Magnesium for high blood pressure

Can magnesium supplements help lower my blood pressure?

Recently the public has gone crazy over magnesium. Consumers have been buying kilograms of magnesium powder to treat a variety of health disorders. Many people have jars of magnesium powder underneath their bed and they religiously take it every night before time. Analysis of clinical studies reveal that there is no clinical evidence that magnesium can lower blood pressure. A few patients did have lowering of diastolic blood pressure, but the effects are inconsistent and not sustained.

If I were you, I would stick to the Meds prescribed by your doctor. High blood pressure is a silent disorder but if you do not treat it, you will end up with a heart attack or a stroke. All the magnesium you need is readily available from your diet. You will be hard pressed to find people with magensium deficiency on planet earth. People who promote magnesium are charlatans who have little knowledge about medical physiology but excel at talking from their backside.

Omega 3 fatty acids for bipolar disorder

Can omega 3 fatty acids improve symptoms of bipolar disorder?
Omega 3 fatty acids are hyped to treat many medical disorders but in reality they do diddy squat.  After almost half a century of hearing about omega fatty acids, there is no drastic reduction in any illness or cancer- it is just another supplement that is hyped up by ignorant people to scam even more ignorant people.

The little evidence we have indicates that omega 3 fatty acids are useless for BPD- you can get the same benefit by drinking your urine or if you prefer, a donkey’s urine.

Latex or non latex condoms?

Is a latex condom better than a non-latex condom as a contraceptive?

The non-latex condoms are used by people who have allergy to latex. There are very few studies on the different condoms and their efficacy as contraceptives. But some non-latex condoms like eZ do not prevent pregnancy as well as latex condoms. In general, the non-latex condoms tend to break more often than latex condoms. Overall, most partners prefer non latex condoms.
My feeling is that non-latex condoms are overpriced and are only useful for people who are allergic to latex.

Dry mouth treatment

Is there any non-drug treatment that can help improve dry mouth?
No, there is none. Studies have shown that acupuncture, lasers, tooth brushing, mild electrical stimulation or other stimulation techniques all suck. Complete waste of money. Only morons and stupid people go for these therapies.
If you have dry mouth from sjogren syndrome, the best advice is to see a rheumatologist. There is a medication called cevimeline. There are anecdotal reports that it can help some patients with dry mouth. It is also prohibitively expensive and does not work in everyone. Best advice is drink a lot of water, use lozenges and take good dental care if you got dry mouth.

Can Primrose Oil Lower my blood sugars?

In the last two decades many individuals have started taking primrose oil for a number of medical ailments. Some just take the primrose oil for routine prophylaxis for a better life style. Others take primrose oil because their friends take it and then there are others who take primrose oil because they are hoping for a miracle.
Evening primrose oil (EPO) is known to contain an omega-6 essential fatty acid which is believed to be the active ingredient. There has been a lot of research on Primrose oil. The majority of research has been sponsored by companies who manufacture the product. The substance has been widely used in Europe for decades for the treatment of arthritis, constipation, fibromyalgia, premenstrual syndrome, headaches, nausea, eczema, atopic dermatitis, hypertension, diabetes, weight loss, etc. There are many reports from diabetic individuals that daily intake of primrose oil can lower blood sugars. However, high-quality evidence for its use in most conditions is still lacking. In addition, primrose oil does not lower blood sugar in everyone and its effects are unreliable and inconsistent.

Conditions where there is some clinical evidence about the benefits of Primrose oil include skin disorders like eczema, chronic fatigue syndrome, herpetic infections and diabetes. But one has to remember that all the evidence is anecdotal. There are no randomized clinical studies which have evaluated the benefits of primrose oil and no one has any idea what the other ingredients in Primrose oil are.
With regard to diabetes, the few available reports do indicate the blood glucose levels decrease after regular intake of the chemical. Other individuals with long standing diabetic neuropathy have also claimed that the pain and tingling that occurs with diabetes disappears with oral intake of primrose oil.

Unfortunately, such isolated reports are often made by vendors of the product and have little scientific validity.
At the moment, Primrose oil is not a substitute for the standard treatment of diabetes. It may be used as an adjunct to insulin and the other oral hypoglycemic drugs. Side effects of Primrose oil include headaches, abdominal pain, diarrhea and occasionally drop in blood pressure. There is not enough information to recommend the safe use of evening primrose oil during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Laser to remove tattoos

Can a laser remove all tattoos? part 1
There is laser mania going on all over the USA. Every tom, dick and harry is using the laser to treat a variety of skin conditions. When in doubt, use the laser appears to be the motto. First, for anyone who is thinking of undergoing laser, just read the news. Every single day there is a report about a complication from a laser. Lasers have caused severe burns and disfiguration of many individuals. Lasers are not harmless instruments and in the hands of people who do not know the mouth from the backside, you are in for big trouble. The majority of people who use lasers are clueless and have never completed any type of formal laser training. If you walk into a spa, the people who use lasers only know how to switch the device on and off- and they only learnt that aspect after watching someone else. Then these same people go and start their own spa business acting like laser experts. So beware whom you go to.

Gastric sleeve and GERD

I had a gastric sleeve procedure done a few months ago and now have developed moderate amount of burning in my chest whenever I lie down. Is this normal?
No, what you have is most likely reflux. During gastric sleeve resection, the surgeon makes a tube out of the stomach and sometimes the anatomical valve at the bottom of the swallowing tube is either deformed or altered as a result of the surgery. Many patients are now reporting symptoms of reflux after gastric sleeve resection. This is a direct result of surgery. The backwash of acid from the stomach into the swallowing tube can cause a burning sensation in the throat and chest. This is not a minor problem and can lead to complications.
So now you have several choices; 1) take medications for the rest of your life or 2) undergo and another more complex procedure to reroute the stomach drainage. The surgery may help, but is prohibitively expensive and you can rest assured, that some type of complication is likely.
With medications, you will feel better but there is no cure. If you develop complications from your gastric sleeve and the surgeon never told you about the problem, go and see a medical malpractice lawyer-this may not cure the problem but at least you will have a return of your money. For anyone who is thinking of undergoing sleeve resection, they should know about reflux, because it can be severe and very difficult to treat. If surgery to treat reflux is done at the same time as the gastric sleeve resection, another devastating complication can occur- you may not be able to swallow food and feel bloated all the time.

Do i need endoscopy?

I was recently told I had peptic ulcer disease. The doctor insisted I undergo an upper endoscopy. I am only 42. Is this necessary?
Some of the biggest abusers of medical procedures just for financial gain are the gastroenterologists. Everyone who walks into their office nowadays get a scope down the mouth or up the arse. And this is not because they love your body parts but because they make a lot of money. Any astute doctor can make a clinical diagnosis of peptic ulcer disease. Sometimes a trial of peptic ulcer drugs may help determine the cause. My best advice to you is get some over the counter anti-ulcer medication and if you have peptic ulcer disease, the relief will be instant (in a matter of minutes). If that works you do not need any endoscopy. All this bullshit about Helicobacter pylori and taking 3 drugs is hogwash. It is just another money making scheme in medicine. Please change your doctor, because he /she is not interested in your welfare but your money.

Benzl peroxide for acne?

I have been using benzyl peroxide for my acne. Can it make my skin lighter in color?
Yes, it can. Benzyl peroxide is often combined with a drug called clindamycin for treatment of acne. It is useless for acne and a complete waste of money. This product has been out for almost a century and never works. You can use it topically, drink it, shower with it, use it as a suppository etc, but it will do diddly squat for your acne. If you are dark skinned and use benzyl peroxide, it can cause bleaching of skin. Benzyl peroxide is found in many skin products including peeling agents. It also can cause mild to moderate irritation and dryness of skin. If you have acne, this is not the agent of choice. Ask your doctor for a retinoid. Healthcare workers who prescribe benzyl peroxide are dummies and know very little about acne.