Naturopathic doctor symptoms and conditions

Been on coumadin for a year, horrible medication. Have aches all over, legs, shoulders, back, always tired, want to be off this med. Was taking alternative meds previously...nattokinase, bilberry which are blood thinners but are also SAFE. Then I had no leg pain, no muscle pain. I now take vitamin e and fish oil with the coumadin, no interaction since I've been using them for a long time and are more beneficial than the coumadin as far as I'm concerned. What I need is a naturopathic doctor, but they are hard to find, regular mds have no clue about supplements..all they want to do is increase your prescriptions. Doctors try to scare people telling them they'll have a stroke without coumadin, but have no solution on how to prevent stroke, etc. without drugs.

Hi everyone, I read some of the posts here and thought to share my experience with you.
About 15 years ago I started having heart burns and started taking Tums, Gaviscon and some other antacids and they seemed to work for a little while. But my heart burn slowly got worst and worst until I went to my family doctor. He sent me to a specialist and after sending the scope in my stomach (EsophagoGastroDuodenal (EGD) endoscopy), he said that I have H. Pylori infection in my stomach, as well as LES malfunction (LES = Lower Esophageal Sphincter). He prescribed some antibiotics and 20mg/day of Losec for 8 weeks.
After 8 weeks I ran out of Losec, and my heart burn returned again. I went and saw my doctor again and he said I can continue taking Losec and that I can take it as long as I need it and that Losec has been in the market for over 19 years and no one had any side effect from it and it's one of the safest drugs that they have come up with. So I kept on taking it regularly 20 mg/day for 15 years now. Until about 6 months ago I switched to Omeprazole because my insurance company wouldn't cover the cost for Losec but covered the generic brand Omeprazole. I've had none of the side effects mentioned here, BUT PLEASE READ THE REST OF THIS.
Losec is also called Prilosec and Omeprazole is a generic brand with the same active ingredient but different fillers.
About 2 months ago, I went to a Nature's Source store (here in Canada) and was looking around. An employee of the store offered his help to me and I told him about my case. He said you have totally shot down your digestive system and told me to go and see a Naturopathic Doctor.
I found one and went and saw him. His recommendations were: have 2 tablespoons of an Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (I use Bragg brand) 10 minutes prior to each meal. Also gave me some Probiotics pills as well as some Digestive Enzymes pills.
Prior to this, if I missed taking Losec in the morning, I suffered a great discomfort in my stomach with heart burn (a lot!).
I followed the naturopathic doctor's advice and did what he told me. After about 1 month, today is the second day that I haven't taken Losec. I haven't had discomfort in my stomach yet. I'll have to see how long I can go without it. I will post and update this again. BUT PLEASE READ ON!
Losec, Prilosec, Ranitidine, Omeprazole, Nexxium (the purple pill), and all of this family of drugs are Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI). Which means, they stop the production of the stomach acid. Therefore, no acid reflux or heart burn....
But when there is no acid in the stomach, the stomach becomes the biggest target organ and a paradise for bacteriums, microbes and other microorganisms, which otherwise can not survive in it's very high acidic environment (H. Pylori is an exception). We can not digest our food properly any more. Our bodies suffer from lack of Calcium (regardless of the amount and type of calcium intake), because it can not be processed any more. Meat can not be digested properly any more. Therefore, lack of Amino Acids which are the building blocks in our bodies. Guess what, NO AMINO ACIDS = JOINT PAIN WHICH LEADS TO ARTHRITIS. And lots of other problems later in life.
NO SIDE EFFECT, MY A*S.
If you're suffering from heart burns, indigestion, reflux, or GERD, stop eating: ANYTHING THAT HAS WHEAT IN IT, TOMATOES OR ANYTHING MADE FROM IT (i.e. ketchup, tomato sauce/paste...), DAIRY FOOD, COFFEE/TEA, ALCOHOL. NO CHEWING GUMS, SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, FRIED/OILY FOOD, STARCHY FOOD. STOP SMOKING AS SOON AS YOU CAN. These are all irritants to the stomach and esophagus.
I'm still educating myself about this. I read this book about stomach acid called: Why Stomach Acid Is Good For You by Jonathan V. Wright, Lane Lenard. Read it and you will be surprised.
I hope this will help some of you.

God bless.
S. AA (Toronto, Canada)

I have been on prednisone for 11+ years due to having had a heart transplant. The prednisone keeps my heart from rejecting.
I have not taken it for 2 days and I am in the process of passive suicide.
I am driving out west into the desserts to sit and die. I can no longer
be around people for I am afraid I may kill someone or at least significantly hurt them. I have been homicidal and suicidal for 11 years due to this med. I would enjoy killing everyone and everything. I hate myself and I want to die.
Prednisone made me become "Evil"; Hell incarnated. I don't want to live
in a mental institution and my doctor will only give me Seroquel thinking this will help me. I tell him it doesn't help me but he thinks it does. Stupid fucking doctor. My transplant docotrs won't even listen to me when I talk about "mental" issues. Everything pisses me off. It is raining outside and this makes me so mad and stressed.
I have been in this psychotically angry and agitated state of mind for 11 years. I have punched myself many times in the head and banged my
head against walls trying to get homicidal and suicidal thoughts out of my mind to no avail.
I would like to try ECT (electro-convulsive-therapy) but I won't even
mention this to my doctor because he will literally laugh at me and make me so god dam mad that I would enjoy killing him right then and there. I'm sick and tired of living in hell everyday.
Do not take prednisone no matter what, unless your life depends on it. And then what type of life will you have? Maybe a life full of hate, rage, anger, homicidal and suicidal thougts even when you dream.
Fuck life!
Arthur X 1968-2009

I just had my mirena inserted like 2 weeks ago, i'm 18 and have never had a child though i did get pregnant and have a miscarriage. they told me it was going to hurt, and it did, but all these women saying they screamed and it hurt worse than childbirth are obviously exaggerating. it hurt like a really bad menstrual cramp DURING THE INSERTION, afterwards yes, there was cramping and bleeding but nothing nearly as bad as what these women claim. if childbirth hurts less then i am no longer worried at all about that. so far the only side effects have been my face has been much clearer, very much the same way it did when i was pregnant, and a couple days after insertion i had sex and found that when my boyfriend went as deep as he could there was a slight bit of pain.
the bleeding stopped one week after the insertion (making my period only 3 days longer than usual). when my obgyn suggested i try mirena the first thing i did was google it and i came up with this site which made me even more nervous but i've since realized that not everyone has these terrible experiences, i certainly didn't. there are relatively few people posting on this site and i'm sure many more women have had it inserted with no problems. every form of birth control is bound to have some issues. when i first read this site i wished that i was able to take regular bc instead however that is not an option for me due to a blood clotting disorder i have, but now i'm glad i opted for this. it is much easier, no remembering to take pills, no excessive hormones to cause me to have blood clots, no pregnancy. if it doesn't work for you fine but don't tell people who haven't even gotten it in yet not to get it, they can always take it out if it doesn't work

OMG! And I thought I was dying! LOL I am having the same problems... I have been hurting badly right above my stomach. I have had a lot of nausea and gas. Also, I have had problems with diarrhea for the first 2-3 months of having it. I have had cramping and frequent urges to use the bathroom and go to the bathroom about anytime I eat something. And I fell butterflies in my stomach... and sometimes flutters like I felt when I was pregnant. I was never like this before. I spot bleed a lot. I wish they would have told me that the spot bleeding could be a daily event. I would have bought stock in Tampax and Always. LOL N e ways... I told my mother about the pain I had been experiencing and she thought it was my gallbladder. I went to my doctor and they ran tests. She told me that my gallbladder was fine. I called my gyno and told her about what I had been experiencing and asked her if it was linked to the Mirena and she told me it could be... that with time my problems would get better, but she would take it, but to think about it. After reading all of your postings I believe I will call and make an appointment tomorrow. I was just telling my husband how I miss feeling normal... well like I did before the baby and the mirena. Did anyone get theirs removed? And if so did your problem resolve?
ERT

October 22, 1998 I had resp. failure (with intubation). My new pulmonary doctor put me on Singulair 10 mg once a day, a few weeks after. Within time, I started to have numbing and tingling in my face, arms, and legs. March of 1999 the symptoms worsened and started causing pressure in my face, arms, and legs, and anxiety started to kick in. I was told I had neuropathy and to take mobic. Symptoms getting worse, and went to a rheumatologist in June 1999, and he was suspect of singulair. The doctor thought that what I was experiencing was due to the singulair. He (the rheumatologist) discussed this with the pulmonary doctor and the pulmonary doctor did not believe this to be the case. Not forgetting, in March of 1999, I had a ct of the sinus area, and low and behold 1/3 of the cavity was and probably still is full of polyps.

As time went on, symptoms getting worse, and not one bloody doctor could figure out why I was feeling this way. In addition, at times, I was put on steroids for my asthma (not including my inhalers).

Two years ago, my body went into shock, leaving my left side very different than my right side. Affecting: my head, my face, my eye, my ear, my esophogus, my lungs, my arm, my leg.

I have been depressed and anxious not knowing what the heck was going on with me.

Recently ruled out thyroid, and lupus, and possibly ms.

Last weekend, I reviewed the letter from the rheumatologist (dated 1999) and the ct report from March 1999 (regarding the sinus/ polyps) and made copies to present to a pulmonary doctor that I have recently been seeing.

This past Monday the 10th, I had my appt with him. He knew of my situation from the last few visits (in addition, I had met him this past March for a pulmonary rehab program, and thought he seemed to be knowledgeable and compassionate). While waiting for him to enter the exam room, he had read those reports before entering.

The doctor looked at my hands (red as a beet and swollen) and said "You have Churg-Strauss Syndrome, and get off the singulair."

I had done my homework from a few weeks ago, where I looked up untreated polyps.
Untreated polyps, can turn into vasculitis. There are many types of vasculitis, to include Churg-Strauss Syndrome.

I then cross ref CSS and singulair, and low and behold, BINGO!

I have been suffering for ten years, physically and emotionally because of this drug!

There is also recent updates from the fda (fda.gov) regarding singulair, of which most recently includes anxiety and depression.

I suggest before taking singulair, be aware of the side effects. As soon as a side effect comes up, contact your doctor. Also, be aware of existing conditions (like me, sinus problems and asthma) for this could lead to churg-strauss syndrome.

This info is indicated on the actual disclosure (the paper insert that indicates studies, side effects, etc...) not the handout that is given with the drug.

By the way, I am now working with a new rheumatologist in Los Angeles (Cedar-Sinai affiliated) and a new neurologist.

mdklezmer

Sept. 4, 2007 I am now 55 yrs old and have been on ADVAIR for 2 1/2 years. I recently stopped taking it because my insurance co-pay was maxed out for the year. It was going to cost me $235 for a disk and I didn't want to pay it. So it's been two weeks now. OMG, the differences I am noticing. My weight is dropping and I'm not doing anything different. I have gained about 20 pounds. Then when I started reading some of the side effects of ADVAIR on line I realized I had almost all of them. Fuzzy thinking, bloating (especiallly right after eating), disturbing dreams, hoarseness and the constant need to clear my throat, digestive problems and heartburn all the time, foot cramps, feel tired and rundown, heart palpitations out of the blue like just sitting at the computer or watching TV, weight gain.

So already no more bloating, dropped 5 pounds, sleeping without the bad dreams, more energy. I'm feeling better on a daily basis. I have an Albuterol inhaler that I have used, but just drinking enough water helps. I plan on seeing a Naturopathic doctor soon to try a natural way to deal with my asthma.

I have been taking lipitor for probably 6 years. About 3 years ago, I experienced sciatica in the left leg for at least 9 months. The pain only lasted about 2 minutes but recurred 15-20 times a day. Now for about 2 years, I have had weakness in the left leg. Within the last 5 months or so, it has gotten to the point that I am constantly off-balance and feel as if I am walking like someone who has had a stroke. Others comment on this. It is embarrassing because I stumble and lose my balance like a drunk. Within the last 2 months, I have recurring pain in the right arm and shoulder - it last only about 5 minutes but is extremely painful. The balance problem led me to worry that I had a small stroke but after seeing this website, I am wondering if it is the lipitor. I am going off of it for at least a month and see if the symptoms disappear.

Hi ladies! I wrote here a couple weeks ago...just prior to my mental breakdown!! I laugh now but it was anything but funny. Had numerous symptoms-adverse reactions to Yaz- and was told by my PCP and my bitch gynocologist (not mine anymore!!) that what I was feeling had absolutely nothing to do with the BCPs. That was when I sought out a Naturalistic Doctor...who was completely amazing in every way and agreed that my body was having some sort of reaction to the pills and the excess hormone in my system. She did some acupuncture and made some suggestions as far as supplements and probiotics go and I literally started feeling myself again after one treatment. I had two in all and I feel wonderful and really like myself again-sleeping better and all!!! Also I'd like to mention some magic in a bottle...it's called Bach's Rescue Remedy and it immediately calms me down. The Naturopathic Doctor charged $200 for the first meeting (intake, history, acupuncture and recommendations) and $75 for each subsequent visit...worth every penny!! and the Bach's is like $7.99...well worth every single cent!!!! To be feeling normal again is priceless!!! Best of luck to all of you but do know that there is hope!!! Take care
Kara

TOPAMAX HAIR LOSS and BIOTIN:

Recommend that anyone losing hair to immediately start taking large doses of Biotin (a water soluble B vitamin) in doses of 5000 mcg (5mg) to 10000 mcg (10mg). Since TOPAMAX goes after your nervous system I also recommend that you take B12 (it must be methylcobalamin B12 only) 5000 mcg (5mg) to 10000 mcg (10mg) and B6 25-50mg. See a doctor and if possible see a Naturopathic Doctor.

My dad started on Lisinopril (5mg.) a couple of weeks ago. At the same time he stated losing his hearing!

We took him to a naturopathic doctor for a second opinion. This doctor told me to cut the Lisinopril tablets in half, and he gave my dad an Ayurvedic supplement to lower his blood pressure.

I am a caucasian male age 48. I was diagnosed with HBP last Friday 160/111. Dr put me on 20mg Lisinopril same day. She had me start with 1/2 dose (10mg) and I can't stand the drug. I work for a computer network installation and this drug makes me really spacy, lethergic, dizzy, and I have a slight dry cough now. I've only been on this for 6 days now and am stopping it on my own. One thing we must all know is what is right for each of us. I've never been an advocate for allopathic medicines (mainstream immuno-suppresive drugs) which PALLIATE symptoms (allieviate but not cure)
I know mainstream allopathic doctors can save lives, but this drug really make me feel terrible. I understand it's been only 6 days on the medicine, but my body and heart tell me this stuff is giving me a bad reaction. I am going to stop it on my own, and try naturopathic medicines. There is a therapy that can be found online called HOLISTROL which supposedly brings down high blood pressure. It contains HAWTHORNE herb which has been shown in trials to reduce blood pressure, and also contains Holly Leaf Extract. Along with this I will exercise 30-45 minutes every day and do not use salt at all and will eyeball all convenience foods that I buy for excessive sodium. I have also cut sugar cold turkey and only eat plain yogurt with bananas (yeah- I know bananas contain natural sugar but it's better than refined!!) and fruits for desserts now. I feel that if I lose about 15 lbs along with the diet modification and naturopathic remedies I can beat this. I bought a BP monitor from Brooks drug store that is automatic and all you do is strap the cuff to your upper arm and press start and it gives an accurate reading. Dcotors love to peddle drugs (I think they are in cahoots with the powerful pharmaceutical industry) I will also see a naturopathic doctor who can prescribe herbs and/or homeopathic medicines to help me. It's YOUR life- make the right choices and know that you have a right to good service, to ask questions and realize doctor is NOT GOD. But- it is also important to ensure your safety as well so make informed decisions.

I have been on Lisinopril for about three months. Started at 10 mg/daily, but Dr increased to 20 mg/daily within a month as my blood pressure wasn't coming down as he expected. I was horrified to notice just yesterday that my face is becoming puffy and round, like it did when I took prednisone (which I no longer take - bad stuff for me). Also the weight I worked so desperately to loose from the prednisone is starting to creep back up. Have little energy and or desire to do the things I used to enjoy, frequently still feel anxiety (which I thought was caused by the high BP). Now I'm not sure about anything! Looking for good Naturopathic Doctor. Sick and tired of getting worse with all this expensive medication. My research on the side effects is unsettling. I'm a female 70 years old.