From: ted@dgbt.doc.ca (Ted Grusec)
Subject: Re: Asthma, adult onset
Organization: The Communications Research Centre
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 92 19:20:18 GMT

In article <1ha9jcINN4uf@grapevine.EBay.Sun.COM> greg@antizen.EBay.Sun.COM writes:
>In article 5185@netcom.com, rkaplan@netcom.com (Richard Kaplan) writes:
>> 
>>  greg@antizen.EBay.Sun.COM writes:
>> 
>> >I realized that I had the dreaded 'adult-onset' asthma. This, for anyone
>> >not in the current informational flow about asthma, statistically is
>> >very likely to stay with you for the rest of your life. Childhood asthma
>> >often disappears.
>> 
>> Actually, your entire story is completely consistent with 
>> current, conventional, allopathic diagnosis and treatment of 
>> asthma.  There is no evidence you have given which supports
>> any effect, positive or negative, of your alternative
>> treatments, except lightening of your pockets.
>> 
>> -- 
>> Richard Kaplan M.D.           Medical Software Exchange BBS
>> 806 2nd St. SW # 104          (507) 281-1989 14,400 HST
>> Rochester, MN  55902          (507) 281-1689 Voice
>> PP-ASEL-IA     N4VRB          rkaplan@mayo.edu|netcom.netcom.com  
>
>
>Dr. Kaplan,
>
>What is your official position regarding whether or not homeopathy
>should be allowed to be practiced in this country?
>
>I won't try and grapple with someone so much more educated than myself,
><seriously>. I have been using Ventolin anywhere from 6 to 10 times
>a day (more or less) for 2 years now. It wasn't until I made drastic
>changes to my diet (working with Dr. Elson Haas in San Jose) and then
>began recieving accupuncture treatments that I was even able to stop
>the use of Theophylline (sp?) which had my blood pressure in the range
>of 160/100 to 180/110.
>
>My asthma was basically non-affected by weather changes, except cold, 
>rainy weather where bronchial infections usually occur. I have intentionally
>but reluctantly avoided the use of steroid inhalers but sometimes use
>Chromilin Sodium (sp?).
>
>As an MD obviously opposed to homeopathy, what would you possibly have to 
>offer me that would bring with it the promise of correcting my asthma?
>
>My initial consultation with my ND cost me $105.00. How much would you
>charge me?


I don't want to challenge the conclusions anyone wants to draw for
themselves about any of this.  But the legitimate question Asked by
Dr. Kaplan had to do with acceptable scientific evidence and whether
there was any about alternative treatments for asthma.  Anecdotal
evidence is NOT acceptable evidence for the general case.  For all you
know, your asthma changed for entirely different reasons than the ones
you attribute the changes to, just as the onset of rain after a
raindance  does not constitute acceptable evidence for a causal
linkeage.  I am a severe asthmatic and simply want to know about
good evidence and no amount of anecdotal recounting is going to help
me evaluate appropriately.  For every anecdote about positive effects,
there may be two dozen untold anecdotes about lack of effects, or
about negative effects, due to the same procedures.
-- 
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Ted Grusec - Communications Research Centre, Ottawa, Ont., Canada
Newsgroups: misc.health.alternative