A GI doctor discusses the effectiveness of amitriptyline for IBS, how it works and possible drawbacks. Amitriptyline and Irritable Bowel Syndrome “Amitriptyline is a very common drug used to treat IBS, and can be very [...]
Do you have a pacemaker and are wondering if it can also prevent atrial fibrillation? A-fib is a common heart rhythm disorder that puts a person at considerably increased risk of a blood clot -- [...]
Why don’t more doctors take seriously a transient ischemic attack (TIA)? A TIA (transient ischemic attack) is very serious – it’s your body’s way of warning you that a stroke may be imminent. A suspected [...]
Migraine headache sufferers may be fearful that this condition raises Alzheimer’s disease risk, because migraine headaches are associated with a higher incidence of small lesions within the brain that are picked up by MRI. Interestingly, [...]
Since aspirin is a blood thinner, how likely could this drug trigger a chronic subdural hematoma in an older person who'se on a daily aspirin regimen? The issue becomes mighty tricky when an elderly person [...]
Chronic subdural hematoma can occur spontaneously and being elderly is perhaps the No. 1 risk factor for developing this condition. It is not to be confused with acute subdural hematoma from a car accident, skiing [...]
“While it is true that many people with multiple sclerosis have a ‘benign’ course, it is difficult to predict who will be in this lucky group," says Dr. Kantor. “There is a lot of controversy [...]
Are you an overeight or obese teen who suffers with migraine headaches? Ever wonder if your size might be contributing to this painful condition? If you've been struggling to manage your food portions or choices [...]
Once a person develops left side neglect, will this usually be permanent or can it be a temporary condition? Left side neglect is a fascinating neurological problem in which the patient lacks full awareness of [...]
Is it possible for exercise to prevent an elderly person from ever getting a chronic subdural hematoma? “As we get older our brains shrink,” says Dr. David Beatty, MD, a retired general practitioner with 30+ [...]
After a burr hole craniostomy for chronic subdural hematoma, a “drain” tube is left in the patient’s skull. This was the case of my mother. She had a chronic subdural hematoma, and the drain tube [...]
An antidepressant may work wonders initially but then may lose its punch and can't keep up with the depression. You may be on an antidepressant that’s been working wonderfully... But then soon after you go [...]
Can enough atrial fibrillation episodes, over time in someone with heart disease, cause cardiac damage that’s equal to a heart attack? “Generally, A-fib does not result in significant heart damage,” says Dr. Simon Dixon, chairman [...]
There’s a specific reason why an episode of atrial fibrillation can elevate troponin levels if you already have heart disease. Troponin is a protein enzyme that leaks from heart muscle when that muscle sustains damage, such [...]
In someone with coronary artery disease, does every episode of atrial fibrillation mean damage to the heart? Damage to cardiac tissue can result from an episode of atrial fibrillation in a person with coronary artery disease. [...]
An episode of atrial fibrillation can elevate troponin, but what would be the typical range of this elevation? Atrial fibrillation (A-fib) is a serious heart rhythm disorder that can have significant consequences if left untreated. [...]
How does Cymbalta help relieve fibromyalgia pain? You can get fibromyalgia relief with Cymbalta, a drug commonly prescribed for depression and also prescribed for panic attacks and anxiety. You’ve probably seen the Cymbalta commercials, which [...]
It's really scary when severe depression prevents a person from wanting to eat; right before your eyes you see your loved-one wasting away from malnourishment. Clinical depression can destroy appetite and cause a life-threatening issue [...]
Cymbalta is prescribed for depression and pain, and here is helpful information for people considering Cymbalta or who have already started taking this drug. Cymbalta belongs to a class of medications called SNRI: serotonin and [...]
Mmmm, a glass of chilled kefir just may relieve your microscopic colitis symptoms! Give this probiotic a try; it will help re-balance the bacteria in your gut. An imbalance may be causing or contributing to [...]
Let’s hear it for kefir as a natural treatment for microscopic colitis: This stuff works! Microscopic colitis has no known cure, and treatments include natural and pharmaceutical. However, treatment for microscopic colitis is hit or [...]
How I convinced my father that my mother’s depression would not go away on its own. Is one of your parents depressed, and the other parent in denial, and thus, a hindrance to treatment? My [...]
Wouldn't it be great if your IBS stomach cramping and pain and bloating could be relieved with a simple antibiotic drug? IBS relief that lasts is here with an FDA approved drug, thanks to Cedars-Sinai [...]
Are you thinking, “I can’t possibly have IBS because I’m too old!”? Then think again. You can be as old as the hills and still develop irritable bowel syndrome. ***** An individual being too old [...]
A dangerous bleeding in the brain can be the cause of a sudden and severe headache that comes on during weightlifting. Now let’s suppose you’re a longtime enthusiast of building muscle. You’ve been pumping serious [...]
Barbell squats, leg press and the hack squat are favorite weightlifting routines among fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders. So as a former certified personal trainer, I decided to pit the barbell squat, leg press and hack [...]
You can stop a panic attack dead in its tracks with your MIND, without relying on drugs every again. I’ve had only two full-blown panic attacks because by the time I started to get a [...]
How long would it take to reverse insulin resistance with diet and exercise? So how long does it usually take to reverse insulin resistance with diet and exercise? As far as how long it would [...]
Wondering if insulin resistance can be caused by anxiety and emotional stress? “Insulin resistance is when insulin is no longer able to trigger the same physiological response as it once did, or as is normal,” [...]
Insulin resistance can be reversed with diet and exercise, but how long does it usually take? So how long should it take to reverse your insulin resistance? I asked Dr. David Edelson, MD, board certified [...]
Cymbalta snuffed out my mother’s crippling depression. Yes, the antidepressant Cymbalta literally saved my mother’s life. Cymbalta wiped out my mother’s depression and panic attacks, with no side effects save for a few brief dizzy [...]
Does that nasty headache from heavy weightlifting mean you might have an aneurysm? Sometimes heavy weightlifting (squats, deadlift, etc.) can cause a headache and make you think this is an aneurysm. I’m a former certified [...]
A cardiologist provides insight into how a specialist can examine a woman with severe heart disease and then tell her she’s in great shape Cardiologists do indeed miss severe heart disease in women (men as [...]
So your calcium scan score is high, but your stress test was negative and showed no diminished blood flow through your coronary arteries. Are you off the hook? Do you wonder about the implications of [...]
Fear of radiation exposure keeps some people from getting a calcium score done for their coronary arteries. The calcium score is a strong predictor of likelihood of a future heart attack. The equipment used for [...]
How young is too young to have measurable plaque buildup in the coronary arteries? A coronary artery calcium score exam has been proven to be very reliable at predicting the likelihood of a coronary event [...]
Is it possible to have blocked arteries but at the same time a low coronary calcium score? The calcium score is a numerical value that's associated with the likelihood of having soft plaque heart disease. [...]
Suppose you’ve been wanting a CT angiogram, and your cardiologist has informed you that the CT angiogram would be pointless -- -- because your very high calcium score indicates that all the calcification in your [...]
You can be fooled into thinking that you don't have a family history of heart disease! Do you really know for sure? Would your relatives tell you they had heart disease? My mother repeatedly told [...]
Must some people live with angina instead of getting it treated with stents or bypass surgery? So many people live with stable angina rather than get stents or bypass surgery. “It is rare that angina [...]
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