Over the past several months I’ve been reading memoirs of patients with chronic Lyme disease. When the victim is a celebrity (Ally Hilfiger, Kelly Osbourne), she’ll land a contract and a book tour with a mainstream publisher. When the victim just lives down the block but believes she has something important to say, she’ll self-publish […]
Category: C
Controversial Diagnosis #6: Chronic Lyme Disease
Since no one argues about the existence of Lyme disease, right up front you should know that the controversy here centers on the word “chronic.” In my view, the arguments among physicians about whether or not such an entity exists are becoming a bit ridiculous. First, let’s briefly cover acute Lyme disease. Although certain states […]
Controversial Diagnosis #5: Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity
You’d be surprised at the degree of controversy surrounding this seemingly innocuous topic, not only among doctors but also patients (and best not to bring it up with anyone in the baking industry). This diagnosis has generated entire aisles of gluten-free products in grocery stores and GF selections on restaurant menus. And just perhaps you’re […]
Controversial Diagnosis #1: Fibromyalgia
I encountered my first significant controversial diagnosis when we opened WholeHealth Chicago in the mid-1990s. The concept of combining conventional and alternative medicine was new to the Midwest and right away we began seeing patients who came to us with chronic symptoms but no solid diagnosis. One group that stood out was made up of […]
Case History: The Madness of Overmedication
You’d think knowing that the fourth leading cause of death in the US is correctly-taken prescription drugs would push physicians to prescribe fewer of them. But the facts haven’t entered the collective brain of the medical profession. Big Pharma advertising controls both that brain and yours with its ubiquity of magazine, internet, and TV ads for drugs. Only […]
Case Study: French Irritability Explained
Patti came to our offices with her daughter and she’d written “Everything hurts” on our patient intake form. As she rose from the waiting room chair, her face grimaced in pain. Patti was middle-aged and seriously overweight. If there’d ever been a spring in her step, it had vanished long ago. Patti said she’d been […]
Case History: The Madness of Overmedication
You’d think knowing that the fourth leading cause of death in the US is correctly-taken prescription drugs would push physicians to prescribe fewer of them. But the facts haven’t entered the collective brain of the medical profession. Big Pharma advertising controls both that brain and yours with its ubiquity of magazine, internet, and TV ads […]
Commonly Missed Diagnoses: Mold-Related Illness
If you believe you’re suffering some of the chronic symptoms caused by mold exposure, you’ve probably also heard the discouraging mantra, “We can’t find anything wrong with you—all your tests are normal.” You’ve told your doc that you’ve read about toxic mold. You point out that you’ve had some water damage, that some rooms smell […]
Could Alzheimer’s Be Prevented By Antibiotics or Antivirals?
Quite some time ago during my internal medicine residency, articles began to appear in medical journals advancing the idea that stomach ulcers might be caused by bacteria. Mainly, I remember how dismissive most gastroenterologists were of this idea. “It is utterly impossible,” said one lecturer, “that any bacteria could survive in the intense acidity of […]
Can Your Diet Actually Prevent Breast Cancer?
An important study published this week in JAMA Internal Medicine confirmed what doctors had suspected for some time but had been unable to prove. You can definitely reduce your risk of developing invasive breast cancer by pledging to follow that Mediterranean Diet you’ve read about but never got around to taking seriously. Researchers in Spain […]
A Computer Has Been Programmed To Medicate You
This will be scary. Sometime in the near future you may find yourself signing for an unexpected package. Opening it, you’ll see a prescription drug bottle with your name on it, your family doctor the prescribing physician. From the label, you’ll find you’ve received a three-month supply with three refills, meaning this prescription is good […]
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety and Depression
If you’re troubled by chronic anxiety, panic attacks, or depression, you may be put off by pill-popping treatments. Maybe you had a bad experience in the past or you’re concerned about side effects. All in all, you’d rather not feel nostalgic about your libido or gain a single ounce. You know that psychotherapy makes the […]
Chronic Anxiety Speeds Aging (Plus Steps To Take Now)
A diagnosis of anxiety covers a lot of territory. Psychologists organize patients suffering symptoms of anxiety into groups that include generalized anxiety disorder (with or without panic attacks), obsessive-compulsive disorders, social anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, and the various phobias (heights, snakes, germs, etc.). However, the symptoms are all pretty much the same. According to […]
No More Colonoscopies! (For Most of Us)
If you’re approaching 50, you’re facing issues unique to your next half century. Oh, sure, there are lots of good things to anticipate, like joining AARP for discounts on Depends or joining one of their affordable bus tours to the Dells. You can even fantasize about retirement, though it may be years and years away. […]
Children, Media, Health, and An Exciting New Kids’ Film App
I’ll be honest, this Health Tip starts out grim and depressing. That doesn’t give you permission to do a quick-draw on the delete button and move to the safety of your Facebook page. Listen up. Somewhere in your life, you’re probably involved with kids. They may not be your very own, but maybe you’re an […]
Cynicism and Diet Sodas
I must admit that my immediate response to an article linking cynical distrust to dementia hit home. When you read dozens of medical articles every week, a few inevitably apply to you. “Oh, dear,” I thought. “I’m known to be pretty cynical. I’d recently mislaid both my keys and wallet in one day. Maybe I’m […]
Case Study: The Rivet In The Soprano’s Neck
Every physician knows that diagnostic skills improve with age. After years of working with patients, eventually you see just about everything that can happen to the human body. The annoying corollary is that, more and more often, you find yourself saying to your patients, “Actually, I’ve had this myself.” This case study concerns poor Renee, […]
Clip-N-Save: Your Healthcare Under the Affordable Care Act
Posted 03/24/2014 A hip replacement should not cost $13,000 in Iowa and $130,000 in New Jersey. That’s just crazy. Virtually everyone agrees that under our existing healthcare system the price of services–from a five-minute office visit to an appendectomy–needs some kind of regulation and standardization. And yet the standardization of prices is definitely not the […]
Case Study: Why Is My Hair Falling Out?
Barbara was 30 and what she’d written on her WholeHealth Chicago form certainly didn’t match her appearance. On the first line, “My hair is falling out!” And on the second, “Tired!” Physically she looked healthy, but her face reflected a worried shadow. “I know it looks like I have a lot of hair,” she began, […]
Cancer Screening: Overdiagnosed, Overtreated, and Blind to the Risks?
Posted 01/12/2014 At first blush, cancer screening seems like a no-brainer, sort of like getting your teeth cleaned. You don’t relish the project, but you know it’s good for you. And if a screening detects a God-forbid-bite-your-tongue-don’t-say-the-word diagnosis, at least you’ve likely caught it early. Oh, were life so straightforward. Ponder this a moment. When […]