Keeping healthy tough on senior

February 23, 2012 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: Vitamin supplements cause me great digestive distress and chest pain — vitamin D, fish oil, multiple vitamins, vitamin C, to name only a few. I’ve tried taking them with food and still cannot tolerate them. Do you have any suggestions? Calcium tablets are also constipating.

I am 75 years of age and my doctor has said I need to be taking some of the above mentioned supplements. Diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, and CAD are some of my health issues. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

DEAR READER: Dietary supplements, as you have discovered, may carry unwanted side effects. For example, calcium can cause gas and/or constipation in some people and may interfere with the absorption of iron. [Read more...]

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A, B or what?

February 22, 2012 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I have been reading your column for a very long time and have never read any information about how to find out what a person’s blood type is. I have asked my family physician’s office and my oncologist’s office but they will not tell me what my blood type is. How do I find this information if my own doctors won’t tell me?

DEAR READER: Your doctors’ offices have no right to withhold information regarding your health or your medical record from you. You can read more about this online at the US Department of Health and Human Services website, http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html. If you have had the test to determine your blood type, I suggest you return to your physician and/or oncologist and demand that you see the results. If you haven’t had the test, request that it be done. [Read more...]

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Diet becomes a lifestyle change

February 21, 2012 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I am writing because I have been a Dr. Gott follower for years. Thanks to a column years ago in which I read about thyroid symptoms, I went to my doctor and was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I have battled my weight since my 30s. I lost weight on the Atkins diet but gained it back after a few years. Finally, this year at 52, I decided to try the No Flour, No Sugar Diet with my husband. I wanted it to be a lifestyle change that we could follow, not a diet. Of course, I wanted to lose weight but it wasn’t my number one priority, my health was. Four months later, I am 20 pounds lighter! Thank you. It’s easy and I feel better. My husband has lost about the same. We feel that it’s an easy lifestyle change that we can follow each day.

DEAR READER: Congratulations to you and your husband for not only losing the weight, but for taking an active role in improving your health.
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Reader taking 10 times more than recommended

February 20, 2012 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: Now 67, I’ve suffered with “pings” of sharp pain in my shoulders for three years. I could hear and feel the tendons and muscles pop when I moved or reached for something. My uncle, 94, claims to have “not an ache or pain” and recommended I take 40,000 units of vitamin D3 daily. I tried 20,000 with no results. I tried 30,000 with some relief. I tried 40,000 units and am mostly symptom free. I had been to MDs, chiropractors and had acupuncture and massages all with little or no results. What might have been my diagnosis? Are there any long-term side effects from this seemingly high dose?

DEAR READER: Vitamin D is fat soluble and found naturally in very few foods (fish liver oil, fatty fish, beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks). It is best known for promoting calcium absorption, but also maintains adequate blood calcium and phosphate levels, [Read more...]

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What is systemic mastocytosis?

February 18, 2012 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: My 27-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with system mastocytosis. We are aware that there is no cure but would like to know what you can tell us about the disorder. Do you know of any effective treatments? We are very concerned for her health and future. Is it hereditary? Any help and information would be appreciated.

DEAR READER: Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is considered to be an “orphan disease” meaning it is rare and affects a very small number of people. It is an accumulation of mast cells in more than one part of the body. Mast cells are made in the bone marrow, are distributed throughout the body and are though to fight infection, respond to allergic substances, and repair damaged tissue. It is usually diagnosed in adults although children may also be affected.
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The body is like an automobile

February 17, 2012 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: What would cause a 50-year-old man to have an elevated white blood count?

DEAR READER: A high white count represents an increase in leukocytes, the disease-fighting cells that circulate in the blood. The condition is known as leukocytosis and usually indicates an infection, immune system disorder, medication reaction, or bone marrow disease.

There are a number of causes to consider such as stress– either emotional or physical, a bacterial or viral infection, the habit of smoking, an allergy, rheumatoid arthritis, damage to skin tissue such as from a burn, and the use of some prescription drugs such as corticosteroids and epinephrine. Then we get in to conditions such as leukemia, tuberculosis, polycythemia vera and a whole host of other possibilities.
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Can it be Grave’s if the tests are normal?

February 16, 2012 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I am desperate! I have all the symptoms of Grave’s disease, including a medium-sized multi-nodular goiter (which has been biopsied and the results were benign); but in spite of seeing numerous doctors, including three endocrinologists, they say I do NOT have it because my blood tests fall “within normal” range!! I am having a difficult time functioning in my day-to-day activities and am praying you can help me.

DEAR READER: Graves’ disease is hyperthyroidism, a disorder of the immune system that causes the overproduction of thyroid hormones. Normal thyroid function is regulated by a hormone released by the pituitary gland. The antibody associated with Graves’ disease, thyrotropin receptor antibody (more simply known as TRAb), has the ability to mimic the action of the pituitary hormone and essentially overrides normal regulation of the thyroid gland, [Read more...]

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When the written word isn’t enough

February 15, 2012 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I notice that a number of your responses say: “I don’t have enough information. What are your other health issues? What other meds are you taking?”, etc. By not including the above, you often state that you can’t give a complete answer. Wouldn’t it be BETTER to insist on this information BEFORE accepting a person’s letter? Give us an outline of what you need to give readers a full and complete answer.

I’m not alone on this – other people I know who read your column say the same thing. Just a little friendly advice. Hope this gets to you but it probably won’t.

DEAR READER: The short answer: If I only answered questions [Read more...]

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Bursitis is a real pain

February 14, 2012 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I am a 60-year-old female teacher, very active and on my feet all day. I go to the gym several times a week and do other activities. I was diagnosed with bursitis nine months ago. I had a cortisone injection at that time and all was well until a month ago. I returned to the doctor, got another injection and an anti-inflammatory script. I quickly felt like a 20-year-old, able to run upstairs, etc. A few days after I finished the prescription, the bursitis returned. I can’t walk without limping due to the pain. I have great difficulty walking up stairs and cannot sleep on that side. I am still going to the gym, despite the pain. I also have arthritis in my knees but not in my hips. What do you recommend?

DEAR READER: A bursa is a fluid-filled sac whose function is to reduce friction between moving tissues of the body. Major bursae are found next to the tendons near all large joints such as the hips, [Read more...]

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Doc unconcerned about abnormal labs

February 13, 2012 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: My doctor has told me that I have elevated bilirubin but he has never been overly concerned about it because it has been a factor that shows up every time I have lab work. I turned 65 in January and wonder if this condition will be a problem as I get older. Is it congenital? Can diet make a difference? I am trying to stick to an anti-inflammatory diet and I avoid flour and sugar as much as I can. I also avoid dairy products because they cause gas and mucous problems. I have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, fibrositis and IBS, all of which seem to run in my family and cause me to lose sleep. Any advice?

DEAR READER: Bilirubin is a yellowish bile pigment. It is formed when the liver breaks down old red blood cells. Elevated levels of bilirubin can cause jaundice, a condition most often associated with newborns.
[Read more...]

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