and mortality like pieces of a puzzle. But the numbers and statistics were always hiding in plain sight. We have now completed the painstaking work of reviewing thousands and thousands of studies. Finally putting the puzzle together, we came up with some disturbing answers."
The "disturbing answers" the five researchers uncover are an indictment of the entire American medical system:
* "The total number of deaths caused by
conventional medicine is an astounding
783,936 per year."
* "The number of people having inhospital, adverse drug
reactions (ADR) to prescribed medicine is 2.2 million."
* "Richard Besser, of the CDC, in 1995,
said the number of unnecessary antibiotics
prescribed annually for viral infections was 20
million. Dr. Besser, in 2003, now
refers to tens of millions
of unnecessary antibiotics."
? "The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed Annually is 7.5 million."
* "The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million."
* "It is evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the United States."
The authors are especially concerned that "(a)s few as 5% and only up to 20% of iatrogenic acts are ever reported." (It must be noted that these reports on MEDICAL failure are compiled by MEDICAL personnel, and therefore these statistics a probably BIASED in favor of medicine, with poor outcomes being omitted or dismissed from the research. The statistics are probably LOWER than the reality.)
They also project that the costs associated with deaths caused by medical interventions total approximately $282 billion per year, and estimate that the costs for unnecessary hospitalization and medical procedures total $16.4 billion per year.
As if this information isn't startling enough, the paper goes on to review the drug industry world. The authors discuss the dangers of many types of drugs and how their overuse is affecting our health and our environment, Next, they discuss the dangers of surgical procedures, the lack of error reporting and unnecessary hospitalization. The paper concludes with a discussion of how women are mistreated by medicine, and the dangers awaiting the unsuspecting elderly: "A total of 20% of all deaths from all causes occur in nursing homes."
The complete text of "Death by Medicine" can be found online at www.lef.org/magazine/mag2004/" mar2004_awsi_death_01.html.
More than 150 references and an extensive appendix support the discussions and conclusions presented in this paper. While many will find it quite disturbing, every health care provider and every patient should read this paper.
Table 1: Estimated Annual Mortality and Economic Cost of Medical Intervention
Condition Deaths Cost Author
Adverse Drug Reactions 106,000 $12 billion Lazarou(1), Suh (49)
Medical error 98,000 $2 billion IOM(6)
Bedsores 115,000 $55 billion Xakellis(7), Barczak (8)
Infection 88,000 $5 billion Weinstein(9), MMWR (10)
Malnutrition 108,800 ----------- Nurses Coalition(11)
Outpatients 199,000 $77 billion Starfield(12), Weingart(112)
Unnecessary Procedures 37,136 $122 billion HCUP(3,13)
Surgery-Related 32,000 $9 billion AHRQ(85)
Total 783,936 $282 billion
Using Leape's 1997 medical and drug error rate of 3 million(14) multiplied by the 14% fatality rate he used in 1994(16) produces an annual death rate of 420,000 for drug errors and medical errors combined. Using this number instead of Lazorou's 106,000 drug errors and the Institute of Medicine 's (IOM) estimated 98,000 annual medical errors would add another 216,000 deaths, for a total of 999,936 deaths annually.
Reference
1). Gary Null, PhD, Carolyn Dean, MD ND, Martin Feldman, MD, Debora Rasio, MD, Dorothy Smith, PhD. "Death by Medicine." Life Extension March 2004 (Web exclusive).
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I would recommend a website for a safe, efficient approach towards buiding health: http://lifechangingcare.com/
and a book: http://www.amazon.com/Medications-Treatment-Dizziness-Fibromyalgia-Conditions/dp... (what to do when the medications do not work)
If you need further information, do not hesitate to re-contact me here at AllExperts.com :
http://allexperts.com/ep/965-100794/Chiropractors/Victor-Dolan-DC-DACBSP.htm
I have given you a lot of information, I hope it is of some help.
I wish you good luck, and Good Health Naturally,
Dr. Victor Dolan, DC
http://drvictordolan.chiroweb.com (Email newsletter)
