I Am Finally Back!

It has been quite a while since my last post, and it is late tonight so I am not going to write very much this time, but I just wanted to let everyone know that I am finally back.

I have been dealing with several health issues and am just getting to where I am feeling good enough to get back to my postings.

I am still recuperating, but I will try to at least have one post a week for right now until I am feeling better.

until tomorrow, goodnight, and safe eating.

FDA Denies Petitions to Ban Certain Antibiotics in Livestock

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally ruled on a petition that was filed with them twelve long years ago as well as a newer one filed in 2005 to ban the use of certain antibiotics that are used to treat humans from being used for non-medical purposes in livestock used for human consumption.

The petitions were filed in 1999 and 2005 by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Environmental Defense, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Public Health Association, Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT), and the Union of Concerned scientists. Both petitions asked the FDA to withdrawal its approval of certain antimicrobial drugs that are considered important for human medicine, like penicillins, tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, streptogramins, macrolides, lincomycin and sulfonamides.

For years the animal agricultural industry has been mixing drugs like these in the water and feed of livestock to promote faster growth and prevent disease in the animals.

By the animal agricultural industry unnecessarily feeding tons of antibiotics to healthy animals, they are responsible for helping to create drug-resistant strains of food borne illnesses, like Salmonella Heidelberg, Salmonella Newport, Salmonella Typhimurium, E. coli O157:H7 among many, many others.

Numerous studies have clearly documented the direct transference of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from animals to humans. After antibiotics started being administered to livestock, the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant E. coli and Campylobacter bacteria also increased in humans.

One group of Salmonella Newport strains are now resistant to most available antibiotic medications approved by the FDA for the treatment of Salmonellosis, especially in children. (Gupta et al., 2003).

Multi-drug resistance was found in 10 out of 14 outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant foodborne illness reported between 2000 and 2009 according to a recent study performed by CSPI.

The FDA cited several reasons for not starting a formal withdrawal proceeding. “The agency’s experience with contested, formal withdrawal proceedings is that the process can consume extensive periods of time and agency resources,” said FDA in the denial letter. The agency also cited the withdrawal of diethylstilbestrol (DES) in 1979, which took a full seven years to complete, and the withdrawal of enrofloxacin in poultry, which took almost five years and cost FDA approximately $3.3 million.

Apparently it sounds like the FDA is more concerned with what it will cost them to withdraw its approval for the use of antibiotic drugs for non-medical purposes in animals than they are with the health and safety of the countless consumers around the world that consume food produced in the United States.

The FDA is so concerned with what it will cost them, but they ignore what it will cost us. Bacteria that is resistant to one or more antibiotics makes it very difficult to treat humans who become infected. This results in longer and more expensive hospital stays, and higher fatality rates.

So, is the FDA trying to put a price tag on the value of your life to determine if it is worth them doing their job and protecting you?

Food Allergy or Food Intolerance – There IS a Difference.

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I was just sent an email from a reader asking what the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance was. After sitting and thinking about that question for a while it dawned on me that many people may not know that there actually is a difference between them. So, let me see if I can explain both of them, so that you will be able to understand the differences between them.

Food Intolerance –

A food intolerance is a digestive system response to a food It occurs when a food irritates a person’s digestive system or when a person is unable to properly digest or breakdown a food. Intolerance to lactose, which is found in milk and other dairy products is the most common food intolerance however there are many more foods that people can be intolerant to.

The symptoms of food intolerance can include:

• Nausea
• Stomach pain
• Gas, cramps, or bloating
• Vomiting
• Heartburn
• Diarrhea
• Headaches
• Irritability or nervousness

People that have food intolerances often lack the chemicals, or enzymes necessary to properly digest certain proteins found in the food. This can sometimes be overcome with medication such as Lactaid for people with lactose intolerance. People with food intolerance in many cases will not have symptoms unless a large amount of the offending food has been consumed or the food has been consumed frequently.

Treatment for a food intolerance is based on avoiding or reducing your intake of problem foods and treating symptoms when they arise. Celiac Disease is a form of a food intolerance.

Food Allergy –

A food allergy is an immune system response. It occurs when the body’s immune system mistakingly believes a an ingredient in a food (usually a protein) is harmful to the body and creates a defense system (antibodies) to fight it. The immune system treats the food as though it were a virus or bacteria and releases antibodies to fight it. Food allergy symptoms develop when the antibodies are fighting off the “invading” food.

The most common food allergies include peanuts, tree nuts (macadamia nuts, walnuts, almonds, pecans, etc.), fish, shellfish, milk & dairy products, eggs, soy beans & products, and wheat although other foods may also cause an allergic reaction in certain individuals. These foods are often thought of as the “Big 8” when referring to food allergens and by law must be listed in plain terms on the list of ingredients of any food sold in the United States. For instance, even though lactose is a very common food intolerance, since it is also one of the “Big 8” food allergens, its common term must now be used (Milk or Dairy Products).

Symptoms of a food allergy can be mild to severe, and the amount of food necessary to trigger a reaction can vary from person to person. In many people with severe allergies, merely the microscopic proteins of the food are enough to trigger an allergic response. For instance a person allergic to peanuts can have an allergic reaction merely by someone handling peanuts, then preparing their food without washing their hands and thoroughly cleaning their equipment first. Even though no visible peanuts are on the persons hands or equipment.

When a person first ingests a food that they are allergic to the bod’s immune system creates antibodies (immunoglobulin E, or IgE). When you eat the food again it triggers the release of IgE antibodies and another chemical called histamine to fight off the “invading” protein from the body. Histamine can affect the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract or skin. The specific symptoms that a person develops depend on where the histamines is released into the body. Many people develop a combination of symptoms as the food is eaten and moves through the body as it is digested.

The most common symptoms of a food allergy include:

• Rash or hives
• Abdominal pain or cramping
• Abnormal (high-pitched) breathing sounds
• Anxiety
• Confusion
• Cough
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty breathing
• Difficulty swallowing
• Fainting, light-headedness, dizziness
• Hives, itchiness
• Nasal congestion
• Nausea, vomiting
• Palpitations
• Skin redness
• Slurred speech
• Wheezing
• Itchy skin
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Swelling of the airways to the lungs
• Anaphylaxis

A person may “grow out of” an allergy to a food as they grow older, or they may suddenly become allergic to a food that they previously had no allergy to and have eaten many times in the past.

Because a food allergy reaction can affect the cardiovascular and respiratory system it can, and often does result in death. There is no way to determine when a particular food allergy will cause a mild or severe reaction. A person that normally only has mild reactions to a particular food allergy could suddenly and without warning have a severe life-threatening reaction where their body goes into what is known as anaphylactic shock. If anaphylactic shock is not treated immediately it can result in sudden death within just a few minutes of onset.

As you can see, there is a big difference between a food intolerance and a food allergy, one that could have a deadly outcome. If a person tells you that they are intolerant of a specific food be considerate of their feelings and make sure to avoid that food when preparing their meals.

If a person tells you that they are allergic to a particular food, make absolutely sure that there is no possible way that the ingredients in, or utensils used to prepare the food can cause an allergic reaction for them. Their death will be on your hands.

Source: PubMed Health, WebMD, 

E. Coli Outbreak in North Carolina Infects 9

7 children and 2 adults have been infected with E. coli and 12 additional cases are under investigation.

Three of the children remain in intensive care suffering from serious kidney problems associated with the bacterial infection.

Eight of the victims attended the North Carolina State Fair, however health department officials have not confirmed the source of the outbreak at this time and the investigation is ongoing and is expected to take several more days.

Calls have gone out to hospitals, clinics, and doctors statewide letting them know to be on the lookout for symptoms of E. coli that include diarrhea, cramping, fever, nausea and vomiting.

Additional cases are expected.

Source: WRAL

Migraines – No Relief

I apologize for my absence in postings this week. I have been suffering from several severe migraines. It is very difficult to concentrate with a migraine, or any type of severe pain for that matter.

It feels like someone keeps hitting me in the head with a hammer whenever I move, speak, read, or even breath. Light, sound, and odor sensitivity are also symptoms that I deal with because of them.

Unfortunately I am one of the very rare sufferers of migraines, cluster headaches and  chronic paroxysmal hemicrania (CPH), which are very similar to cluster beaches except they fortunately only last a few seconds at a time.

I have suffered from migraines for 25 years now, and frequent severe chronic migraines for the past 10 years. The cluster headaches and CPH are a more recent development within the last 5 or 6 years.

As I said, I have frequent migraines, often three or four times per week. The last episode lasting a full 36 hours before it finally subsided.

My night stand resembles a pharmacy with all the medicine bottles of Morphine, Vicodin, Percocet, etc. that I am taking almost on a daily basis. For the cluster headaches I now have portable Oxygen tanks that I use for High-Flow Oxygen therapy. I have taken the narcotics so long now that I have built up a strong tolerance to them. I am what they refer to as “opioid-tolerant”.

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Last night, like many others I could not control the pain and found myself at the Emergency Room for my usual “Migraine Cocktail”, a mixture of IV fluids, Magnesium, Morphine, Valium & Toradol. Unfortunately there is nothing more that the E.R. can do for me because I have already been given over the daily limit of narcotics. So I sign myself out of the E.R. and drive myself home.

Yes, I said I drive myself home. When the migraines first started a strong narcotic would knock me out, like they should. But since I have taken them for so long now, I do not even feel them any longer. They do not make me drowsy in the least. Taking a Vicodin or Percocet now is almost like taking an Ibuprofen to me.

At times I have had to take 2 or 3 Morphine tablets along with 4 Vicodin just to knock the edge off the migraine so that I can relax enough to try to sleep.

I have tried just about everything with no relief. Acupuncture, Botox, numerous daily prophylactic medications, Magnesium infusions, nasal sprays, auto-injections, herbal medications, NSAIDS, eye drops, and the list goes on.

About every 6 months or so they order a new CT scan or MRI. I was even sent for an Echocardiogram to see if I had a small hole in the valve of my heart that could be the cause of my migraines. All with no positive results. The only result that I can see is an increase in the frequency, duration and intensity of the migraines.

They even talked about a nerve block, but IF it worked, it would only last from a couple hours to a few days at most. No thanks.

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In the past 25 years I have only found one treatment that seems to work every single time without fail, Medical cannabis or medical marijuana. Several years ago I was in a research test on the effectiveness of cannabis on migraines. In the trial, for the first time ever, I received relief from the migraine pain almost immediately. After the trial ended I was subjected once again to narcotics.

I actually moved to Hawaii because of what I learned in that research trial once I found out that Hawaii had passed a law making medical cannabis legal here. Unfortunately that was all they did. Pass a law on paper. They have done nothing since 2000 to upgrade the states medical cannabis program so that it actually works to help the patients.

It makes me mad when I sit here knowing that medical cannabis works for my migraines, and relieves the pain within just a few seconds, but I have no access to it.

Sure I have a license from the State of Hawaii that says I can have it and use it to treat my migraines, but there is no where to get it from here. The way the law is set up here, it is legal for me to have possession of it, but its not legal for me to get it.

There is no legal way in Hawaii to acquire it. You must grow it or have a caregiver grow it for you, but there is no legal way to get seeds or starter plants so that you CAN grow it.

Thats about as asinine as the state handing someone a drivers license, and then saying “by the way there are no cars here, and you can’t have one shipped in either”.

It just doesn’t make any sense to me.