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Alexa Fleckenstein M.D.

Blog: On Health. On Writing. On Life. On Everything.

My Neighbor Is Sick

June 22, 2011
Tags: food, order, abdominal pain, addictive, aging - premature, appreciating, artificial molecules, book, bowel, cancer, car, cell phone, chewing, cholecystitis, colors, computer, constipation, Conversation, dairy, diet, dinner table, dispute, distraction, eggs, fiber, fish, flavors, food - inflammatory, fork, fruit drink, gallbladder inflammation, game, Grace, HFCS, high blood pressure, high fructose corn syrup, high-protein diet, hunger, inflammation, ipod, iron-fortified, kidneys - compromised, kidney stones, meal, meat, mindful eating, mouth, My Neighbor Is Sick, nature, neighbor, newspaper, osteoporosis, pounds, preservatives, protein, public transportation, Radio, religion, roughage, savoring, sitting down at the table, soft drink, spoon, starch - white, stress, sugar, supermarket, table – set the, taste enhancers, Tibetans Alternative, TV, vegetable, vitamin-enhanced, water – drinking enough, weight gain, Weight Loss
My neighbor suddenly has abdominal pain – on the right, under his rib cage. Now there are many reasons to have that kind of pain, and he of course needs a check-up with his doctor – very soon. Today. The doctor will hopefully soon find out what ails the neighbor - but here are some ideas. Because the other piece of information is that he has been on a diet for a while - a high-protein diet. After having made sure he sought an immediate appointment with his doctor, I gave him a piece of my mind: No diet is a short-cut for good, healthy, everyday eating habits. “But I already lost eight pounds!” he said. Eight pounds lost weight does not prove that one is healthy! It always puzzles me: People who would never feed their car the wrong octane fuel, seemingly give little thought to what is healthy fuel for their own bodies and thus constantly violate the laws of Nature. These are the most frequent bad consequences of the ill-advised high-protein diet (and I have seem them all!): • Constipation. The bowel needs roughage to function according to plan. Protein is digested more thoroughly than fiber, leaving little substance in the intestines lumen to push matters forward, which will lead to impaction can lead to a plugging-up of the whole plumbing system. • Gallbladder inflammation (cholecystitis). High protein diets are often also high in fat, which may drive the gallbladder into overdrive. This can cause inflammation and/or move stones. • Kidney stones. High protein can lead to kidney stones, especially in already somewhat compromised kidneys – which come naturally with aging. At any rate, drinking enough water is always advisable. A high-protein in the long one has been shown to promote premature aging, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and cancer – neither of which plays a likely role in my neighbor’s present affliction. Whatever he has, he needs to reassess what he is doing to his health. And I am sure after this scare, he will. We have talked about diet and healthy eating here often, so I can make this short: • Vegetables, vegetables, vegetables! • No artificial molecules (sweeteners, flavors, colors, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, taste enhancers, vitamin-enhanced, iron-fortified, soft or fruit drinks, etc.). • No dairy – because it is the most ubiquitous inflammatory and unnecessary food there is. • No sugar and white starch; they are addictive and put the pounds on you. • Have a modest intake of meat, fish and eggs. In order to turn around your eating habits, it is useful to practice mindful eating – the way of slowly savoring and appreciating everything that goes into your mouth. • Sit down at a table when you eat – set the table in a nice way, even if you are alone. Especially if you are alone. • Say grace for your food - even if you are not a religious person. Because millions of people go hungry every day. • Have no distractions – no TV, computer, cell phone, game, radio, newspaper, or book. • Have no stress – avoid disputes at the dinner table. But have a lively conversation about important things in your life. • Never ever eat in the car or on public transportation; teach your children that NOTHING can be eaten in the supermarket because it has not been paid for (and one should sit down for eating). • Chew thoroughly; put fork or spoon down between bites. The How you eat might be more important than the What you eat – at least for a while. If you live alone, go back to the Tibetans Alternative: Where one eats one food at each meal, and rotates, instead of filling the plate with everything at the same time. Whatever the neighbor has, let’s wish him a speedy recovery! Read More 
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Treat Simple Urinary Tract Infection Without Antibiotics!

April 20, 2011
Tags: herbs, order, food, water, Movement, Agathosma betulina, Allergies, Althea officinalis, antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, bacteria, Barosma betulina, berberine, bilberry, black currant, bladder mucosa, bladder wall, blood in urine, bowel bacteria, blueberries, buchu, burning, Coleus forskohlii, corn silk, cranberries, D-Mannose, drinking hot fluid, E. coli, emptying bladder, Equisetum arvense, ER, estrogen deficiency, fever, flank pain, foreskin, fruit, genital folds, goldenseal, grape seed, grape skin, herbal tea, herbs - women’s, horsetail, Hydrastis canadensis, Indian Coleus plant, infection, intra-vaginally, Kegel exercises, kidney pain, kidney stones, Lactobacillus crispatus, lubricant, Mannose, marshmallow root, Menopause, pelvic muscle, penis, private parts, proanthocyanidins, probiotics, pus from penis, pus from vagina, red wine, sex, soap, south africa, standing on one leg, sugar, tea (black and green), Treat Simple Urinary Tract Infection Without Antibiotics!, urethra, urinary infection, urination, urine - cloudy, usnea, UTI, UTI in children, UTI prevention, uva ursi, vagina, vaginal flora, vaginal mucosa, vegetables, voiding, white starches, Zea mays
Most UTIs can be dealt with simply, with herbs, probiotics, and so on. Antibiotics should be reserved for the really dangerous infections. Not only should we curb antibiotic use because of possible resistances; it also has been shown that bacteria bury into the bladder wall during a course with antibiotics – only to pop up again a bit later! But for starters, this warning: IMMEDIATELY see your physician or the Emergency Room, if you have any of these signs/symptoms: • Blood in the urine • Pus from your vagina /penis • Fever (ANY fever means that the infection has gone beyond the confines of the bladder) • Flank/kidney pains: If you have pain that far away from your bladder, it means that the UTI ascended to your kidneys. Or that you have kidney stones. • ALL UTIs in children should be seen by a doctor. • If you never had a UTI before. The usual cause of UTIs, especially in women, is sexual intercourse. Women have a very short urethra, so bacteria can walk up easily and invade the bladder. UTIs are most common in young women (frequent sex) and in women after menopause (lacking estrogen leads to shrinking tissues which means less protection against invading bacteria). This is what you can do to prevent UTIs: • Make sure that man and woman are clean at their private parts. Insist especially that your man washes behind his foreskin daily, and you yourself wash between the folds. Don’t use soap – daily water washings suffice! • Use a lubricant to make sex smoother. • Right after sex, the woman should get up and urinate to flush out potential bacteria. • Avoid all sugars and white starches. • If you tend to get UTIs often, take cranberry capsules for at least a day after sex. Cranberries prevent bacteria to lodge onto the bladder mucosa. • Drink enough hot fluid. • Take a daily probiotic – this helps get rid of bad bacteria in the bowel (which are most often the culprit in urinary infections). • A new and promising treatment is another probiotic, Lactobacillus crispatus that normalizes the vagina flora (taken intra-vaginally), thus preventing “bad” bacteria to invade the bladder. • Doing Kegel exercises or standing on one leg (see a former blog) to strengthen pelvic muscle. If your muscles down there are weak, you might not be able to empty your bladder fully each time – and that is a set-up for recurrent UTIs. • Regularly take women’s herbs after menopause to strengthen vaginal mucosa. Prevention of course is better than treatment. But when you get the familiar sensation of burning during voiding that heralds a UTTI, you should act IMMEDIATELY, because any infection is easier to treat, the earlier you catch it. Other symptoms of a UTI are: a cloudy urine, an offensive odor, discomfort in your bladder area and the urge to go frequently. Apart from the measures above that you should continue, use these tried-and-true herbs in a tea, three times a day: • Uva ursi (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) • Usnea spp. – a group of lichens growing on trees Other herbs helpful in UTI: • Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) – or any other source of berberine would do as goldenseal is an endangered species. • Marshmallow root (Althea officinalis) – soothing, but not necessarily healing • Buchu (Agathosma betulina – formerly Barosma betulina), a plant from South Africa. • Corn silk (Zea mays) – and old stand-by • Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) – should not be taken too long as it is harsh on the kidneys. • Indian Coleus plant (Coleus forskohlii) reportedly has effectivity against UTIs too, but the data are still scant. This would be a plant to investigate if you have allergies to all the aforementioned herbs. • Also worth trying is D-Mannose – not strictly an herb, but a sugar - which only works against E. coli that happens to be the most commonly found bacterium in UTIs. • Similar proanthocyanidins that work in cranberries are also found in blueberries and strongly colored fruit and vegetables, tea (black and green), black currant, bilberry, grape seed, grape skin and red wine,  Read More 
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Gluten-Related Symptoms and Diseases

September 24, 2010
Tags: order, abdominal pain, acanthosis nigricans, Addison’s disease, ADHD, Alcoholism, alkaline phosphatase (bone) elevated, allergic rhinitis, alopecia areata (patchy hair loss), amenorrhea (absence of menstrual period), anemia, anemia – iron deficiency, anemia – refractory, anemia - vitamin B12 deficiency, anti-endomysium antibodies (EMA), anti-gliadin antibodies (AGA), anti-tissue-transglutaminase antibodies (tTG), antiphospholipid syndrome (frequent miscarriages and other problems), anxiety, aortic vasculitis, apathy, aphthous ulcers, appetite – poor, arthritis, arthritis – enteropathic, arthritis - juvenile idiopathic, asthma, ataxia, ataxia - progressive myoclonic, atherosclerosis, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), Autism, learning disorders, autoimmune cholangitis, autoimmune diseases, autoimmune hepatitis, autoimmune thyroid disease, balding – premature, bipolar disorder, Bitot’s spots (foamy patches on whites of eye), bleeding – unexplained, blepharitis, bloating, blurred vision, bone fracture, bone pain, brain atrophy, brain fog, bronchiectasis, cachexia (general wasting), calcium – low, cancer - small cell of the esophagus, cancer (adenocarcinoma) of the small intestine, cancer of the esophagus, cancer of the pharynx, Candida infections – recurrent, cardiomegaly, casein intolerance, cataracts, cerebral perfusion abnormalities, cheilosis (cracked lips and corners of mouth), cholesterol – low, chorea, chronic bullous dermatosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, colitis, common variable immunodeficiency, complications during pregnancy – labor - delivery and post-partum period, congenital anomalies, constipation, copper deficiency, coronary artery disease, cortical calcifying angiomatosis, cow mill “allergy”, cutaneous vasculitis, cutis laxa, cystic fibrosis, dairy intolerance, delusions, Dementia, depression, dermatitis herpetiformis, dermatomyositis, diabetes type I, diabetes type II, diarrhea, disorientation, Down syndrome, dry eyes, duodenal ulcers, dysmenorrhea (painful menstrual periods), dyspareunia (painful sexual intercourse), dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), early menopause, easy bruising, ecchymosis, eczema, edema, Enteropathy Associated T-cell Lymphoma (EATL), epilepsy, erythema nodosum, esophageal motor abnormalities, eyes – dry, eyes – bloodshot, erythema elevatum diutinum, failure to thrive, fatigue, fatty liver, folic acid (folate) deficiency, food allergies - blood-mediated and cell mediated, food cravings, gall bladder – impaired motility, gas, gastric emptying – delayed, gastritis, GERD - Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease, glucose abnormalities - too low or too high, gluten, Gluten-Related Symptoms and Diseases, Grave’s Disease, growth retardation, gums – bleeding and swollen, hair loss, hallucination, headache, Heartburn, heart disease, hemochromatosis, hemosiderosis - idiopathic pulmonary, hepatic granulomatous disease, high blood pressure, homocysteine elevated, hyperactivity, hyperkeratosis – follicular, hyperparathyroidism, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, hypocalciuria, hypogonadism, hypoparathyroidism, hyposplenism (atrophy of spleen), Hypothyroidism, hypotonia, ichthyosis – acquired, pulmonary hemosiderosis – idiopathic, IgA deficiency, IgA nephropathy, impotence, inability to concentrate, infertility, insomnia, intrauterine growth retardation, iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy – severe, irritable bowel syndrome, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, keratomalacia, kidney stones, lactose intolerance, lassitude, late menarche (late start of menstrual periods), leaky gut syndrome, liver enzymes elevated, loss of memory, lymphadenopathy, lymphoma - B-cell non-Hodgkin’s, lymphoma - cryptic intestinal T-cell (refractory sprue), lymphoma – non-Hodgkin, macroamylasemia, macrocytosis (red blood cells larger than normal), macrolipasemia, magnesium - low, malabsorption, melanoma, memory loss, migraine, miscarriage, monoarthritis – recurrent, multiple sclerosis (MS) – a possible link, muscle pain and tenderness, muscle spasms and cramps, muscle wasting, muscle weakness, nail problems, nausea, nervousness, neuropathy – peripheral, neutropenia (low white blood cells), nightblindness, nosebleeds – unexplained, obesity, occult blood in stool, ocular myopathy, osteitis fibrosa, osteomalacia, osteomalacic myopathy, osteonecrosis, osteopenia, osteoporosis, pancreatic insufficiency (poor digestion), panic attacks, parathyroid carcinoma, penicilllin V impaired absorption, phosphorus – low, pityriasis rubra pilaris, plasma proteins low, Plummer-Vinson Syndrome, PMS, pneumococcal septicemia, pneumonia – recurrent, polyglandular syndrome, polymyositis, potassium - low, premenstrual syndrome, primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, prolactinemia, prothrombin time prolonged, prothrombinemia, prurigo nodularis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, puberty – delayed, purpura – idiopathic thrombocytopenic, rhabdomyolysis – hypokalemic, rheumatoid arthritis, rickets, sarcoidosis, Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders, scleroderma, seborrhea, short stature, Sjögren’s syndrome, skin rash – itchy, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, smell - loss of, sperm abnormalities, spina bifida, sprue – refractory (see: gluten), steatorrhea (pale, malodorous, floating, hard-to-flush stools), stomach ulcer, stroke – premature, sugar intolerance, swelling, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), taste - loss of, tetany, thrombocytopenic purpura – idiopathic, thyroid disease - juvenile autoimmune, tongue – red and/or burning, tremors, tuberculosis - increased susceptibility to, Turner’s syndrome, urinary tract infections – recurrent, urticaria - chronic hives, uveitis, vaginitis, vasculitis, vasculitis of the CNS (Central Nervous System), vitiligo, volvulus (twisted intestines), vomiting, weight gain – unexplained, weight loss – unexplained, xerophthalmia (dry eyes), zinc – low
Nearly one in one hundred people have gluten intolerance (gluten enteropathy, sprue, celiac sprue). In only fifty percent of them does the disease show with gastro-intestinal symptoms - the rest has non-intestinal symptoms. Be aware that many of these symptoms can also have other causes - this list does not replace a doctor who sees you! • Abdominal pain • Acanthosis nigricans • Addison’s disease • Alcoholism • Alkaline phosphatase (bone) elevated • Allergic rhinitis • Alopecia areata (patchy hair loss) • Amenorrhea (absence of menstrual period) • Anemia • Anemia – iron deficiency • Anemia - refractory • Anemia - vitamin B12 deficiency • Anti-endomysium antibodies (EMA) • Anti-gliadin antibodies (AGA) • Anti-tissue-transglutaminase antibodies (tTG) • Antiphospholipid syndrome (frequent miscarriages and other problems) • Anxiety • Aortic vasculitis • Apathy • Aphthous ulcers (mouth sores) • Appetite – poor • Arthritis • Arthritis – enteropathic • Arthritis - juvenile idiopathic • Asthma • Ataxia • Ataxia, progressive myoclonic • Atherosclerosis • Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) • Autism, learning disorders • Autoimmune cholangitis • Autoimmune diseases • Autoimmune hepatitis • Autoimmune thyroid disease • Balding – premature • Bipolar disorder • Bitot’s spots (foamy patches on whites of eye) • Bleeding – unexplained • Blepharitis • Bloating • Blurred vision • Bone fracture • Bone pain • Brain atrophy • Brain fog • Bronchiectasis • Cachexia (general wasting) • Calcium – low • Cancer - small cell of the esophagus • Cancer (adenocarcinoma) of the small intestine • Cancer of the esophagus • Cancer of the pharynx • Candida infections – recurrent • Cardiomegaly • Casein intolerance (cow mill “allergy”) • Cataracts • Cerebral perfusion abnormalities • Cheilosis (cracked lips and corners of mouth) • Cholesterol - low • Chorea • Chronic bullous dermatosis • Chronic fatigue syndrome • Colitis • Common variable immunodeficiency • Complications during pregnancy, labor, delivery and post-partum period • Congenital anomalies • Constipation • Copper deficiency • Coronary artery disease • Cortical calcifying angiomatosis • Cow mill “allergy” • Cutaneous vasculitis • Cutis laxa • Cystic fibrosis • Dairy intolerance • Delusions • Dementia • Depression • Dermatitis herpetiformis • Dermatomyositis • Diabetes Type I • Diabetes Type II • Diarrhea • Disorientation • Down syndrome • Dry eyes • Duodenal ulcers • Dysmenorrhea (painful menstrual periods) • Dyspareunia (painful sexual intercourse) • Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) • Early menopause • Easy bruising • Ecchymosis • Eczema • Edema • Enteropathy Associated T-cell Lymphoma (EATL) • Epilepsy • Erythema nodosum • Esophageal motor abnormalities • Eyes – dry • Eyes - bloodshot • Erythema elevatum diutinum • Failure to thrive • Fatigue • Fatty liver • Folic acid (folate) deficiency • Food allergies - blood-mediated and cell mediated • Food cravings • Gall bladder – impaired motility • Gas • Gastric emptying – delayed • Gastritis • GERD - Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease • Glucose abnormalities - too low or too high • Grave’s Disease • Growth retardation • Gums – bleeding and swollen • Hair loss • Hallucination • Headache • Heartburn • Heart disease • Hemochromatosis • Hemosiderosis - idiopathic pulmonary • Hepatic granulomatous disease • High blood pressure • Homocysteine elevated • Hyperactivity • Hyperkeratosis - follicular • Hyperparathyroidism • Hypertension • Hyperthyroidism • Hypocalciuria • Hypogonadism • Hypoparathyroidism • Hyposplenism (atrophy of spleen) • Hypothyroidism • Hypotonia • Ichthyosis - acquired • Pulmonary hemosiderosis - idiopathic • IgA deficiency • IgA nephropathy • Impotence • Inability to concentrate • Infertility (in both sexes) • Insomnia • Intrauterine growth retardation • Iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy - severe • Irritable bowel syndrome • Keratoconjunctivitis sicca • Keratomalacia • Kidney stones • Lactose intolerance • Lassitude • Late menarche (late start of menstrual periods) • Leaky gut syndrome • Liver enzymes elevated • Loss of memory • Lymphadenopathy • Lymphoma - B-cell non-Hodgkin’s • Lymphoma - cryptic intestinal T-cell (refractory sprue) • Lymphoma – non-Hodgkin • Macroamylasemia • Macrocytosis (red blood cells larger than normal) • Macrolipasemia • Magnesium low • Malabsorption • Melanoma • Memory loss • Migraine • Miscarriage • Monoarthritis – recurrent • Mouth sores • Multiple sclerosis (MS) – a possible link • Muscle pain and tenderness • Muscle spasms and cramps • Muscle wasting • Muscle weakness • Nail problems • Nausea • Nervousness • Neuropathy - peripheral • Neutropenia (low white blood cells) • Nightblindness • Nosebleeds – unexplained • Obesity • Occult blood in stool • Ocular myopathy • Osteitis fibrosa • Osteomalacia • Osteomalacic myopathy • Osteonecrosis • Osteopenia • Osteoporosis • Pancreatic insufficiency (poor digestion) • Panic attacks • Parathyroid carcinoma • Penicilllin V impaired absorption • Phosphorus - low • Pityriasis rubra pilaris • Plasma proteins low • Plummer-Vinson Syndrome • PMS (premenstrual syndrome) • Pneumococcal septicemia • Pneumonia – recurrent • Polyglandular syndrome • Polymyositis • Potassium - low • Primary biliary cirrhosis • Primary sclerosing cholangitis • Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy • Prolactinemia • Prothrombin Time prolonged • Prothrombinemia • Prurigo nodularis • Psoriasis • Psoriatic arthritis • Puberty - delayed • Purpura – idiopathic thrombocytopenic • Rhabdomyolysis - hypokalemic • Rheumatoid arthritis • Rickets • Sarcoidosis • Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders • Scleroderma • Seborrhea • Short stature • Sjögren’s syndrome • Skin rash – itchy • Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth • Smell - loss of • Sperm abnormalities • Spina bifida • Sprue - refractory • Steatorrhea (pale, malodorous, floating, hard-to-flush stools) • Stomach ulcer • Stroke – premature • Sugar intolerance • Swelling • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) • Taste - loss of • Tetany • Thrombocytopenic purpura – idiopathic • Thyroid disease - juvenile autoimmune • Tongue – red and/or burning • Tremors • Tuberculosis - increased susceptibility to • Turner’s syndrome • Urinary tract infections - recurrent • Urticaria - chronic hives • Uveitis • Vaginitis • Vasculitis • Vasculitis of the CNS (Central Nervous System) • Vitiligo • Volvulus (twisted intestines) • Vomiting • Weight gain – unexplained • Weight loss – unexplained • Xerophthalmia (dry eyes) • Zinc - low I will add to this list as I come across new links –keep checking! Read More 
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