Hospitals & Asylums
Walking Pneumonia to
Salem for the Affordable Health Care for All Oregon Plan HA-4-2-13
Done 28 February 2013
By Anthony J. Sanders
"Pneumonia is an old man's best friend".
WWI draft dodger believed to survive all veterans
On February 4, the first day of the 2013 Oregon legislative
session, nearly 1,000 Health Care for All - Oregon advocates converged on the
Capitol steps in Salem, arriving to greet their legislators in nine buses, car
pools, and private cars, from areas as far away as LaGrande, Prineville,
Ashland, and the coast, as well as from the urban areas of Portland, Corvallis,
and Eugene. Participants were gathered in support of Rep. Michael Dembrow's
Affordable Health Care for All Oregon Plan (HB 2922).
Dembrow (Democrat, District 45, Portland) has gained 24 co-sponsors so far in
the new session, and is also introducing a bill to allow 1% of the $28.5
million bonus Oregon recently received from the federal government to be used for
an economic feasibility study for the Plan. In addition to Rep. Dembrow, speakers included
co-sponsor Rep. David Gomberg (Democrat, District 10, Central Coast), who
discussed the benefits of the bill for owners of small businesses like himself,
Paul Gorman, MD, representing Physicians for a National Health Program, Rev.
Joel Miller of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis, and several
people who shared stories of hardship due to our increasingly expensive and
inaccessible health care system. Blues man Norman Sylvester sang the Health
Care Blues, and musician David Rovics, along with Raging Grannies from
Portland, Corvallis, and Salem, entertained the rally-goers. See Health Care
for All Oregon (HCAO) for
pictures, videos, and news coverage of the rally. The Affordable Health Care for
All Oregon Plan (HB 2922) would cover all Oregon
residents with no co-payments, deductibles, or premiums and be funded by
dedicated taxes, based on ability to pay. We believe that universal health care
will result in a healthier population, a more prosperous economy, and a better
business environment for the state. The bill has been referred to the House Health Care
Committee (HHCC).
Although we can implement universal
health insurance today by citing OHP statute in our medical research it will
take the Democratic-Republican (DR) two party system some time to overcome
their Democratic disease and Republican gun-violence to make the Oregon Health
Plan in Chapters 413,
Medical Assistance in Chapter
414 and Health Insurance in Chapter 743A and Chapter 743 of Oregon
Revised Statute a single payer system.
But how long? In the 1 pm
meeting with Rep. Buckley declared his co-sponsorship of the Dembrow bill, and
$250,000 medical market research (price list) bill. He however expressed
concerns that legislative advances in single payer health insurance might cause
cuts in already anemic TANF assistance for needy families and asked Healthcare
as a Human Right protesters to get universal health insurance/single
payer on the 2016 ballot, whether or not Democratic-Republican (DR) two party
system manages to pass single payer legislation. He assured us that
Governor Kitzhaber M.D. (D) shares our goals and having worked in the
health system his entire life would be particularly vindicated to be the Oregon
Governor to fulfill his lifelong political agenda for universal/single payer
health insurance. It seems that whether or not the Dembrow single payer
bill passes the Governor intends to increase the Oregon Health Plan roles by
200,000 over two years to comply with the minimal standards of the Affordable
Care Act (ACA), but unless the Dembrow bill is passed will do so not a basis of
medical necessity but on a lottery system.
Senator Alan C. Bates, M.D. had not
yet read Debrow's single payer bill and therefore could only promise with 99
percent party loyalty that he would sign the bill, but assured us that he would
read it that night. He told us that he is a practicing primary care
physician who has been working on single payer since 1998 and had recently
returned home from a vacation to Australia where he found that the people
received medical treatment for free on the basis of taxation and reasonable
health insurance premiums of around $50 a month. He confided that health
legislation in in the United States is extremely difficult quoting Winston
Churchill, "You can always count on Americans to do the right thing, but
only after they have tried everything else". An uninsured and
self-medicated person who hadn't seen a doctor in a year expressed interest in
seeing a naturopathic doctor. An elderly lady summarized the position of
the people that they are really tired of being driven into bankruptcy by
medical bills. I explained the reason for the mental incompetence that
has retarded the development of universal and national health insurance in the
United States for nearly a century is that the totalitarian Democratic -
Republican (DR) two party system infringes on doctors and this is fascist.
The fundamental issue facing the American health system is that the
American medical b(k)ill is both unique amongst global medical establishments
and like the highest medical expenditure at 18% of GDP is as reprehensible as
the lawyer's highest rate of incarceration at >750 per 100,000, around 2.4
million in jail and prison. The medical b(k)ill minimally requires
legislative prohibition or injunction against reporting personally identifying
patient information to collections, the credit bureaus or to civil courts under
HIPPA, like lawyer fees were by the ABA in 2008. Medical bills pose
an extraordinary extortion motivated biohazard that corruptly favors the
medical practitioner, in fascist style that must not be honored by the credit
bureau or the court doctors must be dissuaded to send their patients to
collections and encouraged to right off their treatment of the poor and or
people unwilling to pay, and accept work-trade mostly tax free. I
therefore summarize for Sen. Bates' independent medico/legislative judgment;
(1) Josephine County needs a new, probably Democratic, or ideally independent,
Representative and government (Gilligan ’11); (2) propose a "Civil Law
System Amendment" to the lottery system of Medicaid expansion in Debrow's
single payer bill, and (3) consider writing a novel bill to outlaw the
disclosure of medical b(k)ills incurred in Oregon to credit bureaus or court
for collections under the Health Insurance Protection and Portability
Act Pub.L. 104–191, 110 Stat. 1936, enacted August 21, 1996.
In Sec. 1(8) the Affordable Health Care for All Oregon Plan (HB 2922) promises: A health care provider must accept payment from the plan as payment in full
and may not bill a patient for an amount exceeding the payment made by the
plan. This satisfactorily abolishes the
medical b(k)ill. HB2922 is well written
and instantly achieves universal single payer health insurance, however, Sec.
12 (9) is technically flawed, negating itself, stating: [Nothing in
this section applies to basic health services, but basic health services do not
include] This section applies to: (a) Magnetic resonance imaging
scanners; (b) Positron emission tomography scanners; (c) Cardiac
catheterization equipment; (d) Megavoltage radiation therapy equipment; (e)
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotriptors; (f) Neonatal intensive care; (g) Burn
care; (h) Trauma care; (i) Inpatient psychiatric services; (j) Inpatient
chemical dependency services; (k) Inpatient rehabilitation services; (L) Open
heart surgery; or (m) Organ transplant services. Dembrowe must decide whether certificates of
need apply or don’t apply these non-basic services, and whether he wishes to
cure the source of his mental distress and delete (i) inpatient psychiatric
services, from this otherwise honorable list.
Sec. 1 says it all (1) The
Affordable Health Care for All Oregon Plan is established to ensure access to
quality, patient-centered and affordable health care for all individuals living
or working in Oregon, to improve the public’s health and to control the cost of
health care for the benefit of individuals, families, businesses and society.
(2) The plan shall pay the costs of medically necessary health services in the
following categories within the scope prescribed by the Affordable Health Care
for All Oregon Board, excluding health services provided only for cosmetic
purposes:(a) Primary and preventive care, including health education; (b)
Specialty care; (c) Inpatient and outpatient hospital care; (d) Emergency care;
(e) Home health care; (f) Prescription drugs according to a drug formulary; (g)
Durable medical equipment; (h) Mental health services; (i) Substance abuse
treatment; (j) Dental services; (k) Chiropractic and naturopathic services; (l)
Certified nurse midwife services; (m) Basic vision and vision correction; (n)
Diagnostic imaging, laboratory services and other diagnostic and evaluation
services; (o) Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitative services; (p) Emergency
transportation; (q) Translation of spoken and written language; (r) Hospice
care; (s) Podiatry; (t) Acupuncture; and (u) Dialysis. (3) A person and the immediate family members
of a person are eligible to enroll in the plan if the person: (a) Resides in
this state; or (b) Is employed in this state. (4) Copayments, deductibles or
other forms of cost sharing may not be imposed on enrollees under the plan. (5)
Enrollees in the plan may choose any health care provider licensed or certified
in this state or in another state for services within the scope of the
provider’s license or certification. (6) Within the scope of services covered
within each category, enrollees and their health care providers shall determine
what treatment is medically necessary. A
need based system is clearly written deeply into the bill but there is always
room in Oregon statute to educate the people how to write a brief and State of
Oregon employees to read in a merit based civil law system.
Although I do not believe that I
personally have anything to gain from universal health insurance, and already
nearly lost my life and federal budget due to the infringement of the
Democratic-Republican (DR) two party system on the topic of health insurance, I
have high hopes that the Affordable Health Care for All Oregon Plan will
instantly help the spiritual and socio-economic development of the health
professionals in my biological family, from fascist extortionists in a bizarre
quasi-private health care system to well healed healers with access to
expensive modern equipment that runs on medical necessity alone, in a universal
single payer health insurance system. I
do not have the heart to sell you any Hawthorne from my family farm until the
berries are at their most medicinal just after first frost. The prescription medicines I want for my
medicine cabinet, doxycycline, ampicillin (Principen), metronidazole (Flagyl
ER) and amantadine (Symmetrel), with the exception of Sporonox (itraconazole), can
all be purchased without prescription online from Generics-discount.com on my
meager $666 a month for three extra years for speaking out against the $666 for
three years without COLA, budget. It is
here that I must grieve about the significant $250 cost of a family size
medicine cabinet and demand to benefit immediately and indefinitely from OHP
both as patient and medicine-giver adhering, much more strictly than the Oregon
State Hospital, to Sec. 1(2)(f) Prescription drugs
according to a drug formulary, in the style of ORS Sec. 414.32.
In their book Worst Pills, Best Pills II, Sidney M. Wolfe M.D. and Rose-Ellen
Hope, R.Ph, of the Public Citizen Health Research Group, exposed that forty to
fifty percent of medications are overused and mis-prescribed, especially
tranquilizers (including sleeping pills and mind-altering drugs particularly
antipsychotic medication), cardiovascular drugs and gastrointestinal
drugs. The medications used to treat
heart disease, high blood pressure and vascular disease were found to be the
most abused (Rondberg ’96: 91). Let it
be known Hawthorne is the supreme herb for the heart. Prescription psychiatric medicine, neuroleptics;
hypnotics (sleep aids) and antipsychotics are the most frequent cause of fatal
drug overdose reported to Poison Control Centers, and childhood stimulants and
antidepressants the fifth (Bronstein ’11).
A hypnotic is a drug that produces sleep, a
sedative is one used to relieve tension and anxiety. The most commonly used hypnotics and
sedatives are the barbiturates
Antipsychotic medication and child stimulants such as Ritalin have all
been found to cause neuromuscular tics, known as extra pyramidal side effects
and Tourette’s syndrome, respectively.
First generation antipsychotics caused a 30 percent chance of
permanently disabling tardive dyskinesia for every year of use. With the exception of Risperdone
(Rispderdal), all second generation atypical antipsychotic drugs, including
Lithium, are known to cause potentially life-threatening neuromuscular
side-effects, known as extra-pyramidal symptoms, with just one regular dose,
which is typically achieved gradually while under professional supervision in a
psychiatric hospital. Neuromuscular tics
start after taking an irregular dose and may last until treated with
Parkinson’s antiviral drug Amantadine (Symmetrel) untried, but FDA approved, to
replace Cogentin (benztropine mesylate) which cures extrapyramidal side-effects
in minutes, in just one dose, but was withdrawn from the market in time for the
recent increase in autism diagnosis. One
half or one quarter dose, of either of these Parkinson’s drugs, is worth a try
to permanently eliminate autistic tics in children and infants, if Amantadine
doesn’t work don’t settle for less than Cogentin. Neurologists need to pass
their own psychological tests and refer their mentally ill patients to licensed
independent professional social workers (Sanders ’13: 191). Oregon State Hospital needs to stop
prescribing any antipsychotic medication but Risperdone (Risperdal). Oregon must make Amantadine (Symmetrel)
available to all people antipsychotic and childhood stimulant drug
prescriptions to eliminate the risk of neuromuscular side-effects and should
sponsor a drug trial to see if a half dose for children and quarter dose for
infants will permanently cure autistic tics.
Just think: how many autistic children a school nurse might heal with
one package of Amantadine (Symmetrel) and how many more with a state sponsored
manufacturing of Cogentin (Benztropine mesylate)?
Stimulants are a class of medications
named for their effect on a person’s level of alertness, often appears to have
a calming effect on people with ADHD for eight hours, although many people
believe they are not as effective as the standard preparations. Most people notice few day-to-day side
effects. There is a mild appetite
suppressant effect, but weight loss in an otherwise healthy person is
minimal. The
ability of Ritalin to suppress rowdy behavior in children is much more
consistent than, for example, the effects of Prozac among the depressed. Enthusiasts for drug treatment often claim
hyperactivity in children is a biochemical imbalance, apparently corrected by
Ritalin, but this theory has not been established by scientific evidence. The first concern about Ritalin is serious or
irreversible side effects. The best
documented problem is a form of brain damage called Tourette’s syndrome. It causes tics, twitching and abnormal sounds
or movement, sometimes of a bizarre nature.
In one study of 122 children taking Ritalin 12 has tics or abnormal
movements and one child with permanent brain damage. In another study 76 percent of boys had
subtle and transient tics. The most
common side effects in another Ritalin study were loss of appetite in about 40
percent, insomnia in 20 percent and stomachaches in 20 percent (Moore ’98: 22,
23). Stimulants
worsen tics seen in Tourette’s disorder and can cause them on their own and
most professionals believe that the presence of Tourette’s in the patient of
the patient’s family precludes the use of stimulants, and that stimulants
should be stopped if tics appear.
Children may experience slight growth retardation. Periodic holidays from the medications, such
as over the summer, can minimize this.
Stimulants can be abused for the euphoria they sometimes induce. Dextroamphetamine probably causes the
strongest effect, then methylphenidate, and there is a minimal effect with
pemoline. Stimulants can worsen and even
cause psychotic thinking and manic episodes.
Stimulants should not be administered to someone with psychotic symptoms
(Drummond ’00: 71, 72). Blend Spearmint Mentha spicata in equal proportions with
lemon balm to calm hyperactivity and anxiety in children. Lemon balm Melissa officinalis is remedy for heart disease (and heartache),
depression and anxiety, nervous disorders and a host of viral and bacterial
infections. Paralesus called lemon balm
the “elixir of life” and Dioscorides used it for “sweetening the spirit”. In the 1600s herbalist John Evelyn wrote
“balm is sovereign for the brain, strengthening the memory and powerfully
chasing away melancholy”. A tea made of
lemon balm and chamomile is an excellent remedy for stomach distress and nervous
exhaustion. It also functions as a mild
sedative, especially helpful for insomnia caused by grief and sadness. Lemon balm is high on the list of herbs used
to treat heartache and depression.
Lemons balm soothes and calms a restless child. In combination with lemon balm milky oats Avena sativa, A. fatua can also be used
to counteract hyperactivity in children and adults. The milky green tops are especially renowned
for their demulcent (soothing) and nourishing effect on the central nervous
system effectively relieving all manner of nervous stress, exhaustion,
irritation and anxiety (Gladstar ’12).
5 HTP is a highly recommended and sold over
the counter treatment for depression.
5HTP is a serotonin precursor and can help the body to make more
serotonin and leave the available serotonin in synapses for a longer period of
time, therefore directly affecting mood and warding off depressive
symptoms. 5 HTP can also help with
insomnia, agitation, fatigue and lack of motivation. It is often helpful in chronic pain
situations because it increases sleep needed for healing, improves mood and
decreases sensation of pain. Again 5 HTP
should not be used with other antidepressant medications, especially selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. 5- HTP 100 mg two times daily. SAMe
can be helpful in the treatment of depression.
It acts as methyl donor and can help the body to complete and maximize
its nerve connections in the brain. SAMe
has antioxidant activity therefore will help to reduce free radical damage in
the body. SAMe can help the body’s
methyl metabolism improve, therefore functioning to increase energy, improve
cognitive function and decrease pain.
SAMe has also been used to treat osteoarthritis, response tends to be
noticed within the first month of use.
Insomnia, anxiety or mania states can be associated with overuse of
SAMe. Do not use SAMe with other
antidepressant medications, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
(SSRIs). It may cause life-threatening
symptoms (including agitation, tremors, anxiety, rapid heartbeats, difficulty
breathing, diarrhea, shivering, muscle stiffness and excessive sweating). SAMe dosage 400 mg daily.
St. John’s wort Hypericum
perforatum can be very effective for treating mild depression, anxiety,
stress, tension, nerve damage, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). To be effective against stress and
depression, St. John’s wort needs to be taken over a 2 to 3 week period, and it
is often cycled over several months to treat chronic depression and
stress. Hypericin, one of the herb’s active
constituents, increases the metabolism of serotonin and melatonin, which aid
the body’s ability to receive and store light.
Hyperforin, another important constituent, contributes to emotional
stability by slowing the uptake of those “feel-good” neurotransmitters such as
dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline, allowing them to circulate longer in the
body. Valerian root Valeriana officinalis is one the safest
and most powerful herbal nervines, used for all manner of stress, insomnia and
anxiety. Valerian is a remedy primarily
for stress, tension, insomnia and nervous system disorders. Studies show that it works by depressing
activity in the central nervous system and relaxing the smooth muscles of the
uterus, colon and bronchial passages.
Two compounds, valerenic acid and valerenal, have been found to induce
sleep and indirectly raise levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid, a
neurotransmitter that decreases central nervous-system activity and acts as a
muscle relaxant. Valerian is effective both as a long-term nerve tonic and as a
remedy for acute nerve problems such as headaches and pain. For those people for whom valerian works, it
works well. Some people find it
irritating and stimulating, rather than relaxing. The root is rich in isovalerenic and valerenic
acids, which give it powerful nervine properties. Because of the volatile nature of its
aromatic oils, valerian root is generally infused rather than decocted. Generally considered safe. If you take too much valerian you’ll begin to
have rubbery-like feeling in your muscles, like they are too relaxed, or a
feeling of heaviness. Cut back the
dosage so that you feel relaxed but alert.
Avoid taking large doses of valerian for an extended period of time,
instead, use modest doses for just 2 to 3 weeks, with a week’s break before you
begin taking the doses again (Gladstar ’12).
Sleep aids are ranked with antipsychotic drugs as the leading cause of
fatal drug overdose. A survey by the
National Institutes of Health conducted in the 1970s revealed that 17 percent
of the total population was bothered greatly by insomnia, and among older
people the percentage was even higher, with one out over four people over the
age of 60 reporting serious sleep difficulties. About 10 billion sedative doses
are manufactured each year in the United States. Each year, at least 10 million Americans
consult physicians about their sleep, and about half of them receive
prescriptions for sleeping pills (Chopra ’91: 2). Barbituates are all synthetic compounds derived from barbituric acid, which is
a combination of urea and malonic acid.
Barbiturates, commonly known as sleeping pills, produce all degrees of
depression, ranging from mild sedation to coma.
They depress brain function, and in large doses the rhythm of
respiration. The fatality rate is higher
for barbiturates than any other type of addiction (more than 3000 barbiturate
suicides per year, or 20% of all suicides in the United States, and more than
1500 deaths from accidental poisonings).
Alcohol potentiates the barbiturates, the two depressant are synergistic
and the practice of using both undoubtedly accounts for the unusually high
number of accidental self poisonings and death from respiratory depression
(Elvin-Lewis ’77: 435, 436, 437, 438). Chamomile Chamaemelum nobile, Matricaria recutita and related species are
useful for going into a deep, restful sleep.
Chamomile is a popular remedy for calming colic and childhood digestive
issues. Some people are allergic to
chamomile (Gladstar ’12).
In one report, opioid drugs, which include OxyContin and
Vicodin, accounted for three out of four medication overdose deaths, although
the Poison Control Center ranks opioids around sixth. It is alarming that opioid overdose deaths
have increased for the past 11 years.
Only 17 percent of these deaths were suicides, meaning the vast majority
were unintentional overdoses (Castillo ’13). The Department of Justice reported
that fatal overdoses from methadone increased from 500 in 1999 to more than
5,000 in 2006. Narcotics, also known as opioids, are derived
from opium (Papaverum somniferum)
that has been used for pain relief for thousands of years. Opioids are the frontline against severe pain
whereas other non-addictive painkillers are under development. Percocet is usually prescribed for the first
few days, then Oxycontin for more prolonged pain. These drugs work on the central nervous
system, as muscle relaxants do. They are
addictive, but mild and graduated dosing and withdrawal help reduce or prevent
the cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Most patients fear becoming addicted but unless they have a history of
addiction, this is a worry that is not likely to come true. When chronic, severe pain goes untreated or
is inadequately treated, problems can also arise, and those problems can become
permanent. Continuing, urgent pain
signals from nerves can result in hypersensitivity in the injured area (Fishman
’06: 129, 130). Potent opioids commonly
use in the postoperative patient are morphine, Dilaudid, and rarely,
Demerol. In some cases, a superpotent
synthetic narcotic, fentanyl, is used postoperatively. Fentanyl is about 100 times more potent than
morphine in relieving pain. Weak opioids
drugs, like Darvocet and Vicodin, are widely prescribed narcotics for mild to
moderate pain following surgery. Codeine
is another weak opioid available in liquid form and more commonly uised for
mild to moderate pain in the pediatric population. The
disclosure of patient residential address by the pharmacy to the breaking and
entering of the state office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is
probably the greatest aspect of opioid overdose risk, that can be reduced by
state law abolishing the DEA reporting requirement of patient address under the Health Insurance Protection and Portability
Act Pub.L. 104–191, 110 Stat. 1936, enacted August 21, 1996; and possibly eliminated by transferring the agency to the
state Department of Health and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
federally. The State of Oregon needs to
make sure that narcotic antagonists complement every opioid prescription. Narcotic Antagonists prevent or abolish excessive
respiratory depression caused by the administration of morphine or related
compounds. Naltrexone (Narcan) became clinically available in 1985 as a
new narcotic antagonist. Its actions resemble those of naloxone, but naltrexone
is well absorbed orally and is long acting, necessitating only a dose of 50 to
100 mg. The State of Oregon must ensure that Narcotic Antagonists are
provided as rescue medicine with all opioid prescriptions.
Cancer is a much more dangerous game
than heart disease although treatments are improving and it is the second leading cause of death. 60 70 percent
of all cancers can be prevented by staying physically active, not smoking and
most important, by choosing predominantly plant-based diets rich in a variety
of vegetables, fruits, legumes and minimally processed starchy staple
foods. Vegetarian diets decrease the risk of cancer. The vast
majority of all cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and other forms of
degenerative illness can be prevented simply by adopting a plant-based
diet. Vegetarians eat more fruits and vegetables than meat-eaters.
This is one of the reasons vegetarians live longer, and cancer rates for vegetarians
are 25 to 50 percent less than those of the general populace, even after
controlling for smoking, body mass index and socioeconomic status. There are
many environmental factors that can contribute to cancer. The list
includes exposure to radiation, pesticides, and exnoestrogens (synthetic
chemicals which mimic or block estrogen in the human body) and many
others. Much of the damage is caused by “persistent organic pollutants”
(POPs) a group of highly toxic, long-lived, bio-accumulative chemicals.
Many of these chemicals cause irreversible damage in people and animals at
levels the experts called inconsequential a decade ago. People receive
about 90 percent of their total intake of these compounds from foods of animal
origin. Dioxin is an extraordinarily carcinogenic and perilous threat to
health and the environment. Yet the EPA says that up to 95 percent of
human dioxin exposure comes from red meat, fish, and dairy products.
Dioxin may be responsible for 12 percent of human cancers in industrialized
societies. Overall, the incidence of cancer is decreasing in women
in the United States. Between 1947 and 1971 the rate has dropped from 294
per 100,000 to 256, although breast cancer remains a constant threat. For
men the peril is rising. During the same period the cancer rate in males
increased from 280 per 100,000 to 304, and the death rate rose by nearly
40%. Lung cancer was the biggest factor in this increase, accounting for
about 63,000 male deaths in 1975. Since 1990 the rate has gone down. Lung
cancer is the most common cause of cancer mortality worldwide. In the US
150,000 lives are lost every year. Smoking is the primary risk factor,
second hand smoke is a risk factor (Robbins ’01: 39, 42, 44). Strangely,
however, in longer lived nations such as Israel and Japan, there are higher
rates of smoking. One thing is certain; "No protein, no tumor growth
factor (Cotran et al '94).
For primary prophylaxis of
aspergillosis in immunocompromised individuals at high risk of invasive disease
(i.e., neutropenic patients with acute myelogenous leukemia [AML] or
myelodysplastic syndrome [MDS], hematopoietic stem cell transplant [HSCT]
recipients with graft-versus-host disease [GVHD]). IDSA considers posaconazole
(Noxafil) oral suspension the drug of choice; alternatives are itraconazole
(Sporonox) my favorite, or micafungin.Red sap from bloodroot (Sanguinaria
Canadensis) has been used for the treatment of cancerous disease by the
North American Indians living along the shores of Lake Superior. In 1857 a
British surgeon concocted a therapy based on a paste of bloodroot extract, zinc
chloride, flour and water. The past was smeared on a cloth or cotton
and placed on the tumor dailu (if healthy tissue covered the tumor, it was
eroded with nitric acid. When the tumor became encrusted, incisions
were made about one-half inch apart and the paste was inserted into the cuts
daily. Generally within 2 to 4 weeks the disease was destroyed, with
the mass falling out in 10 to 14 additional days, leaving a flat healthy sore that
usually healed rapidly. All cases illustrated remissions, if not
cures. 8 of 10 surgical patients returned within 2 years for further
treatment, only 3 of 10 returned after using his therapy. North
American May apple (Podophyllum peltatum) rhizome or underground stem
was used by the Penobscot Indians of Maine to treat
cancer. Podophyllum resins was used by physicians in Mississippi and
Missouri as early as 1897 and by urologists in Louisiana for the treatment of
venereal warts (condyloma acuminate). Recent clinical reports
signify that podophyllin has become the drug of choice in the treatment of
human condyloma accuminata. Others report a destructive effect
of podophyllin on different cancer cells in animals and in man, but is highly
toxic. Seeds of the common apricot (Prunus armenicaca or Armeniaca
vulgaris) native to China, were used there against tumors as early as AD
502. Laetrile therapy is based on the theory that once inside the
body, the extract from apricot pit breaks down into several components
including cyanide. Cyanide is released only when it comes into
contact with an enzyme common to tumor cells, β-glucoronidase, at which
time cyanide chokes off the tumor cells, leaving the healthy cells surrounding
the growth untouched. 10 cases of inoperable cancer, with
metastases, regressed, as well as dramatic relief from pain (Elvin-Lewis ’77:
123, 124, 125). Apricot pits are as tasty as almonds.
Herbal Remedies for Cancer
|
Vitamin |
Indication |
|
Vitamin
E |
Antioxidant,
regulation of oxidation reactions, supports cell membrane stabilization.
Found in polyunsaturated plant oils (soybean, corn and canola oils), wheat
germ, sunflower seeds, tofu, avocado and sweet potatoes. |
|
Mineral |
Indication |
|
Selenium |
Antioxidant.
Works with vitamin E to protect body from oxidation. Found in grains. |
|
Herb |
Indication |
|
Asian
Ginseng Panax
ginseng |
Increases nitric oxide in immune
cells, blood vessels and erectile tissues. Increases Adrenocorticotrophic
hormone (ACTH) and cortisol Increase
protein synthesis. Antistress, antifatigue, muscle strength and recovery
time, reaction time and alertness, intellectual performance, immune function
and cancer prevention, sexual function, most beneficial for people over
40. Ineracts with MAOI (monoamine oxidase inhibitor, anticoagulants,
steroids. Contraindicated for high blood pressure, heart disease,
diabetes, bipolar disorder (manic depression) – may cause mania, discontinue
7 days prior to surgery, do not use for more than 3 months, may have
long-term hormonal effects, do not use during preganancy or when
breastfeeding, do not use with steroids, not for children under age 12. |
|
Garlic Allium
sativum |
Garlic
is not only tasty, it is the herb of choice for treating colds, flus, sore throats
and poor or sluggish digestion. It stimulates the production of white
blood cells, boosting immune function and is a potent internal and external
antiseptic, antibacterial, and antimicrobial agent effective for treating
many types of infection, including several forms of antibiotic-resistant
strains of bacteria. It helps to maintain healthy blood cholesterol and
helps prevent blood platelet aggregation, making it the herb of choice for
many circulatory issues and lowers blood sugar levels in Type 2
diabetes. Garlic can irritate and burn sensitive skin, cause heartburn,
stomach distress, provoke anger and should be avoided by nursing mothers as
it can cause colick. |
|
Turmeric Curcuma
longa |
Curcumin
is a powerful agent against several types of cancers of the esophagus,
breast, colon, prostate and skin and inhibits the growth of lymphoma
cells. |
|
Burdock Arctium
lappa |
The
root is part of a very well-known Native American anticancer formula called
Essiac. |
|
Red
Clover Trifolium pretense |
Though
the FDA states “there is not sufficient reason to suspect it of any medicinal
value” studies conducted by the National Cancer Institute suggest that red
clover should be considered, as a preventative agent and perhaps incorporated
in a health-promoting tea for people at risk for cancer. Red clover has
blood thinning properties and should not be used by those who are taking
heart medication or who have any type of blood-thinning problem.
Discontinue red clover for 2 weeks before and after surgery. |
|
Roseroot,
golden root Rhodiola
rosea |
Increase
cellular energy production, protein synthesis, serotonin, norepinephrine and
dopamine. Support DNA repair, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic,
anticancer. Improves oxygen utilization. |
|
Rhododendrum
caucasium |
Antioxidant,
blocks carcinogen absorption and 20% of fat absorption through
intestines. Increases energy in heart muscles and uric acid
excretion. Relaxes blood vessels, lowers blood pressure. Physical
performance, high blood pressure prevention, cancer prevention, weight loss,
antigout. No contradindications known. Pregnancy, breastfeeding unkown. |
|
Siberian
Ginseng, eleuthero Eleutherococcus
senticosus |
Increase ACTH and cortisol,
Norepinephrine, Serotonin and Protein Synthesis. Antistress, strength
and endurance, intellectual productivity, immune cell response, resilience
during cancer treatment Interacts
with anticoagulants by interfering with some tests of digoxin levels.
Contraindicated for high blood pressure, heart disease – use with caution,
bipolar disorder (manic depression) – can cause mania, schizophrenia – can
cause agitation, women with hormone-sensitive cancers or conditions,
pregnancy breastfeeding unknown, not for children under age 12, lack of
safety evidence beyond 6 weeks |
Source: Gladstar ’12, Brown ’04
Hawthorne Crataegus
laevigata is considered the supreme herb for the heart (Elvin-Lewis
’77)(Gladstar ’12). The berries are
tasty and often enjoyed in syrups, jams and jellies. They also make good medicine, as do the
flower and leaf. The berries, leaves and
flowers are rich in bioflavonoids, antioxidants, and procanidins, which feed
and tone the heart. Hawthorn works in
part by dilating the arteries and veins, enabling blood to flow more freely and
releasing cardiovascular constrictions and blockages. It strengthens the heart muscle while helping
to normalize and regulate blood pressure.
It also helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Hawthorn is outstanding both to prevent heart
problems and to treat high or low blood pressure, heart disease, edema, angina
and heart arrhythmia. Hawthorn doesn’t store in the body and isn’t accumulative
in action, it’s important to take on a regular basis if using as a heart
tonic. Hawthorn also helps to stabilize
collagen and support the health and repair of ligaments, tendons and
muscles. Hawthorn strengthens
capillaries, useful for bruises (Gladstar ’12). Cardiovascular drugs other than
cholesterol reducing Statin drugs, which improve heart attack survival by 30-40
percent, are the second leading cause of fatal drug overdose, after
antipsychotics and sleep aids, beware.
The key to controlling difficult high blood pressure, that is resistant
to salt elimination, is a simple blood test to measure the activity of one kidney
enzyme called renin, and an adrenal gland hormone called aldosterone. The levels of fat in the blood after a meal
turn out to be more important than the level of cholesterol measured in a
fasting cholesterol test. Most people
who have muscle problems from cholesterol-lowering drugs in the family called
“statins” can resolve them by reducing the dose, adding ezetimibe (a generic
drug marketed as Zetia or Ezetrol) and taking CoQ10, a dietary supplement
depleted by long term statin drug use, and should be discontinued for cancer,
Alzheimer’s and hemorrhagic stroke from high blood pressure. There is no substitute for a sugar and salt
free vegan weight loss or heart attack response diet and vegetarian maintenance
diet with sufficient cardiovascular exercise to burn calories, eliminate chest
pain and permanently regain your health from cancer, heart disease, high blood
pressure and diabetes (Spence ’06).
Antibiotics cure endocarditis. Metronidazole (Flagyl ER) is an antibiotic
that is uniquely indicated for its safety and effectiveness in the GI, bones
and joints, but somewhat contraindicated for the central nervous system whose
spinal tumors from Stapholococcus aureus
with or without eruptions of S. dermidis
are better treated with doxycycline, that causes permanent yellowing of
children’s teeth, and for which no substitute is known but growing up with MRSA
till 8, and bacterial meningitis and sinusitis with penicillin, ampicillin or
erythromycin, if subject to anaphylactic allergic reaction to penicillin
(Barbour ‘96). Make sure you have
exhausted the issue of antibiotic resistance before elective surgery. Metronidazole is particularly well known for
its utility in surgery avoidance, from unnecessary appendectomy to knee surgery
(Fisher ’06). Glucosamine and Chondroitin is
extremely effective at treating arthritic pain and cartilaginous tissue damage.
Studies dating back to the 1980s show that these two supplements can help
relieve the pain of arthritis. These supplements are postulated to
enhance the cartilage at a biochemical level. The recommended
dosage is 1,000 mg to 2,000 mg of glucosamine and 800 mg to 1,600 mg of
chondroitin sulfate every day (Debrowolski ’04: 123). They are however quite large and often cause
gut cramping when taken on an empty stomach and can be safely taken with one 25
to 50 billion probiotic organism capsules (Huffnagle ’07). When crippled with pain, that doesn’t go away
or gets worse with exercise, it is often best to reduce exertion to 40 percent
of normal (Fishman ’06). Consult a
physician if the pain doesn’t go away after two weeks (Lane ’99).
While the bus ride to Salem on February
4, 2013 may have cured the crippling pain in my sacrum it took a five mile jog,
300 push-ups, 216 crunches, 50 pull-ups, 250 mg ampicillin, 100 mg doxycycline,
and three mile walk to town to relieve the pain in my heart, from what I like
to call the "walking pneumonia to Salem" after a disastrous 5 am
breakfast of turkey chili led to coronary artery disease that
ultimately caused a small heart attack whose hyperlipidemia did not go away for
around five days leaving me with a stress fracture on my sesamoid bone of my
right foot from jogging in wet shoes, to eat vegan and pray for medicine
about. Streptococcus
pyogenes is a Strep Group A airborne
pathogen, is transmitted between humans after extended exposure of hours rather
than minute viruses, that if left untreated with antibiotics can infect the
heart with a 25 percent chance of a fatal heart attack over a decade.
Since the 1990s when family practice ceased to do housecalls or hospital
visits the prescription of antibiotics has declined 40 percent and there are a
lot of people walking around with untreated S. pyogenes, Lyme
Disease. There are countless more chronically infected people who do not
heal because they are infected with meningitis and sinusitis from Streptococcus pneumoniae, that is
treated with penicillin or erythromycin for those who are subject
to anaphylactic shock; antibiotic resistant Staph, which
is treated with doxycycline, Clostridium difficile diarrhea
and ulcers, that treated with metronidazole (Flagyl ER) that is also effective
for bone and joint infections of bacterial origin, and when faced with elective
surgery it is definitely time to finish the antibiotics course and practice
metronidazole (Fisher '06: 330-334). I have requested that the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) attach a prescription for probiotics within two hours
of consuming antibiotics and for two weeks after completing the course
(Huffnagle '07). I am sorry I have not yet had an opportunity to harvest
any large quantities of Hawthorne Crataegus laevigata the
Supreme herb for the heart, from my sister's farm, where it seems to grow well
at around 6,500 ft., while its leaves, flowers and berries were in season, and
hope to market the herbal tea preparation to the Food Co-op this year.
For now we will have to treat our esophageal cancer with lots of fresh
diced and pureed turmeric Curcuma longa roots, before the
people are corrupted by the state Medicaid expansion decided upon in the
briefing on National Health Insurance: Compromise to Immediately
Achieve Universal Single Payer Social Insurance and Progressively Realize
National Health Insurance that is Free for All by Hospitals &
Asylums HA-28-4-08
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