Are Meds Causing Hair Growth?

December 28, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I’m a 34-year-old female in fairly good health except I have diabetes and am overweight. I’m currently taking Avandamet for diabetes and Lipitor for cholesterol.

My first problem is that I have hair growing in places where hair should not be on women. Do you have any suggestions what I can do for this and why I have it?

My second problem is that I have very bad dry skin on my forehead and nothing has helped. What is worse is that my 5-month-old daughter has dry skin on her forehead and the back of her head. I have taken her to the pediatrician and have been told to use hydrocortisone on it. All that does is cover it up. Do you have any suggestions for this?

DEAR READER:
While not your first concern, I would be very interested to know the progression of your diabetes, high cholesterol and weight gain. [Read more...]

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December 10, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I am 72 years old and have prostate cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides and diabetes.

In October, my local paper had an article that wrote there was an increased risk of prostate cancer in men who ate flax seeds. It recommended that men eat fish or omega oils instead. It also said that we could completely stay away from flaxseed oil and flaxseed oil pills.

For the past seven years I have been using flaxseed oil and flaxseed oil pills. I consume 2000 mg daily. My doctors have never told me there was a problem with my usage of the supplement. My PSA has varied from 4.9 to 6.9. I would like to know your opinion of this.

DEAR READER:
This is a complex issue. Not many studies have been done to determine the benefits of flaxseed. [Read more...]

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December 6, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I have a recently-acquired doctor in whom I have little admiration or faith, sad to say.

I’m an 83-year-old man with type 2 diabetes and am medicated pretty well. I walk sometimes but usually get little exercise. I am starting to have bad cramps at night and my legs are getting very weak. I fear losing my feet and lower legs.

Frankly, I love having a 3 oz. glass of red wine before lunch and twice that before dinner. I also love my 4 oz. dish of iced cream at about 9 PM. Are these habits which give me pleasure doing me in? Please advise me.

DEAR READER:
As you are aware, type 2 diabetes is non-insulin dependent and is the more common form. The pancreas continues to produce insulin but the body develops resistance to its effects, resulting in a deficiency. [Read more...]

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October 15, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
Is it possible to have Cushing’s syndrome if your lab results are negative? I’ve included my results for your review.

About 30 years ago I became hyperthyroid and lost a tremendous amount of weight. I then became hypothyroid and my menses stopped abruptly, never to reappear. I was told my thyroid condition was responsible for both.

I’ve developed a very large stomach, although my arms and legs are thinner. I’ve been tested several times for uterine cancer with consistent negative results. My face is also puffy and more rounded.

I’ve had periodic back aches that are so severe I can hardly walk. I’ve become diabetic and two years ago was put on insulin. This year my high blood pressure became permanent, even though my stress and anxiety levels are low, and lately I am always tired. It seems some of my symptoms are escalating while [Read more...]

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August 13, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I am a 74-year-old female diabetic and take 1000 mg of metformin twice a day. My morning blood sugars are around 160 and they drop to the 129-140 range at night. A snack of graham crackers and peanut butter doesn’t help. I’ve started 1000 mg of cinnamon daily, but haven’t noticed any change yet.

My feet are now showing some nerve damage. Any help would be appreciated.

DEAR READER:
Metformin is an oral medication prescribed for people with type II (non-insulin dependent) diabetes. The normal dosing for oral medication is 500 mg taken twice daily, while the extended release form is taken once daily in a 500 mg tablet. Therefore, I am rather surprised you are on 2000 mg daily. This appears to be a hefty dose with less than perfect results. Normal blood sugars run in the [Read more...]

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August 5, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
A family member is a type 2 diabetic with high blood pressure. What do you know about oral chelation? Does it work?

DEAR READER:
Oral chelation therapy, simply put, means one substance is ingested to rid the body of another. Its primary function is to attach to and rid the body of toxic metals by expelling them in the urine.

Chelation (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, EDTA) therapy can be given orally or intravenously and is a recognized treatment for mercury, arsenic, lead toxicity and other types of heavy metal poisoning. However, the practice is somewhat deceptive. Its purpose is to allow toxins to be removed from the body through the passing of urine. The process is used by some physicians and alternative medicine practitioners for the treatment of coronary artery disease, [Read more...]

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July 10, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
My doctor told me I have diabetes. My choice was to control it by dieting and my doctor set me up to see a dietician. I followed the diet and later asked my doctor for a prescription for a glucose meter so I could monitor my levels. She refused. I asked her again later, leaving her a message and she never called me back.

Is it standard for a doctor to refuse a prescription for a meter to activate insurance coverage when controlling diabetes by dieting?

DEAR READER:
It is true that glucose meters help people check their blood sugar levels at home or in locations outside a doctor‘s office or laboratory. As a general rule, levels stay within normal limits throughout the day, are lowest in the morning and higher after meals. Diabetics or individuals on special diets controlled through medication in tablet form generally monitor their readings once or twice a week, [Read more...]

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April 29, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
My recent NON-fasting glucose was 102 and my A1C was 6.21. My physician wants to repeat the A1C in three months and if it is still elevated, he will recommend oral diabetic medication. What is your opinion? I am 82.

DEAR READER:
Your blood tests do not unequivocally indicate diabetes. Even if these numbers were based on a fasting glucose and A1C I would not recommend medication. Non-fasting blood tests for diabetes, cholesterol and other disorders, are not reliable enough on which to base diagnosis. First, the tests measure not only what your body is making and storing, but also whatever fats, sugars, and so forth, were in the food you ate in last 6-12 hours. This is why most physicians order blood work when a person has not eaten anything since dinner the night before the testing.

I urge you to request a retest after fasting. This will give a more accurate result. If your numbers are similar, you do not need medication. I believe that your numbers, however, will be even lower in the normal range.

If your numbers are abnormal, don’t take any medication before trying alternative treatments, such as increasing your exercise, losing weight if you are stout and cutting back on sugar and sweets.

Given you age and the normal blood tests, I’d simply follow up with blood sugar testing once or twice a year.

To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Living with Diabetes Mellitus”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.

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April 6, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I am an 81-year-old male in fairly good physical condition. I have had some serious bouts with asthma and pneumonia and now take several nebulizer treatments a day as well as an inhaler. I get along pretty well with my breathing though.

Now to my question. I have type 2 diabetes. A few months ago I read that cinnamon was good for lowering sugar levels. I decided to try it mixed with Splenda on toast several times a day and it seemed to work. I then purchased 500 mg cinnamon capsules and started taking them twice a day, after breakfast and dinner.

Before the cinnamon, I was trying to control my diabetes with diet and exercise but it wasn’t really working. I would often have spikes of 250 or higher (before a meal) for no apparent reason. After the cinnamon, I have not had a reading over 130 before a meal.

Is there anything wrong with this treatment? Are there any side effects? I have also told a friend with severe diabetes about this. It seems to work for him as well.

DEAR READER:
I have received several letters from readers, such as you, who have had a favorable response to cinnamon therapy for diabetes. At the time cinnamon was first mentioned in my column by a reader who was using it for diabetes, he also claimed it lowered his cholesterol levels as well. Cinnamon for cholesterol does not appear to work for the number of readers who wrote to me with their results.

The one side effect I have heard about from my readers is diarrhea. It appears to be dose related. I do not know if this is common in the general public, however. Therefore, I see no reason why you shouldn’t try it (with doctor’s permission, of course).

That being said, there have been a couple of studies on the subject. One of note is found on www.WebMD.com. A researcher with the NWFP Agriculture University in Peshawar, Pakistan says that cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, and turmeric have shown promise in improving insulin’s action in lab studies. He also says that cinnamon can improve glucose and cholesterol metabolism, improve function of small blood vessels and remove artery-damaging free radicals from the blood. Korean ginseng, flaxseed, garlic, and onions have similar effects.

The best results were achieved in individuals who took three to six grams (6-12-500 mg capsules or 1-1 ¾ teaspoons) each day. This is by no means a small amount and favorable results diminish soon after the cinnamon is stopped. For those people who participated, insulin sensitivity improved, triglyceride and LDL “bad” cholesterol levels were reduced and changes to the HDL “good” cholesterol levels were minor.

If you would like to read the WebMD article it can be found at http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20031205/cinnamon-helps-type-2-diabetes.

To give you related information, I am sending you copies of my Health Reports “Living with Diabetes Mellitus” and “Understanding Cholesterol”. Other readers who would like copies should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 (per report) to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.

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