HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: stroke
Date: 9 Sep 92 15:02:16 GMT
Organization: Decision Systems Laboratory, Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA.

In article <1992Sep7.214549.17066@ultb.isc.rit.edu> jnynge@ritvax.isc.rit.edu writes:
>A childhood friend who is now 40 recently had a stroke.  His left side
>was affected and his arm is without much movement.  He is able to
>walk a little with a brace and walker.  He is not able to speak.  
>  I really know very little about stroke rehab.  It seems
> that for limbs, physical therapy can have a big impact but what
>can be done if the person is unable to speak?
>   This man has 3 small children and a very close knit family who
>are just devastated by this.  I think I'm looking for hope to convey
>to them.

Was he left handed?  It is unusual for a right hander to be
aphasic (I assume that is the reason he can't speak.  Can
he write?  Read?  Comprehend?) after a stroke paralyzing the
left side.  There is speech therapy, which can help but not
work miracles.  The brain often recovers much speech function
on its own.  It takes weeks to months but not years.
If he is not aphasic, but just dysarthric, the outlook is
much better.  

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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: john@anasazi.com (John R. Moore)
Subject: Re: Xanax
Reply-To: john@anasazi.com
Organization: Anasazi Inc, Phoenix AZ USA
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 17:22:24 GMT

Keywords: 

In article <1992Sep4.185731.8543@equator.com> jod@equator.com (John Setel O'Donnell) writes:
]Psychiatric patients are given drugs to mask or numb the effects of
]old traumas -- overwhelmingly, parental abuse, abandonment, or
]enmeshment.  Giving the drugs allows everyone to avoid noticing or
]confronting this reality.  
]
]Cancer patients are given drugs to kill cancer cells.  
]
]Cancer is a physical disease.  
]
]Psychiatric "brain imbalances" are emotional diseases.  They are more
]properly served with empathic psychotherapy.  Yes, they have physical
]encodings in neurotransmitter levels, just as our entire cognition and
]emotional life has physical encoding in the brain.  However, it's the
]suppressed experiences which are the problem, not the encoding.  Try
]
]--
]I mentioned in my first posting on this subject that there seemed to
]be a lot of ad-hominem attacks on anyone holding the views I've put
]forth.  My experience since has confirmed this.  Why can this
]discussion not be conducted without ridicule?

I don't know about your first posting, but this one has truly dogmatic
assertions which are counter to the spirit of scientific medicine.
To say that all psychiatric illnesses are the result of old traumas
is to deny a large and rapidly growing body of evidence to the
contrary. Yes, old traumas can cause psychiatric illness. No, old
traumas do not cause all psychiatric illness (consider Alzheimer's) 
or even most major psychiatric illnesses.

Thus, your posting contains assertions more properly associated with
religion than medicine.
-- 
John Moore NJ7E, 7525 Clearwater Pkwy, Scottsdale, AZ 85253  (602-951-9326)
john@anasazi.com ncar!noao!asuvax!anasaz!john anasaz!john@asuvax.eas.asu.edu
 - - Support ALL ...erk  glugh   mmpph.... Memory fault (core dumped)
From: libman@phad.hsc.usc.edu (Marlena Libman)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: TMJ (temporal mandibular joint syndrom(sp?)) What are symptoms?
Date: 11 Sep 1992 12:11:24 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: phad.hsc.usc.edu

In article <16435@pitt.UUCP> geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks) writes:
>In article <18mh45INNd89@darkstar.UCSC.EDU> starfish@ucscb.UCSC.EDU writes:
>>
>>The header says it all. The reason I'm asking is because I believe
>>I might be suffering from this.
>
>Pain in the joint, usually with clicking, worsened by chewing.

Can be painless, too.  X-rays showed that my right jaw completely dislocates
upon opening but the only effect is a click noise, and on occasion, a
double click.  Once in a great while, I'll have pain when biting down, even
with soft foods, but that disappears after a few days.  Still don't know
if this is technically TMJ or just a congenital joint problem.  Anyhow,
painful or not, all jaw situations involving clicking or crackling sounds
seem to be lumped under the TMJ umbrella.

			--Marlena
From: geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Eye problems
Date: 11 Sep 92 19:52:44 GMT
Organization: Decision Systems Laboratory, Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA.

In article <3556@ra.nrl.navy.mil> lingane@i5160e.nrl.navy.mil (Kayleen Lingane) writes:
>My husband has been having a strange thing happen with his eyes.  I would
>like to know its anything to worry about.  One of his eyes dialates, and
>stays that way for a few hours.
>He went to an optometrist on Saturday, he told her it had been happening, but
>it wasn't happening at the time and she couldn't find a problem.
>He wears extended wear contacts, and doesn't take them out or clean them as
>often as he should.  The dialation happened again last night when he wasn't
>even wearing his contacts, but had been all day.
>Should he go to an ophthalmologist or another kind of doctor???

Optometrists are only for testing for refractive correction, not
for disease of the eye.  An ophthalmologist is indicated.  See if
there is some substance he is getting into his eye, perhaps a
medication, by handling it and then rubbing his eye.  THis usually
happens with nurses.  




-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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: djh@osc.edu (David Heisterberg)
Subject: Re: Politics and sci.med (was: unc health care study)
Organization: The Ohio Supercomputer Center
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 15:33:09 GMT

In article <flvnj__.strnlght@netcom.com> strnlght@netcom.com (David Sternlight) writes:
>Steve Dyer's latest message says more about him out of his own mouth
>than I could possibly do, so there's no need for more than this
>one-sentence response to it.

There wasn't really even a need for that.

In the course of, what, a week?, some of the most intelligent and well-
reasoned -- or so I thought -- persons in this group have been remotely
psychoanalyzed and found to be dogmatic, combative, childish, and just
plain stoopid!  Shows how much I know.
-- 
David J. Heisterberg (djh@osc.edu)       What men value is not rights
The Ohio Supercomputer Center            but privileges.
Columbus, Ohio                             -- H.L. Mencken
From: sss@netcom.com (Small Systems Solutions)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Depression: Nutritional treatments
Date: 9 Sep 92 21:40:56 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)

In article <1992Sep9.164410.5128@spdcc.com> dyer@spdcc.com (Steve Dyer) writes:
>
>>Any comments on an amino acid angle in
>>the treatment of depression (specifically, tryptophan and tyrosine)?
>
>There has been a lot of recurrent interest in the use of tryptophan
>as an antidepressant, but the results so far have been equivocal.
>It is difficult to differentiate the antidepressant effects of the
>drug from placebo treatment, and its effects are inferior to established
>medications.  I don't think there's much evidence that tyrosine works
>as an antidepressant.

You are mistaken.  Double-blind studies have been conducted with
L-Phenylalanine and L-Tyrosine.  I'm sure someone can dredge up
the citation -- L-P was at least as effective as the most commonly
prescribed drugs.  

One of the side-effects with Phenylalanine that did not occur with
Tyrosine was an increase in Blood Pressure.  Abd folks with PKU know
better than to take it....  As folks with melanoma shouldn;t take
Tyrosine.
-- 
Small Systems Solutions                   1563 Solano Avenue, Suite 123
sss@netcom.com                                  Berkeley, CA 94707-2116

The above-expressed opinions aren't necessarily
From: geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Politics and sci.med (was: unc health care study)
Date: 9 Sep 92 14:13:06 GMT
Organization: Decision Systems Laboratory, Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA.

In article <1992Sep5.022641.17657@wolves.uucp> wolfe@wolves.uucp (G. Wolfe Woodbury) writes:
>
>Dear Gordon:
>
>	We have to put up with all this "garbage" (as you so quaintly
>put it) because the group has NOT seen fit to vote in another newsgroup
>in which to put the health-care related politics.
>

Let's say "the net" not "the group".  Voting was not restricted
to this group.  

>	Two years ago, talk.politics.aids failed *due to a lack of a
>quorum*.  This year, talk.politics.health (or something like that)
>failed *due to the lack of a margin*.
>
>	If you don't want this stuff here, then get off your buttocks
>and organize a newsgroup campaign for a group to hold this discussion.
>
Wait a minute.  I would say that from those votes it looks like 
people don't want to hear this crap.  But you are saying we have 
to vote you a soapbox or you are going to keep plaguing us with
these garbage posts?  You have your politics groups.  Why don't
you post your political campaign statements there?  If you want
to discuss health related politics here, you are welcome to do so,
but I for one don't welcome mass postings of campaign statements
to science groups.  That is not a discussion, it is campaigning,
which is even worse than advertising.
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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: levin@bbn.com (Joel B Levin)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: 15 min phobia cures (was Re: Xanax)
Date: 11 Sep 92 16:32:19 GMT
NNTP-Posting-Host: bbn.com

strnlght@netcom.com (David Sternlight) writes:
|      Nevertheless they were cured, in some cases on a public
|stage in front of a large audience of neutral witnesses.

If the subject were claustrophobic would they verify the cure by
sticking him in a box for a few hours, or what?  And who followed up
to see if the were still 'cured' 15 minutes or 15 hours or 15 days
later?

	/JBL
=
Nets: levin@bbn.com  |  "There were sweetheart roses on Yancey Wilmerding's
POTS: (617)873-3463  |  bureau that morning.  Wide-eyed and distraught, she
              N1MNF  |  stood with all her faculties rooted to the floor."
                     |					-- S. J. Perelman
From: yazz@locus.com (Bob Yazz)
Subject: Re: Depression: Nutritional treatments
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 20:19:13 GMT

dyer@spdcc.com (Steve Dyer) writes:

| sss@netcom.com (Small Systems Solutions) writes:
|
| >You are mistaken.  Double-blind studies have been conducted with
| >L-Phenylalanine and L-Tyrosine.  I'm sure someone can dredge up
| >the citation -- L-P was at least as effective as the most commonly
| >prescribed drugs.  
| 
| The fact that a drug can't be patented isn't an obstacle to a drug company
| making LOTS of money (despite the amino-acid fanatics' claims that this is
| the big conspiracy)--just look at the use of l-DOPA in Parkinsonism.

Psychiatrists cannot treat with amino acids without risking their
reputations.  That's a Much bigger obstacle than unpatentability.

When l-DOPA was seized upon (in the 60's wasn't it?) as a very important
traeatment for Parkinsonism, amino acids weren't associated with "that
vitamin advocacy crowd".  And the stuff was made a prescription drug.  

| How's this: NO ONE should be self-treating themselves with megadoses
| of amino acids.

It's gramatically incorrect, since you asked.  It's also imprecise.
And you missed an apostrophe in the word "and" when you wrote
"Durk 'n Sandy".


What's making you so net.crabby of late?  First the guy whose
hypnotherapist, working adjunctively with his neurologist, obtained
substantial migraine relief gets raked over the coals as tho he were
selling NLP like an Amway product, and now this.  I'd think you'd be
curious about the literature citations on l-p being "at least as
effective as the commonly prescribed drugs".  I certainly am.

Your rancor is overwhelming your icy wit, clear writing and technical
accuracy that all your sci.med fans, myself included, look forward to!

Best Wishes

== Bob Yazz ==
-- 

"You can put lipstick on a hog, and call it 'Monique', but it's still a pig."

-- Ann Richards, the wildly popular, Harley Riding Governor of Texas
From: jap@cbnews.cb.att.com (james.a.parker)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Xanax
Date: 10 Sep 92 21:16:06 GMT
Organization: AT&T

In article <16420@pitt.UUCP> geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks) writes:
>In science, it is the person making the claims of the cure that
>is obligated to provide the evidence, not the skeptic.

This is true; however readers should note that it is equally true if the claims
are that the cure is ineffective as well as effective.

Thus, for example, both the claim that "X is effective in dealing with Y," and
"X is useless in dealing with Y," may not reasonably be made without
substantiation; however the statements "I am not convinced that X is effective
in dealing with Y" or "The evidence presented does not demonstrate that X is
ineffective in dealing with Y" do not require such evidence.

While it is frequently pointed out that unsubstantiated claims of effectiveness
are not "scientific", unfortunately many of those who attack such claims err
in claims of actual ineffectiveness without substantiation.

It would benefit all readers of this group if unsubstantiated claims on both
sides could be avoided, and attacks kept to a minimum.  Of course that is
probably far too much to ask for this group's participants :-).

                                       James Parker
                                       jap@cb1focus.att.com
From: geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Baclofen
Date: 9 Sep 92 13:59:28 GMT
Organization: Decision Systems Laboratory, Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA.

In article <h2mnx4#.lindae@netcom.com> lindae@netcom.com writes:
>
>  
>Is anyone familiar with the drug called Baclofen?  If so, I'd like to
>know what it is, what it's used to treat, and any possible side effects.
>
It is a drug used mainly to treat spasticity, but also used for
a severe facial pain called trigeminal neuralgia.  Side effects
are usually not seen, but it can cause encephalopathy, dizziness
and drowsiness.  If spastic patients are overdosed, they may become
weak.  It has an effect on GABA, but Steve can tell you all about that
better than I.



-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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: strnlght@netcom.com (David Sternlight)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Phobias, NLP, etc (was Re: Xanax)
Date: 14 Sep 92 22:10:52 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)


Mark Kline's use of the phrase "Like shit it does" in a serious discussion
disqualifies him from any further serious consideration by me. Others
may disagree, and we will doubtless see a piece of sophistry posted
here which tries to make me wrong for this post, but as far as I
am concerned he is not worth further attention in this discussion.
He has juvenilized himself.
From: ekirby@buckeye.boeing.com (Elizabeth Kirby)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Ankylosing spondylitis
Date: 11 Sep 92 17:41:56 GMT
Reply-To: ekirby@buckeye.boeing.com (Elizabeth Kirby)

Hi,

	Does anyone know anything about ankylosing spondylitis?   I
know at this point that it's a form of arthritis which affects the
spine.   I'm especially interested in understanding the immunology
and genetics involved, finding good sources of information on it
(such as pointers to books) and (of course) information on treatments,
especially for pain.

	Thanks much,	Beth
From: jamesp@cs.uwa.oz.au (James Pinakis)
Subject: Rhinitis - What is it?
Organization: Dept. Computer Science, University of Western Australia.
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 12:22:51 GMT

After suffering from sneezing fits / runny nose / itchy eyes for about
two days every fortnight for the last six months I visited my doctor who
diagnosed me as having rhinitis.  He prescribed me Atrovent (ipratropium
bromide) spray.  Could someone tell me exactly what rhinitis is?  Is it just
a way of saying I have inflamed nasal passages without specifying any
particular cause? If so, does the Atrovent merely treat the symptom and not
the cause? Has anyone else had exprience with Atrovent?  Should I watch out
for any side-effects or interactions with other drugs?

james
From: zhu@ee.latrobe.edu.au (Xiaoyuan Zhu)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Ask about a new treatment of MND
Date: 13 Sep 92 09:36:23 GMT
Organization: Department of Electronic Engineering, La Trobe University

I heard that there was a breakthrough in treatments of MND (Moter Neurone
Disease, or ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) recently. 
It was reported in ``Nature'' which was a journal published in Britain. 
(I am not sure, since I have not found the article in ``Nature''). 
By doing experiments on mice, scientists in German successfully found a 
certain protein which can cure MND. Doctors in Washington University in
St. Louis in US have used the therapy on MND patients. Could anyone give me
detailed information about it ? Is this therapy available in any hospitals ?
Thank you very much in advance.
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: yazz@locus.com (Bob Yazz)
Subject: Re: FDA/ Amino Acids/ Smart Drugs
Keywords: amino acids   FDA   alternative approaches
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 05:44:46 GMT

kja@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (krista.j.anderson) writes:

| Just out of curiosity, do amino acids contribute calories to the
| diet the way protein does?

Yes, they do.  But at 4 calories per gram they don't amount to much.

Best Wishes

== Bob Yazz ==
-- 

"You can put lipstick on a hog, and call it 'Monique', but it's still a pig."

-- Ann Richards, the wildly popular, Harley Riding Governor of Texas
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: yazz@locus.com (Bob Yazz)
Subject: Re: Acne.  What can be done?
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1992 03:17:26 GMT

karlth@rhi.hi.is (Karl Thoroddsen) writes:

| I have had a acne problem for 8 years
| So my question is this:  What can be done?

Take a course of Accutane.  As a male (if I may presume that from your
first name), you won't have birth defects to worry about.  Your problem
will be gone in a few months.

== Bob Yazz ==
-- 

"You can put lipstick on a hog, and call it 'Monique', but it's still a pig."

-- Ann Richards, the wildly popular, Harley Riding Governor of Texas
From: geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Re: What are the symptoms of Epstein-Barr virus?
Date: 9 Sep 92 14:19:31 GMT
Organization: Decision Systems Laboratory, Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA.

In article <1992Sep4.213129.21580@anasazi.com> john@anasazi.com writes:
>Keywords: 
>
>The EBV test can tell if the infection is current or not. I don't know
>how, but I have had one and it was composed of several different tests
>with a set of rules for interpreting them.

You can get acute and convalescent titres that can tell you that,
or you can actually culture viruses (not easy).  Most people
with CFS do not have any such acute and convalenscent titres changes
that indicate an active infection was present.  They merely have
high titres to EBV which likely reflect a non-specific hightened
immune response.  Brian can probably tell you more about this than
I can.
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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: geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Weight loss => arthritis?
Date: 15 Sep 92 22:12:42 GMT
Organization: Decision Systems Laboratory, Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA.

In article <18r1b2INNi5q@darkstar.UCSC.EDU> kjell@cse.ucsc.edu (Kjell Post) writes:
>
>About a year ago I lost 60 lbs over a period of a few months.
>My current weight is now 180 lbs which is considered normal for my frame.
>But now I'm experiencing arthritis-like symptoms: tender feet, swollen
>toes and fingers etc.  
>Can this possibly have something to do with the release of toxins
>from fat cells?  

More likely to be your joints are more accessible to cosmic
rays without your fat to shield you.  Seriously, no one has
ever shown that normal people release significant toxins from
fat cells when dieting.  I suppose if you were seriously poisoned at some
time in the past it could theoretically happen, but then again,
arthritis is not one of the symptoms of poisoning.  Most of these
are neurologic, GI, or dermatologic.  The joints are not very
susceptible to toxins as they aren't tissues with either a high
metabolic rate or a high rate of cell division.
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
Subject: Re: Baclofen
From: RGINZBERG@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Ruth Ginzberg)
Date: 10 Sep 92 18:07:08 EDT
 <DRAND.92Sep10104831@spinner.osf.org> <1992Sep10.152156.29879@spdcc.com>
Distribution: world
Organization: Philosophy Dept., Wesleyan University
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.20In-Reply-To: dyer@spdcc.com's message of 10 Sep 92 15:21:56 GMTLines: 15

In <1992Sep10.152156.29879@spdcc.com> dyer@spdcc.com writes:
> No, it's saying that baclofen _acts_ like a natural chemical in your
> brain or spinal cord (GABA), and by adding to the inhibition already
> effected by GABA, it damps the spinal reflexes which contribute to
> spasticity.

please excuse my naivete, but is this one of that new bunch of
computer-designed pharmacueticals that is explicitly tailored to "fit" certain
receptors, thereby either augmenting or (sometimes) displacing the chemicals
that usually bind there?  i understand there is quite a lot of interest in CAD
of these drugs/substances/molecules.

------------------------
Ruth Ginzberg <rginzberg@eagle.wesleyan.edu>
Philosophy Department;Wesleyan University;USA
Newsgroups: sci.med