HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: S101197@UMRVMA.umr.edu
Subject: Photophobia Please Help!!!
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 04:19:22 GMT
Organization: Univ of MO - Rolla

Dear readers,
     My name is Scott Barber, and I'm requesting help for photophobia.  My curr
ent vision is not impaired (I have a slight astigmatism and hyperopia (again sl
ight)).  I've consulted several optometrists and have been sent to a specialist
 at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis.  Currently, I am wearing prescription glasses
 that are highly tinted, are mirrored, and polarized (three layer lenses).  The
 specialist told me that generally nothing could be done about this problem, bu
t because the condition is getting worse, I'm not very happy with that prognosi
s.  I'm looking for someone who is a specialist in this field and does consider
photophobia treatable beyond just prescribing darker lenses (I'm already well i
nto the limits of that media).
     If anyone is interested in this, or knows someone who might help me find m
ore information or help with this problem, please send me e-mail at S101197@umr
vma.umr.edu...you may post answers to this forum, but please take the time to s
end a copy directly to me also.  I will take the time to answer all who respond
 to this and answer any questions you have.  Thank you for your time.

Scott Barber
S101197@umrvma.umr.edu

Newsgroups: sci.med
From: deeb@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Stephen Humble)
Subject: Dexedrine (was Re: Ritalin Side Effects (years later))
Organization: College of Engineering, Northeastern University
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 17:41:51 GMT

[My apologies if this shows up twice.  The first one seems to have
disappeared into the Void. - sth]

On a related note:

What long-term effects, if any, can be expected after 4 years of daily
Dexedrine use?  (10 mg, 3 times/day, age 6-10 years, weight 20 to 30
kg)

@begin crazy idea

I've noticed that I like the onset (and occasionally the decay, if the
elimination half-life is short enough - e.g. N2O) of drugs even though
I generally don't like being "drugged".  For example, I like getting
drunk but not being drunk.

Could this be an attempt to recreate the "signal" caused in my
childhood by taking Dexedrine?

@end crazy idea

I assume that such a "signal" exists even though I don't remember it
since I think I'd be able to feel the onset and decay if I took 40 mg
of Dexedrine 3 times/day now.  (Is it reasonable to scale Dexedrine
dosage in proportion to body weight?)

Is this utter bullshit?  If so, why?

I don't think this is entirely the usual seeking-a-rush behavior since
I have the impression that that applies mostly to onset of effects
over a short (<< 1 hour) interval while I've noticed this for drug
effects that have onset times > 24 hours (e.g. Prozac).  Essentially,
I like the voyage, but I want to leave as soon as I arrive and I want
to know why.

I've asked my psychopharmacologist and he says he has no good evidence
either way.

Can anyone suggest references beyond the PDR and Goodman&Gilman?

TIA

Stephen


Newsgroups: sci.med
From: green@island.COM (Robert Greenstein)
Subject: Re: Questions about Reynaud's Syndrome
Organization: Strawman Incorporated
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 20:13:56 GMT

In article <1993Jan7.131628.17345@news.acns.nwu.edu> dougb@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Douglas Bank) writes:
>
>As I see it, the problem isn't necessarily that the herbs are dangerous,
>it is that people *think* they are effective when they are not, causing
>them to disdain standard, effective, modern medicine.

How about disdaining standard INeffective, modern medicine?
 
>Of course, modern treatments have their problems too, but you can't
>just go shopping around looking for alternatives without first trying
>standard treatments.  I think that many people interested in 
>"alternative" medicine do *not* do this, and they run the risk of 
>delaying proper treatment and endangering lives.

Sez who? Everytime I post something to this newsgroup, I get deluged
with demands for "proof". So where are you references showing that 
lives are endangered by people who seek alternative medicine? THe
fact that a lot of people believe this to be so doesn't count.
-- 
******************************************************************************
Robert Greenstein           What the fool cannot learn he laughs at, thinking
green@srilanka.island.com   that by his laughter he shows superiority instead
                            of latent idiocy - M. Corelli
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: ruegg@med.unc.edu (Robert G. Ruegg)
Subject: Re: Dysautonomia questions
Keywords: panic disorder
Organization: UNC-CH School of Medicine
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 04:32:23 GMT

I think that probably the most common condition that could be referred to
as a dysautonomia is "Panic Disorder." Some think that this is a condition
of hypersensitivity of one of the alarm functions of the autonomic nervous
system. For instance, the suffocation alarm. The autonomic system starts
operating as it usually would when 
the organism were threatened with suffocation. 
ie., pull
out all the stops and do whatever it takes to survive. The "dysfunction" is
that it goes off when the person or animal is not really in mortal danger.
Apprehension, agitation, tachycardia, hyperventilation, sweating,
tremulousness (autonomic symptoms) then occur out of useful context. The
subject feels the way they would, and their autonomic nervous system is
behaving as it would, if he or she were about to die.  IV Infusions of lactate
(produced during anaerobic metabolism, ie., metabolism used when you are
suffocating) trigger attacks in persons with this disorder. Inhaling
carbon dioxide and excercizing can trigger it, too.  It is often familial.

The disorder can be treated with medication, and with education. Some
exceptionally stoic persons are able to tell themselves that, even
though it feels like I am about to die, it is only my harmless
hypersensitive autonomic nervous system going off again, I'm not going to
die, and all this commotion will go away in a few minutes. However, the
panic response often paralyzes thought to the extent that only panic type
behavior can emerge. Some are helped by pulling out a card they have
prepared, saying the above, and reading it to themselves until the panic
passes. They say that with practice, resisting the attacks gets easier.
Probably like bungee jumping.

Well, hope you find this helpful.

Bob (ruegg@med.unc.edu)
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: green@island.COM (Robert Greenstein)
Subject: Re: Hypothyroidism
Organization: Strawman Incorporated
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 17:05:51 GMT

In article <1993Jan6.170821.25083@ncar.ucar.edu> donnam@niwot.scd.ucar.edu (Donna Melle) writes:
>I work with a woman who has recently been diagnosed with hypothyroidism.
>Prior to beginning a synthyroid prescription from her medical doctor, she
>decided to check out her medication options with a chinese herbologist.
>He claims to be able to permanently "cure" the hypothyroidism without the
>use of synthyroid.  The entire process will take several months.  He has
>prescribed Hsiao Yao Wan (Bupleurum sedative pills), 8 pills, 3 times a day.
>The ingredients listed on the bottle are:
>		Radix Bupleuri
>		Radix Angelicae Sinensis
>		Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae
>		Radix Paeoniae Lactiflorae
>		Poria
>		Radix Glycyrrhizae
>		Rhizoma Zingiberis
>		Herba Menthae
>
>Does anyone know what these ingredients are and how they could be used to
>effectively treat hypothyroidism?  Can acupuncture stimulate and regulate
>a low-acting thyroid?  Does synthyroid have any side effects?

Xiao Yao Wan is not specifically a medicine for hypothyroidism. It is
an old and very effective formula for treating certain syndromes which
according to traditional Chinese medical theory, may or may not include
hypothyroidism. It would depend upon the set of signs and symptoms of
the individual patient. However, given the traditional uses for this
formula, I would be surprised if it successfully treated hypothyroidism
if no other herbal medicine was also given. 

Acupuncture can definitely be used to stimulate a low-acting thyroid,
as well as to treat hyperthyroidism, Hashimoto's, etc.
-- 
******************************************************************************
Robert Greenstein           What the fool cannot learn he laughs at, thinking
green@srilanka.island.com   that by his laughter he shows superiority instead
                            of latent idiocy - M. Corelli
Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.skeptic,alt.psychology.personality
From: rdnelson@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Roger D. Nelson)
Subject: Planck's other constant
Originator: news@nimaster
Organization: Princeton University
Distribution: World 
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 06:06:29 GMT

In article <1il3itINNml3@im4u.cs.utexas.edu> turpin@cs.utexas.edu (Russell Turpin) writes:
>-*----
Good discussion and expansion of his and Jon Noring's views on the
scientific method and various levels of the "paradigms" within which
research is done and interpreted.
>
>In article <1993Jan8.194315.20491@netcom.com> noring@netcom.com (Jon Noring) writes:

>> There's a quote by a famous physicist - the name and the exact 
>> quote I can't remember, but paraphrased it goes like this:  "When
>> does a new theory in physics get established?  When all the older
>> physicists die off!" ...
>
I like to think of this as "Planck's other constant", because it is
attributed to Max Planck, who formulated the quantum theory, and whose
fundamental unit of quantization, Planck's constant, "h" plays various 
roles in physical description, e.g., relating energy and frequency, and 
as the quantum of action, defining the ultimate granularity of physical 
observations.  He had respect in his day, but enough struggle to justify 
his ironic observation. 

Roger

Newsgroups: sci.med
From: crittew@agora.rain.com (Walt Crittenden)
Subject: Re: prescription painkillers
Organization: Open Communications Forum
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 09:11:18 GMT

<EWN1@psuvm.psu.edu> writes:

>given Tylenol 3 for pain afterwards; my doctor has said he's going to
>give me something "stronger" this time.  (I'm not sure how much the
>Tylenol 3 really helped -- I remember having the dilemma as to whether
>the "pain killing" effects of the drug were worth the itchiness I got
>when I took it.)  Can anyone tell me what the different classes of
>prescription pain killers are (particularly what is classified as
>"stronger" than Tylenol 3)?  I think I remember reading on here that
>pain killers really don't provide any more of a benefit than placebos --
>does anyone have any comments on that?  Is it just the sedative side-effect
>that people find helpful in pain killers (assuming that if you're asleep,
>or sufficiently drowsy enough, you won't care about the pain so much)?

Tylenol #3 contains Tylenol as well as codeine, a narcotic analgesic.
Narcotics can cause itching as a side effect - probably what you felt, and
it is not uncommon.

As for pain killers as placebos, that is not the only way pain is relieved.
Narcotics, that is, derivatives of opium ("opiates") act in the brain to
change your attitude to pain.  That is, they do not make the pain go away, 
but you don't care about it.  This is an over-simplification, of course,
but you get the idea.  

Pain relief is a very individual thing.  You may get no relief from Tylenol
#3, but get good relief from something else.  Other "pain killers" are
Vicodin, Percocet, Percodan, Darvocet, Anaprox, Toradol, and many others.

Hope this helps,

Walt Crittenden, R.Ph.
Staff Pharmacist
Good Samaritan Hospital & Medical Center
Portland, Oregon

Xref: sparky sci.med:23807 sci.skeptic:22331 alt.psychology.personality:440
From: kring@efes.physik.uni-kl.de (Thomas Kettenring)
Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.skeptic,alt.psychology.personality
Subject: Re: It's Good In Theory, But... (Re: Characterization of quack theories)
Date: 12 Jan 93 00:35:13 GMT
Organization: FB Physik, Universitaet Kaiserslautern, Germany

In article <1993Jan8.194315.20491@netcom.com>, noring@netcom.com (Jon Noring) writes:
>As a scientist myself,
>having worked at three of the top Government labs in this country (SNLL,
>LBL, and LLNL), I can say that the egalitarian view that scientists, as a
>group, *use* the scientific method in their approach to new ideas (or new
>"paradigms"), is not what I observe in real life.  There are notable
                  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>exceptions, but by and large scientists are just as driven by emotions and
>personal gain, rather than reason, as the general population.

Of course your observations are objective and not coloured by your opinions.

>To cite one example among many, all one has to do is to go over to sci.physics
>and see how some of the physicists have labeled Dr. Jack Sarfatti (who knew
>Feynman quite well) as a "quack" because of his approach to quantum mechanics,
>yet it is clear that he knows what he is talking about and presents his
>speculations in a way that can be critiqued using the scientific method (he
>gives his basic postulates, and then uses understandable mathematical 
>development to develop his theory).

As I understand it, he is trying to lay theoretical foundations for
precognition, which is not - as far as I know - experimentally shown to exist
but mainly practiced by quacks.  (It's fine that somebody does that, and I'm
not saying he should stop.  I'm only adding more context you left out.)

[..]
>In a private e-mail communication with a physicist e-mail friend who knows his
>quantum mechanics and does not totally agree with Sarfatti, he stated that
>some of these other physicists are just jealous, closed-minded, and react the
>way they do because they are afraid that [..]

Of course that friend of yours is as objective as you are, and he's just
stating facts.  It's a good thing the orthodox scientists are closed-minded,
isn't it?  And it's a good thing you know they are.  You would be hard pressed
with all that opposition if you hadn't such a fine excuse for it.

>Of course, this applies in the medical field as well, and I wouldn't even
>be surprised if it's even more so (based on my personal experience with
>medical doctors who also perform research).

*Of course.*  Perhaps I should also use this excuse to ignore my critics.
It's so convenient...

--
thomas kettenring, 3 dan, kaiserslautern, germany
"Pink"
(Peter Ustinov's answer to "Skin Color" on his US immigration form)
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: lewis@aera8700.mitre.org (Keith Lewis)
Subject: Re: Nicotine Withdrawal Help Needed
Organization: The MITRE Corporation
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 19:57:40 GMT

In article <32793@scicom.AlphaCDC.COM>, wats@scicom.AlphaCDC.COM (Bruce Watson) writes:
>Drink plenty of fruit juices, get a lot of exercise. If you can get by for
>five days, you've got it made. Good luck, you can do it.
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I don't believe this is the case.  I've heard (sorry I have no references)
that the strongest nicotine resonance comes 2-4 weeks after use is
discontinued.  My own observation somewhat supports this; I've had a couple
of friends try to quit and fail after a day and a couple fail after about a
month.  (A few succeeded as well.)

Keith Lewis             klewis@mitre.org          "Mr. Cheap"
I don't dance to music; music dances to me.  Email me for my PGP key.
The above may not (yet) represent the opinions of my employer.
From: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Adiposity 101
Date: 6 Jan 93 14:36:07 GMT
Reply-To: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh Computer Science

In article <1992Dec30.192244.17533@spdcc.com> dyer@spdcc.com (Steve Dyer) writes:
>me to fail to to get a "handle" on my weight regain until it's too late.  Will
>power (such as it is), or the determination to do something, is a very funny
>phenomenon, at least for me.  I either have it or I don't.  When I don't,
>I find myself completely powerless, and when I do, the whole process is easy.
>And I can't understand what it's like to be on the other side at any point
>in time.  These days (since April), I've having a great, easy time losing

This is such a perfect description of my experience.  When you are
successfully dieting, you wonder why you ever let yourself gain so
much.  When you are gaining, and keep trying to get back on the diet,
you wonder what magic you had before that made it so easy.  If someone
could find out how to turn that on, they would have the solution to the
weight problem, at least for us.  In my case, it almost seems to be
necessary that I gain enough to look bad before something snaps in
my brain and gets the diet going again.  If only a gain of 5 or 10
pounds could do that, but as long as I look and feel OK, I just can't
get motivated.  This seems to result in occillations of 50 lbs in
my case, occuring with a period of about 2 yrs.  Fortunately, I
have never let myself get back to being really obese again.  The diet
mode seems to always kick in successfully if I get to a size 40 trousers.
Every time I get down to size 34, I take my old clothes to Goodwill
and swear I'll never let it happen again.  



-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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: jgnassi@athena.mit.edu (John Angelo Gnassi)
Subject: Re: Hypothyroidism
Organization: Massachusetts General Hospital - Lab of Computer Science
Distribution: usa
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 14:05:22 GMT

In article <1993Jan8.170551.1747@island.COM> green@island.COM (Robert Greenstein) writes:
>Acupuncture can definitely be used to stimulate a low-acting thyroid,
>as well as to treat hyperthyroidism, Hashimoto's, etc.

Any snake oil can be used to "stimulate" or "treat" any condition.
Doesn't mean it will do it well, though.  Got any evidence of
efficacy?

--
     John Angelo Gnassi                 Lab of Computer Science
   jgnassi@hstbme.mit.edu               Massachusetts General Hospital
     "Eternal Student"                  Boston, Massachusetts, USA
     "The Earth be spanned, connected by a Network" - Walt Whitman
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: dl10696@ehsn4.cen.uiuc.edu (Dat Trieu Le)
Subject: Re: Cellular telephones and brain tumors
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 13:02:44 GMT

kja@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (krista.j.anderson) writes:
>They assured me that walkmans and boomboxes do *not* emit RF; they
>just emit sound waves.  Portable cellular phones are .6 watts and
>the bag phones can be 3 watts or less.  For best reception, the 3
>watts are preferable.  (I'm in the process of getting my parents

the higher the power output, the longer the distance the signal
will travel, (in general). Reception is not a function of power,
but a function of the antenna length, direction, and type, etc...
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: eb3@world.std.com (Edwin Barkdoll)
Subject: Re: Sea water consumption
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 22:18:37 GMT

In article <19930111092950CSMSCST@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU> CSMSCST@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU (Chris Thomas) writes:
[...]
>As I recall, a number of bird species
>which make long overwater migrations can also drink seawater.
>Seagulls may also have this ability.

	In such cases birds use a very different mechanism to
maintain electrolyte balance.  Highly concentrated salt solutions are
actively secreted via paired nasal or salt glands.  This is quite
different from the concentrating mechanism of the mammalian (or avian,
for that matter) kidney.

>  -- 73 de Chris Thomas, AA6SQ (ex-WA6HTJ) (CSMSCST@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU)



-- 
Edwin Barkdoll
eb3@world.std.com
From: sroka@evax.gdc.com
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: drinking urine
Date: 5 Jan 93 15:54:44 GMT
Organization: General DataComm, Middlebury CT

Fiberman writes:
> I am a skinny guy trying to gain some weight.  A friend
> suggested that I drink a cup of my own urine every morning, the
> idea that most of the nutrients not absorbed by my intestine is
> in the urine.  Before I try this, I want to know if there are
> any health hazards, especially long term ones, from drinking
> urine.  I would appreciate any information.

All I can say is that you must be desperate to consider such actions. While I
do have a slight weight problem, it is not the as yours. Actually my problem is
that I have too much. I beleive that this started from my teens where my diet
consisted mostly fast food (you know the 'golden arches syndrome'). The
'shakes' in these places are about 1,200 or 2,000 calories each (I don't
remember right now which one). When I existed on a steady diet of this I
couldn't do anything BUT put on weight.

As far as the suggestion from your friend, I don't know if running through the
nutrients again will result in weight gain. Wouldn't you need more calories in
your diet?

Back to you question on the health issues. I remember a while back that a
program, like 60 Minutes, had an interveiw with a leading political or
religous person from India (or a country in that region). This person explained
to the interviewer that HE did exactly what you described. He said that after a
while it came out again clear and there was no taste. I don't know who this was
or what ever happened.

Another incident regarding the same. A family was trapped, possibly at sea or
a mountain-side cabin. Anyway, they were trapped for a while with little or no
provisions. The wife and daughter died but the husband/father survived because
he was able to remain hydrated because he drank his own urine. Sure drastic
times ...

Would I approve of you friends recommendation? No. Think of it this way. Your
body produces wastes. Your body has to get rid of these wastes somehow. Why
take these wastes and introduce these into your body again with the possibility
of absorbing some nutrients? Would these nutrients really produce a weight
gain?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The views and opinions expressed here are mine and don't necessarily reflect 
those of anyone else.

These views are my opinions on this matter. They are NOT to be used solely 
for the purpose of drawing any conclusions. As always, check with a health
professional.
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: kendall@sceng.ub.com (Greg Kendall)
Subject: Re: resisting electromagnetic radiation
Organization: Ungermann Bass
Distribution: sci.med, sci.med.physics, sci.engr.biomed, misc.health.alternative
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 16:48:58 GMT

In article <DENISE.93Jan7124423@isl.stanford.edu> denise@isl.stanford.edu (Denise M. Cuevas) writes:

>Call me an ignorant, radical fool, but the fact remains that I want to
>decrease my exposure to electromagnetic radiation. I've heard the
>pro and con arguments on whether this is a true hazard, and I've
>decided to be on the safe side. Unfortunately, I'm surrounded by it,
>most noticeably from powerlines near my house and computer terminals
>and copiers in my office.

I won't call you names.  If you want to reduce your exposure to EMR, it is
simple to do.  Live without electricity, and away from transmission lines.
That will pretty much do it for you.

>I've heard of people using some device which sprays negative ions in
>the air, I believe, in order to reduce the hazard. This doesn't make a
>lot of sense to me and leads to the question - is a spray of negative
>ions dangerous? 

>Has any research been done on blocking electromagnetic radiation? I
>assume that planting trees between my house and the power lines
>would be ineffective. How about buttressing the walls of my house with
>some sort of repulsing material?

>I would like to get pregnant soon, so I'm wrestling with whether I
>should quit my job (to reduce my exposure to the copiers and
>computers) and lose my medical coverage.

If you are really serious about EMR, I would suggest starting with learning
the basic physics that cover the subject, which you clearly do not 
understand.
Newsgroups: sci.med,alt.drugs