A newsletter from my doctor re: H1N1, vaccines, and Tamiflu

[ELaurie]

I think it's very well balanced.

 

SWINE FLU UPDATE

 

 

 

 

The news media and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) continue to whip the public into a frenzy about H1N1 influenza. Unfortunately we have precious little data available to help us make rational decisions about what we should do. Meanwhile on the news we see lines of people, blocks long, queuing up at clinics for many hours to get the H1N1 vaccine. Most of them are turned away when the supply runs out. Why don’t we just calm down and ponder some facts.

1. The flu season has ended in the southern hemisphere and we know that the cases of H1N1 there have been relatively mild.
   
2. Here in Lake County, only hospitalized patients are being tested for the H1N1 virus. There is no readily available test to specifically diagnose H1N1. Therefore people with influenza like symptoms are assumed to have H1N1, not confirmed by laboratory testing. We can test for influenza A and B in the office, but this test doesn’t specifically identify H1N1. Therefore we don’t really know how many cases there are. The number of cases quoted in the media is probably being greatly overestimated. Running sensational news about H1N1 generates more viewers and readers. This news also satisfies the pharmaceutical industry that is among the media’s largest advertisers. Think about all those “Ask Your Doctor About [DRUG NAME]” ads that run during the news programs.
   
3. The deaths that are being reported are mostly a result of bacterial pneumonia, not directly a result of influenza. As always, cases of bacterial pneumonia should be treated swiftly and aggressively.
   
4. We in the medical community do not have access to the medical histories of the patients who have become very ill or have died after contracting H1N1. Therefore we are currently unable to identify those individuals who are at the highest risk. We are told that pregnant women and young children are more susceptible to complications, but we know that most pregnant women and children who catch the flu recover without incident.
   
5. The H1N1 vaccine was rushed into production and released without the usual clinical testing required of most drugs. Presently the vaccine has been in use for only two weeks. Since it is being administered in schools, public health clinics, and drug stores, there is no vaccine adverse event reporting system to which doctors who administer vaccines are required to report. If adverse events occur, it will take longer for us to hear about them.
   
6. Because the government has declared a “public health emergency”, the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the vaccines have been granted immunity from product liability lawsuits resulting from this vaccine. Then what pressure do they now face to produce a safe product? We know the sales of the H1N1 vaccine alone are expected to top $1.5 billion, in addition to the $1 billion already booked for the seasonal flu vaccine. These vaccines are part of a wider and rapidly growing $20 billion global vaccine market. When that much money is involved there can be political meddling involved in creating medical mandates for the vaccine.
   
7. There are two versions of the H1N1 vaccine. The nasal spray contains live viruses that a person will harbor in their nasal passages for weeks after inoculation. These viruses can be passed on to others they contact. The injectable form of the vaccine comes in multiple dose vials and is preserved with thimerosal, which contains mercury, a known neurotoxin.
   
8. Some doctors are recommending Tamiflu, an anti-viral drug to be given within 40 hours of the onset of influenza symptoms to lessen the severity or duration of symptoms. Since 99.9% of flu sufferers make an uneventful recovery anyway, the wisdom of using Tamiflu is questionable. A few years after its approval by the FDA, 25 people under the age of 21 were reported to have died while using Tamiflu. Around 600 reports came in about abnormal behavior, hallucinations, and convulsions in people between the ages of 10 and 19 who were taking this oral neuraminidase inhibitor. (Most of these took place in Japan, where these medicines are much more widely used.) In two separate instances, a 12-year-old and a 13-year-old jumped out of a second-floor window after taking Tamiflu; others fell from windows or balconies or ran into traffic.
   

I am not opposed to all vaccines. During my lifetime I have witnessed vaccines conquer deadly and debilitating diseases such as smallpox, polio, tetanus, and HIB infant meningitis. Just because some is good, doesn’t mean that a lot is better. I question whether immunizations should be promoted for all illnesses regardless of their severity. We do not have adequate information about the long-term effects of mass immunizing against the less serious diseases such as chicken pox, HPV virus, and influenza.

The natural way that healthy people achieve immunity is by being exposed to viruses or bacteria in their environment. The pathogen enters the nose or the mouth. The body then fights the infection by mounting an antibody response. The antibody response is memorized and upon future exposure to that that pathogen, the antibodies respond quickly to prevent a repeat infection. Injecting viral proteins with a needle into the body for the purpose of creating an antibody response is not nature’s original method of creating immunity. We know that vaccine induced antibodies tend to “wear off”; whereas community acquired infections can create lifelong immunity. I predict that those individuals, who get an annual flu shot, have much poorer immunity to new strains of influenza such as H1N1, than those who opt out of annual vaccination.

 

 

 

At the present time I am planning not to carry influenza vaccines in my office. They will be widely available in our community at local drug stores, schools, and county clinics. Those with chronic health problems or suppressed immunity are more at risk for suffering complications from influenza. For these people immunizing may offer a measure of protection. For healthy people, remember the following immunity boosting advice:

1. Use the neti pot with warm salt-water solution regularly after all public contacts. The neti pot irrigates the nasal passages and removes some of the bacteria and viruses breathed in during the day. This will reduce the viral load with which your immune system has to cope.
   
2. Maintain adequate vitamin D levels. Most of us are deficient in vitamin D during the winter due to the lack of sunlight exposure on our skin.
   
3. Eat a diet adequate in protein. Avoid sugar, starchy carbohydrates, and omega-6 polyunsaturated vegetable oils from soybeans, corn, and safflower. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
   
4. Supplement with a high quality ultra-refined fish oil.
   
5. Get adequate sleep. We require more sleep in the winter when the nights are longer.
   
6. Get some moderate regular exercise.
   
7. Take a probiotic to help maintain a favorable internal microbial balance.
   
8. Wash your hands before eating.
   

What should you do if despite of your excellent health habits, you still feel yourself becoming ill? Here are some suggestions for natural remedies:

1. Before the discovery of antibiotics, doctors used colloidal silver extensively as an antimicrobial agent. It is still useful, and unlike antibiotics it treats viruses too, without encouraging the growth of resistant microorganisms. Try 1 teaspoon of a 10 ppm solution, three times daily at onset of symptoms.
   
2. Echinacea, an herbal remedy.
   
3. Oscillococcinum, a homeopathic remedy - take every 4 hours at onset of symptoms.
   
4. High doses of vitamin C, starting at 3 grams daily.
   
5. Suck on zinc lozenges
   
6. Go to bed earlier and get some extra sleep.
   
7. You can use your neti pot up to 4 times daily if you feel yourself becoming ill.
   
8. Oil of oregano 4 drops, held under the tongue for a few minutes, followed by a glass of water. Repeat several times throughout the day.
   

For further information about this subject, visit these links:

a nice list of flu remedies from Virginia Hopkins, the assistant to the late John Lee, M.D.

a newsletter article I wrote about strengthening the immune system.

an in-depth analysis of swine flu by Dr. Joseph Mercola, a well-known local natural health physician.

 

No tomatoes please :auto:

[farmmom4him]

AWESOME!!!! Give that dr a hug and high five!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DesertDweller]

AWESOME!!!! Give that dr a hug and high five!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

:iagree::iagree:

 

I'm printing this. Very good information. Thanks for posting!!

[RainbowSprinkles]

Thanks so much for sharing this:)

[JenniferB]

Wow! That's my kind of doctor. ND? or MD?

[hornblower]

:svengo:

momentarily speechless here

[tvaleri]

"AWESOME!!!! Give that dr a hug and high five!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

:iagree:

 

 

 

I want to go to his practice! Too bad I live in NC =)

 

Teresa

[elizabeth]

:svengo:

momentarily speechless here

 

I am too tired of repeating the same phrases . I will go with speechless as well.Elective mutism might save my sanity.

[ELaurie]

I love my doctor :001_smile:

[LibraryLover]

lol You are all making me smile. :001_smile:

[HappyGrace]

I heart your doctor!

 

You're blessed to have that one!

[ABQmom]

I hardly ever read this board, but jumped over here for a few minutes while waiting for my soup to simmer. I'm glad I did! Thanks for posting this! Makes me feel better. :)

[Tree House Academy]

The one thing I see in this dr that was not present in others is that he did say the vaccine may benefit those who are immune compromised. He is totally right when he said that we do not have health profiles for the people who have died from this flu. Believe it or not, that DOES make a difference.

 

Thanks for sharing.

[momtothreeboys]

Thanks for posting this! This is some of the most sane advice I've read about h1n1 flu.

[Devotional Soul]

Awesome! Must be an Naturopathic doctor, yeah? Good for him for not carrying the vax. Blessings for such a brave doctor.

 

I do believe that the sudden deaths are more likely caused by meds. And Big Pharma had their bail out last year, they no longer take responsibility for any harm from shots.

Edited October 29, 2009 by Devotional Soul

[fivetails]

:svengo:

momentarily speechless here

 

:iagree:

[hornblower]

He is totally right when he said that we do not have health profiles for the people who have died from this flu. Believe it or not, that DOES make a difference.

 

 

 

Of COURSE it makes a difference. We do have more data than he's giving credit. JAMA published two articles recently on the patients in Mexico and Canada this spring. Search 'comorbidities'

 

CDC is also tracking - that's their job for heaven's sake. That's where the data we have about approx HALF of fatalities having NO pre existing conditions comes from.

[Oak Knoll Mom]

:svengo:

momentarily speechless here

 

So, is that good speechless, or bad speechless? :D

[Harriet Vane]

This is really helpful. Thanks for sharing.

[LibraryLover]

Of COURSE it makes a difference. We do have more data than he's giving credit. JAMA published two articles recently on the patients in Mexico and Canada this spring. Search 'comorbidities'

 

CDC is also tracking - that's their job for heaven's sake. That's where the data we have about approx HALF of fatalities having NO pre existing conditions comes from.

 

yeah, I read that, and it gave me pause. I am feeling this is less than trustworthy info. ;) Cra.p.

Edited October 29, 2009 by LibraryLover

[Jumping In Puddles]

he had me up to the colloidal silver :eek:

[LibraryLover]

he had me up to the colloidal silver :eek:

 

 

More Cra.p.

[tex-mex]

he had me up to the colloidal silver :eek:

 

:lol::lol: Yup, all I could think of was... "ooooh brother." And the thought of many people with blue skin. Oh dear.:001_huh:

[hornblower]

Bad speechless; bad.

 

And I'm guessing said dr didn't consult a lawyer before putting this out because I cannot imagine any lawyer cheerfully agreeing with it. Hello? Liability insurance? Care to guess what will happen if a patient dies of H1N1?

 

I'm afraid the head began to explode right on point one. Define "relatively mild". Because while it was certainly not catastrophic (& I'm delighted that it was not), "The study from Australia and New Zealand estimated that the demand for ICU beds due to viral pneumonia during the pandemic was much higher than in previous influenza seasons." (WHO update 70) Australia & NZ also had to treat patients very aggressively. Their study on ECMO is in JAMA & concludes: "In Australia and New Zealand, during the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) winter pandemic, there was a large increase in the use of ECMO for ARDS in patients compared with the winter of 2008." (ECMO is essentially the heart-lung machine. Many ICU's don't have this capability at all. ARDS is Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome - this is what severe influenza patients have. They cannot breathe on their own at all.)

 

#2? The logic of that argument runs the OTHER way. Case #'s are probably much higher than reported. Which is GOOD! It means that this is less deadly than everyone feared.

 

#3. Puhleeeze. Viral and bacterial pneumonia are common recognized sequalae of influenza. They still count as influenza deaths.

 

And so on. And so on. I don't have the time or energy for this.

 

Guess I got my speech back...:D

Edited October 29, 2009 by hornblower
too mad to type lol

[Jumping In Puddles]

"In Australia and New Zealand, during the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) winter pandemic, there was a large increase in the use of ECMO for ARDS in patients compared with the winter of 2008." (ECMO is essentially the heart-lung machine. Many ICU's don't have this capability at all. ARDS is Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome - this is what severe influenza patients have. They cannot breathe on their own at all.)

 

 

 

My 19yo brother died of ARDS (not h1n1 related), the hospital didn't have ECMO. :(

[Perry]

This is a doctor?! What type of doctor, please.

[fractalgal]

SWINE FLU UPDATE

 

The news media and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) continue to whip the public into a frenzy about H1N1 influenza. Unfortunately we have precious little data available to help us make rational decisions about what we should do. Meanwhile on the news we see lines of people, blocks long, queuing up at clinics for many hours to get the H1N1 vaccine. Most of them are turned away when the supply runs out. Why don’t we just calm down and ponder some facts.

 

1. Some doctors are recommending Tamiflu, an anti-viral drug to be given within 40 hours of the onset of influenza symptoms to lessen the severity or duration of symptoms. Since 99.9% of flu sufferers make an uneventful recovery anyway, the wisdom of using Tamiflu is questionable. A few years after its approval by the FDA, 25 people under the age of 21 were reported to have died while using Tamiflu. Around 600 reports came in about abnormal behavior, hallucinations, and convulsions in people between the ages of 10 and 19 who were taking this oral neuraminidase inhibitor. (Most of these took place in Japan, where these medicines are much more widely used.) In two separate instances, a 12-year-old and a 13-year-old jumped out of a second-floor window after taking Tamiflu; others fell from windows or balconies or ran into traffic.

 

 

 

This current flu seems a bit more dangerous to me based on my own experiences with it.

 

I have one son who after having the flu for several days last week came down with pnuemonia. He has no underlying health conditions and has never had pneumonia before. Thankfully we caught it early and treated it.

 

Another son has mild asthma and the doctor immediately put him on Tamiflu. We are still dealing with his sickness and it is quite frightening.

 

Reading that Tamiflu may have caused the deaths of so many young people does not make me rest any easier.

 

This has been a scary flu season for us so far.

[hornblower]

My 19yo brother died of ARDS (not h1n1 related), the hospital didn't have ECMO. :(

 

Man. I'm sorry to hear that.

 

I think that's one of the hardest things to consider - that for lack of access to a machine, someone loses their life.

 

So much of the emergency planning is trying to anticipate the equipment and the resources which will be needed. There will always be places with lower levels of prep or resources or simply no money to buy things.

 

A lot of preparing for pandemics has to do with trying to limit the size of the 'hump' on the graphs. Areas near major hospitals can handle it if small amounts of people get sick, recover, another group gets sick, recover, another group gets sick, recover. Please take a #. You can get sick next Tuesday. We can't handle a whole bunch of people getting sick at once. In some areas, they can divert patients to other hospitals but what if they're full too?

 

"There's very limited capacity to care for patients from the perspective of manpower and the perspective of machines and ventilators in certain parts of the country," Dr. Rob Fowler, an intensive care specialist at Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, said on the sidelines of the meeting.

"That's because usually the need isn't there. And we're coming into a time when the need may be there and may be disproportionately there in some regions over others."

 

 

from "ICU docs who rode H1N1's first wave warn colleagues of what's coming"

 

Public health isn't just about the individuals. It's about the PUBLIC, and it's about figuring out how to best take care of the entire community.

 

And someone, somewhere is looking over their pandemic plans which include triage checklists and guidelines on what to do when the ventilators are full. Do you turn away new patients? Do you turn off current patients who have a poor prognosis? Who will make that decision?

 

This is so far turning out to be a much milder pandemic than the 'big one' that preppers have been planning for. But it still has the capacity to overwhelm the system (through lack of actual physical resources or illness among the staff) and we need to think about how to avoid that.

 

BTW, currently in BC we are at EIGHT TIMES historic peak flu levels.

[Amy loves Bud]

Bad speechless; bad.

 

And I'm guessing said dr didn't consult a lawyer before putting this out because I cannot imagine any lawyer cheerfully agreeing with it. Hello? Liability insurance? Care to guess what will happen if a patient dies of H1N1?

 

I'm afraid the head began to explode right on point one. Define "relatively mild". Because while it was certainly not catastrophic (& I'm delighted that it was not), "The study from Australia and New Zealand estimated that the demand for ICU beds due to viral pneumonia during the pandemic was much higher than in previous influenza seasons." (WHO update 70) Australia & NZ also had to treat patients very aggressively. Their study on ECMO is in JAMA & concludes: "In Australia and New Zealand, during the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) winter pandemic, there was a large increase in the use of ECMO for ARDS in patients compared with the winter of 2008." (ECMO is essentially the heart-lung machine. Many ICU's don't have this capability at all. ARDS is Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome - this is what severe influenza patients have. They cannot breathe on their own at all.)

 

#2? The logic of that argument runs the OTHER way. Case #'s are probably much higher than reported. Which is GOOD! It means that this is less deadly than everyone feared.

 

#3. Puhleeeze. Viral and bacterial pneumonia are common recognized sequalae of influenza. They still count as influenza deaths.

 

And so on. And so on. I don't have the time or energy for this.

 

Guess I got my speech back...:D

 

You have to admit he finished with quite a flair by using Mercola as a reference! :D

[Perry]

 

And so on. And so on. I don't have the time or energy for this.

 

Guess I got my speech back...:D

Playing Whac-a-mole again?:D

[Tree House Academy]

May I ask what you both (Perry and Hornblower) recommend for people who can't get the vaccine? A lot of what you both post can be very frightening (although true, of course)...so what advice do you both have other than "get the vaccine?" Any tips? Are either of you saying that *some* of the tips this dr gave at the end couldn't be helpful?

[Perry]

This is a doctor?! What type of doctor, please.

 

Never mind. I looked him up. And I looked up his credentials.

 

Not. Impressed.

[Perry]

May I ask what you both (Perry and Hornblower) recommend for people who can't get the vaccine? A lot of what you both post can be very frightening (although true, of course)...so what advice do you both have other than "get the vaccine?" Any tips? Are either of you saying that *some* of the tips this dr gave at the end couldn't be helpful?

Many of his recommendations are perfectly reasonable. Diet, exercise, and sleep are major factors in maintaining health. I think increasing vitamin D is a good idea. I know lots of people believe they are helped by the homeopathic remedies. They won't hurt you, anyway. Some of the herbal remedies may be helpful. Colloidal silver is toxic and dangerous.

 

It's his misrepresentation of the information about H1N1 that I object to.

[Tree House Academy]

Many of his recommendations are perfectly reasonable. Diet, exercise, and sleep are major factors in maintaining health. I think increasing vitamin D is a good idea. I know lots of people believe they are helped by the homeopathic remedies. They won't hurt you, anyway. Some of the herbal remedies may be helpful. Colloidal silver is toxic and dangerous.

 

It's his misrepresentation of the information about H1N1 that I object to.

 

Gotcha! Thanks for your response.

[Lovedtodeath]

Colloidal silver is toxic and dangerous.

 

So is iron. and water...

[Perry]

So is iron. and water...

 

Iron and water are clearly vital to health. Of course, too much is bad for you. But you can't live without either one.

 

 

You can survive just fine without colloidal silver. Do you have any scientific evidence that it is effective?

[ThatCyndiGirl]

Iron and water are clearly vital to health. Of course, too much is bad for you. But you can't live without either one.

 

 

You can survive just fine without colloidal silver. Do you have any scientific evidence that it is effective?

 

 

:lurk5:

[Lovedtodeath]

Try putting it in milk and see how long it takes to spoil.

[Perry]

Try putting it in milk and see how long it takes to spoil.

That doesn't tell me whether or not it treats infections in humans.

[Perry]

Try putting it in milk and see how long it takes to spoil.

I bet if I put some thimerosal in there it wouldn't spoil either.:D

[Lovedtodeath]

 

That doesn't tell me whether or not it treats infections in humans.

I know... I only have anecdotal evidence for that. I never implied otherwise. I am sorry, that I said anything at all, because I do not have the energy to research this with links. I actually haven't used colloidal silver in years. I am pretty sure that it takes a lot... years of high doses to be toxic, and even then they know of no ill effects other than the coloration.

[Lovedtodeath]

 

I bet if I put some thimerosal in there it wouldn't spoil either.:D

Yes! I thought of this actually.:lol:

[hornblower]

Playing Whac-a-mole again?:D

 

Keep stomping! :lol:

 

For those who missed it - Effect Measure whac-a-moled The Atlantic's terrible story on vaccinations.

 

The Atlantic redeems itself somewhat with a great post on The New Pandemic of Vaccine Phobia.

[Devotional Soul]

How can you say that colloidal silver taken through the digestive system is toxic and dangerous...

 

...and mercury and formaldehyde injected into the bloodstream is not!!??

 

Silver has been used in ancient ayurveda and is cooling. It can be very beneficial for some body types (with slow metabolism) and aggravating for others (with fast metabolism).

[Lovedtodeath]

How can you say that colloidal silver taken through the digestive system is toxic and dangerous...

 

...and mercury and formaldehyde injected into the bloodstream is not!!??

 

Silver has been used in ancient ayurveda and is cooling. It can be very beneficial for some body types (with slow metabolism) and aggravating for others (with fast metabolism).

Interesting. Since I suffer from "toxic heat" I will ask my doc to test me for silver. It might be beneficial.

[Perry]

How can you say that colloidal silver taken through the digestive system is toxic and dangerous...

 

...and mercury and formaldehyde injected into the bloodstream is not!!??

 

Silver has been used in ancient ayurveda and is cooling. It can be very beneficial for some body types (with slow metabolism) and aggravating for others (with fast metabolism).

1. Because I once took care of a very sick patient with argyria. She looked like the tin man. Granted, she had been using CS for many years. In low doses used occasionally it probably isn't harmful. But I haven't seen anything to convince me it's beneficial either.

2. You can deliver toxins by lots of different routes- ingestion, inhalation, transdermal, injection... Taking something orally doesn't necessarily make it safer than injecting it. Depending on the substance of course.

3. No one is injecting formaldehdye or mercury into anyone's bloodstream.

4. In the amounts present in vaccines, those things aren't toxic.

5. I was looking for evidence. Still haven't seen any.

[Lovedtodeath]

Wow Perry! You have really seen everything! I thought the Oprah guy was the only person who has had that in recent years.

 

There are many, many, many, natural things that either kill "germs" whether they be bacterial, fungal, or viral. There are other natural things that will rid your body of disease even though they do not kill germs. Therefore, I see no need to use silver at this time.

 

My current doc uses the science of accupuncture to prescribe my medicines. I tried Western medicine. It saved my life in the short term, but staying on an ineffective toxic prescription for years waiting for the day that my colon gets removed wasn't my cup of tea, so I went an alternative route. It worked for my friend who was terminal with several cancers one of which was ovarian... not all natural medicine is "snake oil".

[Perry]

Wow Perry! You have really seen everything! I thought the Oprah guy was the only person who has had that in recent years.

 

There are many, many, many, natural things that either kill "germs" whether they be bacterial, fungal, or viral. There are other natural things that will rid your body of disease even though they do not kill germs. Therefore, I see no need to use silver at this time. I don't disagree with that. Silver is in a topical cream that has been used for years as an antibacterial for burn treatments. But I haven't seen any evidence that colloidal silver, taken internally, is effective. It's possible that it is effective and hasn't been studied adequately.

 

not all natural medicine is "snake oil". I agree. We're currently using tea tree oil on my dds staph infection, and it appears to be working better than the topical antibiotics we tried first. I'm not against natural medicine. I am in favor of evidence.

.

[Perry]

I thought the Oprah guy was the only person who has had that in recent years.

 

It was in a university hospital and it was quite unusual. Poor lady had a steady stream of students/nurses/doctors/unit clerks/etc. peeking in her room.

 

(That was long before HIPAA and wouldn't happen these days.)

[mommyrooch]

Playing Whac-a-mole again?:D

 

Oh, I agree!

 

I know you guys (hornblower and Perry) are doing this :banghead: about now.

 

And how about a little of this. :cursing:

 

I can only imagine your frustration. I am getting overly frustrated with these posts that continue to include innacurate information regarding the novel H1N1 flu and I haven't put in near the time and effort you guys have trying to accurately educate this board on H1N1.

 

Please know that there are a lot of us that are hearing you and agree with you 100%. Myself included.

 

Perhaps I can help by offering you this for your "Whac-a-Mole" game. :smash:

 

Keep up the good work guys. I know you guys are frustrated but I for one really appreciate it. :)