HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: duncan@ravel.ati.com (Jim Duncan)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: EMF worries: are they silly?
Keywords: bogus
Date: 16 Dec 92 21:20:03 GMT
Reply-To: duncan@ravel.ati.com.ati.com (Jim Duncan)
Distribution: usa
Organization: K-FOX 94.5 Classic Rock (KUFX, Gilroy-San Jose, CA)

In article <+2c1H!v?bb@atlantis.psu.edu> jwm3@vivaldi.psu.edu (James Walter Martin) writes:
>
> what ever happened to the electromagnetic field worries?
> i always figured that unless one works on power lines the concern was
> ridiculous because the Earth's own EMF is so much stronger.
> 
I hope these worries will gradually become more rational.  I don't see
how a 60 Hz field can possibly cause intracellular (DNA damage or
carcinogenic effects) changes no matter how strong the field might be.
Any given biological cell is so small compared to one wavelength at 60
Hz, which is several miles, that energy transfer is impossible.

In fact, I never worry about the EMF I deliberately and professionally
create at 94.5 MHz FM for stereo broadcast purposes.  Again the
wavelength is about 10 feet, which is still much larger than dimensions
in the biological cell domain.  For technical reasons, one is actually
concerned about 1/4 wavelength for energy transfer considerations, but
this is still about 30 inches.  

Now, where I really start to worry about EMF is when I go into the sun.
At that point the visible and ultraviolet light wavelengths begin to
approach a cellular scale, and there will be potentially damaging
interactions - like in melanoma, wrinkles, etc..  

Ever since the media came up with this power line thing, I've begun to
wonder whether saccharin is really harmful, or whether the ozone is
really going away because of CFC's, or whether my house is full of
radon gas, or my pipes are full of lead, etc., etc..  The power line
EMF radiation thing is bogus.  Power lines can be hazardous in a number
of ways, but this isn't one of them.    h

-- 
K-FOX|      w  ["]                            | WA6MBV      
94.5 |...   |___|_____..duncan@ravel.ati.com  | Jim Duncan  
KUFX |          H                             | 408.297.5977   
********  \_____I_____/  37 3 10N/121 59 10W  ************** 
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: gdavis@griffin.uvm.edu (Gary Davis)
Subject: Re: Physician's Incomes
Keywords: income
Organization: University of Vermont -- Division of EMBA Computer Facility
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 14:55:58 GMT

In <BzFJG1.335@news.udel.edu> thuyan@ravel.udel.edu (Thuy-An Hartman) writes:

>In article <gdavis.724551414@griffin> gdavis@griffin.uvm.edu (Gary Davis) writes:
>>120K is ofcourse,not entirely unreasonable when one considers the long
>>and exhaustive training American MDS must persue,but is all this training
>>really in the public's interest or can quality be maintained with a
>>lower number of years spent in obtaining qualification.
>>
>>                       Gary E. Davis /WQ1F/
>>              Dpt. Electrical Engineering and Com Sciences
>>              University of Vermont @ Burlington

>Interesting you should think this, when many Medical schools are
>thinking about changing to 5 years of studies and then residency.

>Think about the fact that every year, more info is added to what
>physicians must know but none is taken away.  AIDS, for example, is now
>a course of it's own, while they must still learn about the plague and
>other disease which they may encounter someday.

>No thanks.  I'll keep their training as long as it is.  There is a lot
>to learn and I don't want someone who doesn't quite know what they are
>doing, practicing on me.

 My guess would be that the first four undergraduate years could be 
better used. Perhaps many of the biochemistry and general science     
courses that populate the freshman year of medical school could be
moved to years 3/4 of undergraduate study. Acceptance into medical
school could take place in the sophomore year.

As far as more information,your point is well taken,but studies show
that even the best medical school students have essentially forgotten
90 to 95 percent of what was taught by the time they do an internship!
Surely there must be quick and better ways to train neophyte physicians.

As for cost,the system seems to be saying the public be damned!
If new MDS are persuing their careers for 200k to 300k incomes rather
than the public good;I'd be first in line to reform the system.
That is what I believe needs be done,but know it will not be done
by the Clinton administartion or in any likely time interval in the
next 20 to 30 years. Sigh!



>Thuy-An
--
                       Gary E. Davis /WQ1F/
              Dpt. Electrical Engineering and Com Sciences
              University of Vermont @ Burlington
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Strep Throat
Date: 15 Dec 92 17:03:26 -0600
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <1992Dec14.222759.21149@unlv.edu>, robert@unlv.edu (Robert Cray) writes:
> How can you tell the diference between a bad cold and strep throat?
> I've been told that strep needs to be treated lest it damage the heart,
> however I feel rather foolish showing up at the doctors office with what
> is in all probability a cold.  Does strep really need to be treated, or is
> the heart thing a rare occurance?

Not an MD...

However, every case of strep throat I've had has involved an _extremely_
red, sore throat, with or without white blotches, a fever, and a general
feeling of having been run over by a bus.  No mucus, no cough.

Colds, on the other hand, give me slight fevers, lots of mucus, and
a mild sore throat.

If I remember my pathogenic bacteriology course [1700 years ago ;-)], 
proper diagnosis of strep throat involves isolating the bacteria (beta-
hemolytic streptococcus) from the throat.  Maybe they've got a 
"quick test" now that's faster than the 24 hr cultures we used to 
do in lab.

I do have heart damage from rheumatic fever, from an untreated, unrecognized
strep infection that occurred with a case of the flu... How common
missed strep infections are, and heart damage, I don't know.

Several times I've had students come to me, their biology teacher,
complaining of very sore throats.  I send them _immediately_ to the
doctor if I see a cherry red throat with white spots.  I tell them
to go see the doctor ASAP if they've just got a very sore throat.
So far, all of the kids with red throats and white spots have been
diagnosed with strep, and the others have not, but I also know that
white spots might not appear with strep.

As an aside, I had several major bouts with strep throat over the 
years... when the pneumonia shots* became available (ca. 1980?),
my allergist and internist suggested that I was a good candidate
for the shots.  What they hoped was that the vaccine might give me
some cross-protective antibodies to beta-hemolytic streps.  It
seems to have worked, in that I haven't had a case of strep throat
since then.
   
   *A vaccine against another species of Streptoccus.  I fit
    other criteria to receive the vaccine: we were just hoping
    for some additional benefits!  ;-)

In short, my amateur recommendation is that if it feels awful,
at least call your doctor.

Kay Klier   Biology Dept  UNI
(botanist and sometime peerer at sore throats)
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: liberato@dri.com (Jimmy Liberato)
Subject: Re: Adiposity 101
Reply-To: liberato@drivax.mry.novell.com (Jimmy Liberato)
Organization: Novell/Desktop Systems Group, Monterey Development Center
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 92 20:24:38 GMT

dyer@spdcc.com (Steve Dyer) writes:

>Chuck, you should give him back a little bit of the feistiness you
>display here! :-)  I would never let a doctor of mine get away with that.
>...
>
>No, it isn't available to you through your HMO.  That doesn't mean
>that it isn't available elsewhere.  You'll just have to find a doctor
>outside the system and pay out of pocket, not that that isn't enough
>to discourage anyone.

I would go so far as to say that you will not find any MD who will prescribe
the fenfluramine/phentermine resin combo used in the Weintraub study unless
they are pulling in $100 a week off of you for diet related products and 
services.  It is that very fact that will cause a mainstream MD to not even
consider the therapy.  Being thought of as a diet doctor has pejorative and
sleazy connotations (as you later also imply).  

If any one can correct me on this, send me their MD's address and I'll fly
in!  :-)  In the meantime, I intend to work on educating my GP (lost the first
round) whom I'm not willing to abandon just yet.  Any suggestions on approach?
It is easy to say "just find another doctor" but how do you easily do that?    

(I asked for a copy of the study from Weintraub but he said he only had enough
for medical professionals.  I'm curious, did anyone actually get a copy (of
the full reprint)?  I would be very pleased to borrow the hardcopy to make
a personal copy (and cover mailing expenses).  If so please contact me.)

>In my case, it isn't available to me in Massachusetts, because the
>Board of Registration in Medicine has prohibited M.D.'s from prescribing
>any drug with sympathomimetic properties for the purpose of weight loss.
>(That fenfluramine has few sympathomimetic properties is neither here
>nor there.)...

Right.  The PDR lists it as Schedule IV.  There was some mention of the slight
possibility of abuse but the symptoms at extra-prescriptive dosages are such
that it is obvious it will not become the next recreational drug.  Stuff like
heart palpitations and diarhea.

--
Jimmy Liberato   liberato@drivax.mry.novell.com
                 ...uunet!drivax!liberato
From: bjz@sei.cmu.edu (Barbara Zayas)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Dental work and epinephrine pellets?
Date: 14 Dec 92 18:19:36 GMT
Article-I.D.: sei.1992Dec14.131936.15297
Organization: Software Eng. Inst.;Carnegie-Mellon U.; Pittsburgh, PA 15213   _USA_


My dentist used two epinephrine pellets inside of one of my
molars today (as he was replacing a crown).  It's been ~three
hours since the tablets were used and about 2 hours since
they were removed.  

During the final 45 minutes of the crown work, it was
amazingly difficult for me to sit still and I am still jumpy
(though not as much as before).  I've had other (even more
extensive) dental work done and never had this problem (but
I've also never had the epinephrine pellets either).

When I questioned the cause of the jitters, I asked about
them possibly having been caused by the pellets.  The
dentist's assistant said that the jumpiness would not have
been caused by the pellets since they had (at that time) been
removed an hour before (by my calculations, it was more like
30 minutes...not 1 hour).

Anyway, there's no harm done, I think, but I'm curious as to
whether I just had a weird case of jitters or whether they
might have been related to the pellets.

I wondered if it would interfere with any medications that
I'm taking (Ventolin and Intal)...they said not.  Maybe I was
just extra antsy today...?

Anyway, thanks for any information.

Barbara



--------------------------____________------------------------------
Barbara Zayas		              Software Engineering Institute
bjz@sei.cmu.edu			      Carnegie Mellon University
__________________________------------______________________________
From: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Migraines
Date: 13 Dec 92 12:59:48 GMT
Reply-To: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh Computer Science

In article <1992Dec6.195610.503@news.wesleyan.edu> RGINZBERG@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Ruth Ginzberg) writes:
>
>There have been some interesting articles in the last couple of years
>suggesting that the distinction betweeen "tension" and "migraine" headaches may
>be somewhat arbitrary.  Do you think these are at all credible?
>

Not completely arbitrary, but there is a large degree of overlap.  
Tricyclic antidepressants seem to work very well for tension headache
and also for migraine.

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gordon Banks  N3JXP      | "I have given you an argument; I am not obliged
geb@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu   |  to supply you with an understanding." -S.Johnson
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: siobhan@microsoft.com (Siobhan Harper)
Subject: Re: Peter Breggin, _Toxic Psychiatry_ (Q)
Date: 17 Dec 92 22:44:42 GMT
Organization: Microsoft Corporation

In article <BzD1G3.8D1@unx.sas.com> sasghm@theseus.unx.sas.com (Gary Merrill) writes:
>|> This is a definitional question which could be applied to any set
>|> of symptoms.  I don't care whether you call schizophrenia a disease
>|> or a syndrome; it clearly results in suffering for the patient and
>|> society.  From a more philosophical perspective, diseases are very
>|> culture-dependent; I don't propose a new system of context-independent
>|> disease modelling.
>
>Antibiotics seem to work in an amazingly cross-cultural way.  I wonder
>why.

You raise an interesting point there. As a massage practitioner, I
work with refugees who are suffering from post-traumatic stress dis-
order, and the mapping of a disease of one culture to a disease in
another isn't anywhere near obvious. For example, someone who claims
to be possessed by spirits here is likely to be diagnosed as psychotic,
while in other cultures, spiritual possession is a valid diagnosis,
and is treated in ways that the patient and the society expect to
drive out the spirit. It's often amazingly efficacious to leverage
off expectations that way--as healers in those societies routinely
practice massage, I experience a kind of transference from my clients.
They expect massage to help, more so than Western clients do, and
since I practice what some of their healers do, I get a little of the
"healer" credibility. It works in alleviating pain temporarily, but
I get the same clients back again--their culture doesn't recognize
depression as a disease, and I don't know how effective the depression
medications and talk therapy are in their case, compared to rates
among comparable US populations. It's not an obvious question, though
the goal of the clients I see seems to be "to feel better", which is
consonant with what some earlier posters were referring to as the
goal of psychiatric treatment.

Your point about antibiotics is not as obvious as it appears, though--
can antibiotics be said to "work" if a person doesn't trust Western
medicine and therefore does not go to a doctor, or if the person starts
the medication and gives it up upon feeling better, rather than con-
tinuing it through the course of the medication? Certainly the bio-
chemical aspect of the antibiotic has not changed, yet the treatment
is not working like you would expect, either.

Newsgroups: sci.med
From: bechtler@asdg.enet.dec.com (Laurie Bechtler)
Subject: Re: What causes toenails to die and what is the cure?
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 14:47:47 GMT


In article <2262@hsdndev.UUCP>, rind@binoc.bih.harvard.edu (David Rind) writes...
>In article <1992Dec10.072409.28440@ucc.su.OZ.AU> mikef@dph1.health.su.oz.au
> writes:
>>I guess this is podiatry but can anyone tell me what it is that causes
>>toenails to become darkened, irregularly shaped and pretty close to
>>death. It appears as if there is some growth underneath the nail, perhaps
>>a fungus? 
> 
>As usual, it is not possible to make diagnoses over the net.  This
>description would be typical for onychomycosis, a fungal infection
>of the nail bed.
> 
>>Also, can someone suggest treatments for this condition? 
> 
>The traditional treatment for onychomycosis of the toenails is 
>to do nothing or to treat with a drug called griseofulvin.  
>The problem is that you must treat for 6-12 months, and 
>then a large number of people relapse when the drug is stopped.
> 
>I believe there are a couple of investigational drugs (not yet
>released in the U.S.) that are supposed to be more effective
>than griseofulvin.


I've got toenail fungus myself, and started on Nizoral (ketaconazole)
4 months ago.  Two months ago Sporanox (itraconazole) became available
and my doctor switched  me to that since it's supposed to be more
effective.  Recommended treatment was 6 months for the Nizoral and 100
days for the Sporanox (although you still have to wait longer than the
100 days for the toenails to fully grow out healthy).  The drugs are
expensive ($70/mo for the Nizoral and $150/mo for the Sporanox, although
HMO prescription plans will cover them) and not harmless (my doctor 
does a blood test every month to look for liver problems).

I have noticed changes in the toenails -- the thickness of the worst
ones has decreased dramatically -- but also there's not a definite
new-healthy-nail vs. old-fungus-nail division.  I plan to take the 
Sporanox for the 100 days and then stop and see how the nails grow out.

My sister visited a different doctor in a different state who told her
that toenails can take longer than 6 months to grow out, that the people
who have it are just susceptible to the problem which is why some people
never get it and others have it recur even after treatment, that the
tendency is passed through the mother, and that a better treatment is
to use the drugs in combination with removing the toenail (which was
said to be "not that painful").  These statements differ somewhat from
what my doctor has said, but he's not a specialist.

Based on a posting in this group I did buy some zinc, but I'm not sure
if the type and amount I'm taking are similar to what the poster took.
I tend to remember my vitamins only about 3 days a week.

I'll report back in a few months to let you know how the Sporanox works
out!

Newsgroups: sci.med
From: mrl@nerus.pfc.mit.edu
Subject: RE: Haemorrhoid removal questions
Organization: MIT PLASMA FUSION CENTER
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 16:28:57 GMT

In a previous article, TXK025@maccvm.corp.mot.com (Eddie Chandler) wrote:
>Can somebody/anybody please e-mail me with
>information pertaining to haemorrhoid removal.
>i.e. what types of surgery are available,
>     what are post-operative effects/side-effects,
>     what is recuperative time,
>     can anal sex be resumed after recovery?

I don't know all the answers, but my doctor recommends laser surgery to cut
down the blood flow to that area.  The alternative is to use rubber bands which
cut off the flow of blood, but he says that can result in infections.
I may need it myself someday.

Mark London
MRL@NERUS.PFC.MIT.EDU
From: pburch@roc.mbcr.bcm.tmc.edu (Paula Burch)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Season of the .. Sneeze..
Date: 14 Dec 1992 18:10:06 GMT
Organization: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tx
Distribution: world
Reply-To: pburch@bcm.tmc.edu (Paula Burch)
NNTP-Posting-Host: roc.mbcr.bcm.tmc.edu
Keywords: Teldane(tm), hayfever, who-knows?
Originator: pburch@roc.mbcr.bcm.tmc.edu


In article <rls900.724049009@netspy>, rls900@netspy.anu.edu.au (Richard Siggs) writes:
|> 	Well, Season of the Allergy anyway for us 'down-under' at the moment..
|> 
|> 	I've suffered (much) from hayfever for many years & have for the last
|> few years used tablets whose brandname is "Teldane", which the packet says
|> contain 60mg of Terfenadine.
|> 
|> 	However, I've recently heard from a couple of FOAFs that Teldane has
|> "had some bad reports". Naturally I was curious, yet they knew no more, just
|> saying that they'd heard this from their doctors. All of my investigations and
|> queries have drawn a blank, so.. Does anyone know of any information about
|> possible "problems" or known side-affects with this drug?

Both my mother and a friend of mine have suffered blurred spots in their 
vision as a result of taking Seldane. They both said it was a lot like a 
dirty spot on the glasses. Discontinuing the drug made the vision problem 
go away; taking it again caused blurred spots to appear again. (Since the
effect was not permanent, it's not a reason for you to worry unless you 
see the same problem.)

This seems like a pretty high incidence to me, if both of the individuals 
I know personally who have taken the drug have suffered the effects, but 
of course it's a terribly small sample and could be no more than 
coincidence. My mother's doctor had never heard of this side effect.

Paula Burch
pburch@bcm.tmc.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: mdkline@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Mark D. Kline)
Subject: Re: a question on prozac
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 92 21:32:58 EST

In article <1992Dec10.005609.3972@nmt.edu> msnyder@nmt.edu (Mary Snyder) writes:
>How long do the psychological effects of prozac last after one stops taking it?

Depends on which effects you are talking about.  Most of the adverse
psychological effects (insomnia, anorgasmia) clear in a couple of
days.  Occasionally people taking Prozac for depression feel less
alert, less energetic or motivated, and generally less well (that is,
maybe a bit depressed) after a few days off the medication.  Many
recovered depressives, who have been on the medication for a while,
remain well off the drug without any decrease in their well being over
long periods of time (long term recurrence rates of depressive illness
are most recently estimated at upwards of 50% within five years after
medication is discontinued, however).  Successfully treated bulimic or
obsessive compulsive illness may recurr within days to weeks off
Prozac; patients who have a strong sense of understanding and mastery
of their symptoms, and greater tolerance for anxiety, tend to do well 
longer off medication.    Some people recovering from chronic mild
depression ("Dysthymia") on Prozac become notably more assertive and
self confident after they've been feeling better for a while.  And 
those positive subjective/behavioral changes sometimes don't go away 
after the drug is stopped. 

Drugs have pharmacologic effects; people have psychological reactions
to pharmacologic and other kinds of effects.  This may have something
to do with the resurgence of interest in homeopathy :).

================================================================= 
mark kline                              mdkline@rodan.acs.syr.edu
suny health science center, syracuse    voice: (315) 422-1050
================ courtesy of syracuse university ================
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: caf@omen.UUCP (Chuck Forsberg)
Subject: Re: Adiposity 101
Organization: Omen Technology INC, Portland Rain Forest
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 22:49:57 GMT

In article <1ge4g1INNnmm@SUNNY.SYSTEMSX.CS.YALE.EDU> zador-anthony@cs.yale.edu (Tony Zador) writes:
>
>Why aren't Western Europeans so often morbidly obese?

The incidence of morbid obesity is very much greater in the U.S. than in France.

Energy intake is about the same, and fat consumption is greater in France.

Sugar and carbohydrate consumption is higher in the U.S..

There might be a difference in the rate of bottle vs breast feeding.

From what I can gather, the diet establishment is much more
aggressive here, and the incidence of high count diet cyclers
may be higher.  Every middle aged morbidly obese male I have
talked to has diet cycled many times.

Draw your own conclusions, somebody is bound to argue with them.

-- 
Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX          ...!tektronix!reed!omen!caf 
Author of YMODEM, ZMODEM, Professional-YAM, ZCOMM, and DSZ
  Omen Technology Inc    "The High Reliability Software"
17505-V NW Sauvie IS RD   Portland OR 97231   503-621-3406
Newsgroups: sci.med