Understanding BHRT Pellet Implants Title

Data supports that hormone replacement therapy with pellet implants is the most effective and the most bioidentical method to deliver hormones in both men and women. Implants, placed under the skin, consistently release small, physiologic doses of hormonesUnderstanding BHRT Pellet Implants PDF providing optimal therapy. 

Read this article to find out more information about BHRT Pellet Implants:

Understanding BHRT Pellet Implants PDF

Save Natural Thyroid

Like most of our patients, the biggest question we have is “Where in the world is all the thyroid?”  Generally speaking, Doctor is not enthusiastic about putting patients on synthetic anything.  Common sense…well…common sense coupled with a bit of science knowledge makes the use of natural thyroid the most attractive option.  Synthetic thyroid medication only mimics the actual structure of the thyroid hormones and therefore cannot fit into their intended receptors perfectly.  This not-so-snug fit leads to unwanted side effects.  Unlike its synthetic counterparts, “natural” thyroid medications (like Armour Thyroid, desiccated thyroid, Nature-Throid and Westhroid) are closest to the actual hormone(s) your body makes and therefore results in fewer side effects.

The Shortage:
Here is what we know –the two companies that produce natural thyroid medication Forest (Armour) and RLC Labs (Westhroid and Nature-Throid) are all in severe back order.  Some of the rumors flying around include the discontinuation of Armour and the intervening of the FDA with another new drug application, which…unfortunately… will take these drugs off the market for a while.  For the most part Forest has kept a tight lid on any news about Armour, blaming their shortage on ‘a process change’…what that really means…I have no idea.  RLC Labs have given the public a bit more insight into the production problems.  Their main hindrance is a shortage of quality Thyroid USP, natural desiccated thyroid powder (usually of the porcine flavor), used to produce the pills.  There are numerous unnamed suppliers that have provided RLC with the required raw materials.  However, the availability of the shipments is inconsistent and the quality of the thyroid is not up to par with their standards.  RLC has projected the shipment of 1 grain Nature-Throid by the end of this week, though the statement does seem a little familiar…like something our office manager heard in October and November…we can only keep our fingers crossed.

So where does that leave us?  Realistically most ‘experts’ are advising people not to expect natural thyroid until February 2010.  If you want the most up to date information on the thyroid crisis or even want to join the coalition to keep natural thyroid medication available to patients go to this website. You can even join theSave Natural Thyroid group on Facebook and Yahoo Groups.  We, The Office Staff, are doing are best to get our supply of Nature-Throid in as quickly a possible.  Stay tuned for more updates on the thyroid backorder.  And, if you feel like you are the only patient suffering from the lack of natural thyroid, just check out the Facebook group Save Natural Thyroid (seriously, they have over 5,000 members who can commiserate with you).

Vitamin D

Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol)  If our office were to have a mascot it would be vitamin D3.  This wonder vitamin has a special place in the hearts of all of us Office Staff.  For one thing, we FREQUENTLY hear about vitamin D from Dr. Takemoto-Gentile, as well as from our great patients.  Dr. Takemoto-Gentile recently did a talk on vitamin D; we recently put together an informational flyer on it; and so December has unofficially become vitamin D month and we decided to write a blog.

D2 or D3 what’s the big difference?

Not all vitamins are created equal and when we talk about vitamin D, we really meanvitamin D3. (Cholecalciferol is the fancy, super long, technical word for vitamin D3.)  There are different forms of vitamin D.  For example, if you take vitamin D2 you are taking the inactive form of the vitamin and your body must convert it into vitamin D3 before absorbtion.  Thus, vitamin D3 is the active, and superior form of the vitamin.

Vitamin D – The Facts

Vitamin D3 is really more like a hormone than a vitamin. D3 is produced in large amounts by the skin when exposed to PROPER* sunshine.  Vitamin D3 levels are checked through a simple blood test called 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D that can be ordered by any physician and is usually covered by most insurance companies.  Vitamin D levels between 50-100 ng/ml are desirable, and the closer to 100 ng/ml the better. See more in this article about Vitamin D.

In Hawaii, most people will ask “don’t I already get enough sun exposure to have good levels of vitamin D?”  The answer to this question 95% of the time is NO – and again we are located in Hawaii.

Question: Don’t I get enough vitamin D from the sun?

Answer: Maybe, if you are light-skinned, live in the tropics where there is little to no cloud cover, smog or other air pollution and at the warmest time of day you are in a bikini or Speedo and sun tanning without any sunblock on for about an hour and you don’t care about skin cancer.

Some Facts:

• Sunblock/sunscreen prevents vitamin D3 synthesis

• Older skin produces less vitamin D3

• Darker skin produces less vitamin D3

• 95% of seniors are deficient in vitamin D3 (even if you live in Hawaii)

• Autistic children are found to be low in vitamin D3

So, unless you are following this sun tanning protocol, we recommend obtaining vitamin D3 through supplements.  Vitamin D3 is pretty cheap and can be taken by kids and adults.  The governments’ “recommended daily allowance” (RDA) of vitamin D is 200-400 IU/day.  Based on the blood tests of thousands of our patients this amount will get most people to a vitamin D level of about 20 ng/ml.  The RDA IS NOT ENOUGH.  If you don’t believe us, go get your vitamin D levels checked at your next blood test.  The Office usually recommends 1,000-2,000 IU/day for kids and 5,000-10,000 IU/day for adults and seniors.

I could go on and on about vitamin D3, however this blog is getting to be quite lengthy.  The Office Staff may do another blog on vitamin D3 but until we do here is a synopsis of the benefits of vitamin D.

Benefits of Vitamin D3

• Prevents and reverses osteoporosis (easily proven by the DEXA Bone scan)

• Boosts the immune system

• Antiviral that fights common colds, influenza A, H1N1 (see flu blog)

• Prevents 16-25 different cancers

• Patients are 5x more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer with vitamin D levels that are less than 20ng/ml.

• Prevents heart disease and provides increased survival rates from a heart attack

• Prevents blindness resulting from macular degeneration

• Prevents dementia

• Prevents Rickets

• Prevents Multiple Sclerosis

• Improves glucose intolerance in diabetics

• Increases in vitamin D = a decrease in blood sugar

• Prevents strokes in diabetics by 50%

• Improves chronic pain, especially if vitamin D levels are low

• Prevents Parkinson’s Disease

We, the Office Staff, are very passionate about Vitamin D3 and hope that our notes help to answer some of your questions and provide valuable information on our favorite vitamin.  Until next time.

Water!

Water for life.  Living on a tropical island is nothing short of wonderful. Nice warm climate all year round, great beaches, great hikes and a ton of outdoor activities.  We get lots of sun, and with that comes a lot of sweat and water loss.  Now, I know this may seem like a silly topic however, you’d be surprised how many dehydrated people come through a doctor’s office.  So, here is Office Staff’s guide on Water.

Why drink water?

Water molecule - H2O

About 60% of your body weight is water.

H2O is your body’s principal chemical component and EVERY system depends on water.  For example, water flushes out toxins, carries nutrients to your cells and is imperative for keeping tissues moistened.

• Water helps to prevent constipation.

• Lubricates joints.

• Regulates body temperature.

• Water dissolves minerals and vitamins so your body can absorb them! (Vit. D3 dissolves in water.)

• Water carries oxygen to cells.

Sometimes I like to play the game of “what if my body didn’t have enough of…” We’ll do this for water.

What if my body doesn’t have enough water?

Symptoms of not enough water…

• Increased sleepiness and tiredness along with a general loss of energy.

• Headache.

• Dizziness and lightheadedness.

• Muscle weakness and fatigue.

• Dry, sticky mouth.

• Decreased urine output.

• Thirst.

Symptoms of severe dehydration (considered a medical emergency)

• Little or no urination.

• Sunken eyes.

• Low blood pressure.

• Rapid heartbeat.

• Fever.

• Shriveled and dry skin that lacks elasticity. (To test this pinch the skin into a fold and it will not “bounce back” when lacking water).

• Lack of sweat.

• Delirium or Unconsciousness! (This is more commonly seen in the elderly population due to the body’s decreased ability to sense dehydration and send your brain signals of thirst.)

Dehydration is serious, call your healthcare provider right away if you are experiencing the more serious symptoms listed above or go to the nearest emergency room.

Now for the million dollar question:    

How much water do I need to drink?

Unfortunately the research on this really varies.  I am not too surprised on the general lack of consistent research because proper hydration depends on so many factors like: activity level, geographic location (tropical island vs. artic tundra), amount of water loss through sweat, urine and bowel movements, age, overall health, etc., therefore I will give some general guidelines and a couple common formulas that work well.

Generally speaking, it is not a good idea to use thirst alone as a guide for when to drink.  By the time you are thirsty you may already be mildly dehydrated.

• Just to replace fluids lost in a day you will need to consume a little more than 8 cups of water a day (about 2 liters) along with your normal diet.

• 8 x 8 rule states that you drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (meaning 8 cups of water a day).

8 cups of water a day is generally the magic number.
When you will need more than 8 cups a day.

• If you exercise (or do any activity that causes you to sweat) you will need to increase your 8 cups of water a day by about 1.5 to 2.5 cups. Totaling 9.5-10.5 cups a day. (If your exercise is marathon running then add even more fluids.)

• Increase your water intake if your environment is hot or humid (like a tropical island), heated indoor air during the wintertime for cold climates, and altitudes greater than 8,200 feet for those of you who live in the mountains.

• Certain illnesses like a fever, vomiting, diarrhea and urinary tract infections will require more water intake.

• Pregnant or breast-feeding women need to consume more water.

Does coffee, wine, beer, soda, tea, juice etc. count?

No.

Although you will get SOME water from these beverages the caffeine, alcohol and chemicals found in them will require your body to do extra work to flush them out.  Certain foods will also provide some water for your body, like watermelons and tomatoes.

The BEST way to hydrate your body is with plain old H2O!