HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: dhb@ksr.com (Don Barstow)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Congenital Heart defect - 2nd surgery?
Date: 19 Aug 92 18:23:37 EDT
Organization: Kendall Square Research Corp.



I have a congenital heart defect for which I probably have to have
a second surgery sometime in the next few years. However, since I
already have scar tissue in my heart, it appears that the risks of
a second surgery are non-trivial.

I have a cardiologist who is highly respected in this field. But
this is a very significant decision, so I thought I would see if
there are any "experts" out on the net who could provide useful
advice with certain questions I have.

Here are the specific details of my situation:
1. 37 years old, 31 years post-op ASD repair.  Also had anomalous right
   pulmonary vein drainage into right atrium.
2. Two remaining problems found via angiogram in 1989  - 50% SVC
   drainage into left atrium, and one right pulmonary vein still
   drains into right atrium.  These were apparently handled wrong
   or not caught at all in my first surgery.
3. Additionally have numerous pollen/grass/dust allergies, and
   asthma.  Controlled with inhaled beclomethasone and cromolyn sodium,
   and beclomethasone nasal spray.
My functioning is basically pretty normal, but I do get short of breath,
the same as being very out of shape, and am more tired at the end
of the day than even five years ago.  I don't get much exercise, and
any arm activity (like swimming) gets me desaturated and out of breath
extremely quickly.

My main questions related to deciding if I should have the surgery are:
1. Are there any known ways to quantify the risks of complications
   due to the scarring in the RA I would have after a second surgery?
2. If I develop an arrythmia, and need a pacemaker, how normal a
   lifestyle could I have?
3. What is a good textbook on cardac surgery I could read to understand
   more about the procedures involved?
4. Could I get this done just about any place that does cardiac surgery,
   or should I only go to one of the top few places in the country?
   (I go to Mass General, now).
5. What are the main problems I am likely to have if I don't have
   the surgery?
6. Should I or should I not exercise now?
7. Any other ideas or suggestions?

And finally, has anyone else had something like this, or know of
someone or a support group of some kind in the Boston area that I
could talk to about it?

Thanks very much for any assistance, however slight, you might be
able to offer.

Thank you very much,
Don Barstow
dhb@ksr.com
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Atkins Diet
From: Robin.Salmansohn@f715.n273.z1.fidonet.org (Robin Salmansohn)
Date: 13 Aug 92 12:59:55 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:273/715 - Alternative Lifesty, Wyndmoor PA


 To: caf@omen.UUCP (Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX)
 
 CFW> I'm preparing a new edition of the famous 
 CFW> Adiposity 101, this time with a
 CFW> subchapter on low carbohydrate diets, including Atkins.

 CFW> There doesn't seem to be much discussion of 
 CFW> Atkins style diets in the
 CFW> literature after the diet establishment declared 
 CFW> Atkins off limits, so any
 CFW> pointers to relevant scientific studies would be of interest.
 
See Natelson S; Miletech DJ; Seals CF; Visintine DJ; Albrecht RF
Clinical Biochemistry of epilepsy. I. Nature of the Disease and Review
of the chemical findings in epilepsy.
Clin Chem 1979 Jun;25(6):889-97
[Backfiles in Medline; Back77 UI 79190191
 
See Theodore W,  Antiepileptic Drugs and Cerebral Glucose Metabolism
Epilepsia 29(Suppl 2):S48-S55 1988
 
The interesting thing is that in epilepsy, glucose metabolism is not normal, 
and cerebral glucose is depressed from barbituates, but it is
not disclosed in routine serum or glucose tolerance tests.
 
If you wish a copy of these please note your snail mail address and I
will send you copies.


 

--  
Internet: Robin.Salmansohn@f715.n273.z1.fidonet.org
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Beta blockers & Olympics
From: Daniel.Prince@p0.f129.n102.z1.fidonet.org (Daniel Prince)
Date: 15 Aug 92 13:26:50 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:102/129.0 - One World, Redondo Beach CA

To: CSMSCST@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU (Chris Thomas)
 
 CT> During the Olympics coverage, in connection with the sprinter
 CT> who has Graves disease, it was mentioned that beta blockers
 CT> are on the list of banned drugs.  Given what I know about beta
 CT> blockage, namely suppression of heart rate increase under
 CT> stress (such as exercise), it is difficult for me to see how a
 CT> beta blocker could be used as a performance enhancing aid.  It
 CT> seems to me the *last* thing an athlete would want would be an
 CT> artificial cap on his/her heart rate, which would limit oxygen
 CT> supply to muscles and hence limit performance.
 CT> 
 CT> Does anybody know why beta blockers are on the banned list?

I too think a beta blocker would hurt performance in most sports 
but it could help in things like archery, pistol and rifle 
competition and maybe even in diving and dressage.

... My cat walks all over me!

 

--  
Internet: Daniel.Prince@p0.f129.n102.z1.fidonet.org
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: bf455@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bonita Kale)
Subject: Re: Prolonged use of Ibuprofen
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 92 12:37:41 GMT





I think Ibruprophen blurred my vision.  Something sure did, and I switched
to Naprosyn.  That seems okay.  (At least, it's been a long time, and my
glasses aren't any good now, but I'm hoping it's natural aging and not the
Naprosyn.)

Bonita Kale
From: carl@aoa.aoa.utc.com (Carl Witthoft)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Mercury in dental fillings?
Date: 17 Aug 92 16:35:55 GMT
Organization: Adaptive Optics Associates

x
This topic is a FAFW (Frequently Argued Flame War).  Please have
the courtesy to take your arguments to direct email and out of
the way of us war-scarred sci.med vets :=).
Thanks.

-- 
Bobby Newmark, aka  Carl Witthoft @ Adaptive Optics Associates
aoa!carl@bbn.com  carl@aoa.utc.com
54 CambridgePark Drive, Cambridge,MA 02140 617-864-0201
**Just say NO to HMOs**
From: hollombe@polymath.tti.com (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Prozac/sleeping/alternatives
Date: 20 Aug 92 00:50:56 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: The Cat Factory

In article <dedmunds.714111700@sfu.ca> dedmunds@selkirk.sfu.ca (Darran Edward Edmundson) writes:
}dyer@spdcc.com (Steve Dyer) writes:
}
}>from me.  After about 3 weeks, this began to resolve.  I ultimately stopped
}>the drug because of its sexual side effects (i.e, anorgasmia), which tended
}>to make me a little grouchier than usual on the net. :-/
}
}What is "anorgasmia"?  ...

Literally, "no orgasm".  I.e.:  You never get there.

}... I'm currently taking 20mg Prozac daily and have noticed
}(make that my wife has noticed) that it has greatly increased my staying
}power.  Is this a common side-effect?

The PDR refers to this side effect as "delayed ejaculation." I'm told it
occurs in 25 - 35% of patients on Prozac.  For many the "delay" is
infinite -- anorgasmia.

The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe, M.A., CDP, aka: hollombe@polymath.tti.com)
Head Robot Wrangler at Citicorp                   Turn the rascals out!
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.   (310) 450-9111, x2483     No incumbents in '92!
Santa Monica, CA  90405
From: John.Willis@p123.f349.n109.z1.fidonet.org (John Willis)
Sender: Uucp@blkcat.UUCP
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Keeping Vitamins Legal 3/3
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 07:24:00 -0500

alternative health  and environmental issues, drew thousands who
marched to protest the F.D.A. proposals, some carrying signs
warning, "Act now or kiss your vitamins goodbye!"

                       Of Rights and Costs

Many advocates are afraid that the general public is not fully
aware of the repercussions the agency's actions could have, not
only on consumer's rights to chose alternative forms of
medicines, but also on their pocket-books.  Health experts have
also noted that many parents are afraid to give children huge
numbers of pills.  "It's easy to say, 'Just take more pills' if
you want higher doses or potency," said the actress Mariel
Hemingway, who has been vocal in her opposition to the proposals.
"But that means you'll go through a bottle of vitamins every
week."

Dr. Vaughn Harada, a California dentist who uses electro-
acupuncture to treat patients and is president of the Association
of Health Practitioners, a trade association of doctors,
dentists, acupuncturists and naturopaths, said a growing number
of its members use nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies
and medications in their practices.  "Now they're afraid they may
be targeted by the F.D.A. like Dr. Wright was," Dr. Harada said.

Deborah Widel, one of the co-founders of People for Reason in
Science and Medicine and a patient of Dr. Harada, said she feared
such scenes would become more commonplace.  "We're not trying to
put the F.D.A. out of business," she said.  "It's an agency that
has served a useful and necessary purpose.  But we don't need Big
Brother, either."

"Basically, we as consumers want a freedom of choice.  What the
F.D.A. proposes is a direct violation of our constitutional right
to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Newsgroups: sci.med
From: jgd@dixie.com (John De Armond)
Subject: Re: ******** MICROWAVE HAZARDS *******
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 07:09:37 GMT
Organization: Dixie Communications Public Access.  The Mouth of the South.

bng@tropel.gca.com (Baldwin Ng) writes:

>I am sure that many of you have heard the fact that radar guns
>used by highway police are now suspected to cause cancer to
>police who are frequently exposed to MICROWAVES.

>My question is: ARE MICROWAVE OVENS (when used very frequently)
>                ALSO CAPABLE OF CAUSING CANCER??

No, can't cause cancer. The reason is if you clamp your balls in 
the door of the microwave and operate it, they will explode long before
a little cancer can begin to grow.  And you will scream.

Sorry.  I couldn't resist.

John
-- 
John De Armond, WD4OQC               |Interested in high performance mobility?  
Performance Engineering Magazine (TM) |
Marietta, Ga                         |Interested in high tech and computers? 
jgd@dixie.com                        |Write me about PE Magazine
Need Usenet public Access in Atlanta?  Write Me for info on Dixie.com.
From: bhjelle@carina.unm.edu ()
Subject: Re: Hepatitis vaccine
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 14:04:50 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

In article <1992Aug20.052052.1847@techbook.com> kim@techbook.com (Kim Larsen) writes:
>In article <16130@pitt.UUCP> geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks) writes:
>>That was the early vaccine.  With the new recombinant DNA
>>vaccine, it is extremely safe.  You really should consider getting it
>>if you are an active paramedic.  I got it even though I have
>>much less contact with hep B patients than a paramedic would.
>
>Do medical students/residents routinely get the hep B vaccine?
>
Every place I have trained had such a policy.

I received the earlier (non-recombinant) vaccine as a medical
student. Which gives me the opportunity to point out that
(contrary to what seems to now be sci.med wisdom) that vaccine
did not give anyone hepatitis -it was thoroughly inactivated.
There were a few people worried that they might get AIDS from
that vaccine, but that didn't happen either.

Brian
From: geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Mercury in dental fillings?
Date: 13 Aug 92 14:25:51 GMT
Organization: Decision Systems Laboratory, Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA.

In article <1992Aug12.204244.22637@athena.cs.uga.edu> PRICKRIL@bscf.uga.edu (BEN PRICKRIL) writes:
>
>-Preliminary studies in humans indicate that both fertility and brain function
> may be altered due to exposure to dental amalgam mercury.
>

I think this is bull.  Please post the citations to these studies.

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gordon Banks  N3JXP      | "Skepticism is the chastity of the intellect, and
geb@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu   |  it is shameful to surrender it too soon." 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: dfavor@logan.tivoli.com (David Favor)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Warts, warts and more warts
Date: 13 Aug 92 14:14:16 GMT

for me the breakout of warts (small ones on hands) seems linked to stress.
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: cash@convex.com (Peter Cash)
Subject: Re: spina bifida information needed, please!
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 21:59:45 GMT
Organization: The Instrumentality
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

In article <16148@pitt.UUCP> km@cs.pitt.edu (Ken Mitchum) writes:
...
>The fact is, many of the things you posted were the same things that
>Dr. Banks posted, including the likelihood of paraplegia and mental
>retardation. You chose to look at it from the cheery side of things,
>which perhaps you have been forced to based on personal experience.
>Dr. Banks is paid to look at things from a slightly more detached
>viewpoint, tempered by his years of experience. The fact that his
>experience has led him to a less hopeful view of this condition
>does not make him ignorant, or you wise. You owe him an apology.

I'm well aware of Dr. Banks' credentials. Usually, I've found his remarks
to be sensible and to the point. I was, therefore, particularly shocked to
read the Doctor's reply concerning spina bifida. In this reply, Dr. Banks
states what sounded to me very much like the cliches one often hears about
spina bifida (and similar defects): it's hopeless, the only outcome can be
a life in an institution for human vegetables, so it's better to let the
victims die. Could a student have broken into his account? Did he write
this in his sleep? One can only conjecture. 

As I tried to point out in the texts and study I cited, this is simply
false. I am not taking a "cheery" perspective of the same facts that Dr.
Banks regards in a "less hopeful" perspective--I was arguing that he has
the _facts_ wrong. It is simply not true that the only possible outcome of
saving the life of a spina bifida baby is lifelong institutionalization as
a subhuman. Indeed, it's probable that if the child's life is saved, then
the outcome will be much better than this. If you think I'm wrong, then
please cite some studies that show me wrong. If I'm shown wrong, then I'll
apologize.

Could it be that not even great accomplishments and brilliant credentials
keep you from being a fool at least once in a while? (And every once in a
while, even I am right!)
-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
             |      Die Welt ist alles, was Zerfall ist.     |
Peter Cash   |       (apologies to Ludwig Wittgenstein)      |cash@convex.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: unethical? (was: Smart Drugs)
Date: 19 Aug 92 14:42:58 GMT
Article-I.D.: pitt.16128
Organization: Decision Systems Laboratory, Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA.

In article <36961@sdcc12.ucsd.edu> tcederqu@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Trevor Cederquist) writes:
>
>	In light of several postings requesting information from
>	expert sources, those choosing to assume expertise by
>	using a tag denoting them as an expert SHOULD be held
>	responsible for delivering the most informed answer.
>
You get what you pay for on the net, free opinions.  It is up
to you to decide what to do with the information.  For all
you know he could be the janitor at the school of pharmacy,
but he still can list his address and it would not be unethical.
If he puts MD after his name and isn't, then that would be unethical.
I saw nothing wrong with his response.
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gordon Banks  N3JXP      | "Skepticism is the chastity of the intellect, and
geb@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu   |  it is shameful to surrender it too soon." 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: 880506s@dragon.acadiau.ca (James R. Skinner)
Subject: Re: Caffeine and Prozac?
Organization: Acadia University
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 03:46:37 GMT

akcobb@amherst.edu writes:

>I've never been sensitive to caffeine before.  Suddenly, weak mochas made from
>instant coffee keep me up half the night.  I can think of no change in my
>diet.  I have been taking Prozac for 2 months; could this possibly cause
>my sudden sensitivity?  I cannot isolate any other change in my intake of
>food or medicine.  Thanks for any help.

	I took Prozac for just over two years and during that time my dialy
dose ranged from 20mg all the way up to 60mg.  I found my sleep was greatly
affected by the fluoxetine and my inability to sleep increased with time 
and dosage.  Finally after being on 60mg for sometime, the decision was 
made to discontinue use, do the large number of side effects I was 
experinceing, one of the major problems being almost complete insomnia.

	Recently I tryed the similar SRI, Zoloft, and while it did not
seem to produce the number of side effects that Prozac did, the one that
did return was the inability to fall asleep.

	Thus it has been my exerience that Prozac can indeed affect one's
abilty to sleep and therefor drugs such as caffeine only make the problem
worse.  ( One other SRI that I tryed was Luvox and while it had fewer side
effects and was actually a bit seditive so that falling a sleep was easy,
I had very little luck at it producing the desired anti-depressent result )

-- 

-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------------
        James Robie Skinner        |     Jodrey School of Computer Science        James.Skinner@dragon.acadiau.ca  |  Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada
-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------------
From: PRICKRIL@bscf.uga.edu (BEN PRICKRIL)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Mercury in dental fillings?
Date: 12 Aug 92 20:42:44 GMT
Organization: University of Georgia, USA
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.20

In <1992Aug10.201730.13908@eskimo.celestial.com> delisle@eskimo.celestial.com writes:

> 
> 	What is the story with the mercury in dental filligns,
> is it safe? I've been hearing a lot of conflicting stories about it 
> lately; from it being safe to it leaching out of the amalgum and causing
> all kinds of unhealthy reactions. There is also conflicting
> legislation(s) pending in several states that propose either 
> requiring the dentist to inform the patients about possible problems
> to automatic license suspension and fines for saying that there is
> contraversy. There was a lengthy talk about a local talk raido show 
> the other day as well as a few weeks ago.         
> 	Aparently the ADA says that it is 100% safe, while there seems
> to be a growing number of professionals that dissagree.
> 
> --
>  +-(c)--------------------------+  
>  | delisle@eskimo.celestial.com |    Nothing is fool proof, 
>  +------------------------------+    Fools are too ingenius.

Amid all the hoopla you refer to concerning mercury amalgam fillings, there
are a few studies which together indicate that mercury amalgam fillings have 
at least some potential to pose a health threat. The following have been 
reported in the literature (refs available on request):

-In humans, dental "silver" amalgam tooth fillings (ca. 50% mercury by weight) 
 continuously release mercury vapor. Moreover, the release rate of this mercury
 is enhanced within 10 minutes following chewing or tooth brushing.

-A single amalgam filling will release 15 ug/day into mouth air.

-The amount of mercury absorbed by the body from fillings, although variable
 from study to study, is about 10 ug/day (consensus value), vs. 2.3 ug/day
 absorbed from food, water, and air. Furthermore, autopsy studies have
 demonstrated significantly higher mercury levels in brain and kidney of 
 subjects with dental amalgams compared to control subjects lacking amalgams.

-Preliminary studies in humans indicate that both fertility and brain function
 may be altered due to exposure to dental amalgam mercury.


	Politics and money aside, I think its clear that although the verdict
isn't yet in, we have plenty of reasons to continue to be concerned about
possible health effects from amalgam fillings.

Ben
From: <MADLANSACAY%FORDMULC.BITNET@VM.USC.EDU>
Subject:  RE: (5882) Re: Foscavir at $24,000+ a year is Drug
Note: non-commercial reproduction.
Archive-Number: 5884
Organization: UCLA, Computer Science Department
Date:     Wed, 12 Aug 1992 10:04 EST

AB Astra has a US Company - Astra Pharmaceutical Products.
Astra has been developing Foscavir for two decades now.  Initial
research was made in Sweden.
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
From: jfh@netcom.com (Jack Hamilton)
Subject: Mercury
Note: non-commercial reproduction.
Archive-Number: 5890
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 92 04:54:12 GMT

A thread about mercury fillings recently started in sci.med; people who are
interested in the question may want to look over there. 

By the way, I don't think that poisoning from fillings is completely
impossible.  I don't think a significant effect is likely, but I've been
wrong before.  

What I have a problem with is the poor science and fuzzy thinking (and
copious misspellings) which usually go along with these claims.  It's hard
to take them seriously when there are such obvious holes in the theory.
The current thread in sci.med actually has a cogent (though unconvincing,
to me) posting on the anti-filling side. 

-- 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack Hamilton   jfh@netcom.com   P. O. Box 281107   SF, CA   94128-1107
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
From: Billi Goldberg <bigoldberg@igc.apc.org>
Subject: Re: Letter to SF Sentinel
Archive-Number: 5908
Organization: unspecifiedNote: Copyright 1992, Dan R. Greening. Non-commercial reproduction allowed.
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 92 00:40:35 PDT

It has come to my attention that there are some people that think I 
wrote the letter in The Sentinel blasting Martin Delaney and didn't have 
the courage to include my name.

It is not true. If I write something, I will gladly and proudly include 
my name. I will never hide behind the *Name Withheld* mechanism.  But, 
perhaps, the individual had good reason not to have her/his name 
printed.  If s/he is HIV+, and considering the present policies of 
discrimination, that would be good reason not to print the name.  But 
The Sentinel would not have printed the article unless they knew the 
identity of the writer.  I checked that out.

If there are letters that support Martin Delaney, I will post them.
In either case, I will not include my comments.  Good, bad or 
indifferent, these letters are a reflection of HIV+ feelings and should 
be considered.  

I wrote a letter to the Sentinel last week.  It was published.  I have 
not and will not post it on sci.med.aids.  It is my personal opinion 
about some things going on in the SF gay community concerning AIDS.

I have posted CDC Summaries and now the VA Summaries.  There are many 
things in those summaries that I totally disagree with, but I post them 
anyway because they are part and parcel of the total AIDS picture.  I 
will certainly plead guilty to reposting some things with my comments if 
they support my personal opinions.  

The rumors have it that the letter writer is from UC Berkeley, possibly 
in Duesberg's molecular biology and retrovirology group.

Billi