HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: M20614@mwvm.mitre.org, (Hugh Pritchard)
Subject: Re: Self Castration (was Re: "Problem Patient")
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, McLean VA 22102
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 12:05:28 GMT

In article <1992Oct5.173830.7948@newstand.syr.edu>
mdkline@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Mark D. Kline) writes:
 
>I saw a patient in upstate New York who had "surgically" amputated
>his own testicles.  There are probably other patients around who
>have done the same thing.  As I recall, there is even a reference
>in the Bible to some saint or other who cut off his own testicles...
 
Boston Corbett, the Union cavalryman who shot John Wilkes Booth
(President Lincoln's assassin) is said to have done exactly this, some
years before the Civil War.  His reasoning was similar to that of Gordon's
patient:  Corbett seems to have thought his sex drive was interfering with
his work ("the Lord's work," in Corbett's case).
 
I do understand that this self-mutilation is a different problem from
Munchausen's, which appears from informed opinion here to be merely an
incredibly selfish, attention-seeking form of behavior.
 
**  Hugh Pritchard,  hapritch@mitre.org,  703/883-6616
From: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Excess Of Vitamin C?
Date: 4 Oct 92 14:56:49 GMT
Reply-To: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh Computer Science

In article <1992Sep30.183432.26500@netcom.com> kudzu@netcom.com (Michael Sierchio) writes:
>In article <16642@pitt.UUCP> geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks) writes:
>
>>....  I suppose Pauling just keeps escalating
>>the dose and says they having been giving enough to disprove his
>>theories.  18 grams is so absurd, it is ridiculous.  There is no
>>way we could have evolved to require such high doses....
>
>Well, Gordon, goats produce about 14g/day, canines produce almost that
>much.  Gorillas ingest at least several grams daily.  So much for your
>evolutionary argument....
>

Yes, and everyone knows that goats, dogs, and gorillas *never* get
any diseases!

>And then, there is considerable debate over optimal vs. RDA dose, which
>your response ignores. You and Kessler should do lunch.

Why should my response address anything other than the question,
which was about how much Pauling recommended?  













-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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: drand@spinner.osf.org (Douglas S. Rand)
Subject: Re: Sinus Headaches
Organization: Open Software Foundation
	<1992Oct01.145646.14967@eng.umd.edu>
Date: 1 Oct 92 15:57:46

In article <1992Oct01.145646.14967@eng.umd.edu> georgec@eng.umd.edu (George B. Clark) writes:

   In article <DLB.92Oct1101449@fanny.wash.inmet.com> dlb@fanny.wash.inmet.com (David Barton) writes:
   >
   >                                   My migraines were mis-diagnosed as
   >sinus headaches for two years (by myself, not a doctor) until I
   >finally wised up and asked someone who would know.
   >
   >Pain in the sinus region which is cyclic is not necessarily sinus
   >headache.  If you are under a doctor's care, ask him about the
   >appropriate medication.

   How did your doctor determine your headaches were migraine and not sinus?

   I get headaches, around my eyes. The pain alternates from one eye to the
   other, but usually not both eyes at the same time. I suspect it's
   related to the sinuses that are behind the eyes. Sometimes it is
   accompanied with nausea. I lived with it all my life.

   Can change in barometric pressure cause a sinus headache? I seem to
   get headaches when it rains.

Just to add my 2 cents.  I used to believe I had sinus headaches as
well.  It wasn't until I understood the symptoms of migraine
that I realized that many of my mild "sinus" headaches were actually
migraines,  as were the really bad once or twice yearly headaches
I endure.  

My experience is that a migraine is usually one sided,  often is
accompanied by nausea and usually will not respond to normal
pain relievers.  I often get stuffy sinuses with them as well,
which I suspect is related to the vascular headache.  I also
have allergies,  which seem to have some seasonal effect on the
migraines.

While I am not totally free of migraines these days,  being aware
of triggers and medication has reduced the frequency and severity
of the ones I do get.  If you are getting migraines,  then I suggest
reading Oliver Sack's book "Migraine".  I found it very interesting
and informative.

Best of luck.  I suggest getting a referral to a neurologist.
--

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Douglas S. Rand <drand@osf.org>		OSF/Motif Dev.
Snail:         11 Cambridge Center,  Cambridge,  MA  02142
Disclaimer:    I don't know if OSF agrees with me... let's vote on it.
Amateur Radio: KC1KJ
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: stone@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Glenn Stone)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: women in science
Date: 1 Oct 92 13:42:46 GMT
Reply-To: stone@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Glenn Stone)
Organization: Columbia University

In article <1992Sep30.220119.2843@cbfsb.cb.att.com> kja@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (krista.j.anderson) writes:
>> >>                % white    % female
>> >
>> >>psychology         95.4        36.0
>> >>medical            88.9        29.1
>> >>biology            89.8        23.4
>> >>social science     90.7        21.2
>> >>computer sci       86.0        11.6
>> >>chemistry          86.6        10.7
>> >>math               88.7         8.7
>> >>environment        91.8         8.4
>> >>agriculture        92.8         7.7
>> >>physics/astr       89.8         4.7
>> >>engineering        79.1         3.1
>> 

>
>What the top 4 sciences have in common is that all involve working
>with *people* either directly or as subject matter.  I can think of
>2 things that may be going on here: 
>
>1. that girls/women are more often choosing/being-encouraged-in
>fields that will help them take care of the families they
>expect/are-expected to have  (eg. Dr. Mom)
>
>2. that girls/women are more often choosing/being-encouraged-in
>fields that will make them feel they can help people

But...

1.  Field #2 is biology, of which human biology is a small subset.  

2. Even if women do flock to human biology, the scientific training
would be of little value in taking care of a family, certainly of less
use than what you'd get out of a layman's guide to pediatriacs.

3. I know a lot of women doctors, women med students, and as a pre-med
advisor I talk with women pre-meds a lot about the pros and cons of
medical careers, and I've *never* heard any of them suggest that a
reason for becoming a doctor was to take care of the family's health.
Pediatricians don't even treat their own kids, as a general rule.  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Glenn Davis Stone                                BITNET: stone@cunixf
  Columbia University            INTERNET: stone@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: jasonc@hpnmdla.sr.hp.com (Jason Chodora)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Placenta Abruptions and Bedrest ??
Date: 2 Oct 92 20:30:10 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Santa Rosa, CA

My wife is four months pregnant, and has had problems with spotting and
on a few occasions severe bleeding.  Our doctor has diagnosed the
problem as a placenta abruption and prescribed bedrest for the remainder
of her pregnancy.

Does anyone out in netland have information on abruptions and/or bedrest
during pregnancy ???  Our doctor has given us a lot of information, but
any other information, experiences, advice, etc. would be appreciated.

Thanks a lot,

Jason Chodora
jasonc@sr.hp.com
Xref: sparky sci.med:18574 sci.med.nutrition:777
From: turpin@cs.utexas.edu (Russell Turpin)
Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.med.nutrition
Subject: Most cures work!  (was: Homeopathy)
Date: 6 Oct 1992 10:41:45 -0500
Organization: U Texas Dept of Computer Sciences, Austin TX
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu
Summary: Mr. Lubin's silly claim.

-*----
In article <1992Oct5.185117.21004
@porthos.cc.bellcore.com> jil@uts.uucp (Jamie Lubin) writes:
> ... some people seem to ocassionally get positive results thru 
> methods not yet accepted by the world's scientific community.

Nonsense.

If there is one thing that we do know from medical science, it is
that virtually *any* treatment (that does not have too severe
side effects) will yield positive results for *most* medical
problems *much* of the time.  Homeopathy works.  Chiropracty
works.  Burying a potato at midnight works.  Dipping a wart in
stump water works.  Indeed, for a third of people (if I remember
right), saline solution provides as effective pain relief from
traumatic injury as a standard dose of morphine.  (This
experiment was carried out during the Italian campaign by certain
Allied units that ran short of morphine.)

Pace Jamie Lubin, that all these things work is well "accepted by
the world's scientific community."  I have yet to run across a
physician who claims that these things do not work.  Indeed, I
have heard several physicians suggest that (1) most problems for
which people go to a doctor could be just as well treated by
stump water (or homeopathy) for that matter, and (2) for "normal"
aches, diseases, and pains many people would be just as well
served and their pocketbook less depleted if they were to wait a
few days before seeking medical attention.  (The problem, of
course, is that lay folks have a hard time discriminating between
a problem that can be ignored or treated symptomatically, and a
problem that requires immediate medical attention.)

It is important to realize that the issue with quackery is *not*
whether it works.  Of course it works!  That is why it thrives.

Russell
From: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: "Problem Patient"
Date: 1 Oct 92 16:04:36 GMT
Reply-To: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh Computer Science

In article <1992Sep29.194816.46491@uvmark.uucp> susan@uvmark.uucp (Susan Todhunter - (JWT)) writes:
>In article <1992Sep29.140127.10092@eng.umd.edu> georgec@eng.umd.edu (George B. Clark) writes:
>>
>>A "problem patient" is a patient who is hard to get along with. It's the
>>same scenario as a "problem customer" in a retail store, i.e. a customer
>>who complains as a matter of habit, even if his complaints have no
>>merit. It is someone who whines.
>>
>
>I'm not sure I understand.  Does this mean a "problem patient" is one a doctor
>doesn't like?  Do you mean by your analogy that if a doctor cannot at first     find a cause for a person's complaints, the doctor then determines the com-
>plaint has no merit and the person is a problem?
>

No, that isn't what is meant.  I'll give you an example:

A patient has classical migraines.  On the second visit, she demands to
have an EEG and an MRI scan.  I told her that her headaches have
all the characteristics of migraines and an EEG and MRI scan are
not indicated in someone who has a long history of typical migraines,
and would not likely be helpful.  She replied that because the pain was
so severe, something would *have* to show up on the MRI or EEG.
Despite all I could tell her, she adamantly insisted that it
was impossible for these tests to be normal, because her pain
was too severe.  (Needless to say, the tests would not be paid
for by her.  She was quite willing for $2000 of the taxpayer's
money to be spent to satisfy her illogical notion).

This is really minor compared to say, a patient who has
pseudoseizures (phoney seizures that mimic epilepsy).
I could give you a score of these kinds of stories, as could
anyone who sees patients.  These kinds of patients will be
a problem for anyone who deals with them.

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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: fulk@cs.rochester.edu (Mark Fulk)
Subject: Re: Alternatives to Beconase, Vancenase
Keywords: Corticosteroids
Organization: Computer Science Department University of Rochester
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 20:05:03 GMT

In article <BvGH8n.CuD@news.cso.uiuc.edu> magdi@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (Magdi N Azer) writes:
>I have heard that there are alternatives to Beconase and Vancenase.  One such
>alternative in Nasalchrone (or NasalChrome?).  Can anyone give me info on this
>and pointa me to the appropriate literature.  Thank you
>
>						Magdi. N. Azer
>magdi@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu

I'm afraid I'm not much help about the literature, but I am a Vancenase
user myself and my daughter uses Nasalcrom.  They are not alternatives.

Vancenase and Beconase are steroidal nasal sprays that reduce inflammation.
They are fast-acting, and offer acute relief if you can get them into
your nose.

Nasalcrom is cromolyn sodium prepared for nasal spraying.  It acts by
blocking mast cells from degranulating (releasing histamine).  In order
to be effective, it must be used _prior to the appearance of symptoms_
on a regular schedule.  Cromolyn is also available as an inhaler: Intal,
and as an eyedrop: Opticrom.

If you are finding that Vancenase or Beconase are irritating to you, you
might want to try Vancenase AQ; it is in an aqueous suspension and both
I and my doctor (she's allergic) find it much easier to tolerate.

I'm sure Steve Dyer will respond with more detailed information on
the actions of steroid nasal sprays and cromolyns; my main reason for
posting was to point out the existence of Vancenase AQ.

Mark
-- 
Mark A. Fulk			University of Rochester
Computer Science Department	fulk@cs.rochester.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: john@spss.com (John Przyborowski)
Subject: Re: Antihistamines and Decongestants (was Re: Can somone just get over hayfever on their own?)
Organization: SPSS Inc.
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 14:18:22 GMT

when my allergies grew so bad that my regular dosage of Seldane wasn't
working, I phoned my doctor to see what he could suggest.  He was reluctant
to tell to take more Seldane, move me to Seldane-D, or prescribe Hismanol--
why?  In his words, "We're (the medical community) scared about a high
toxicity of an extended period of time."  He went on to say that since
this stuff has been getting so much bad press lately, it was difficult to
continue to recommend anymore.  

His suggestion?-----take twice the normal dosage of Pseudophed.

Believe it or not, this work much better than the Seldane.

john

Xref: sparky sci.med:18510 bionet.general:1777
From: nancy@genie.slhs.udel.edu (Nancy Lebovitz)
Newsgroups: sci.med,bionet.general
Subject: treatment for Lyme recurrence?
Date: 6 Oct 92 03:05:45 GMT
Organization: UDel, School of Life & Health Sciences

A friend of mine got Lyme disease this summer, took antibiotics for
seven weeks, is sick again, and would like to know what the standard
treatments are for a recurrence of Lyme disease.

(The above are all the details I have, but I can get more if anybody
wants them.)

                                   Thanks in advance,
                                   Nancy Lebovitz
From: mdkline@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Mark D. Kline)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: low thyroid levels, but not hypothyroid
Date: 30 Sep 92 13:06:39 GMT
Organization: Syracuse University

In article <1992Sep29.202915.291@news.wesleyan.edu> RGINZBERG@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Ruth Ginzberg) writes:
>
>there are some MDs (who do not have much respect or data to back them,
>apparently) who treat "subclinical hypothyroid",  i.e., they give pts thyroid
>pills even if their TSH levels are within normal limits.  i believe they are
>generally considered to be "quacks" my most endocrinologists.  i forget what
>the allegedly supporting reasoning behind this is...

quack quack...

Some psychiatrists prescribe thyroid hormone to augment the effect of
antidepressant medication when depressed patients fail to respond to
antidepressant meds alone.  Many depressed patients have subtle
derangements of the pituitary-thyroid axis (blunted TSH response to TRH
infusion).  However, the evidence in support of using thyroid hormone
in refractory depression is mixed at best, imho.  Some patients taking
lithium require exogenous thyroid because of lithium induced
hypothyroidism, which sometimes exacerbates the marked weight gain
which can be a side effect of lithium.  (I prescribe thyroid in the
latter, not the former, case).

There are still physicians in primary care prescribing thyroid 
hormone for weight loss (doesn't work).  


--
================================================================= 
mark kline                              mdkline@rodan.acs.syr.edu
suny health science center, syracuse    voice: (315) 422-1050
================ courtesy of syracuse university ================
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: dl10697@ehsn3.cen.uiuc.edu (Duc Trieu Le)
Subject: Re: Aspirin, heart disease, and women?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 12:59:28 GMT

schultz@unixg.ubc.ca (Stewart Schultz) writes:

>In article <1992Sep29.011341.2517@leland.Stanford.EDU>
>farthing@leland.Stanford.EDU (ljf) writes:
>('Aspirin lowers coronary risks: tests indicate principle applies to
>both genders,'  Calgary Herald  March 16, 1991 pg F19).

>-S. Schultz

I have read that aspirin thins out the blood. Hence, blood clots don't
block the passage of blood as easily. So, an aspirin a day will probably
reduce your risk of an heart attack. But the other extreme is excess
aspirin irritates the stomach and extremely thin may sufficient your
body of needed nutrients and oxygen. The case should never if ever occur.

Duc T. Le
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: georgec@eng.umd.edu (George B. Clark)
Subject: Re: Arrogance, arthritis, & Banks
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 92 16:37:29 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland

In article <16614@pitt.UUCP> geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks) writes:
>>
>
>time.  But yet, there are alway new people reading who think the
>doctors are just flaming if they pooh-pooh chelation therapy,
>for example, for heart disease.  They weren't around when it was
>hashed out in detail.
>

Hey, that's me you're talking about.  :-)

You were right about chelation therapy being quackery, and I felt
badly when I learned I was wrong.

But if it wasn't for you and Steve giving me a hard time, I'd probably
still be reading that quack health newsletter published by
Julian Whitaker, MD and Jane Heimlich. I cancelled my subscription
after Gabe Mirkin told me the exact same thing you and Steve said.

Each new monthly issue seemed more weird than the month before, and
after about three months it became very clear that Whitaker and
Heimlich are both quacks in the worst sense.
From: carl.camurca@travel.com (Carl Camurca)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Excess Of Vitamin C?
Date: 29 Sep 92 18:18:00 GMT
Reply-To: carl.camurca@travel.com (Carl Camurca)
Organization: Travel Online / St. Louis Online - St. Louis, MO

GB>When Pauling's book on vitamin C came out, he recommended 1 gram
GB>per day.  After they did studies with 1 gram per day showing no
GB>effect on the frequency of colds in normal volunteers, he said,
GB>"well, it really is 4 grams per day".  So they did those experiments,
GB>still no better than placebo.  I suppose Pauling just keeps escalating
GB>the dose and says they having been giving enough to disprove his
GB>theories.  18 grams is so absurd, it is ridiculous.  There is no
GB>way we could have evolved to require such high doses.  His urine
GB>must corrode his commode something awful.

I think, the purpose was not cold prevention, but help to maintain the
coagulation equilibrium of the blood. Furthermore, Vitamin C _protects_
from corrosion, it does not contribute to it.
Anybody else enlightening thoughts?

greetinx, Carl.

 * OLX 2.1 TD * He isnt dead; He's electroencephalographically challenged
                                                                                                            
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: georgec@eng.umd.edu (George B. Clark)
Subject: Re: Genital Warts/Herpes
Date: Thu, 01 Oct 92 22:23:14 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland
Distribution: usa

In article <1992Oct1.140150.24252@cbnews.cb.att.com> ljy@cbnews.cb.att.com (linda.j.young) writes:
>

>Thanks for any help/suggestions/opinions you can offer.

A dermatologist told me that herpes can live for for four hours outside
the body, and for that reason it's a good idea to cover the seats of
public toilets before sitting on them. You can also pick it up by sitting
on the side of a swimming pool, so you should always sit on your
bath towel while at a pool. In other words, intimate contact is non-
essential.

Some doctors say venereal warts always return, but the dermatologist
I know claims he can cure them. He soaks the guy's penis in vinegar
for ten minutes, and then uses a magnifying glass to see warts that
would otherwise be invisible. Each little white dot suspected of being
a wart is burned and injected with gamma interferon. The process is
repeated several months later to ensure a cure.

You should be inspected for warts, too. The doctor will soak your
vagina with dilute vinegar, and then examine it with a colposcope.

Just to add more fuel to the fire, venereal warts can lead to cancer of
the prostate, the penis, and the opening to the vagina.
(Meeting of the American Urological Association, May 16, 1992)
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: mdkline@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Mark D. Kline)
Subject: Re: Mail-Order Prescriptions
Organization: Syracuse University
Distribution: usa
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 92 16:15:52 EDT

In article <1992Sep26.084401.25407@newstand.syr.edu> wender@top.cis.syr.edu (Elaine Wenderholm) writes:
>I've heard that it is possible to buy prescription drugs through mail-order
>companies, with the benefit that the price is much lower.
>Anyone know about this?  Any companies you'd recommend?

Retail prescription costs vary by a factor of at least three. 
For anybody taking prescription medication, it pays to shop 
around for the best price if possible.  I'm unaware of retail
pharmacies-by-mail but may insurance plans encourage the use
of particular prescription by mail arrangements.

Many large group insurance plans have a provision for mail order
prescriptions.  This may involve a mail order prescription house
which has agreed to a price break to the insurance company or may
actually be an in house pharmacy in some plans.  In the usual case,
you mail in your doctor's prescription, and two weeks later, your
medication arrives by mail.  Many such programs encourage the use
of the mail order prescription program for long term prescriptions,
and allow the MD to write for a 3 month supply at one time plus refillls.
In some such plans, there may be a very low or zero copayment if you 
use the mail order arrangemtn, with higher copayments if you use
your neighborhood pharmacy, this is a direct inducement to you to
use the mail order plan.  Your local pharmacist HATES these plans. :)
These plans vary in details of implementation.  Check with your 
insurance plan benefits administrator.  





--
================================================================= 
mark kline                              mdkline@rodan.acs.syr.edu
suny health science center, syracuse    voice: (315) 422-1050
================ courtesy of syracuse university ================