Articles

April 1, 2010

Read this before taking ADD/ADHD drugs!!

Filed under: Chiropractic - General Info and Benefits, Dangers of Medications, Dr. Kenney's Health Blog — admin @ 4:53 am

ADHD is a commonly diagnosed condition especially among children.  The rates at which people are turning to medications to subdue the symptoms of ADD/ADHD continue to rise at an alarming rate.  Here are some concerns I had as I reviewed the website for one of the more commonly prescribed ADHD medications, Focalin.

  • Parents with children on Focalin or other ADHD medications are often assured by their doctors that these drugs do not create dependence.  Here is a quote directly from the Focalin website (http://www.focalinxr.com).  “Focalin XR is a federally controlled substance (Class II) because it can be abused and lead to dependence.  Keep Focalin XR in a safe place to prevent misuse and abuse.”  Not exactly instilling confidence it won’t become addictive and/or it will be easy to stop using.
  • ADHD medications can be effective at reducing symptoms of ADHD, but at what price?  Here is a particularly troubling quote from the site, “Talk to your doctor if your child experiences slowing of growth (height and weight).  Children should have their height and weight checked regularly while taking Focalin XR.”  This medication therefore carries the potential to actually stunt a child’s growth!  Other safety issues include general symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness and nervousness.  There are also far more serious concerns that include worsening of heart problems, worsening mental symptoms, seizures and more.
  • Keep in mind no ADHD medication is intended to actually CURE anything.  They are used to alleviate symptoms.  Common sense therefore tells us that the medication will be necessary for as long as you’d like the symptoms controlled.  Here is a direct quote from the website “The effectiveness of FOCALIN XR for long-term use, i.e., for more than 7 weeks, has not been systematically evaluated in controlled trials.”  Thus, we have a drug with serious side effects, intended to be used indefinitely and yet the makers of this drug tell offer us no data supporting safe or effective long term use.

The reality is that those taking these medications are often frustrated and do not know what else to do.  I’ve helped many children and parents successfully eliminate the use of these medications and CORRECT ADD/ADHD by teaching them how to make specific physical, nutritional and/or emotional changes.  Those who want to understand and benefit from implementing these changes can contact my office via email or phone and/or attend a complimentary information session we will be holding on April 28th.  You don’t need to rely on these drugs any longer, contact us today!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Matt Kenney

Southport Chiropractic - 1995 Post Rd. Fairfield, CT

(203) 259-4731, email – sptchiro@aol.com

www.sptchiro.com

March 24, 2010

Taking Lipitor?

Filed under: Chiropractic - General Info and Benefits, Dangers of Medications, Dr. Kenney's Health Blog, Nutrition and Exercise — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 5:41 am

Lipitor is one of the most commonly prescribed medications for high cholesterol.  Here are some questions and concerns I came away with as I looked through the Lipitor website:

  • Are we to believe that problems within the body such as arterial plaque, high blood pressure and other such issues are directly caused by a LACK of Lipitor?  If not, then why go on a medication for life to mask this symptom?
  • Cholesterol is an important part of how our bodies function and is essentially neither good nor bad.  If this is the case why are we to believe that we must lower our cholesterol at all costs?  Here is a link to an article written by a cardiologist discussing some of the commonly accepted beliefs regarding cholesterol.  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/05/28/cholesterol-heart.aspx
  • The side effects of Lipitor and cholesterol drugs are serious.  The website frequently mentions the dangers to the liver, potential kidney failure and sudden onset of serious muscle problems (I see this problem commonly in those taking it) among many others.  Since Lipitor is most often intended to be used indefinitely, how confident can a person possibly be that these side effects will not harm them and create far more dangerous problems?
  • The Lipitor website says that diet and exercise is not sufficient enough to help 2 out of 3 people improve their cholesterol levels.  How many of these people were actually put on the right type of exercise and nutrition program and monitored throughout?  Would the average doctor know what recommendations to make for an individual and/or have the time to do so?
  • Multiple medications interact with one another.  This is significant because those taking Lipitor are often taking more than one medicine.  How these drugs interact is unknown because it would be impossible and too costly for each drug company to test their medicine in conjunction with another company’s.  Therefore, as your list of medications grows you are essentially adding to an already list of harmful side effects and risks.  As we all learned in chemistry class, certain chemicals do not react well with one another.
  • How many people taking Lipitor do so only out of fear?  Is this a good reason to do anything?

Your body is an amazing machine and you have many options to consider before medication.  If you want natural, safe alternatives to Lipitor and other cholesterol medications give us a call at (203) 259-4731.

In Health,

Dr. Kenney

Southport Chiropractic Office

1995 Post Road

Fairfield, CT 06824

(203) 259-4731

October 1, 2009

10 Important Things to Know About the Swine Flu to Avoid Panic

Filed under: Dangers of Medications — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 7:31 am

Dear Patients and Friends,

Since the hysteria surrounding the swine flu began in late April our patients continue to ask us countless questions about the disease, the vaccine and the best ways to protect the body naturally.  Here are 10 things to understand and consider before being vaccinated or panicking about the swine flu.

1.  The World Health Organization did not declare the swine flu a pandemic because of the number of hospitalizations or deaths.

- A pandemic was declared based only upon the virus being present in multiple countries worldwide.  Even the mildest virus detected in enough places worldwide would receive the same classification.

2.  The number of swine flu cases has been grossly overestimated according to experts mainly because the symptoms of swine flu are identical to that of seasonal flu.

- According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) latest figures as of September 20, there have been only 300,000 laboratory confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus and 3,917 deaths worldwide.

- Compare this to the WHO’s latest calculations for regular influenza outbreaks, which estimate annually there are around 3-5 million cases of severe flu-related illness, and about 250,000 to 500,000 deaths globally.

3.  The swine flu epidemic has happened before.

-  In 1976, an Army recruit felt sick and weak and died during a training hike.  An autopsy revealed the presence of the H1N1 virus (later named swine flu).

- Based upon the presence of this virus a swine flu vaccine was immediately created and administered to 46 million Americans.

- At least 25 people died from the vaccine, more than 500 became paralyzed and the US government paid out over $3.5 billion in damages to those harmed by it.  It should be noted that not 1 person, vaccinated or not, died from the swine flu, including other soldiers at the base who became infected with the virus.

4.  Swine flu is not a strong virus and in fact is no better or worse than the seasonal flu.

-  Both the seasonal and swine flu produce identical symptoms which are fever exceeding 100o, coughing, runny nose and/or sore throat, joint aches, headaches, vomiting and/or diarrhea, lethargy and lack of appetite.

- Also, both viruses are mild enough where the vast majority of people are able to recover from either without hospitalization or medication.

5.  Only those people with severely compromised immune systems are dying or are susceptible to serious harm from either the seasonal flu or the swine flu.

- The flu does not kill those in good health it kills those whose immune systems have lost their ability to protect.

- For example, those children who have died from H1N1 are those with a pre-existing disease such as those causing Vitamin D deficiency which is a main protector against the flu.

- The CDC reports that 36,000 people die annually from the flu but nearly 34,000 of these people also have pneumonia (often associated with late stage cancer, AIDS, etc) and actually die of that, thus the actual figures are that out of hundreds of millions of people only about 1,800 actually die from the flu.

6.  The ingredients in the swine flu shot are extremely dangerous.  Here are some of the harmful ingredients:

Squalene – an adjuvant, causes severe immune responses and is linked to auto-immune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) and Gulf War Syndrome

Thimerosal – mercury, linked to neurological disorders such as autism, the 25mcg within 1 vaccine is 250 times greater than the EPA’s level that is considered safe.  We are told not to eat more than 1 serving of fish per week due to mercury yet injecting a large amount into the blood stream is supposedly healthy?

Aluminum — a neurotoxin linked to Alzheimer’s disease

Triton X-100 — a detergent

Phenol (carbolic acid)

Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)

Betapropiolactone – a disinfectant

Nonoxynol – used to kill or stop growth of STDs

Octoxinol 9 – a spermicide

Sodium phosphate

7.  Anyone harmed by the vaccine has no legal recourse in the event of an adverse reaction.

- In 2001 a law was passed granting those who develop and recommend vaccines during a “health emergency” immunity from any legal prosecution.

- Without the potential to lose billions of dollars in lawsuits the pharmaceutical companies have far less motivation to spend millions testing the H1N1 vaccine.

8.  The H1N1 vaccine will be administered before safety tests are even completed.

- Though the safety of vaccines in general can be questioned, it usually takes immunologists 18 months to create and test a vaccine, the H1N1 vaccine was developed for distribution in less than 5.

- Testing thus far has included only 6,000 people not all of whom have even received the same vaccine with the same ingredients.  Also, because testing is done on volunteers there is no way to accurately test the effect of the vaccine on certain age groups such as pregnant mothers, the elderly, etc.

- Novartis the manufacturer of the H1N1 vaccine has admitted to the Associated Press that the vaccine will be available to the public before trial testing is even completed.

9.  Contracting the swine flu offers far less potential of danger than the vaccine.

- Again, except in those with severely compromised immune system, the swine flu would result in regular flu symptoms and a possible day or 2 of missed work/school.   Conversely, the effect of an adverse reaction to a vaccine can be very severe and possibly fatal.

- Guillian Barre Syndrome is a neurological disease that causes partial paralysis and is associated with many vaccines including the flu vaccine.  It was the most common form of injury from the swine flu vaccine administered in the 70’s.

- Before any medicine or vaccine is taken one should weigh the risks versus the benefits.

10.  You can protect yourself against any type of flu naturally.

- Germs on their own do not make you sick, lowered body defenses do.

- Keep your body strong physically, nutritionally and mentally and observe good hygiene and you will have protection against the swine flu.

- Vitamin D is a powerful defender against viruses.  Your body derives Vitamin D from sunlight and thus as it gets colder and we get less and less our defenses against viruses can decrease – thus why we have a “flu season.”  Increasing your Vitamin D levels and/or using other different natural supplements can protect you naturally, without risk and more effectively than the vaccine.

- Maintain a healthy nervous system – have a chiropractic spinal checkup to make sure that misalignments in your spine are not irritating spinal nerves and weakening your body’s defenses.

August 12, 2009

Beware of the HPV Vaccine

Filed under: Dangers of Medications — Tags: , , — admin @ 7:00 am

(from www.mercola.com)

The HPV Vaccine: Preventive Care or Human Sacrifice?

Reports of adverse reactions to the new HPV vaccine Gardasil are escalating. One particularly heart-wrenching example is the story of 12-year-old Brittany who lost all feeling in her leg and collapsed two weeks after receiving the Gardasil vaccine.

Adding insult to injury, people who are injured by the vaccine cannot even sue Merck, the maker of the Gardasil vaccine, because it is part of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund.

While the FDA claims adverse reactions to Gardasil are rare, a review of the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) data shows that several thousands of adverse reactions have been reported in the United States alone. And hundreds of Australian girls have experienced side effects like paralysis, dizzy spells and seizures, but Australia‘s Department of Health and Ageing refuses to release any details.

Further, The European Medicines Agency reported that two women died not long after they received the vaccine, one in Austria and one in Germany. The Financial Times also reported that there have been 11 deaths and a wide array of other adverse reactions, including:

  • Bells Palsy
  • Guillan-Barre syndrome
  • Seizures
  • Blood clotting and heart problems
  • Miscarriages and fetal abnormalities amongst pregnant women who received the vaccine

Sources:    Natural News April 22, 2008

Dr. Mercola’s Comments:

Thanks to Merck’s aggressive advertising campaign for Gardasil — the one that features young girls chanting “I want to be one less” — mothers and daughters across the United States are lining up to be vaccinated.

Yet, once you know the facts about this vaccine and HPV, the virus it supposedly prevents, it becomes very clear just how useless — and dangerous — this vaccine really is.

Getting the Facts About HPV

There are more than 100 types of human papillomaviruses (HPVs). Of them, only 10-30 can cause cervical cancer. The rest can lead to skin infections that cause genital warts or common warts on your hands and feet.

These are very common viruses, and an estimated 25 million Americans have HPV infections. However, this is NOT cause for alarm because, as even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states: “In 90% of cases, your body’s immune system clears the HPV infection naturally within two years.”

This is true whether the infection is the type that can cause warts or cancer.

Meanwhile, Merck’s Gardasil vaccine contains just four types of HPV. If you contract one of the 96+ types that aren’t included, you’re out of luck. And, if you’ve already been exposed to one of the four types of virus in the vaccine, it doesn’t work against those either.

Some Scary Facts About Gardasil

The long-term effects of using this vaccine on young girls is unknown, and in the short-term, many girls have already begun to suffer. Common side effects include:

  • Pain, swelling, itching and redness at the injection site
  • Fever
  • Nausea
  • Dizziness
  • Vomiting
  • Fainting
  • Severe allergic reactions, including difficulty breathing, have also been reported, as has:
  • Swollen glands
  • Guillain-Barre syndrome
  • Headaches
  • Joint pain
  • Aching muscles
  • Unusual tiredness and weakness

As of last October, 3,461 complaints about Gardasil had been filed with the FDA’s Vaccine Adverse Event Report System, and 11 women died after exposure to the vaccine.

Meanwhile, aside from being injected with four types of HPV proteins, girls and women who receive this vaccine should know what else is in the shot:

  1. Aluminum adjuvants, which have been linked to neurological damage including multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.
  2. Polysorbate 80, which has been linked to infertility in mice.
  3. Sodium borate, a main ingredient in roach killer.

Be “One Less” To Get Gardasil

I think this would be a more appropriate message to send out to young women. There is absolutely no reason to risk the serious side effects of this vaccine to prevent an infection that goes away on its own 90 percent of the time. And there’s no guarantee that you’ll be protected anyway, since you can still get HPV once you’ve had the vaccine. It’s really a no-win situation for those who receive it.

Of course, you can radically reduce your risk of getting HPV in the first place if you follow safe-sex practices, or wait to have sex until you’re in a committed relationship. Then, keep your immune system in tip-top shape, and it will be more than able to shake any HPV virus that comes its way.

ADHD Drug Warning

Filed under: Dangers of Medications — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 5:09 am

New Warnings on ADHD Drugs

An article from the Associated Press on February 9, 2006 reports that experts from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel have recommended that Ritalin and other stimulant drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder should carry the strongest warning that they may be linked to an increased risk of death and injury. The story, reported by Andrew Bridges, noted that the FDA advisory panel voted in favor of a “black box” warning. This came after the panel heard about the deaths of 25 people, including 19 children, who had taken the drugs.

Dr. Curt Furberg, a professor of public health sciences at the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, and one of the FDA panelists said it would be “inappropriate, unethical behavior” not to disclose that there was uncertainty about the safety of the drugs. The AP article did note that the FDA is not required to follow the recommendations of the panel.

Dr. Robert Temple, director of the FDA’s Office of Medical Policy, told reporters, “The committee plainly wanted to tell us certain things ought to be in labeling in a more forceful way.” The article also reported that doctors prescribe these drugs to about 2 million children and 1 million adults a month.

Dr. David Graham, a medical officer at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research summed up his concerns by saying, “There’s smoke. Does that mean there’s fire? We wouldn’t be going through this exercise if we didn’t think there was a real possibility of increased risk.”

These drugs are big business. The article noted that in the year 2000, sales of these drugs was at $759 million. That number rose to $3.1 billion by 2004. Additionally it was noted that about 2.5 million children between age 4 and 17 take ADHD drugs including 9.3 percent of 12-year-old boys and 3.7 percent of 11-year-old girls.

August 5, 2009

A Nation of Drugged Children

Filed under: Dangers of Medications — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 1:46 pm

Dear Patients and Friends,
The article to follow details the alarming rate at which children continue to be given prescription medications and the serious side effects that go with it. This scenario is not only true of children but adults as well. It’s important to understand that these medications are meant to treat symptoms and NOT to cure disease. That means that whenever the medications are ceased the problem (and whatever new problems are created) will remain. In other words problems are not being solved but merely covered up.
The reality is that everything we do comes as a result of our nervous system, the health of which is dictated by 3 main factors – what we do to our bodies, what we put into our bodies and how we operate mentally. Good choices in these 3 areas create great health by keeping the natural recuperative powers of the body strong, poor choices eventually create disease, it’s that simple.
If you read the article below and it makes you think of a co-worker, friend, relative or loved one please share it with them. Help someone you care for avoid the potentially endless cycle of medications by encouraging them to see a chiropractor, a person qualified to help them dramatically improve their health by strengthening their nervous system through proper alignment and health of the spine, nutrition and thought process.

In Health,

Dr. Kenney
Dr. Bogannam

Creating a Generation of Drugged Children

Last November, the journal Pediatrics published research that found medication use among children across the United States is dramatically increasing as more kids are being treated for diabetes, hypertension, obesity, asthma, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using a database of prescription claims from children with private health insurance, they were able to find prescriptions for almost 4 million children.

The researchers found that over four years, prescriptions for children aged 5 to 19 increased significantly. Among two drugs to treat type 2 diabetes, the use doubled. In addition, the use of drugs to treat asthma rose by 46.5 percent, and the use of drugs to treat ADHD grew by 40.4 percent. The number of prescriptions for cholesterol-lowering drugs rose by 15 percent, the researchers found. They also noted increases in the use of blood pressure drugs and antidepressants (1.8 percent).

According to one of the co-authors of the study, Emily Cox, as the number of obese children increases, the number of children with chronic diseases is also increasing. “That they are being treated is a good thing,” she said. “The concern is, are doctors more likely to use drug therapy over diet and exercise?”

Antidepressants are the second largest group of drugs prescribed for children under 18 years of age, second only to Ritalin and similar ADD/ADHD drugs. An earlier generation was given tricyclic antidepressants like Elavil and Toframil. These drugs had some serious, and occasionally fatal, side effects. The newer ones, including those called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), are more easily tolerated, but have not been widely tested on children.

SSRIs include Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, and Luvox. They help regulate levels of serotonin, a chemical in the body that is believed to affect mood. Serotonin levels drop off during early adolescence, and therefore may be related to depression in this age group. Low serotonin levels have also been linked to substance abuse problems in teens.

But why give young people such heavy-handed drugs, with their host of potentially dangerous side effects, when inexpensive, natural, and healthy alternatives are available? Low or imbalanced levels of fatty acids are now linked to autoimmune disorders, mood and behavioral disorders, and heart disease, among other health concerns, prompting even allopathic doctors to recommend fish oil to treat ADHD. Researchers at the University of South Australia tested a combination of omega-3 fish oil and evening primrose oil (an omega-6 oil) on 132 children with ADHD, ranging in age from seven to 12. After the 30-week study ended, almost half the parents reported that their children’s symptoms were improved.

Many of the other conditions for which children are being overmedicated can be treated naturally as well. For example, vitamin D deficiency has been implicated as a major factor in the pathology of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth defects, periodontal disease, and more.

Children don’t need cholesterol-lowering drugs. They need proper nutrition and exercise, with judicious supplementation. But they also need physicians and practitioners who can properly diagnose and treat their conditions with healthy, natural methods.

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