FDA Bans Another Alternative Health Option While Refusing to Pull the Plug on Dangerous Meds

by Paul Fassa, citizen journalist
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(NaturalNews) The FDA boosts Big Pharma sales and eliminates natural remedy competition. A current example is the FDA`s ban on ear candle production while allowing osteoporosis drugs with dangerous side effects to continue in the market place leading to - more easily broken bones! A recent ABC expose` showed how a leading osteoporosis drug caused more bone problems for a decade. Ear candle therapy has been around longer with far fewer complaints.

What Ear Candling Is

Its efficacy for minor ailments varies from user to user. There are those who swear by them, and those who ask "is that all there is to that?"

An ear candle is an inexpensive, hollow tube made of paper and wax, usually bees` wax. The tube is held upright in another person`s ear who`s lying on his or her side. The top of the tube is lit with a flame and held there for a few minutes. It`s safe with a second person administering. But if one tries to go it alone, it could be risky!

Ear candle advocates claim relief from ear noise and pain, nasal congestion, headaches, stress, and even colds and flus. Whether this folk remedy is or isn`t efficacious should be a matter of personal choice, which shouldn`t take long to ascertain for someone who`s shelled out 10 bucks for five ear candles.

But the FDA`s function is to eliminate alternative remedies and shepherd Big Pharma. After all, they must not let natural cures "discourage us from getting those `real cures`". The Medical Mafia uses this talking point often against all alternative methods, even though they often do cure without side effects.

Examples of the Medical Monopoly`s Real Cures

The tablets prescribed to cure or prevent osteoporosis cost much more than ear candles. The generic brands will cost around $100 every couple of months of prescribed steady use, while the brand label costs $150. Besides doing the opposite of what it claims, there are some dangerous side effects from this drug that stays in one`s body for 10 years!

At first, it does create stronger bones. But this drug, comprised of phosphonates that are used to clean soap scum from soap dishes, creates an imbalance of two important bone structure mechanisms osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Osteoblasts form new bone, while osteoclasts remove decayed or damaged bone through resorption, which transforms bone into minerals.

These biophosphonate drugs intentionally inhibit osteoclasts, which results in better bone density at first. But after the first year or so, osteoclast inhibition leads to stronger bone forming over weaker bone not removed through resorption. The result has been many users reporting bones snapping on their own without impact or trauma.

Honest health experts have known about the osteoblast/osteoclast imbalance potential for spontaneous bone breakage even before the popular drug first came out over a decade ago. Side effects include the possibility of blindness or atrial fibrillation, which can lead to heart failure and strokes.

Only now that ABC has publicized this does the FDA promise to "look into the matter". That`s pretty much what they said about a well known diabetes II drug that has caused at least 83,000 heart attacks from 1999 to 2007. In this case, the FDA claims they`ve received some new numbers and will discuss the the diabetes II drug in this July`s meeting.

So both drugs remain on the market, promoted, prescribed, and purchased. Gotta make enough money to cover those lawsuits and still profit! But not to worry, the FDA has protected us from ear candles.

Sources for more information include:

Health Freedom Petition to Stop the Ban on Ear Candles
http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/?p=4790

Byron Richards - ABC Shines Light On Spontaneously Breaking Bones
http://www.wellnessresources.com/fr...

Bone Drug and Atrial Fibrillation Confirmed
http://www.wellnessresources.com/st...

Video: Bone Drug Hazard Explanation and Majarishi Approach to Osteoporosis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgea...

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Marijuana use up for seniors as Boomers age

Matt Sedensky, Associated Press

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

(02-23) 04:00 PST Miami --In her 88 years, Florence Siegel has learned how to relax: A glass of red wine. Some classical music, preferably Bach. And every night like clockwork, she lifts a pipe to her lips and smokes marijuana.

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Long a fixture among young people, use of the country's most popular illicit drug is now growing among the AARP set, as the massive generation of Baby Boomers who came of age in the 1960s and '70s grows older.

The number of people aged 50 and older reporting marijuana use in the prior year went up from 1.9 percent to 2.9 percent from 2002 to 2008, according to surveys from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The rise was most dramatic among 55- to 59-year-olds, whose reported marijuana use more than tripled from 1.6 percent in 2002 to 5.1 percent.

Observers expect further increases as 78 million Boomers born between 1945 and 1964 age. For many Boomers, the drug never held the stigma it did for previous generations. Some have always used it, while others are revisiting the habit in retirement, either for recreation or as a way to cope with the ailments of aging.

The drug is credited with relieving many problems linked to aging: aches and pains, glaucoma, macular degeneration. Patients in 14 states enjoy medical marijuana laws, but those elsewhere buy or grow the drug illegally to ease their conditions.

But there's also the risk that health problems already faced by older people can be exacerbated by regular marijuana use. Older users could be at risk for falls if they become dizzy, smoking it increases the risk of heart disease, and it can cause cognitive impairment, said Dr. William Dale of the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Siegel, who finds marijuana has helped her sleep better than pills ever did, was well into her 50s before she tried pot for the first time. She can muster only one frustration with the drug.

"I never learned how to roll a joint," she said. "It's just a big nuisance. It's much easier to fill a pipe."

This article appeared on page A - 7 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/22/MNLP1C5C7Q.DTL#ixzz0gO03AZB0

Medical Marijuana: Putting Together California’s Research

By Anna Wilde Mathews

After California became the first state to allow medical use of marijuana, legislators decided in 1999 to fund research that was supposed figure out what the drug was good for therapeutically. Now we have an answer: a report issued today says it seems to ease some types of pain, and maybe muscle spasticity from multiple sclerosis.

Of course, lots of state residents have found their own, much more varied, answers, since California’s law is one of the most open-ended about who’s eligible for medical marijuana. Anyone who can get a doctor to write a recommendation, based on just about any medical condition, can buy marijuana in California. But this is the official report from the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, based at the University of California, San Diego.

Since its 2000 founding, the center has funded 15 clinical studies, including seven trials. The results include some fodder for medical-marijuana supporters who argue for the drug’s unique importance, particularly the finding that it worked as an add-on to more standard treatments for pain stemming from nerve damage.

The report argues marijuana may have a “novel mechanism of action not fully exploited by current therapies.” The drug may also have an effect on multiple-sclerosis patients’ spastic motions “beyond the benefit available from usual medical care,” the report says. Other research hasn’t shown this effect consistently.

The report also flags some mild side effects, including dizziness and, ahem, “changes in cognition.” Marijuana opponents will probably say that the studies weren’t long-term enough to show the potential downsides of chronic use.

The center has made these findings public before — they can be found on the center’s Web site. Still, the report is important because it pulls together the results in a document that is supposed to reach the general public.

And now that 13 other states have followed California in adopting medical marijuana laws, the research is likely to play a role as the Golden State once again tries to take the lead in marijuana policy: a California ballot measure that would attempt to legalize the drug’s use by adults 21 and older is likely to come to a vote later this year.

The WSJ took a recent look at marijuana research here.

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2010/02/17/medical-marijuana-putting-together-californias-research/

10 Signs You May Be Addicted to Painkillers-Wellness.com

To read the full article at Wellness.com click here:
Wellness.com - The Best of Health and Wellness


10 Signs You May Be Addicted to Painkillers

By Jesse Cannone

Each year, more than 2 million Americans are given powerful prescription painkillers that contain opiods (sometimes called narcotics) for the relief of pain and discomfort brought on by injury, surgery, menstrual cramps, and even headaches. But a growing number of people taking these medications are becoming addicted to them. And it's not hard to understand why.

Drugs such as Vicodin, Percocet and Methadone block pain all the way from the nerve endings in the skin to the spinal cord to the brain. Once these drugs reach the brain, they open the floodgates for the chemical dopamine, which triggers feelings of well-being. Dopamine, in effect, rewires the brain to become accustomed to those pleasant feelings. So when you stop taking the pain-killer, your body will still have a strong craving for the dopamine. This is what makes it so hard to quit. Symptoms of withdrawal can include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps (which is the origin of the term "cold turkey"), and involuntary leg movements. Better to avoid getting hooked in the first place.

Chemical dependency can happen to anyone, and it can easily sneak up on you. Here are 10 things you should look out for if you or someone you know is currently taking prescription painkillers:

1. An increase in usage
As time goes by, the effects of the initial dose will lessen, prompting a desire for stronger or more frequent doses of the prescribed medication. This is a clear indication that whatever amount they have been taking is no longer providing the same level of relief.

2. Personality changes
Changes in a person's normal behavior can be a sign of dependency. Shifts in energy, mood, and concentration may occur as every day responsibilities become secondary to the need for the relief the prescription provides.

3. Withdrawing socially
This is one of the clearest signs of a dependency problem. Spending more time alone and away from friends and family and social gatherings is a cause for concern.

4. Continuing meds too long
Extending the prescription beyond the initial period, especially after the condition has improved, can be the beginning of an endless cycle. The patient may even believe he or she is still in pain and simply needs to stay on the meds for a few more weeks or months. He or she might even express anger toward a doctor who questions the need to renew the prescription.

5. Too much time spent getting meds
There are no lengths to which a chemically dependent person will not go to obtain the drugs they think they need. This can become an all-consuming obsession, including traveling long distances and visiting many doctors. When getting the drugs seems to be the number one priority, the situation is getting out of hand.

6. Habits and appearance changes
A deterioration in physical appearance and grooming--including not bathing or shaving regularly--is a common result of drug addiction. There may be a general look of unhealthiness, such as persistent coughing and red eyes. Sleeping and eating patterns often become irregular.

7. Failure to meet responsibilities
Sudden changes in work or school attendance and a decline in quality of work or grades are common, as well as forgetting to pay bills and missing appointments.

8. Becoming oversensitive
One consequence of using potent drugs is that the body's response to any sort of stimulation is heightened. For example, a person may have an overly emotional reaction to traffic noise or bright lights--possibly including hallucinations.

9. Forgetfulness and blacking out
A person who is suffering from chemical dependency will forget things that have happened and may even experience memory gaps of several hours.

10. Denial and becoming defensive
Presented with even a hint that they may be addicted, those hooked on drugs will vehemently deny it. The harder you push, the more defensive they are like to get. They might even react to simple questions with an angry outburst.

Additional signs of chemical dependency include an inability to relax or have fun, talking incoherently or making inappropriate remarks, and expressing feelings of exhaustion, depression, and hopelessness.

Remember that painkillers are a blessing that can turn into a curse. And that it is a lot easier to avoid becoming addicted than it is to recover from drug addiction. As long as you follow your doctor's instructions (and you have others around you to make sure you do), these prescription medications will what they were designed to do--and nothing more.