Separation of Religion and Medicine? I Hope NOT!

Lately there has been quite a buzz about the separation of church and state, but I'd like to share what I enjoy about COMBINING religion and medicine. In particular, I LOVE the season of LENT! Yesterday, we had Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of a 40 day (or 47 day, if you count Sundays) beautiful time of reflection, growth, and personal discipline in the Christian faith. Many people, particularly Catholics, have a tradition of giving up a dietary luxury of some sort- often chocolate, alcohol, desserts, or sodas. Today that list has expanded beyond dietary items, and many give up electronic activities such as Facebook, Twiiter, iPad, apps, or- gasp!- all non-school or work-related computer-based activities. How does this affect me as a family physician?

If I ask/suggest for a patient to give up, say, caffeine or alcohol- because it is causing him or her heartburn- patients are only moderately invested in committing to this change. Truthfully, they'd typically rather have a prescription for a pill to fix their symptoms, and not make any difficult lifestyle changes. If, however, this same conversation occurs after a Mardi Gras excessive celebration, and the patient CHOOSES to eliminate one of these substances from their diet as a form of religious discipline and self-sacrifice, the success rate skyrockets! I can't adequately express how often a Lenten "observance" has been an excellent kick-off for weight loss programs for my patients. Whether it is giving up a high calorie dietary staple, or freeing up time to exercise by giving up electronic play time, all of these changes work in a positive forward spiral, with the added benefit of personal religious fulfillment as well.

Of course, Lenten commitments aren't all about "giving up" treats, and I do not in any way want to minimize the religious implications of spiritual discipline. My point is simply that when we make positive health choices augmented with a higher purpose behind them, we can amplify our results.

BOTTOM LINE: Our personal religious beliefs can be a powerful source of motivation to make positive health changes- let's use them this Lent!

FDA Warning: Cough Medication DANGER!

Yesterday the FDA issued a warning regarding a medication that has frankly NEVER been on my radar as a dangerous drug- Tessalon (benzonatate). Sadly, there have been five deaths reported in children under the age of 2 after accidental ingestion of this medication, which is a gel capsule and looks like candy or a bath bead.

Is the medication safe for adults? Yes. Tessalon perles are indicated for cough suppression in patients over the age of 10. In my practice, I have found that the drug has a high variability in effectiveness, but rarely has any side effects. Many patients love this drug because it works well to suppress their cough without making them feel goofy or sedated, like the stronger narcotic cough syrups tend to do.

I think the real take home message here is that ALL medications, ESPECIALLY those that "look pretty", need to be in CHILD-PROOF containers AND put away out of reach from little hands. There are far more accidental poisonings from common over the counter medications and vitamins, and ALL PILLS should be stored behind locked cabinets when you've got children in your home (living there or visiting!)

BOTTOM LINE: Please have a special, truly CHILD-PROOF medicine storage area in your home, and realize kids always have and always will stick things in their mouths without thinking!

Memories...like the corner of my...what was that word ?

Okay, have you ever had trouble finding a word? Or how about a name? Why did you walk in the room, anyway? Were you supposed to be checking e-mail, or did you sit down to look at your calendar? And, by the way, where the heck are the keys/remote/charger/phone??
Many of us have what we jokingly refer to as "senior moments". Something basic simply slips out of the grasp of our mind for the moment. Is it dementia? Do we have early onset Alzheimer's disease?

Let me reassure you that MOST of us do NOT. Sadly, there are a few that do. In fact, when my own Mom told me tearfully (when she was a mere 61 years old) that she and my father were concerned that she had Alzheimer's disease- I laughed. Seriously. I laughed, when indeed, I perhaps should have cried.

The truth is that my mother had several medical conditions that all could cause memory loss- and all were correctible. She had thyroid issues, B-12 deficiency, took a medication that caused memory loss and was a bit depressed. ALL of those conditions in and of themselves CAN cause memory loss sufficient enough to look like Alzheimer's disease.

The frustrating thing was that with my Mom, we were able to correct all of those issues, and yet the memory loss progressed.
If YOU have memory loss, PLEASE talk to your doctor about your symptoms. Have a physical and check blood work. Chances are good that you may simply have a medication side effect or a correctible metabolic issue. If, however, you DO have early dementia (such as Alzheimer's), starting medications sooner rather than later will absolutely slow the progression of your disease.

BOTTOM LINE: If you are having trouble with your memory, REMEMBER to schedule an appointment with your doctor TODAY!!

PS. It's the FIRST of the month! REMEMBER to change those AIR FILTERS!!!

Q&A about GERD

Since I brought up caffeine yesterday, let me follow with a related common question I hear in the office. "What can you give me for my heartburn?" or, sadly, since the dawn of commercials telling us what we "need", "I think I need the purple pill for my GERD (Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease)"! And what do I say? My response is "Let me teach you what YOU can do to improve your heartburn."
There are certainly a plethora of medicines we can use to treat reflux, from over the counter antacids to expensive proton pump inhibitors, and they all work very well. However, why not address the CAUSE of the problem? Heartburn comes from stomach acid sloshing back upwards into the esophagus rather than flowing downstream. This happens when the sphincter- the band of tissue that surrounds the connection between the esophagus and the stomach- relaxes. What causes it to relax?
You already know the answer if you picture what people do after overeating, and they want to relieve their distended stomach. Tobacco, alcohol, caffeine and peppermints all relax that sphincter, letting our stomachs feel less distended, but allowing acid reflux in the process. Remember this when the waiter sets your mints down as he refills your coffee with desert.
BOTTOM LINE: If you're having heartburn on a regular basis, limit the causes of reflux- smoking, alcohol, caffeine and mints- BEFORE you head to the doctor for a quick fix.