HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mrl@nerus.pfc.mit.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: RE: Sleeping Problem
Date: 28 Sep 92 22:57:43 GMT
Organization: MIT PLASMA FUSION CENTER

In a previous article, sude@hpbbi4.BBN.HP.COM (#Susanne Denninger) wrote:
>I'm currently experiencing the following problem : When going to bed at about
>11 p.m. I fall asleep relatively easily (no problem so far), but then I wake up
>in the middle of the night (e.g. 3 a.m.) and can't go back to sleep again.

I have fibromyalgia, and that is common for people with it.  Lackof serotonin
is theorized as a cause.  Of course, you would have to have the other symptoms
of fibromyalgia, and if you are able to do exercise, you probably don't have
that!

>I've also made sure that I get enough physical exercise during the day, doesn't
>seem to make a difference.

Timing of exercise makes a difference.  I think afternoon is optimum.  If you
exercise too late in the day, it can keep you up.

>What can I do to have an uninterrupted sleep or go back to sleep if I wake up
>during the night ?
> 
>Susanne Denninger
>Hewlett-Packard GmbH, Germany

I try several things.  Meditation/self-hypnosis sometimes works.  If not, I
sometimes try to have a small snack.  I'm not sure of the reason, but this
often works for me.  

Mark
From: bhjelle@carina.unm.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Screening for lead
Date: 2 Oct 92 14:13:48 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

In article <1992Oct2.050751.4640@newshub.ccs.yorku.ca> wc4209@writer.yorku.ca  writes:
>I've read recently a recommendation to screen infants for lead
>poisoning starting from about one year old using "Free erythrocyte
>protoporphyrin (FEP)" as an initial screening test. Anyone have any
>comments on the usefulness or prevalence of this test in everyday
>pediatric or family practice?
>
It is in widespread use for that purpose in pediatrics. Many
consider it the best test for screening for lead exposure.

Brian
From: dyer@spdcc.com (Steve Dyer)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: FDA
Date: 4 Oct 92 05:08:04 GMT
Article-I.D.: spdcc.1992Oct4.050804.21122
Distribution: usa
Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA

In article <KPC.92Oct3172202@zog.arc.nasa.gov> kpc@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov writes:
>who gains from the laws against filling a prescription from out of
>state?  these force non-medical doctors to go to a doctor in state to
>get the same prescription.

What's a "non-medical doctor", someone with a PhD?

In any case, the FDA doesn't have anything to do with laws regulating
dispensing a drug from a prescription written out of state; that lies
with the state Boards of Pharmacy and Medicine which have rules and
conventions about this.  Usually filling Rx's written in contiguous states
is not a problem, but it's a state matter.

>also, who gains from the prescription laws in general?  sometimes i
>must pay scores of dollars in time and money, simply to get a
>signature for a prescription drug or a refill that i already know for
>certain that i need.

I've always called my doctor and asked that a refill be allowed.
S/he can simply call the pharmacy and authorize a refill in most cases;
sometimes an Rx must be delivered later on.  That is, if you both agree
that such additional medication is warranted.  This is frequently no-charge.

>are my health and money losses from this overshadowed by someone
>else's gains?  i suppose some antibiotics might be a public health
>hazard.  but i can't think of other gains that truly offset my losses.

I have no idea.

-- 
Steve Dyer
dyer@ursa-major.spdcc.com aka {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!dyer
Xref: sparky sci.med:18131 misc.fitness:7614 misc.consumers:17256
From: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Journal Question
Date: 29 Sep 92 17:27:00 GMT
Reply-To: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh Computer Science

In article <1992Sep25.055104.21859@techbook.com> kim@techbook.com (Kim Larsen) writes:

>
>Naive question: How do these articles get into medical journals if they're
>junk?  Isn't there some sort of editorial screening?
>

Many different reasons.  The author is powerful.  The reviewer
was ignorant or fooled.  The editor picked an inexpert reviewer.
The journal was of poor quality and takes bad articles.  Lots
of reasons.
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: mdf0@GTE.com (Mark Feblowitz)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: chapped hands
Date: 1 Oct 92 15:51:53 GMT
Reply-To: mfeblowitz@gte.com
Organization: GTE Laboratories Inc.
In-reply-to: hdavies@rx.xerox.com's message of 30 Sep 92 10:49:34 GMT

If you are allergic to the latex, you should make sure that your
doctor knows about this and that it is noted in your medical record
and explicitly mentioned prior to any surgery. If it is a true
allergic reaction (and not just an irritation), you may have a more
severe reaction when these gloves are foraging around in your innards.

--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Feblowitz,   GTE Laboratories Inc., 40 Sylvan Rd.  Waltham, MA 02254
mfeblowitz@GTE.com, (617) 466-2947, fax: (617) 890-9320
Xref: sparky sci.med:18512 sci.med.nutrition:767
From: white@cattell.psych.upenn.edu (Janet White)
Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.med.nutrition
Subject: SHINGLES
Date: 5 Oct 92 16:49:25 GMT
Followup-To: sci.med
Organization: University of Pennsylvania

A friend was diagnosed with shingles about two weeks ago. The shingles
affected her right eye (very swollen, inc. face; red rash; right eye
closed shut; blisters; much pain).

My questions:

- what would perpetrate a severe and specific shingles attack on an
	otherwise healthy person so suddenly?

- could there possibly be any connection between the taking of an
	antidepressant (Pamelar, 3 1/2 months so far with good results)
	and immune system suppression, thus making one suddenly
	more susceptible to a virus which may have been lying 
	dormant for many years?

- is this contagious? If one is recovering from shingles, could it
	still be passed on to others by physical contact?

- is it recommended that one have their eyes (esp. corneas)
	checked frequently after one has eye shingles affecting
	the eyes? Is there a distinct possibility of corneal damage?


I would appreciate any information you might have re: this.

Thank you.

- Janet White
Xref: sparky sci.med:18530 sci.med.nutrition:770
From: mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu (Michael Covington)
Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.med.nutrition
Subject: Re: Homeopathy
Date: 5 Oct 92 18:53:36 GMT
Organization: AI Program, University of Georgia, Athens

Paul Thagard once pointed out that the _real_ problem with astrology
is not that it doesn't work -- nor even that nobody knows how it *might*
work.

The problem is that its proponents don't *care* how it might work or
how to test it.  They just propound a few untestable or untested dogmas
and leave it at that.

The same could be said of numerous kinds of "alternative medicine."

-- 
:- Michael A. Covington     internet mcovingt@uga.cc.uga.edu 
:- Artificial Intelligence Programs       phone 706 542-0359
:- The University of Georgia                fax 706 542-0349
:- Athens, Georgia 30602 U.S.A.          amateur radio N4TMI
From: dyer@spdcc.com (Steve Dyer)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: low thyroid levels, but not hypothyroid
Date: 1 Oct 92 20:36:50 GMT
Article-I.D.: spdcc.1992Oct1.203650.13930
Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA

In article <BONNIE.92Oct1102143@aigyptos.nmsu.edu> bonnie@nmsu.edu (Bonnie Hargrave) writes:
>Speaking just as a patient, wouldn't it better just to take regular
>thryoid tests and monitor the patient's condition

Well, this is probably one of the most common actions.

>instead of giving
>them pills which, as I understand it, may influence the working of
>their thyroid in the future?  I had thought that once the body starts
>receiving thyroxin supplement that there is some danger it will depend
>upon that supplementation and make even less thyroid hormone than it
>did previous to supplementation/medication.

While giving exogenous thyroid hormone to otherwise healthy people
does suppress the thyroid's own production of the hormone, I don't
believe that there is a state of prolonged suppression after these
supplements are stopped.  You might be confusing this with adrenal
insufficiency if prolonged corticosteroid therapy is stopped suddenly.
(I might be wrong here; corrections welcome.)

-- 
Steve Dyer
dyer@ursa-major.spdcc.com aka {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!dyer
From: hrubin@pop.stat.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Chest pain
Date: 2 Oct 92 13:58:30 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Statistics Department

In article <16689@pitt.UUCP> geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks) writes:
>I received the following from a person who wanted to remain
>anonymous.  I told the person that this is not in my area of
>expertise but I would post it for comment.  Please don't
>send me any email about it.  Post your response.


|>I hope someone can give me some insight to my problem.  Last year (Apr 91) I 
|>had a very sharp pain in my chest.  I was driving and had to pull over.  It 
|>didn't last very long. After that I had pain throughout my chest area, but 
|>never as sharp as that first one.  I finally went to a "local" doctor who 
|>hooked me up to an EKG or ECG and monitored my heart.  He also sent me for an 
|>upper GI and x-rays of my stomach!  When I went back for the results, he said 
|>he forgot to order x-rays of my chest (which was what hurt!!) and that I would 
|>need to go back.  Since I had already spent over $500 and missed work 3-4 times
|>for his appointments, I just didn't go back.  He never told me one single thing
|>about what was or could be wrong with me.  He did mention stress but I have 
|>these pains during relaxing times too.  

|>I am still having these pains, sometimes worse than others, after over a year
|>later.  I am 27, no history of heart trouble before, haven't found anything 
|>specifically that brings on these pains (like at similiar time of day or 
|>activity), and I'm female.  I'm not sure what other info to tell.  The pains 
|>are in different areas of my chest, not just around the heart area.  Sometimes 
|>pains are on left side, sometimes on right side near heart area, and sometimes 
|>pains feel like they are under my rib cage on either side.

|>Do you have any idea what could be causing these pains in my chest?  
|>Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

I will add my personal experience to the information which has been posted,
and I wish to emphasize it should be taken as such.  In my case, no tests
of any kind have been performed, and my worst experience was *35* years 
ago, resulting in a house call in the wee hours of the morning.

At any rate, the diagnosis was a nerve so situated that it would rub against
a rib, causing the appearance of a pain stimulus at the "normal" site for
such stimuli to use that communication channel.  I do not know if this can
even be tested now; possibly the neurologists on the net can comment.
-- 
Herman Rubin, Dept. of Statistics, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette IN47907-1399
Phone: (317)494-6054
hrubin@pop.stat.purdue.edu (Internet, bitnet)  
{purdue,pur-ee}!pop.stat!hrubin(UUCP)
From: bonnie@nmsu.edu (Bonnie Hargrave)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Revisit the EBV syndrome, briefly?  How 'bout hepititus?
Date: 6 Oct 92 16:19:46 GMT
Distribution: sci
Organization: Computing Research Lab


Sorry it took me so long to correct question 2 in my original.  Our
mail server has been kaput for a while.

I'm all wrong on the hepatitis reasoning.  The reason this test was
suggested is because of high levels for SGOT and S**T (can't remember
the acronym) which, I guess, refer to liver function.  When the doc
threw these numbers out, the terms had no meaning to me and so didn't
stick with me.  But the question remains, does it follow that a
hepatitis test might be in order?  I'm wondering why the doctor didn't
even mention the possibility...unless it's just that she doesn't take
me seriously, which seems likely.
--

		bonnie@nmsu.edu         
		Bonnie Hargrave        
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: chet@coplex.com (Chester Massie)
Subject: Re: low thyroid levels, but not hypothyroid
Organization: Copper Electronics, Inc.
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 04:55:49 GMT

rind@binoc.bih.harvard.edu (David Rind) writes:

>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...

>There is a non-quack position on what I believe some people call 
>subclinical hypothyroidism.  This is in patients with normal levels
>of thyroid hormone (and who clinically seem normal) but who have
>high levels of TSH, as if the brain is pushing a thyroid gland that
>is beginning to fail.  Some people think that these patients should
>be treated with thyroid hormone for a number of reasons (including
>effects on lipid metabolism and the concern that they could develop
>clinical hypothyroidism without anyone noticing).
>-- 
>David Rind
>rind@binoc.bih.harvard.edu


   Could you elaborate on "effects on lipid metabolism"?
   Thanks.	


-- 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chester Massie      ...uunet!coplex!chet or chet@coplex.com
Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.bio
From: Kirk.Smith@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Kirk Smith)
Subject: Re: Eliminating the need to sleep?
Organization: Extended Bulletin Board Service
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 19:34:29 GMT

I'm involved in a program to gradually reduce the amount of sleep I get
every night.  It's as follows:

    Pre-Med Student, Med-Student, Med Resident

As the workload keeps increasing, I get less and less sleep, although I must
admit I'm not particularly thrilled with it.  :-)  :-)  :-)

-Kirk

--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  bbs.oit.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
From: wender@top.cis.syr.edu (Elaine Wenderholm)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Mail-Order Prescriptions
Date: 26 Sep 92 12:44:01 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Syracuse University

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?

thanks,
Elaine
wender@top.cis.syr.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: sue@netcom.com (Sue Miller)
Subject: Munchausen's-by-proxy [was Re: "Problem Patient"]
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 17:56:18 GMT

In article <1992Oct3.165712.17082@spdcc.com> dyer@spdcc.com (Steve Dyer) writes:
> [...]
>An even more horrific manifestation of this syndrome is Munchausen's-by-
>proxy, when a parent or guardian uses their _child_ in an attempt to
>subject him/her to unnecessary medical attention (including invasive
>procedures).
>

My daughter was cared for by a woman whom I now suspect suffers from
Munchausen's-by-proxy.  I just got increasingly worried by the number of
incidents that seemed to happen to her daughter.  Then she was
hospitalized quite often during her second pregnancy.  All in all
she seemed a very good daycare provider, and she had a degree in
education, but she was just a bit *weird*.  I finally put Laura in
a preschool because the last "incident" involved paramedics (shopping
cart falling on top of her child).  I have no evidence, but...
From: doyle+@pitt.edu (Howard R Doyle)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Med school
Date: 28 Sep 92 12:05:22 GMT
Organization: Pittsburgh Transplant Institute

In article <1992Sep27.151614.24095@dragon.acadiau.ca> 901371d@dragon.acadiau.ca (D.N.D) writes:
>
> I've heard of people taking pre-med and of people getting
>into med school with a degree in the Arts.
> I find those two statements contradictive.Is a pre-med program
>needed to get into medicine,or could someone get in with say
>an Engineering degree or computer science degree?
> I know that sounds funny,but I think a computer science degree
>would and could be very helpful in the profession.
> Simple and complex algorithms could be used for many different
>biological and chemical simulations.


Doesn't sound funny at all, and I think you're absolutely right.

Having had a straight biology background myself, my personal bias is that
you should first study a different field and then come into medicine. That
way you bring a different perspective, and more diverse tools.

As for your question, you don't need a traditional "pre-med" to get into
medical school. Any degree will do, as long as you have taken the minimal
pre-requisites (some math, biology and chemistry) that the specific medical
school requires.

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

Howard Doyle
doyle+@pitt.edu
From: mdf0@GTE.com (Mark Feblowitz)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Allergies/air cleaners
Date: 29 Sep 92 21:11:37 GMT
Reply-To: mfeblowitz@gte.com
Distribution: usa
Organization: GTE Laboratories Inc.

I just did a quick once-over of this month's Consumer Reports article
on air cleaners. They correctly pointed out that the Enviracaire is
noisy at the high and low settings. There is one out now that has a
continuous speed control. I don't know if/how this effects the noise.
The article also points out that the Enviracaire also has no
legs/feet. I have been able to quiet it a bit by placing
adhesively-attached rubber feet on the bottom. 

I still prefer the HEPA to the electrostatic filters, especially when
comparing $150-250 against $399. Yes, I know that the filter is
expensive, but it lasts for 5 years (perhaps longer when not used
continuously?).
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Feblowitz,   GTE Laboratories Inc., 40 Sylvan Rd.  Waltham, MA 02254
mfeblowitz@GTE.com, (617) 466-2947, fax: (617) 890-9320
From: hrubin@pop.stat.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Excess Of Vitamin C?
Date: 30 Sep 92 17:12:06 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Statistics Department

In article <16642@pitt.UUCP> geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks) writes:
>In article <4283.466.uupcb@wugate.wustl.edu> carl.camurca%travel@wugate.wustl.edu (Carl Camurca) writes:

			..........................

>When Pauling's book on vitamin C came out, he recommended 1 gram
>per day.  After they did studies with 1 gram per day showing no
>effect on the frequency of colds in normal volunteers, he said,
>"well, it really is 4 grams per day".  So they did those experiments,
>still no better than placebo.  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.  His urine
>must corrode his commode something awful.

Evolved or devolved?  I recall an article on vitamin C in those animals
which make their own, of which the higher primates are among the few
exceptions.  One of the statements in that article was that rats produce
an amount of vitamin C corresponding to 50 grams/day in humans.  

Our distant ancestors managed to survive without the ability to make
this simple substance out of glucose.  But how much is desirable for
various purposes, other than a few obvious deficiency diseases, is 
far from clear.  The "optimal" amount to take may depend on circumstances;
studies not based on the mere cure of disease are needed.
-- 
Herman Rubin, Dept. of Statistics, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette IN47907-1399
Phone: (317)494-6054
hrubin@pop.stat.purdue.edu (Internet, bitnet)  
{purdue,pur-ee}!pop.stat!hrubin(UUCP)
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: mdkline@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Mark D. Kline)
Subject: Re: Med school
Organization: Syracuse University
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 92 12:26:31 EDT

In article <1992Sep27.151614.24095@dragon.acadiau.ca> 901371d@dragon.acadiau.ca (D.N.D) writes:
> I've heard of people taking pre-med and of people getting
>into med school with a degree in the Arts.
> I find those two statements contradictive.Is a pre-med program
>needed to get into medicine,or could someone get in with say
>an Engineering degree or computer science degree?
> I know that sounds funny,but I think a computer science degree
>would and could be very helpful in the profession.
> Simple and complex algorithms could be used for many different
>biological and chemical simulations.

Not strange at all.  Some of my brightest med school classmates had
degrees in humanities or social sciences (history, english,
anthropology).  I personally think pre-meds should get to be well
rounded educated people prior to going to medical school, because
medical school certainly will not make you well rounded.  
My own undergraduate degree was in religious studies;  I'd do it again 
if I had it to do over.  


--
================================================================= 
mark kline                              mdkline@rodan.acs.syr.edu
suny health science center, syracuse    voice: (315) 422-1050
================ courtesy of syracuse university ================
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: nancy@genie.slhs.udel.edu (Nancy Lebovitz)
Subject: Re: "Problem Patient"
Organization: UDel, School of Life & Health Sciences
Distribution: usa
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 13:52:30 GMT

In article <16724@pitt.UUCP> km@cs.pitt.edu (Ken Mitchum) writes:
>In article <1992Oct1.235834.19874@athena.cs.uga.edu> mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu (Michael Covington) writes:
>>In article <16692@pitt.UUCP> geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks) writes:
>>
>
>Pseudoseizures are not at all uncommon. They are one of the
>greatest attention-getting mechanisms among some patients.
>
>I have had only a couple of patients with Munchaussen's syndrome,
>but they are the absolute worst patients to take care of - worse than
>people who somaticize. Munchaussen's patients go from hospital
>to hospital, faking complaints and screwing up tests, and become
>quite indignant when confronted with what they are doing. They
>can easily spend half a million of your tax dollars a year
>getting worked up for God knows what, all totally unnecessary.
>
>It takes some courage to put this diagnosis on the chart, but
>once you do it, you can save a lot of people down the road some
>real grief. And some money.

How do you tell the difference between someone with Munchausen's and
someone with a problem you don't know how to diagnose? (I'll take your
word for it that Munchausen's exists, but I've also heard too many
horror stories from people who got told their real diseases were
delusional.)

                                   ---Nancy Lebovitz

>
> -km