HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mrl@tardis.pfc.mit.edu
Subject: RE: These wierd headaches...
Organization: MIT PLASMA FUSION CENTER
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 18:28:35 GMT

In a previous article, redman@megatek.com (Tim Redfield) wrote:
>From article <Bx73Ix.HL1@acsu.buffalo.edu>, by oispeggy@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Peggy Brown):
>> In article <2690@tredysvr.Tredydev.Unisys.COM>, sg@tredysvr.Tredydev.Unisys.COM (Susanne Gilliam) writes...
>>>>mrl@nerus.pfc.mit.edu wrote:
>> 
>>>  I had a very similar experience about 7 years ago, and in my case, it
>>>did indeed turn out to be caused by the deviated septum.  I was fine,
>> 
>> I have a similar story.  January of '90 I started getting 
>> incredible headaches, which later I found were migraines, always 
>> when I had a bad case of congestion and sometimes sinus 
>> infection.  As it turned out I had a deviated septum, and 
>> underdeveloped sinus cavity behind the left cheekbone.  This 

The original post said the woman had seen a ENT doctor and had had sinus x-rays
which were negative.  She also had the headaches continuously for 3 months.
She also had enlarged glands in her neck.  Are all these consistent with a
sinus problem?  She did not say that she had any congestion or history of it.
That's why I suggested it might be something like TMJ.  However, if it is
possible that she still has a sinus problem, maybe she should see a different
ENT doctor.  P.s. I now recall reading that sinus x-rays don't always show all
types of problems.  Sometimes cat-scans are required, but that info was from a
book, not a doctor.  When I asked my ENT doctor about that, he shrugged and
asked if I wanted one!  I declined, since by then I was convinced my problem
was TMJ related, not sinuses.


Mark London
MRL@NERUS.PFC.MIT.EDU
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: roihar@cc4.crl.aecl.ca
Subject: growing pains?
Organization: AECL RESEARCH
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 15:36:13 GMT

Hi: My three year old boy has been very tired after a "viral infection"
    last week. The symptoms of the viral infection were a headache,
    fatigue and sore legs. He hasn't had a temperature since last
    Friday but he is still very tired and complains of sore legs
    (especially in the morning). Is it possible for three year
    old's to experience growing pains? He is definitely getting
    taller very quickly.
             Martin Thompson
             roihar@crl.aecl.ca
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: Pat.Churchill@bbs.actrix.gen.nz
Subject: Re: Robot surgeons?
Organization: Actrix Information Exchange
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 23:02:19 GMT

In article <1992Nov7.224830.28580@access.usask.ca> choy@skorpio.usask.ca (I am a terminator.) writes:
> Are robots being used to perform surgery? How well do they work?
> 
> Henry Choy
> choy@cs.usask.ca

Yes, according to my local nbewspaper this morning.  Robodoc, a 6ft
high articulated arm with a drill, drilled close tolerance holes in a
femur to anchor an artificial hip joint.  At Sutter General Hospital
in California at the weekend.
-- 
| The floggings will continue until morale improves
| Pat.Churchill@bbs.actrix.gen.nz (Pat Churchill, Wellington, New Zealand)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Newsgroups: sci.med
From: jima@sr.hp.com (Jim Adler)
Subject: Re: These wierd headaches...
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 23:39:16 GMT
Organization: HP Santa Rosa Site (SRSD - MWTD) - Santa Rosa, Ca.
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1.4 PL6]


My wife is the one who is in the middle of a three month headache.
Thanks to some of the people who responded, esp Mark London, we have
made some progress.

Last Tuesday morning she went to her dentist.  He did see some
misalignment and offered to treat her.  She asked for a TMJ specialist,
and he recommended one.  

She switched to another GP, one she knows and trusts (who, by
coincidence, attended MIT).  She saw the new doctor Tue afternoon.  He
is treating her for fibromyalgia and is running a blood test, checking
for Lyme disease, and maybe other things as well.

He seemed very interested in helping her. He listened carefully and was
open to the TMJ, deviated septum, and other theories. She showed him
this discussion we are having, and he read it all.

Having an interested doctor is comforting.  Trouble is, he prescribed
amitriptyline hcl (10mg), which I think is Elavil, one tablet per day.
She's been taking 5mg and has become a semi-zombie.  It makes her
depressed, makes her feel awful, and doesn't completely cover the
headache.  She'd rather not take the drug, but she's trying to tough it
out.

Questions:  will the zombie effect completely subside?  The doctor says
so, but what's your experience?  How long--2 weeks?  4 weeks?  Is this
drug just masking the symptoms?  Or does it cure fibromyalgia?

So the possible causes now are:

* Fibromyalgia
    We haven't yet seen the results of the latest tests.
	I'd like to know more about it: cause, cure, .... 

* TMJ problem (with possible very large cost to fix)
    She has an appointment with the TMJ guy in two weeks.

* Deviated septum

* Lyme disease
	The doctor says it's a long shot.

Steve Monroe is the one who originally started this discussion, as far
as I know.  Are you still there, Steve?  Have you made any progress?

Michael Berger wrote that his cure for TMJ was to relax. Okay, how did
you do this?  

--
Jim Adler
Sonoma County Marketing Systems
jima@hpsad.sad.hp.com

Newsgroups: sci.med
From: dyer@spdcc.com (Steve Dyer)
Subject: Re: indigestion
Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 06:29:40 GMT

In article <BxA6sC.Bz2@techbook.com> cathy@techbook.com (Cathy Gaupo) writes:
>I've heard the commercials that if you have indigestion very 
>often, you should see your doctor.

This is just a sleazy way of promoting H2 blockers from the manufacturers
of such drugs, not that this sleaze isn't promoted by FDA regulations
which contrain them from more straightforward solicitations.  Both
SmithKline Beecham (maker of Tagamet) and Glaxo (maker of Zantac) have
had such commercials.  The drugs are perfectly effective at eliminating
the symptoms of heartburn and helping to heal peptic and duodenal
ulcers, and a complaint similar to your boyfriend's might generate a
prescription for one of these still-expensive drugs.  That's the reason
for the ads--these drug companies don't care about your boyfriend's
health, they care about their bottom line.  The more folks who visit
their doctors rather than trying to treat themselves with antacids, the
more money they make.  (This is not to say that self-medication is pre-
ferred--I'm simply pointing out that these ads are not humanitarian
public service gestures.)

There is some concern that H2 blockers also can suppress early warning
symptoms of what could prove to be stomach cancer, though how serious
and frequent this is isn't clear to me.  That's one reason thse drugs
are Rx only, though there's a good chance they may become available OTC
in the next few years.

>My boyfriend suffers a lot from it.
>Frequently, he has to take alka-setlzer or tums just to calm down the
>irritation and/or the flem.

Note that regular Alka-Seltzer contains aspirin; this is not an especially
good medication to take if you are suffering from indigestion and don't
require aspirin for some other reason.

-- 
Steve Dyer
dyer@ursa-major.spdcc.com aka {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!dyer
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: rcain@netcom.com (Robert Cain)
Subject: GHB  What is it?
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 23:31:34 GMT


I recently encountered a street drug called GHB which supposedly stands
for gammahydroxybutyrate (gamma?).  It is a soporific mainly but does
have an intoxicating effect if one can stay awake which is
physiologically, but not psychologically, similar to alchohol.  It is a
waxy, chunky solid, is very hygroscopic, whitish to slightly yellowish
and disolves rapidly in water.  One can observe the index of refraction
changing in rather interesting patterns as it disolves.

I have asked the good folks over in alt.drugs and alt.psychoactives
what this stuff might be and what is known about it and was met with a
deafening silence so I decided to come over and ask the professionals.
What is this stuff?  What is known about it?  Is there a medical use
for it?  Is it dangerous?  What are the contraindications?  etc.
A friend is using it as a sleep aid instead of the prescription he
was given because it induces sleep quite effectively, leaves no
hangover and has no noticable side effects.  I am a bit concerned,
since virtually nothing is known about it, that he might be killing
his liver or something else.

If you reply could you also send me email since this is not a group that
I normally follow.

Thanks,

Bob
-- 
Bob Cain    rcain@netcom.com   408-358-2007

        "One can learn to be alone, even enjoy it, but let intimacy
         break that solitude, even briefly, and one must start all
         over again."

                                                     Elia Kazan


               PGP 1.0 or 2.0 public key available on request.
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Evidence for homeopathy?
Date: 11 Nov 92 12:17:25 -0600
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

> It looks like homeopathy is coming back, though.  The number of
> practitioners was down to 100 by 1950, but now it's back up to
> 2,000 to 3,000 MDs, NDs, and other licensed health care providers,
> and still growing.

Yes, and membership in the Flat Earth Society is up too.

kay klier  biology dept  uni
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: djh@osc.edu (David Heisterberg)
Subject: fluorinated drugs
Organization: The Ohio Supercomputer Center
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 13:38:55 GMT

There are a number of drugs now with trifluoromethyl (fluoxetine) and
other fluoro groups.  Just out of curiosity, how does fluorination affect
drug action?  Fluorine in naturally occurring organic compounds is very
rare.  As a gamble (and because Usenet is more likely to correct you
than simply inform you) I'll throw out two possibilities.

1) Mono substitution increases half-life by making the drug more resistant
to metabolism without a great effect on its action.

2) The tri-fluoromethyl group increases binding to positively charged sites,
such as lysine or arginine, without introducing hydrophillicity (which
might also be half-life related).

Also, would anyone know off-hand what the first fluorine-containing
drug was?  Thanks.
-- 
David J. Heisterberg (djh@osc.edu)       What men value is not rights
The Ohio Supercomputer Center            but privileges.
Columbus, Ohio                             -- H.L. Mencken
From: sfm@manduca.neurobio.arizona.edu (Stephen Matheson)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Fetal Tissue research
Date: 5 Nov 92 17:28:11 GMT
Organization: University of Arizona UNIX Users Group

From article <1992Nov5.081802.5422@desire.wright.edu>, by rocker@desire.wright.edu:
> 
> 	When Clinton removes the band on fetal tissue research, will anyone be
> working on posiable uses for Cerebral Palsy?
> 
> 	It seems like transplated brain cells should be able to produce more
> effeects than ann increase in dopamine.
> 
> thanks for any info/feedback.

Well, transplanted cells in the brain (not necessarily brain cells)
have been used to deliver other important substances to the injured
brain: a recent study in the Journal of Neuroscience reported on
the effects of transplanted fibroblasts that had been genetically
altered to express and secrete nerve growth factor (NGF).  The 
presence of the transplants was accompanied by enhanced regenerative
responses in injured CNS tissue, including synapse formation.  I 
believe the injured tissue was the fimbria-fornix, which carries
fibers originating in CNS regions known to be NGF-sensitive.  I'm
typing this from memory, and would be happy to provide more details
and/or the reference if you're interested.

I hope that fetal tissue can be exploited in useful ways, but I'm
not convinced that it deserves the attention it gets...   Your
thoughts?

Note that recent results (in Science, about 5-8 months ago) indicate
that there *are* cell types in the adult mammalian brain that are
capable of neurogenesis when stimulated appropriately.  I feel that
inducing regeneration and repair is a better option than transplants,
for many reasons.  Both, I think, need a lot of attention, but useful
treatments may not be as far off as we might think.

--

Steve Matheson   Program in Neuroscience   University of Arizona
sfm@neurobio.arizona.edu
From: yozzo@watson.ibm.com (Ralph Yozzo)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: What is the medical term for pain after illness?
Date: 11 Nov 92 01:09:33 GMT
Organization: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM

In a previous discussion in this newsgroup, two people
discussed pain suffered after recovering from a disease (I believe,
it was Lyme Disease).  One person described it as a relapse and the 
other used a medical term (or so it seemed to me) for pain after an 
illness which is NOT considered a relapse.  
I believe that the word meant pain after an illness that was caused by
the weakened state of the body.

Does anyone remember the medical term that was used?

-- 
 Ralph Yozzo (yozzo@watson.ibm.com)  
 From the beautiful and historic Mid-Hudson Valley area of NY state
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: TXK025@maccvm.corp.mot.com (Eddie Chandler)
Subject: Responses to Abdonimal pain posting
Organization: Motorola
Date: 6 Nov 1992 03:42:42 CST

Firstly, thanks very much to the people who replied to my
posting yesterday.
(Any more information would be much appreciated)

In the replies I received, DIVERTICULITIS &
PSUEDOMEMBRANEOUS COLITIS were mentioned.
Can anyone explain what these are to me?

Also, whatever I have got, be it one of the above,
or IBS, can it be got rid of? And would there be
any potential risks considering my sexual persuasion
(as mentioned in my first posting)

All answers, as before much appreciated.

Regards,
Eddie Chandler.
From: amessing@willamette.edu (Adam Messinger)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Oral vs. Genetial Herpes
Date: 12 Nov 92 19:09:53 GMT
Article-I.D.: willamet.BxMAKH.Ct1
Organization: Willamette University, Salem OR


Is there any difference between the virus that causes oral herpes and the
virus that causes genetial herpes?  If so, how are they different?  If
not, what is the danger of one infection spreading to other parts of the
body?

thanks much

adam
Xref: sparky sci.med:20710 sci.skeptic:19253 talk.origins:13883 aus.politics:1762
From: salter_duke@darwin.ntu.edu.au
Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.skeptic,talk.origins,aus.politics
Subject: Inoculation aggro
Date: 8 Nov 92 09:53:35 +0900

A request for advice for dealing with a local idiot.


A friend of mine is president of the local Deafness Association, 
which is running a campaign to encourage women to be vaccinated against
rubella (German Measles) so as to prevent deafness and other foetal
disorders.

However, this campaign is being attacked by a local loony who is against
all forms of vaccination.  He is using a mixture of hard work (or 
fanaticism), taking very old articles, choosing quotations out of
context, lies & misleading information.   He is fairly literate and the
local paper prints his letters.

The question: should my friend, and the local medical community,
take this nutter on in public debate?  Will he get more publicity
by a debate and have his views more widespread?  Or should they ignore
him?

There is a practical side to this in terms of women unprotected
against rubella, and their children at risk.

Any other advice to pass on to my friend?

Posted to: 
aus.politics (it's happening in Oz)
sci.skeptic (how to deal with nutters)
talk.origins (a lot of experience with a similar technique)
sci.med (it's a medical / public health issue)

Please delete cross-postings as appropriate.

Post or e-mail.

Thanks in advance

Linden

-- 
Linden Salter-Duke		email: SALTER_DUKE@DARWIN.NTU.EDU.AU
Northern Territory University
Darwin, Australia		Snail: Box 40146, Casuarina, NT 0811
From: nyeda@cnsvax.uwec.edu (David Nye)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: "sick" office
Date: 5 Nov 92 07:52:31 GMT
Organization: University of Wisconsin Eau Claire

In article <5TVPTB1w164w@carrera.wvus.org>, pete@carrera.wvus.org (Pete Gregory) writes:
> hi - my wife has had "sinus infection" and "allergy" problems ever since
> she started a new job three months ago.  we're beginning to suspect that
> some chemical or something at work is causing or exacerbating her
> condition.
> 
> specifics: 
> 
>   * three different antibiotics from ear-nose-throat dr. in a month.
>     a sinus x-ray last week confirms for him that there is *no* infection.
>     ergo: allergy.
> 
>   * many smokers are in this office.  some have quit, and my wife's
>     symptoms have gotten somewhat better.  i'm thinking her symptoms are
> 	still with her because of lingering smoke in carpets/drapes/walls,
> 	plus there are still a few smokers around.
> 
>   * this is a less-than-fifty-employees company, so the company gets to
>     make its own rules.  the owner chews, so he's not likely to force
> 	smokers to quit.
> 
> what can we do?  anyone else with similar experiences?  thanks...

Sounds like the "sick building syndrome".  Do others where your
wife works have similar symptoms?  Do the symptoms abate when she
is away from work (like over the weekend)?  If this is in fact the
cause of her symptoms, she may have some recourse through OSHA.

David Nye
nyeda@cnsvax.uwec.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: hunnicu@seq.uncwil.edu (jeff hunnicutt)
Subject: freckles that vanish
Organization: Univ. of North Carolina @ Wilmington
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 19:22:02 GMT

 

 I have question that I'd like ask of the readers of this group.

 I had a smallish, very dark freckle on my lower leg. It had been
 there all my life.  A month or so ago it became very itchy and red
 on the skin surrounding it. I naturally scratched it thinking it
 was bug bite. After some vigorous scratching in my sleep a scab
 formed and the itching subsided in a few days. When the scab fell
 off later the freckle was gone. My question is is this a cause for
 concern? I am fair skinned and spend a pretty good amount of time 
 in the sun during the summer months. Opinions or like experiences
 anyone? Thanks.
-- 
 Jeff Hunnicutt, UNC-Wilmington/Information Systems/Datacommunications 
  \--------------------Wilmington, North Carolina-------------------/   
   hunnic@uncecs.edu hunnicutt@vxc.uncwil.edu hunnicu@seq.uncwil.edu
       "And you and I climb, crossing the shapes of the morning"
From: mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu (Michael Covington)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Those darn antihistamine/decongestants
Date: 12 Nov 92 18:45:38 GMT
Article-I.D.: athena.1992Nov12.184538.29353
Organization: AI Programs, University of Georgia, Athens

I recall reading somewhere that Vitamin C has a weak antihistamine
effect.  Is that true?  If so, could it explain the 'cold cures' that
are attributed to large doses of Vitamin C?

-- 
:-  Michael A. Covington     internet mcovingt@uga.cc.uga.edu 
:-  Artificial Intelligence Programs       phone 706 542-0358
:-  The University of Georgia                fax 706 542-0349
:-  Athens, Georgia 30602-7415 U.S.A.     amateur radio N4TMI
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: yazz@locus.com (Bob Yazz)
Subject: Re: anxiety drugs
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 03:00:16 GMT

fs@cs.tulane.edu (Frank Silbermann) writes:

| Lately, I've read of new classes of drugs (e.g. tricyclics)
| effective for depression which do not have these [ long
| term use-related ] drawbacks.

The tricyclics are not at all new but they are certainly reasonable
for long-term administration.

| In contrast, they take several weeks to become effective,

The sedating effects of the tricyclics (most of them are sedating, to
varying degrees) are pretty immediate.  This sedation may or may not
be useful against anxiety.  By contrast, the anti-depressant effects take
several weeks to kick in.

| and the benefit seems to last for quite a while after the drug
| is discontinued.

Similarly, the sedation goes away pretty quickly but the anti-depressant
effect does not.  It is very common for people who have been on anti-
depressants to later stop taking them, without the return of their
depression at all.

| Are there any drugs for long term _anxiety_
| (and here I am referring to a tendency towards phobia or obsessive worries,
| rather than, say, a generalized malaise) with similar properties?

Anxiety, phobias, obsessive worries, genaralized malaise and depression
are all quite separate things (tho they can occur together).  Different
drugs help different conditions.  What you mean by these terms is not
likely to exactly match the textbook definitions.  That's why you (or
whoever you're asking about) needs to see a doctor.

My armchair guess is that Anafranil (which happens to be a tricyclic) or
Zoloft -- both of which are apropriate for long term administration -- 
might be good choices, were anything indicated at all.  Zoloft would
be the better first choice.  Obviously, this guess is based on grossly
inadequate information.  The point is that there do exist medications that
address absolutely all of the concerns you've raised.

| If so, is there a simple description of the mechanism
| by which they are effective?

Both of these work, in substantial measure, by increasing the effectiveness
of the brains natural serotonin "messages".

So the answer to your stated question is yes, there are drugs that address
your concerns.  The answer to your unstated question is also yes -- go talk
about this with a doctor.

Best Wishes

== Bob Yazz ==
-- 

Welcome to Sci.med -- where-school-of-thought bashing is as old as
sickness itself.
From: wsun@jeeves.ucsd.edu (Fiberman)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: enteritis
Date: 6 Nov 92 18:50:01 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego

Hello, netters

I recently had a case of fever, muscle ache, and headache, all
symptoms of the common flu.  However, the next day I started
getting abdominal pains.  They are intermittent, but when they
came, they were very painful.  That same evening I had to go to
the ER.  They took X-rays and blood samples.  The doctor said
that the blood sample looked OK, and there does not appear to be
obstruction of bowel movement from the X-ray.  However, he said
something about fluid filled sacs in the intestines.  He never
explained if this is the result of a viral infection.  In any
case, he prescribed some donnatol and told me to drink clear
liquids until I can handle solid food again.

Does anyone know if the flu can result in enteritis?  I have
heard of stomach virus before, but never intestinal virus.
Also, I only had a slight case of diarrhea, so it is not likely
to be food poisoning or stomach virus.  The intermittent pain
can probably be explained by the bowel moving pass these
inflammed sacs.  I just don't understand how the virus could
have made its way to the intestines.

-fm