Allergies Bothering You? Be Warned

This time of year, the rumblings about allergies and allergy problems are rampant. You hear about people's allergies "acting up" everywhere you go. During Tristan's first t-ball game this past weekend, one of our little players was really struggling with his. He didn't even want to play and was crying because his were so bad. Another of our little boys was really tired and cranky, and I kept hearing his mom say that she thinks it was because of the Zyrtec she gave him. So I'm hearing all of these things and am crumbling inside. Zyrtec for your sweet little boy?! AAAAGH! (I will say, during practice last week, I tried to offer natural alternatives. The moms looked at me like I was crazy. Much like some of you probably think I am).

I just found this website:

www.askapatient.com. It's a site where people tell their opinions about specific medications based on reactions they've had from taking it. I did a quick search of Zyrtec, and this is what one mom listed as the side effects her child had:

aggressive bad behavior, irritability, temper tantrums over tiny thing. Would go crazy like a wild animal then crash down to a sobbing little boy.

Here are her comments:

Never will i give this to my son!!! We know it's the Zyrtec causing this behavior for we tried it two different times. Claritin has given him the same side affects also. We would rather see him suffer the allergies than be on these meds.

If you want to see the side effects and opinions of others, click here.

On Friday, I dashed to Wal-Mart to pick up a couple of things I needed for Tristan's party. I was out a lot earlier than usual. As a matter of fact, I was out much earlier than I am normally even out of bed. I say that to say that God puts me in the "right place at the right time" in regard to medications. It happens ALL THE TIME. Like I've stated in previous posts, I usually don't seek this information. It literally hits me from every angle and in ways I would never expect. Anyway, back to Friday.

So I was in the car on the way to Wal-Mart and was listening to Rick and Bubba. That's when I heard it...Singulair has been linked to suicide. Rick and Bubba were talking about it and making jokes about it because Bubba is on Singulair. They were laughing because this is the second medication in like a month that Bubba has been on that has been linked to suicide. The other drug being Tamiflu. (Bubba detailed his effects of Tamiflu a few weeks ago. He said it was awful and that he experienced all kinds of crazy behaviors. He said that he would NEVER take Tamiflu again. He said next time, he'll just deal with the flu head-on. He said it again on Friday's show). Then they went on to laugh at how many medications Bubba is currently taking.

As I was listening to this, it just really got to me. I literally started crying. As I was listening and crying, Channing called, and I had to pour it all out to him. He agrees with me and just reinforced the need to get the information out there. People need to realize that every medication has a side effect, and that there are many medications that we could do without.

Today, our pastor started a new series titled "Sexual Revolution". A couple of verses he included in his message were the following:

John 8:44: "...When (the devil) lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

John 10:10: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

He said that the devil has us so confused on what sex is supposed to really be like and how it supposed to be used. He said that the devil isn't doing this to harm our bodies or to make us physically sick. He is doing this to steal our souls.

I think the same can be said for what he is doing in the world of health. Satan is polluting our minds with how we are to attain health. He lies to us and convinces us that we'll never be healthy without "that" medication. He lies and convinces many of us that we'll never truly be healthy. All the while, he is destroying families and stealing souls. Personally, I've seen three families (who are so close and dear to my heart) experience suicide as a result of prescription drug addictions. In each of these families, children were left without parents, and in two of them, grandchildren were left without the grandparents they so dearly loved. If that's not Satan, I don't know what it is.
BE ALERT! He wants to destroy all of us, and he'll use whatever means necessary. He cannot physically harm us, but he is the "Father of lies" and knows how to push our buttons. He knows where we're vulnerable. His is coming for you and your family!

Some of you are probably thinking that I'm going a little overboard here. I don't think that I am. Families are being destroyed. The drugs most abused by teenagers are PRESCRIPTION DRUGS!!! The thing is that there is a vicious cycle going on, and I feel like it's going over the heads of so many. Think about this...
At least once or twice a week, I see one of the "Anti-drug" commercials that is focusing on teenage prescription drug abuse. They are trying to stop it. However, their method isn't working. Why? Because when our teenagers are tiny kids, we are shoving medications down their throats every time they don't feel great. By doing this, we are convincing our very own children that they get healing and fulfillment from medication. It makes sense to me that as they grow older, they take these medications to escape feelings of insecurity, distress, abandonment, emotional hurts, etc.

So what are we so confused about? I see it in Christian families all the time. They want to tell everyone not to drink alcohol or to get drunk because the Bible says it's wrong.
According to Hosea 4:11, The Lord says, "Wine, both old and new, is robbing my people of their senses!" (TEV)
Then, in Ephesians 5:18, " Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you."

I, personally, don't believe that this applies just to wine. I think it applies to wine, beer, vodka, liquor, drugs (both prescription and non-prescription). Drugs are robbing us of our minds...just as much or more than alcohol is. We are being drunk and polluted on mind-altering medications...drugs! It's time to do something about this!!!

I've kind of gotten off on some tangents on this post. Sorry! If I offended you, I'm sorry about that too. I am just SO PASSIONATE about this. I am tired of seeing families destroyed and especially our sweet children who don't have a choice. Check out the Singulair article. Here is an excerpt:

With sales of $4.3 billion last year, Singulair is used by millions of patients in the U.S, according to Merck. First approved in 1998, it's part of a class of asthma and allergy drugs that includes AstraZeneca's Accolate and Critical Therapeutics's Zyflo.

Does it make sense that Merck wouldn't want us to find out the potential risks associated with Singulair? It's a huge cash cow for them! To me, I would rather deal with allergy issues than want to kill myself, but hey, that's just me.

If you are struggling with allergies, I encourage you to try a wellness chiropractor. In our office, we have so many patients that have come in because of low back or neck pain, only to be surprised that their allergy problems disappear as well. It is so funny (and encouraging) to hear their testimonies. They are always shocked, and I love it! As for our family, none of us struggle with these allergy issues. It is such a blessing! We make sure to keep ourselves (and especially our boys) well adjusted. Channing and I both get deep tissue massages once a month (that helps too!).

You can be healthy too! Please seek natural alternatives for yourself and your families whenever possible. Your kids deserve it, and you do too!

7 Ills That Don't Need Pills

According to the April 2008 issue of the Harvard Health Letter, researchers have found and described how seven common conditions can be managed without the use of medication. They explain that in many cases, "the nonpharmacological approach can do as much or more than pills." Check out this article to see if you or someone you know falls into one of these categories.

The Truth About Chiropractic

After a week long hiatus, I'm back. Last week was super busy, so I wasn't able to get anything posted. In addition, I'm still trying to find balance with my family, work, and keeping people informed on the health information I'm finding. So far, finding balance hasn't been easy for me, but I'm working on it. :)

I found this article today on mercola.com and wanted to share it. It was written by Dr. Lloyd Fielder, a wellness chiropractor in Illinois. I strongly encourage you to read it. It will help you to better understand what wellness chiropractors, like my sweet husband, are trying to accomplish and why.

The article is about three or four pages and will take you more than two seconds to read, but I assure you, it is worth every minute. Your health is SO important and definitely worth the five minutes it may take you to read the article.
Check it out:

The Truth About Chiropractic, And How it is Widely Misunderstood

Selling Sickness

Check out this article I saw on the home page of my hotmail account. Seriously, people, I'm not even having to seek this information. It is literally showing up everywhere I go.

And if you want to see The 10 Deadliest Drugs, check this out.

OR

FDA's Biggest Blunders

Drug Test Dummies

Off-Label Drugs and Medical Devices: Get the Facts

One More Great Quote from Dr. M

Ok, so as I was reading over Dr. Mendolsohn's quotes, I came across this one and had to share:

"What does a Catholic do when he decides that his priests are no good? Sometimes he directly challenges them, but very seldom. He just leaves the Church. And that’s my answer. Leave the Church of Modern Medicine. I see a lot of people doing that today. I see a lot of people going to chiropractors, for example, who wouldn’t have been caught dead in a chiropractor’s office a few years ago." Robert Mendelsohn, MD

A Great Quote from a Great Doc

I found this quote tonight from a doctor I have a huge amount of respect for, Robert Mendelsohn. When Tristan was a baby, a friend recommended the book, "How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor". The book was written by Dr. Mendelsohn and has been used as a referral source a lot around our home. If you don't have a copy already, you should check it out. It's slightly outdated (it was written in 1983) but filled with TONS of great health information. And for those of you out there who LOVE your medical doctors, you'll be glad to know that he was one.

Here is the quote I found:

"Despite the tendency of doctors to call modern medicine an 'inexact science', it is more accurate to say there is practically no science in modern medicine at all. Almost everything doctors do is based on a conjecture, a guess, a clinical impression, a whim, a hope, a wish, an opinion or a belief. In short, everything they do is based on anything but solid scientific evidence. Thus, medicine is not a science at all, but a belief system. Beliefs are held by every religion, including the Religion of Modern Medicine." Robert Mendelsohn MD

For more quotes for Dr. Mendelsohn, click this link.

Can We Trust the FDA?

That was one of the headlines I saw on my crisp new Reader's Digest that came in the mail. Immediately, it grabbed my attention. I already had my ideas and opinions about the FDA but was curious what Reader's Digest had uncovered. I flipped to the article and dug in. I'll share with you some of the more alarming information. Before I get started sharing, let me just say: If you believe your medicine is 100% ok because it was approved by the FDA, you need to read this article. If you are slightly questionable about the FDA, you need to read this article. Or if you're like me, and concerned about what is defined as "good" for you by the FDA, you need to read this article. It is eye-opening for those who feel completely safe with how the medicine in our country is being developed and dished out.

I'm going to share information in this article that really stands out. I am also going to take it upon myself to highlight those points I really think you should take note of.

Let's get started. The initial paragraph starts out with some disturbing information:

"Recent headlines have uncovered one shocking lapse after another at the Food and Drug Administration: A popular diabetes drug can sharply increase the risk of heart attack, a finding the agency knew but took two years to reveal. An FDA-approved antibiotic can destroy your liver in just five days (BABIES TOOK TH IS ANTIBIOTIC, PEOPLE!!!). And despite mounting concerns about the safety of Chinese-made drugs, the agency had only enough field inspectors last year to check a mere 13 of the 714 Chinese factories that produce medicines for U.S. consumers."

Scared yet?

"'Think your pacemaker, heart valve, microwave oven or morning vitamin was inspected?' asks former associate commissioner William Hubbard. 'Dream on.'"

In the article, FDA's own advisory Science Board describes the agency as "nearly out of control". They said they were "shocked and appalled" with the state of science in the organization. Garret Fitzgerald, an MD and a chairman of pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine compares the FDA to Hurricane Katrina. He says, "But we have to fix this before the hurricane hits." That's HUGE. Hurricane Katrina devastated so many families. Here, this man is saying that the FDA is about to (I say they already have) do the same thing if things don't change!

"Drug safety is perhaps the greatest concern. The respected Institute of Medicine, created in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, recently labeled the FDA's drug branch 'dysfunctional,' saying it muzzles scientific dissent, inadequately monitors drug safety and relies too heavily on drug company dollars."

The article describes one of the most recent troubles for the FDA. It was in 2004 when officials in the organization were at the receiving end of harsh criticism for "silencing" a scientist on their staff who "concluded that antidepressants could increase suicidal behavior in teens." In that very same year, the organization was "criticized for not acting quickly to take the painkiller Vioxx off the market after it was shown to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke."

Ok let's take a breather here. Think about what you've read already. AND you're trusting the medication that the FDA approves and you're putting it in your baby's body?! Please be cautious in dispensing medication to little ones. They don't have the power to choose!

The article describes some of the major problems within the FDA. The first mentioned is that they receive so much pressure from the industry. They have pressure to "speed decisions, and there's pressure to soft-pedal problems." So what they're telling us is that mediations are going on the market without adequate testing and with little to no follow-up testing. "Critics of the FDA like to say it's the best agency the pharmaceutical industry can buy."

They say that quicker approval of drugs can be beneficial if you need a life-saving drug on the market, but it often creates problems because, "The easiest way to make those deadlines is not to raise too many questions and just accept what the drug companies say about safety." This quote was made by a former FDA drug reviewer David Ross, MD. He goes on to say, "Too often, reviewers tel their FDA supervisors that a drug doesn't work or has a major safety problem and 'managers come up with contrived reasons to approve the drug anyway."

According to this article, there has been "an alarming spike in adverse drug reactions reported to the FDA recently, from 267,000 in 2000 to over 471,000 in 2006. And the number of reported deaths has nearly tripled, from 5,519 to 15,107.....That's only part of the story. The agency estimates that it learns of fewer than one in ten drug reactions." That WORRIES me! We are only hearing what is being reported. FEWER than one in ten is reported!!! According to Gwen Olsen's essay, that is because the drug companies make it so time-consuming for the MDs to report drug reactions. That make it seem "not worth the effort".

This article is so long, and I want to share everything in it, but I can't. I am going to share some more stand out quotes:

"Some risks of a new drug may not be revealed for years, until thousands or even millions have used it."

They list other problems within the FDA: sloppy record keeping, conflicts of interest, and muzzled experts.

"Many (FDA) staffers say they've felt pressure to soft pedal product dangers or suffer consequences."

Within the article, they share information and stories about an antibiotic that killed many people, including babies, by destroying their liver...in 3-5 days!!!

GET THIS MONTH'S READER'S DIGEST! April 2008. Read the WHOLE article. You won't be wasting your time, I promise. You need to see this information.