Tag Archives: Lifestyle

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Could You Be Suffering With Interstitial Cystitis?

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Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic inflammatory bladder condition in which there is persisting chronic pelvic pain, urinary frequency and urgency, bladder pain or pressure, and it can also resemble the symptoms of a urinary tract infection, but there will be no infection present. The pain can range from being mild to severe.

Worldwide Interstitial Cystitis affects up to 100 million people and it can affect both men and women, regardless of age. IC is also known as painful bladder syndrome (PBS), bladder pain syndrome (BPS) and chronic pelvic pain (CPP)

Women with interstitial cystitis may experience many of the same symptoms as those with endometriosis. Women can have both Interstitial Cystitis and endometriosis at the same time. Some people with IC may also have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Fibromyalgia and other pain syndromes

People with IC have chronic symptoms in the urinary tract that last more than 6 weeks in duration. Infection has not been identified as a cause of IC. Physical and emotional stress can worsen the symptoms of IC.

Interstitial Cystitis can cause the following symptoms:

  • Chronic pelvic pain that lasts 6 months or more
  • Symptoms affected by the menstrual cycle
  • Pain, pressure, discomfort or unpleasant sensation that may worsen as the bladder fills
  • Urinating often alleviates the pain and may give a temporary sense of relief;
  • Suprapubic pain or discomfort
  • Pelvic pain (lower abdominal pain), sometimes extending to the lower part of the back, the groin and thighs
  • In women there may be pain in the vagina and vulva
  • In men, pain in the penis, testicles, scrotum and perineum
  • Both men and women may have pain in the urethra and rectum
  • Pain with sexual intercourse in both men and women (dyspareunia)
  • Pain on ejaculation in men
  • Pain may worsen with specific foods or drinks
  • A frequent need to urinate (frequency), including at night (night-time frequency or nocturia)
  • An often urgent or compelling need to urinate (urgency)

The pain may be experienced as discomfort or tenderness or irritation or burning sensation in the bladder, in the form of spasms in or around the bladder, or stabbing or burning vaginal pain or simply a feeling of pressure on or in the bladder or a feeling of fullness even when there is only a little urine in the bladder.

In many people, the pain is relieved temporarily by urination, while other people may also feel strong pain following urination.

The pain or discomfort may be constant or intermittent. It may also be felt throughout the pelvic floor, including the lower bowel system and rectum. In some patients the pain may be very severe and debilitating.

Other people, particularly in the early stages, may have milder frequency with/without urgency and without a true sensation of pain. What they may experience, however, is a feeling of heaviness, fullness, discomfort or pressure.

Diagnosis

During the evaluation of potential IC, several tests may be completed to make a diagnosis. These tests may include taking a full medical history, completing a bladder diary, pelvic examination, including a neurological exam and urinalysis to rule out or diagnose an infection

Other diagnostic tests that can be carried out include:

Cystoscopy: This is performed inserting a tube, with a camera attached, into the bladder to evaluate the lining and to look for inflammation and signs of disease. A specialist may also evaluate the bladder capacity with a cystoscopy.

Urodynamics: The bladder is filled to test its capacity by measuring the pressure during filling and voiding. These tests evaluate the function of the bladder, urethra, and sphincter muscles.

Biopsy: During a cystoscopy, a biopsy may or may not be taken to rules out cancer or other inflammatory bladder conditions that can cause pain similar to IC.

Potassium sensitivity test: This is a test in which potassium and water are instilled into the bladder. In healthy bladders, pain is not felt with either solution. In cases of IC, however, pain is typically experienced when the potassium is instilled.

Diet

People with IC may be sensitive to certain foods and beverages. There is a range of items a person may need to excluded from their diet after receiving an IC diagnosis. This will be different for each individual but there are certain foods and drinks that an individual with IC should be aware of potentially needing to avoid. There are food and drinks such as:

  • tea and coffee
  • Soft drinks and soda (including diet drinks)
  • alcohol
  • citrus, citrus drinks and cranberry
  • artificial sweeteners
  • spicy food

Some people with IC may need to a food elimination diet over several weeks to see which specific foods and drinks may be exacerbating their symptoms. There are many foods that do not have an irritating effect on the bladder and contain vital nutrients to help fight disease. This is why elimination diets and specific dietary requirements need to be done under the guidance of a healthcare professional.

People with IC should also give up smoking if they are a smoker, as the chemicals can affect this condition too.

Treatment

The treatment of interstitial cystitis is complex and needs a multimodality approach to treat it effectively. It may require treatments such as:

  • Urodynamic Therapies
  • Physiotherapy with a specialised pelvic floor physiotherapist
  • Pelvic Floor Therapy (Kegels, Yoni eggs, Ba Wen Balls, internal TENS)
  • Surgery, including laser surgery
  • Neuromodulators, such as electrical nerve stimulators
  • Injections, such as Nerves blocks, Antispasmodics and Botox therapy
  • Pain medications- including narcotics, NSAIDS, Anti-inflammatories,
  • Hormone therapy, both oral and intravaginal
  • Antidepressants
  • Acupuncture
  • Pilates and Yoga
  • Exercise
  • Herbal Medicines, including Chinese Herbal Medicines
  • Amino acids, vitamins and antioxidants
  • Sex Therapy and counselling
  • Mindfulness
  • Adopting health sleeping habits

Your specialist or healthcare provider will discuss the best forms of treatment for your individual case. People with IC should also be referred to a Urodynamic and Pelvic Floor Specialist who specialises in this area.

Complications

Complications from IC can vary between individuals and why there is no one treatment fix all approach to this conditions. IC can affect a person life on so many levels. It can affect their bladder volume, their quality of life, their sex life, their libido and have an affect on sexual intimacy and it can also cause them emotional distress. It is a complex condition that can affect every aspect of a person’s life both physically and mentally and why a multimodality treatment approach is needed.

Causes

The exact cause of IC is not known, but there are several theories as to what triggers the condition. Some possible causes include:

  • Damage due to previous surgery
  • Defects in the lining of the urinary bladder that cause irritation
  • Overstretching of the bladder due to trauma
  • Pelvic floor muscle dysfunction
  • Autoimmune disorders
  • Spinal cord trauma
  • Genetics
  • Allergy

IC is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects many people world wide. It cannot be fully cured and requires close clinical management and care. A multimodality treatment approach needs to be adopted that is suited to the individual. When this is done properly, people with IC can still have a good quality of life.

Recommended treatment usually involves diet and lifestyle changes, stopping smoking, drinking less before bedtime, and scheduling planned toilet breaks to ensure the bladder does not get too full.

If you do need assistance with Interstitial Cystitis, please call my friendly staff and find out how I may be able to assist you.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate

-The Women’s Health Experts

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Women With PCOS May Be At More Risk of Uterine Cancer

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Researchers in the United Arab Emirates (UEA) have found that women who have Polycystic Ovaries Syndrome have an increased risk of uterine cancer, reducing their chances of fertility.

The researchers have also found that women, who are overweight, or obese, are also at increased risk of uterine cancer. Being overweight and obese also increases a woman’s chances of PCOS too, but not all women with PCOS are overweight.

A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute last year has shown that endometrial cancer diagnoses have increased in 26 of 43 countries, mainly due to increasing obesity cases which themselves have tripled in the last 40 years, according to World Health Organisation.

The experts believe that obese women are 10 times more likely to suffer from uterine cancer. Being overweight, or obese also puts women at risk of other diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Obesity and being overweight also puts women at risk of other cancers too.

There are other factors involves such as an imbalance in the hormones with over-exposure to estrogens can lead to endometrial cancer. This could be due to endogenous causes such as Polycystic Ovaries Syndrome, or exogenous causes such as unopposed estrogens in menopausal hormone therapy if progesterone is not prescribed.

Some women may have genetic family syndromes that is predispose to uterine cancer along with breast, ovarian and other cancers. The causes of uterine cancer may be multifactorial, but this new research does help with screening of women who are suffering from PCOS, or who maybe overweight, or obese.

The researchers did find that regular exercise and healthy lifestyle choices can serve as a protection against uterine cancer, but can also help with PCOS and obesity.

The researchers did warn that women in reproductive years should not take symptoms of endometrial cancer lightly, since early diagnosis and treatment is an essential key to fertility preservation.

Once a condition that only affected women of advanced years, increasing clinical evidence now suggests that even women below 40 years of age can be diagnosed with uterine cancer.

The cancer cases are on the rise due to higher incidence of known co-morbidities such as obesity, diabetes mellitus and hypertension.

Symptoms of the endometrial cancer include:

  • vaginal bleeding between periods
  • bleeding after menopause
  • an abnormal, watery or blood-tinged discharge from vagina
  • constant back and pelvic pain
  • unintended weight loss
  • fatigue and nausea

Early screening is essential and women can safely consider fertility preservation provided that the cancer is diagnosed in early stages.

Fact around uterine cancer

  • Early diagnosis of uterine cancer can save women from fertility loss
  • World over, an increasing number of women in reproductive years falling prey to the disease
  • Obese women are 10 times more likely to suffer from endometrial/uterine cancer, other causes include hypertension and diabetes
  • PCOS may now be a risk factor for uterine cancer

Women who have PCOS, or who are overweight, should be seeking help with dietary and lifestyle management to help prevent them from other risk factors such as certain cancers. According to the world health organisation, the number one treatment for PCOS is changing to a low GI diet and doing regular exercise.

One of the major causes of PCOS is insulin resistance and this is a big factor in many who are overweight, or obese, or have type 2 diabetes. All of these issues can be controlled with the right management. I do need to state that women of all body types do have PCOS and insulin resistance can be seen in all body types too.

If you do need help with PCOS, I do have a special interest in this disease state and may be able to assist you. To find out more, please call my friendly clinic staff. They will be able to explain everything to you and book you in for a consultation.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate

-The PCOS Experts

Banishing Headaches and Migraines

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A multi-modality approach was one of the best ways I found to help Headaches & Migraines

Many years ago I used to suffer lot of debilitating migraines and headaches. Actually if I did get a headache, I was thankful because that was never as bad as a migraine, that could make you bed ridden with a head feeling like ten hangovers accompanied with the vomiting and light sensitivity.

Even when the migraine had subsided I still felt washed out and like a train had run over me. Thankfully I haven’t had a migraine for many years and all thanks to a multimodality treatment approach that made my life much better.

Like many migraine and headache sufferers, mine were most likely caused by a neck injury, or whip lash, along with blocked sinuses. Current research shows that most headaches and migraines have a neck injury or neck complaint as a predisposing factor. Some neck injuries could go back to childhood or even a traumatic birth and you might not even know about it.

While neck related issues seem to be a major cause, there are many other contributing factors such as poor diet and lifestyle habits. Too many high GI carbohydrate foods and highly refined foods that interfere with blood sugars, can also cause headaches and migraine. Certain chemicals and additives in foods can also exacerbate headaches and migraines too. Let’s not forget how alcohol can be a big factor in headaches and migraines too.

Lack of fluids and inadequate hydration can also be a big cause of headaches and migraines too. While water is important to hydrate us, water alone is not enough. We need to make sure we get electrolytes into us as well. These need to be proper electrolytes, not lolly water such as sports drinks such as gatorade and powerade.

An imbalance of hormones, or hormonal surges, can also cause headaches and migraines and can be a big problem for women around the time of their menstrual cycle.

One other area that is overlooked is that the sinuses are inflamed or blocked and the associated inflammation and blockage is causing pressure and pain and causing headaches and migraines. This is a big one for many people and sadly, all too often, it is overlooked. A simple CT scan of the paranasal sinuses can see if the sinus cavity is blocked. If the sinus cavity is blocked by polypoid disease, or obstruction, it may require surgical intervention.

Lastly the one of the biggest headache producer of all….STRESS!

Stress will tighten up those shoulder and neck muscles and then constrict all the blood flow to the head and the next thing you know it is headache and migraine city.

Whichever way you look at it, headaches are caused from an imbalance in the body and need to be rectified. Unfortunately too many people use the band aid treatment of painkillers to try and deal with the mighty headache or migraine.

Nobody can argue with the painkilling properties of a dose of panadeine forte or a pethidine injection. I’d had many a trip to the doctor to get a shot in the behind. It was either that, or my head felt like it was about to explode. Worse still the pain often gets that bad that dying would be a relief. Well, that’s how it seemed anyway. I’m sure anyone who has suffered a really bad migraine wouldn’t have minded ending it all to get out of pain.

The only problem with painkillers, is they really don’t look at fixing the cause of the problem. Not only that, all painkillers have long term side effects that can be very bad for your health and some medication can be very addictive.

Like any health problem you have to look at treating the cause and not just the symptoms. A headache or migraine is actually the symptom of a much bigger cause. The problem for most people is that they only treat this problem symptomatically or seek help when they get a migraine or headache. It is the good old band aid approach to health care.

So how do you treat headaches and migraines and try and prevent them from coming back?

The answer as I’ve said is using a multimodality approach, alongside medical interventions.

I used Korean Advanced Trigger Point needling, the more modern practices of Osteopractic care and addressing dietary and lifestyle changes, alongside medical interventions. Treatment and management of migraines and headaches needs to be an individualized approach, not a one treatment fix all approach for the masses. Everyone cause of their migraines and headaches is different. What worked for me, is not a claim, or recommendation, and is purely what assisted me and may assist someone else.

Of course any other medically related issues need to be ruled out too. Like any health related condition, the management of headaches and migraines require a series of treatments to fix this problem, not a one off when you are experiencing a headache or migraine.

Unfortunately I used to be one of those people who only do something about my headaches and migraines when I was suffering one. This was until I learnt that if I had regular treatments while I didn’t have a headache, then the practitioners could get to the bottom of the cause of my problems and prevent a migraine from happening. I wish I’d learnt that lesson sooner.

You will also need to address any dietary, hormonal and lifestyle issues that may be also exacerbating, or causing your headaches and migraines too.

You also need to rule out any medically related issues as well and this can be done alongside other treatment modalities at the same time.  This is how I now treat people and why I use a multimodality approach to assist people and give them the best results.

You just need to find good practitioners who can help you and who can accurately and precisely pin point the exact cause of your particular problem. Just like with any healthcare professional, a series of questions is asked to get precise evaluation of the overall cause of your particular issue.

Only after a solid treatment plan is formulated, can the patient actually be treated and have a management plan moving forward. It is about looking at the cause of the issue and treating that, rather than just treating the symptoms. You need to treat cause and then the symptoms get treated anyway.

When I finally did get my headaches and migraines sorted, I found that it was a combination of Korean advanced trigger point acupuncture, Osteopractic, diet and lifestyle changes that gave me the best results.

This is why to this day that I firmly believe that with any health condition, headaches and migraines included, that a multimodality treatment approach is the only way to go.

All of this can be done alongside medical treatment options as well. Of course the cause of migraines and headaches are different for each individual and this is why individual assessment and management protocols are needed for each person. This is why people need to see an appropriate healthcare professional and not try to manage headaches and migraines on their own.

If you need help with headaches and migraines, give our clinic a call and find out how I can assist you in helping you with these conditions. You can call my friendly staff and they will explain everything to you.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-Women’s & Men’s Health Advocate

-No Stone Left Unturned

– The Headache, Migraine and Pain Experts

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The Silent Face of Endometriosis

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She closes the door and enters the day, with the face that she wants the world to see. She is beautiful, she is vibrant, she is smiling, and she is ready to face what ever the day may bring.

She is immaculately dressed, her hair brushed so neatly and even though she doesn’t need it, she has her make up on, her lipstick applied so neatly and she is every bit the goddess that the world will see today and every other day as well. All this makes her feel good and helps her to go about her day. She is a daughter too some, a sister to others and a partner to her beloved. She is grace and elegance and she is every bit a woman and she it about to embrace her day.

But, while she is every bit the goddess, and a warrior, and her beauty knows no bounds, underneath her catwalk like composure, is another story that the world around her may never really know, or ever come to understand. It is something that they just cannot even see.

Today is like any other day for her, but today is the day that her hidden disease has decided to raise its ugly head. Unlike the beauty that we see before us, this inner demon has taken hold of her and nobody will know the torment that goes on beneath her skin and deep into every organ in her precious body. Today would buckle many and have many lose their way, but not her, she is a warrior and she will not give in.

While the constant anxiety and pain and mixed emotions scatters every cell in her brain, she remains composed and ever focussed and this is all that she will let the outer world see. Very few will know that today is not a good day, but even then those that know, will know that this will not stop her from going about her day.

There are days though, that none shall see her and these are the days that no matter how hard she tries to embrace the day, the disease within has its tight grasp around her and she just need to hide away and deal with the pain. On these days it is just all too much to bear and though she will not give in, todays battle is best not fought, and she just wisely knows today is the day to rest, heal and repair. She knows that sometimes to win a battle, it is best to not fight at all.

Today the flare of the disease within has sent aches to her muscles, sensitivity to her skin, aches to her head, cloudiness to her brain, deep pain to her bones and spine and pulsating pain to her womb. Her belly is swollen, like she is about to give birth and the intestines feel like that are being twisted and ripped apart. She feels nauseas, her head pounds like the worst every hangover and she feels like she is about to pass out. Even the most important bodily functions are just too hard and just too sore today. The disease tries to contort her, to stop her, but she remains upright and continues her day. She does not let the disease win and she will never buy into the label and let it confine her.

Some days are even more stressful, because her monthly cycle has appeared and has come with full vengeance and feels like flood waters through the place that a woman gives birth. On those days, she may even feel like she has given birth and what is bought forth, only few will ever hear about. Not even her partner may see what these flood waters bring and what she just felt like she birthed. That is secret women’s business and only talked about in private, or to the healthcare provider that may assist her from time to time.

She is loving, she is vulnerable, she is caring, she is giving, she is strong, she is fierce when needed and she is every bit the woman that the world knows a woman to be. Even at times of intimacy, she will still give her all and love with such passion and tenderness, but all the while her partner will never know that the pain that may be within. Some days are good, some days are bad, but that doesn’t stop her expressing her passion, her love and her womanly desires and love for her partner. Her heart is pure love and a good man will know how to love her and support her and care for her on the days where she needs gentle, loving, tender care.

Today may not be a good day, but she will brave the day just like any other and hide the disease crippling her within. She will not cry out in the open, she will not even make a fuss. Not many will know today is a bad day, because her courage and strength will get her through the day, just as it has every other day. You will only see what she wants you to see and that is a smiling, strong, vibrant woman about to go and conquer her day.

This is what I see through my eyes, of the strong, vibrant goddess that we all shall see. Because I know the war she is fighting, I see what many do not see. I see what she goes through and why she sometimes has to hide away. I see her wipe away the tears she sheds in silence. I see how restless she is when she tries to sleep. I see the mixed day of pain and emotions and how she tries to regain composure to overcome her day.

Through my eyes I don’t see weakness and someone who is fragile, or someone who gives in. I see a goddess, a mighty warrior, someone who can overcome and conquer all before her. Not by brute force, but by love, by compassion, by listening, by understanding and by knowing how to do what is needed and when it is needed. That is true strength, she is a true warrior and she shows what is it is to be a strong capable super woman. She will not let her kryptonite conquer her and she will overcome it and conquer it instead.

Through my eyes I will never really be able to know, or understand what she really goes through. I can never know what she endures each day. I can only but imagine what it is like to be in her shoes and walk the path that she walks most days. But I know that on days that she isn’t feeling her best, she will let the world see the best that she can be. She won’t fuss, she won’t cry, she won’t show any pain. She is a true warrior and she just puts on her makeup, puts on her lipstick, brushes her hair nicely, dresses eloquently and gets on with her day. Those are the days that we can support her and love her and help her get through her day.

This is the face of endometriosis and only those that suffer from this horrible disease will know what it is like to live in silence while the rest of the world is completely unaware.

Let’s end the silence for the strong warrior endo sisters and the next time someone tells you that they have endometriosis, remember that just because they look fine, they look vibrant, they look strong, they look like a beautiful goddess etc……Just remember that they may be fighting the fight within and today may not be a good day.

This is for my loved ones with the disease and every one of the “endo sisters”

Take care

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Period Pain IS NOT Normal

-The Endometriosis Experts

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Red wine protects your teeth and gums and helps your gut health as well

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Researchers have now identified yet another reason why you should keep enjoying a glass of red wine.

While Red wine stains the teeth, a new study says that it might protect your oral health at the same time. The findings were published in the journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

The research was led by M. Victoria Moreno-Arribas and colleagues from Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Alimentación in Madrid, and the Department of Health and Genomics at the Center for Advanced Research in Public Health in Valencia.

Polyphenols to the rescue

We already know plenty of reasons to have a nice glass or red and how good it can be for our health. A recent study said that it could help to keep the brain young, and previous research has tied it to hormonal health as well as heart disease prevention. Studies have also shown that drinking a glass of vino each day may help us to live longer as well. But as we always say, alcohol is good for us in moderation, not in excess and should be consumed with food and not on an empty stomach.

While know that red wine has many health benefits, new research from Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Alimentación in Madrid, and the Department of Health and Genomics at the Center for Advanced Research in Public Health in Valencia have revealed red wine may protect against the formation of cavities and against gum disease.

Many of the health benefits of red wine come from its content of polyphenols, which are a series of micronutrients with antioxidant properties. We know that some of these antioxidants, such as resveratrol, can protect against action of free radicals, which play a key role in the cellular aging process.

But polyphenols are also super nutrients which help our microbiome and help with our good gut bacteria. Some polyphenols can be absorbed into the small intestine and there they interact with the gut microbiota and fend off bad gut bacteria that might threaten our health. The research team found that polyphenols found in red wine and grapes could have a similar, protective effect in the mouth, fending off harmful oral bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease.

What the researchers found was that the two red wine polyphenols caffeic acid and p-coumaric acid were most effective at repelling the harmful oral bacteria and preventing them from attaching to healthy tissue. They also found that phenolic metabolites, which are substances formed as the polyphenols start transforming in the mouth, suggested that these small products may in fact be the “active ingredient” associated with the polyphenols’ protective effect.

This is great news for those that like to have a nice glass of red and this research also adds to more health benefits of drinking red wine. But as said before, red wine is an alcoholic beverage and as such it is important not to overdo it either.

What is your friend, in moderation, can also be your enemy in excess. The good thing is now you can enjoy a nice glass of red in moderation and know you are getting many health benefits from it, and also know that your teeth and gut health (microbiome), are being looked after as well.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate

Iodine

What Are The Signs & Symptoms of Iodine Deficiency?

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Why does the body need Iodine?

Iodine is a water soluble mineral that is needed in our diet to ensure that the thyroid works properly.The thyroid gland uses iodine to make thyroid hormones.

Thyroid hormones play an important role in a wide range of bodily functions, including metabolism, bone growth, immune response, and development of brain and the central nervous system (CNS).

Iodine helps convert thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) to triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). This conversion is important for the thyroid to function properly.

Iodine is essential for brain development, bone health, healing, immune response, energy, metabolism and the development of the central nervous system. We also now know that we need iodine to help with pregnancy and fertility. Iodine deficiency during pregnancy and early childhood can also lead to developmental problems.

An iodine imbalance can lead to an overactive, or under-active thyroid.

Being deficient in iodine limits the ability of the thyroid gland to make hormones, causing hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism happens when a person’s thyroid does not produce enough thyroid hormones. Hypothyroidism can cause symptoms of fatigue, depression, forgetfulness, hair weakness, hair loss, dry skin, weight gain, cold intolerance and constipation.

Signs of iodine deficiency

According to new research published last year, it was estimated that about a third of people are deficient in iodine. Here are some of the common signs that could suggest that a person may have an iodine deficiency.

1.Weight gain

One of the most noticeable signs of an iodine deficiency is unexpected weight gain.

When a person has a healthy metabolism, they burn calories to give them their energy. Hypothyroidism, or a lack of thyroid hormones, can slow down a person’s metabolism and this can then lead to weight gain. It is important to remember that weight gain is not always a sign of an iodine deficiency. It may only be a symptom when weight gain cannot otherwise be explained. Eating foods that are highly refined and high in sugars are probably the most common form of increase weight.

2.Feeling weak & lethargic

When a person has an iodine deficiency, they may feel weak and lethargic. Hypothyroidism can slow down a person’s metabolic rate and then they burn fewer calories for energy. When they have less energy, the muscles do not work as efficiently and then the person would feel weak. But, feeling weak may also be from other factors such as lack of sleep, lack of essential nutrients, lack of food intake and nutrient deficiencies. This may also be a sign of other health issues and needs to be investigated if it goes on too long.

3.Feeling tired

Unexplained tiredness may be a symptom of iodine deficiency. When a person is iodine deficient their metabolic rate may drop and this could cause them to feel tired. But, feeling tired does not always mean a person is iodine deficient. As mentioned before, if a person is not getting enough rest, it is natural for them to feel tired. Feeling tried could also be a sign of iron deficiency, or other health issues, but, if tiredness is unexplained, it may be a symptom of an iodine deficiency.

4.Hair Loss

Hair loss is another possible sign that a person might have an iodine deficiency.

Thyroid hormones support the renewal of hair follicles and when someone has hypothyroidism, a shortage of thyroid hormones means the hair follicles stop being renewed. It is natural for hair to fall out, but it is normally renewed. But, while hair loss can be a sign of iodine deficiency, it can also be caused by other hormonal issues as well as stress. Stress is one of the most common causes of hair loss.

5.Drying skin

Having dry, flaky skin could be a sign of hypothyroidism, and can be the result of iodine deficiency. Thyroid hormones help with the renewal of new skin cells. A lack of these hormones and a deficiency of iodine, may cause dead skin cells to build up, sometimes resulting in dry, flaky skin. While dry skin can be caused by iodine deficiency, it can also be caused from other factors such as lack of hydration, lack of essential oils and other health conditions

6.Feeling cold

Iodine deficiency causes a lack of thyroid hormones, which can then affect a person’s metabolic rate to slow down. As their metabolism slows down, a person produces less energy to give the body warmth. A lack of energy and lack of body heat will mean a person is more likely to feel the cold. But, feeling cold isn’t always a sign of iodine deficiency and can be a sign of lack of circulation and other health issues.

7.Having a slow heart rate

Having an iodine deficiency may make a person’s heart beat more slowly.

When a person’s heart rate slows down, they may feel a bit dizzy, nauseas, or sick. It may also make them feel a bit faint. But feeling this way may also be a sign of other health issues, or it could also be a sign of a virus, or issue with someone’s cardiovascular system and needs to be checked out.

8.Learning or memory problems

Thyroid hormones are important for brain development and Iodine deficiency may cause a lack of these hormones, resulting in problems with memory and learning. Studies have shown that people, who are deficient in iodine and have lower level of thyroid hormone, may have parts of their brain being smaller and this then affects their memory. But while this may be the case, learning and memory problems could be caused from other health issues and need to be checked out properly

9.Pregnancy complications

Iodine deficiency may cause issues during pregnancy for the developing baby and it can be harder to get enough iodine during pregnancy. Not only does a women need iodine for herself, but she needs it for the growing baby inside of her as well.

Thyroid hormones are necessary for the healthy development of a baby before it is born. A lack of iodine and thyroid hormones may prevent the baby’s brain developing properly. It may also affect their immune system and affect their growth. If a pregnant woman’s body is too low in iodine it could cause her baby to be stillborn.

10.Heavy or irregular periods

Deficiency in iodine can lead to low thyroid hormone levels, which can then affect the levels of hormones that regulate a woman’s periods. Iodine deficiency can lead to periods that are heavier than usual, or the periods that are more or less often than usual. While, iodine deficient could cause abnormal abnormalities in a woman’s menstrual cycle, irregular or heavy periods are usually a sign of gynaecological conditions that needs to be evaluated by a specialist.

11.Swollen neck and goitres

If a person is deficient in iodine, the thyroid gland can become enlarged and this can then make the neck become swollen. This can lead to a condition called goitre. Abnormalities with the thyroid gland and hormones can also cause growths called nodules.

When the thyroid does not have enough iodine, it will try to absorb more from the blood and this then causes the thyroid to become enlarged, making the neck appear swollen.

Complications and diagnosis.

An iodine deficiency may happen when a person does not consume enough foods that are rich in iodine, or have adequate supplementation. This deficiency is more likely to affect pregnant women who need a higher intake of iodine.

Pregnant women and their babies experience the most serious complications of iodine deficiency. In the worst cases, it can lead to babies being stillborn or born with mental issues due to stunted brain development.

If you think you may be deficient in iodine you can go to your doctor and they can organise proper testing for you. The most effective way to diagnose iodine deficiency is via a urine test.

If you have a family history of thyroid issue, or are to conceive, or are pregnant, you should be supplementing with iodine based multivitamins or individual supplements. A person needs to consume 150 micrograms (mcg) of iodine each day to maintain a healthy level for their body. You should also be looking at eating iodine rich foods daily as well.

The following are good sources of iodine:

  • Seaweed
  • Cod, tuna, salmon and white fish
  • Plain Yogurt, Cheese and Milk
  • Iodized salt
  • Shell fish and oysters
  • Eggs
  • Dried prunes

Regard

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate

 

Untitled design 14

Alternative Ways to Assist Pain and Help with Pain Management

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After my recent posts of the management of pain, pain medications and how pain affects so many people lives daily, it is pretty clear that there are lots of people out there in pain.

Worst still it highlights what I have known for many years, is that many people who are in pain, or have inflammatory pain conditions, are not being managed really well.

Unfortunately many are also trying to manage their own pain conditions and may even be dependent on pain medications. Some of these medications taken long term may in fact be exacerbating their current symptoms, or actually making their pain and inflammation worse. Some of the medications may in fact by shutting off the body’s ability to know that it isn’t actually in pain anymore, but the body actually thinks it is.

It is such vicious never ending cycle for many people and there seems to be no long-term, or short term, solutions for many who have to endure the physical and emotional consequences of all these things combined.

The one thing for sure, is that pain often isn’t managed well and there need to be more done to help those in pain. But, it also requires those in pain to seek proper help too. Again it is a bit of complex issue and many in pain often get dismissed initially as well, or are looked at as people who are dependent on pain medications just seeking more pain meds.

Pain does need proper management and if pain is not managed properly, it can do more damage than the medications health professionals, and the person in pain, are worrying about. But sometimes the blanket pain medication treatments don’t work, or they just aren’t enough, and this is why when it comes to pain, it need to be managed with a multi-modality approach.

It really cannot just be all about taking medication, or telling people to just go and learn to live with their pain and all will be OK. It won’t be OK and we need to start to educate all concerned that there other options that may assist the current medical treatments and management strategies.

Let’s look at some of the alternatives to pain medications and how these things can help assist those in pain and can be used alongside medications to give better control of pain and also help in reducing dependency of pain medications.

1.Watch your diet

Eating the right foods may provide some protection from the symptoms of pain and the disease state that you may have. The role of diet in inflammatory conditions has been investigated in recent years due to the influence of diet on some of the processes linked to certain disease states that are causing pain and inflammation on a daily basis. Many of the so called anti-inflammatory diets out there are now outdated and have outdated nutritional and dietary advice that don’t really help much at all.

Adopting a low GI and anti-inflammatory diet may help  to assist with settling any inflammation and pain in the body and also help the immune system.  A healthy diet also needs to include prebiotic and probiotic bacteria to help with digestive function, immunity and gut health. Regulation and restoration of gut function and the microbiome is so important and assisting with pain and inflammatory conditions.

Excess bad carbohydrates increase insulin response and this then causes the body to store fats and stops the burning of fat. This also leads to inflammatory conditions and more inflammation in the body. Excess body fat, now known as obestrogens (because it is estrogenic) needs to be controlled and managed through diet and exercise too. Excess fat and excess weight all lead to inflammation and stress on the body and this can also exacerbate pain and pain pathway.

Certain environmental estrogens, known as endocrine disruptors,  such as preservatives, plastics, pesticides and insecticides that can be ingested through certain nutrients have been suggested as risk factors for exacerbating pain and creating inflammation in the body too

2.Try complementary medicine and complementary therapies

Many people with pain and inflammatory disease states find symptom relief from using a range of different complementary and alternative medicines. There is some good solid research to show that some natural medicines may help with the management of pain and inflammatory disease states and the associated symptoms.

There is now some good research to support many natural medicines treatments such as Acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, vitamins, omega 3 oils, probiotics, chiropractic/osteopathy, Yoga, Pilates and more. (1)

When it comes to assisting pain, Acupuncture and Chinese medicines has been one of the most researched complementary medicines. There is some good research and evidence to shown that acupuncture and Chinese medicine may assist those suffering pain and chronic inflammatory disease and their associated symptoms, alongside medical interventions. (1,2,3,4)

Acupuncture has been widely researched to assist with many pain conditions and is now even used in some emergency departments around the world, for acute and chronic pain. (4)

Certain strains of prebiotics and probiotics have also been shown to help with the immune system, microbiome, bowel, and digestive associated symptoms of some pain conditions. Probiotics have also been shown to not only help with digestive and immune function, but also with the psychological function as well. It does need to be specific strains of probiotics though. Correction of the microbiome, but using pre and probiotics may assist in reduction of inflammation in the body and thus assist with pain and painful disease states.

There are also western herbal medicines and naturopathic herbal formulations that can assist with pain and assist with pain management. There are also certain amino acids and nutritional medicine supplements that have been shown to assist with managing pain and inflammatory conditions. Like any conditions, management need to be done on an individualised approach and what works for one person, may not work for another.

Chiropractic and Osteopathy have been used for centuries to assist with pain and pain conditions. By correction of the sublaxations and correction of posture, this can assist in better nerve functioning, better blood flow to muscles and also help with pain reduction and reducing inflammation.

Just like with medical treatments, when it comes to complementary medicines, it is important to find someone who is a qualified practitioner and who specialises in pain management. Just like in the medical model, this can also be hard to find. Please find someone who is a registered healthcare practitioner, or part of an association for qualified healthcare practitioners.

3.Boost intake of omega-3 fatty acids

The is lots of research on the health benefits of taking Omega 3 fatty acids and a diet high in these healthy fats. Omega 3 fatty acids may assist many inflammatory conditions such as depression, cardiovascular disease, arthritic conditions and many conditions where inflammatory processes are then leading to pain.

Researchers have also found that the type of fat included in your diet makes a difference in your risk factors for inflammation and pain conditions. Studies have shown that people whose diets were heavily laden with trans fats increased their risk of the expression of inflammatory disease by 48 % when compared with individuals who ate the least of these. By comparison, women whose diets were rich in omega-3 oils lowered their risk of inflammatory conditions by 22 % compared with those who consumed the least amount.

Eating foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, flaxseeds, almonds, and walnuts, may be helpful for pain and inflammatory conditions. Another way to get Omega 3 fatty acids is through supplementation, but please make sure you are using a practitioner only grade omega 3 supplement to ensure higher potency and better quality control.  Just remember, it is all about reducing inflammation.

4.Exercise

Often, people who experience pain fear exercising, in case it causes more problems for them. But over time, regular physical activity may decrease the pain and discomfort that you feel. High-intensity exercise and resistance training may assist in helping to reduce the reducing the symptoms of pain and reducing inflammation in the body.

While resistance training and high intensity interval training may assist in pain management and reducing inflammation in the body, some of the more gentle forms of exercise, such as Yoga and Pilates, may also assist in reducing pain and inflammatory response in the body too.

Yoga and Pilates can stretch and strengthen your muscles, help with core strength, help with circulation, which all may be beneficial for pelvic pain management and stress reduction.There has been lots of research into the benefits of Yoga and Pilates and how it can assist pain and inflammation.

No matter what exercise, you choose, exercise may help those with pain and inflammation in many ways, including:

  • encouraging the circulation of blood to your organs
  • maintaining nutrients and oxygen flow to all your body systems
  • assist with decreasing pain and inflammatory response
  • assist with reducing stress
  • releasing endorphins in the brain, which are pain-relieving, “feel good” chemicals

Research has shown that those who engage in some sort of regular exercise have fewer symptoms of pain and less inflammation that those people who do not participate in regular exercise.

5.Managing Stress Levels

Stress and emotional factors are probably one of the most under rated causes of pain and inflammatory response. Stress and emotional factors, such as anxiety, are big factors in any disease and can make any disease worse. Have a read of my post all about anxiety exacerbating pain.
Not only can stress and emotional disorders be exacerbated by pain and inflammation, but so can pain and inflammatory symptoms be exacerbated by stress and emotional disorders, in a never-ending cycle.

Pain and inflammation could contribute to making your stress levels, or emotion issues worse, due to the impact that the associated symptoms have on all aspects of your life, including family and personal relationships and work.

Stress management, Counselling, Mindfulness and Relaxation techniques may all assist in reducing stress and emotional disturbances that exacerbates inflammation and pain pathways and painful conditions.

People with pain and chronic pain and inflammation need to manage stress and anxiety by using mindfulness and relaxation techniques. These can help you to increase your awareness of your body, refocus on something calming, and reduce the activity of stress hormones and inflammation in the body. It is all about learning coping mechanisms and what works best for you, not what works best for others.

6.TENS and Neuromodulators

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is an inexpensive nonpharmacological intervention used in the treatment of acute and chronic pain conditions. These small battery-powered devices deliver alternating current via cutaneous electrodes positioned near the painful area. The parameters of pulse frequency, and pulse intensity are adjustable and linked to TENS efficacy. TENS activates a complex neuronal network to result in a reduction in pain

Neuromodulation is the process by which nervous activity is regulated by way of controlling the physiological levels of several classes of neurotransmitters. Many pain management specialist now use a common form of neuromodulation involves using a device to deliver electrical current in therapeutic doses to the spinal cord to disrupt pain signals from the spinal cord to the brain, converting them to a more pleasant tingling sensation. This has been proven a safe and effective therapeutic approach for managing chronic pain of the arms and legs, neck and back often after spine surgery, or for other neuropathic conditions.

In Summary

It is important to know that people with pain and disease states that are causing chronic pain, will need a multi-modality, or team approach to deal with this disease.

The team you need and modalities that you will need will be dependent on your individual symptoms. This will mean finding practitioners who will listen to you and also be open to trying some of the alternatives to some of the pain medications and opiates alongside pharmaceutical medications.

As I said before, these alternatives may assist in treating your pain and managing your pain long term and also help with reducing some of the pain medications you may have been dependent on. Try and find healthcare professionals that can offer you a multi-modality approach for ongoing care and support and who also have a team of other people who specialise in the disease you are suffering from too. Again, the approach that you and your pain management specialist, or healthcare provider, choose to take will vary depending on your signs and symptoms.

Before starting any pain management, or new treatment, it is important to know all of your options and the potential outcomes of all of them and to know that the people that you are seeing are specialists in your condition and know how to manage the disease properly. That can often be the hardest thing to find and why you need to do your homework and see people who are specialists in this area of medicine. Too many people are missed and dismissed purely because they are just seeing the wrong people in the first place.

Lastly, if you are in pain and have a pain condition, please do not try and keep managing it yourself, or try to self-medicate. You need to be managed properly and should be getting the advice of a professional, not your friends, family or social media buddies.

Pain needs to be managed and it needs to be managed properly and this also goes for pain medications as well. If you are still in pain and pain symptoms are getting worse, this means that you need to get something done about it because your disease may in fact be getting worse, or your body may not be responding to medication any longer.

Take care

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate

References

1.Xue CCL, Zhang TL, Lin V, Myers R, Polus B, Story DF. Acupuncture, chiropractic and osteopathy use in Australia: a national population survey. BMC Public Health. 2008;8:105–112. [PMC free article][PubMed] []

2. Zhu X, Hamilton KD, McNicol ED. Acupuncture for pain in endometriosis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011;9:CD007864. [PubMed] []

3.Zheng Z, Xue CL. Pain research in complementary and alternative medicine in Australia: a critical review. J Altern Complement Med. 2012;19:81–91. [PMC free article] [PubMed] []

4.Zhang AL, Parker SJ, Smit DV, Taylor DM, Xue CCL. Acupuncture and standard emergency department care for pain and/or nausea and its impact on emergency care delivery: a feasibility study. Acupunct Med. 2014;32:250–256. [PubMed] []

Lets talk about pain

Lets Talk About Pain, Pain Medication, Dependency, Detox & Withdrawal Symptoms

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Previously I have done a post on over the counter pain medicines and how that as of February 2018, that some of these codeine based pain medicines, will now no longer be available over the counter in Australia. I know that in other parts of the world, these medications are not available over the counter anyway and in some countries even paracetamol is not available as readily as it is here in Australia.

The post surely did get people talking and it surely highlighted some very important points. It also highlighted how many people are in pain daily and something that I have known for a long time.

I actually know that pain and people with pain conditions, aren’t managed very well. It also highlighted that many people are self managing pain conditions and that many do not realise that they in fact dependent on medications, alcohol and other drugs.

Many also do not realise that the pain and symptoms they are experiencing daily, may in fact be withdrawal and dependence symptoms from their medications and substances they are using, including alcohol, and may have nothing to do with their condition at all. It is a very complex issue and there needs to be more education around this very sensitive issue.

Now, before we get started and before anyone tries to bring the personal/emotional side of things into this, I need to be very clear on this and set some boundaries up front. I need everyone to listen to this, so it is clear and that what I am about to say is coming from personal experience, clinical experience and someone who cares and is just trying to help with the right advice and right education around this issues.

So before we start I need to get a few things straight

  1. I have lived with a painful condition and have used pain medication and been dependent on pain medications. I have also withdrawn off pain medications
  2. I have loved ones who have pain conditions, who suffer daily and have also used pain medications to get through their day. Also know many of these have learned to manage and overcome their disease and pain too.
  3. People in pain, need help to get out of pain and pain medications are one way of doing this
  4. Many people who are in pain are actually dependent on pain medications and are completely unaware that they are dependent
  5. It is completely OK to take pain medication when someone is in pain. It just needs to be monitored a little better than it has been in the past.
  6. Please take the personal out of this and just sit back and listen
  7. I am not here to judge, or attack anyone
  8. This post is purely from heart, from caring and also about helping people with education so that they can get help if they need to
  9. The first part of any change and getting help is admitting you have an issue, or a problem, in the first place.
  10. The is no guilt, shame, or anything wrong with admitting you have a problem, or a dependency
  11. For the sake of this post I am going to used the word “Dependency”, rather than the words “Abuse” or “Addict”
  12. Perception is reality and sometimes ones perception is not reality, or based on all the facts
  13. Not all pain is from the withdrawal of medications either, but some of it could be.
  14. We are here to support people and care for people, not attack them. Anyone found attacking another on any posts surrounding this subject, will be deleted.
  15. Lastly, to get help, you need to see a qualified healthcare practitioner and you should only ever rely on information from a qualified health expert, not from your friends, your support groups, or anyone without a proper qualification in things to do with medical, medicines, or health conditions.

Right, now we have set the boundaries and we are clear, we can move forward and I can start explaining about pain, pain medications, pain pathways and also withdrawal symptoms

Before I start, I need everyone to open, his or her, minds a bit and think of how you feel when you have had some alcohol. Let’s not forget that alcohol is a drug and it can make you feel good initially and then not so good if you have a few glasses, or more. You can also become dependent on it too, and yes, it can be abused.

So, say you have a few glasses of alcohol, how do you feel while you are consuming it and shortly after?

This is for the average person, but most people would feel a little warm and tingling and feel quite good wouldn’t they?

But, even with a few glasses, would you necessarily wake up OK the next morning?

Some people might wake up semi OK, some might feel a little less than OK?

For some, a few are nothing because they are used to having way more. Some of these people may in fact be dependent and actually have an alcohol dependency.

So, say you have more than a few glasses of alcohol, how might you feel the next morning?

More than likely you may feel a little dusty, or for some, you may in fact have what we all know to be a hangover… is that correct?

You might feel really tired, irritable, nauseas, sore, have a headache, or a really bad head that feels like it might explode, and all the senses are just a little on hyper-drive and you would feel a little off??

Now that we are clear that alcohol can give you a hangover and make you a bit sick and that alcohol is in fact a drug, let me ask you this?

If alcohol is a drug and it can give you a hangover, even after one night of taking it, and taking just a few glasses of it, then why would not a medication, that can produce all the initial effects of alcohol, then not cause you a “Hangover Effect” the next day as well????

Just have a think about that for one second and let it really sink in.

Hmmmm, what are you thinking now?

Well, I am sure this is where we get some people going “But, but, but!”

Well there are no “But’s”. This is the hard but honest truth. Any drug, being prescription, over the counter, off the street and illegal, can cause you a withdrawal and hangover effect. Also, the longer you take those drugs, the more you take them etc, the more you need to take and the more dependent you become on them.

This doesn’t mean I don’t get why people take these medications. I do get it and I get all the reasons behind it too. This is just to explain everything logically and properly to people so that they also get that they may not be managed properly and that they may also be dependent on medications, which are actually in the long term, making all their symptoms worse, or actually causing the ones they have now.

Just so people don’t forget, please go back to points 1 and point 2 in the ground rules I set before. I have lived with pain and I have loved ones who are in pain and yes, I have taken pain medications and so have my loved ones.

Ok, so we are now all on the same page and are clear here, yes, many of the medications that people are taking daily, or periodically, or once off, or chugging down by the packet load, or are actually causing them rebound symptoms and withdrawal symptoms, when those drugs wear off.

We also need to recognise that some people are only taking medications every so often, when they need them too and this is more for people who are medication daily, or frequently. But even still, people do need to be away of rebound symptoms from taking medications, even periodically.

When we talk about “withdrawal” and “rebound symptoms”, let’s all go back to the alcohol story. We know that the hangover symptoms occur because of a rebound and withdrawal affect from the alcohol messing with the symptom, causing dehydration, causing inflammation and then causing all manner of symptoms from nausea, headaches, tiredness and even muscle and joint pain. The same goes for when you take any pain medications, especially those that are opiates, or contain codeine, or convert to morphine in the body.

Are we all getting this yet??

Right, then lets move on.

Now, the longer you take a medication the more your body gets used to it and the more that you may have to take to get that same therapeutic affect on the body and the pain that you are trying to manage. But, the more you have to take, the more dependent you become on that medication and the more worse you are going to feel when the medication wears off and tries to leave the body. Then it is going to take longer to ween off the medication, when you finally realise that you are dependent and that you need to so something about it. That is if you have that realisation, or finally admit there may be an issue.

One of the things that I have mentioned many times before, is that sometimes the body has been in pain that long, that the body doesn’t realise that it isn’t in pain any longer, that you also need to turn that response off, because it has actually become a habit, rather than the body actually still being in pain.

The other issue is that the pain medications may in fact now be what are causing the pain, through rebound symptoms and withdrawal.  This one is a bit tricky to explain to people, but in essence what we need to do is actually tell the body it isn’t in pain any longer, so that it switches off that response in the brain. To do that we need to detox an individual and then see what pain really does exist still and then manage those remaining symptoms. I will talk about proper medical detox further in the post.

Now let’s look at how pain medications, opiates and some elicit drugs work

Pain medications, Opiates and other pain relieving drugs, all change the way the brain responds to pain and they can also produce a “high” feeling by disrupting the reward and pleasure centres in the brain. This is why they can make you feel a bit stoned, or a bit light headed and why you should not drive, or operate machinery etc, while you are taking them.

They can dehydrate and constipate you too, so this is why you should only take as directed and also make sure you drink enough water, take some electrolytes and take it easy too. Let’s not forget the serious side effects of medications that can put overload on your liver and other vital organs and actually shut them down, if taken for long enough, or in a super high dose.

The central nervous system, which includes the brain, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, has opioid and pain medication receptors that receive opiate drugs and other pain medications, and these drugs bring a variety of physical and emotional effects. Your heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and body temperature are usually all lowered while pleasant feelings are increased. It can cause the opposite effect too, where some people get hyper-activated responses too.

Repeated use, or abuse, of pain medications, or an opioid drug, can actually change the way an individual’s brain chemistry works and then lead to physical and psychological dependence. The body may not feel “normal” anymore without the drug’s interaction, and withdrawal symptoms may start in between doses or when an individual stops taking the pain medication, or drug they are on.

What Are Pain Medication, Drugs and Opiate Withdrawal Symptoms?

Certain over the counter medications (such as codeine based meds), prescription painkillers, Opiates and heroin, can produce withdrawal symptoms just hours after the last dose, and the symptoms can last for a week or more. Sometimes these symptoms can be minor, but many times they can cause all manner of symptoms, which I will list below in detail.

Some symptoms can be major and unassisted withdrawal may, or may not be life-threatening. When someone doesn’t withdraw properly it can also lead to relapse and further dependence on a medication, or drug. Medications and therapy, accessed in medical detox, may make relapse less likely. I’ll talk about why it is necessary to do a proper medical detox first, before seeing practitioners outside the medical detox model.

What Are Pain Medication ad Drug Dependency Symptoms?

Pain medication and drug withdrawal symptoms can last about a week, or even longer for some, and may include:

  • Irritability
  • Agitation
  • Depression
  • Muscles aches
  • Insomnia
  • Thoughts of suicide
  • Anxiety
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Diarrhoea
  • Bowel Pain and Rectal Pressure
  • Severe bloating
  • Fluid Retention
  • Sweating
  • Body aches
  • Runny nose
  • Headaches
  • High blood pressure
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Many other symptoms not mentioned here
Detox and Withdrawal Duration

Withdrawal is the collection of side effects that occur when a drug is removed from the brain and body of someone who is dependent on it, while detox is the actual removal of the drug itself.

Withdrawal symptoms can last anywhere from a couple of days to up to a week or longer. For most pain medications and prescription opiates, withdrawal symptoms take shape 8-12 hours after the last dose and it peaks in the first 72 hours. The time within the withdrawal period depends on the medication, or drug taken. This is where rebound symptoms can occur.

The first week of withdrawal is typically the worst, but some symptoms may actually last longer. Symptoms typically last up to one month, but can linger for several months. Some effects can be permanent if there is a genuine abuse of a medication. Symptoms that can last longer than one week include tiredness, muscles aches and tiredness, depression, anxiety, and trouble with sleeping.

This diagram shows the withdrawal of these medications and time frames of side effects from withdrawal after the last dose is taken.

Medical Detox

Detox may begin before withdrawal symptoms start and while the drug is still active in the body. This way the drug can be safely removed. During medical detox, individuals are monitored around the clock for 5-7 days, vital signs are continually checked, and medications may be used to control more difficult withdrawal symptoms.

If an individual is heavily dependent on pain medications, opiates, or took large amounts of the drug for a long time, or has a family or personal history of addiction, medical detox may last up to 10 days. Medical detox ensures that an individual is stable before moving on with a comprehensive substance dependence treatment and management program.

Relapse after a proper detox can increase the risk for a potentially life-threatening overdose since the brain and body may not be used to the same amount of drugs that was used before. Each year around 30,000 people worldwide die each year as the result of a prescription pain reliever overdose.

Each year around 500,000 people worldwide seek emergency department treatment for a reaction to the abuse, or dependency of pain medications or drugs to help with pain. By decreasing pain medication side effects and dependency on these medications as drugs, an individual may be less prone to seek out these same pain medications and drugs again after detox. Medical detox can help sustain abstinence and potentially prevent a tragic, relapse-related consequence.

While there are non-medical forms of detox, I wouldn’t recommend someone doing these until a proper medical detox is done. Proper support and around the clock care is needed in the initial stages of a proper detox and this really cannot be provided out in private practice, or by complementary medicine practitioners during this initial stage.

I am all for people seeing natural medicine practitioners and using natural medicines but this needs to be done after the initial medical detox. That first phase needs 24-hour care, medicines, psychological care and so many things that would be really hard to find out in a non-medical environment. There are some specialised centres that use a multimodality approach, using medical science and complementary medicines, but these are few and not always cheap to access either.

Sure, after the initial medical side of things, go your hardest and you should be seeking natural alternatives to pain medications and looking and diet and lifestyle choices to help deal with pain. You should also be seeking alternatives to pain medications and seeking therapies that can help manage your pain, such as acupuncture, herbal medicines, pilates, yoga, counselling etc.

All these things are important for ongoing care and helping deal with disease states and ongoing pain. But if you have reached the point where you are dependent on a medication, or drug, you are going to need lots of help and you will need help with proper detox first. Please, do not think that those packet over the counter detoxes from a chemist etc, are a proper detox. They are just a herbal laxative that cleans out your bowel. Always speak to a qualified professional to get proper advice about detox and microbiome restore.

Having lived with pain and having actually properly detoxed off meds years ago, it wasn’t until I was off all meds and things managed properly while detoxing, that I realised that some of my daily pain, was actually withdrawal effect of my pain meds. I don’t think many people realise that this happens and all the nausea and migraines and headaches and increased pain, is actually withdrawal.

Only once pain is managed well, a proper medical detox done and then a plan put in place, do people realise how much the meds were actually part of their daily struggle and it was all withdrawal. Then you can use proper pain management strategies and alternatives for pain and also preventative strategies too.

I hope this has given you all a better insight into pain, pain medications and withdrawal symptoms and if you aren’t being managed properly for your pain and pain condition, then you need to talk to your healthcare professional about this. Everyone’s pain and pain symptoms are going to be different, even if they have the same disease state, or inflammatory condition. This is why individual treatment plans are much more effective than a treating the masses approach.

I’ll do a separate post of some alternative to pain medications and drugs shortly, as it is whole post in itself. I will be collaborating with integrative medicine practitioner and mindfulness expert Rosa Bunn on this topic. 

In the meantime have a read of my post about me knowing what it is like to live with pain

https://drandreworr.com.au/knowing-all-too-well-what-it-is-like-to-live-with-pain/

I have written quite a few articles on pain and pain management and I urge you all to have a read of them all, so that it gives you some understanding of where I am coming from and also some helpful pain management strategies

  1. https://drandreworr.com.au/getting-a-handle-on-pain-with-proper-pain-management/
  2. https://drandreworr.com.au/stop-telling-women-that-period-pain-is-normal/
  3. https://drandreworr.com.au/early-intervention-early-management-is-vital-for-gynaecological-conditions-menstrual-issues/
  4. https://drandreworr.com.au/period-pain-is-not-normal-and-doctors-in-australia-and-the-rest-of-the-world-need-to-start-listening/
  5. https://drandreworr.com.au/asking-the-right-questions-about-period-pain-gynaecological-issues/
  6. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170618103517.htm
  7. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318532.php

Take care and if you do need help and assistance with pain and pain management  you can always come and see me and book in a proper consultation and I can help you and point you in the right direction too.

Sometimes we all need a little help in the right direction and sometimes the first step is admitting you have a problem in the first place. Oh, yes, I also get that many of you have been missed and dismissed also and this is why you are where you are now.

Telling it how it is and keeping it real. I get it and I understand.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate

acne 1606765 1920

Acne Can Be a Major Sign That You Have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common reproductive/endocrine disorder — and most common cause of infertility — affecting 9 -18% of women around the world. One of the major signs that you may have PCOS is acne on the face, or other parts of your body. Many women will have this one symptom overlooked and then have a major reproductive/endocrine disorder overlooked as well.

Despite the prevalence of this chronic condition, one-third of women diagnosed with PCOS saw at least three health professionals over the course of two years before receiving a diagnosis, according to a study from the University of Pennsylvania.

Polycystic Ovaries (PCO) is a characterised by multiple cystic growths on the ovaries. In large it is an endocrine and hormonal disorder, but it has potential to cause gynaecological and reproductive issues and these issues can be varied. Women with PCOS may not have cystic formation and just have symptoms that are part of the syndrome only (eg-acne, irregular cycle).  PCO and PCOS really are two different conditions, but now they are both put under the one title of PCOS and this actually isn’t correct.

Some women only have the cysts (PCO), while others have no cysts but have the syndrome (PCOS). Some have both. The one thing that they all have in common is that they all have insulin resistance. The other thing we know is that there is usually a family member with the same condition whom has passed the condition on genetically. Often the family member passing on the genetic traits, doesn’t even know that have the condition in the first place.

Recent studies have shown that there are “major gaps” in education and support for women with these conditions (PCO and PCOS). We see the same thing with other gynaecological conditions such as endometriosis and Adenomyosis and why these conditions can take up to a decade to be diagnosed properly

As a Reproductive Medicine and Women’s Health practitioner I see these same issues with so many women waiting years to get a proper diagnosis and they have seen multiple healthcare professionals in both the medical and complementary medicine profession. It also creates confusion and anxiety for women who just want an answer to their condition and are not being diagnosed properly and also getting conflicting advice and treatment in the interim.

The signs and symptoms of PCOS are very clear and easily diagnosed, but many healthcare professionals end up focussing on one symptom, while overlooking the bigger picture and then these poor women get their condition missed.

Acne is one of the major signs of having PCOS and many women have his overlooked, or unaware that they may have a condition that could affect their fertility later on.

If a woman presents with Acne, irregular periods etc, I know there is a very good chance that she could have, or actually has PCOS.

The problem for these women, as explained before is that healthcare providers and placing too much emphasis on only one of these symptoms, which is usually the Acne, or just that the cycle is irregular. Then women are then put on the Pill and these symptoms are masked for years, until they try and have a child and have difficulty doing so.

The other issue is that the acne is often the focus, due to vanity reasons, and this is also why the many of the treatments for the acne are not working, because they are failing to treat the root cause of the issue. It just becomes one big vicious circle that goes round and round until someone finally diagnoses the actual cause properly.

Women with PCOS also have an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, metabolic syndrome and anxiety and depression, and studies have shown that the longer it takes for the condition to be diagnosed, the longer the patients condition begins to affect both their physical, emotional and reproductive health

The most common signs of PCOS are:

  • Absent, Irregular and Inconsistent menstrual periods,
  • Acne
  • Excess hair growth (some women can have hair loss too)
  • Central obesity

But many women with PCOS are of normal body weight and can actually be underweight too. It can affect women of any shape, weight or size. Some women with PCOS have regular menstrual cycles and can be fairly asymptomatic (meaning no symptoms) too

Just like endometriosis, women with PCOS are often missed and dismissed and the impact this has can be significant psychologically and also significant on their future fertility. There needs to be better health professional resources and international dissemination to improve diagnosis, education, management and reproductive and health outcomes.

I am always saying to healthcare professionals (medical and complementary medicine) that if you don’t know how to do your job properly, you don’t know how to diagnose conditions like PCOS or Endometriosis properly, or it is out of your scope of practice, get out of the way and refer these women onto people who are trained to diagnose and manage these conditions properly.

Lets, help put and end to PCOS and also put an end to Endometriosis and other inflammatory gynaecological conditions as well. Let’s break the silence and help women get the diagnosis and care they need. Early intervention and treatment is crucial for any disease state and let’s help women get this care sooner.

Take care

Regards

Andrew Orr

-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate

-No Stone Left Unturned

-The Women’s Health Experts

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Calling Out The BS Misinformation About Fat Loss

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The reason I am writing this post is that I have had many people contact me about losing weight and getting healthy for their New Year’s resolution. It is that time after all.

But, I have also had some people close to me tell me they have diabetes and other health issues that could significant impact their health and shorten their lives. All of these people have completely preventable diseases and would not be there if their diet and lifestyle was in better shape.

It is that time of year again and it seems to be when most people tend to throw out the healthy habits and adopt some not so healthy ones. Many convince themselves that it is “OK” because it is just for a little while, but the truth is that this altered state of perception often leads into weeks and possibly months of overindulgence and bad eating habits. Then New Year’s Eve comes and people go on the roller coaster guilt trip of needing to be healthy to bring in the New Year.

While it may be OK to eat a few unhealthy things for the day of Christmas, having it every day over the festive season could turn into a nasty habit that could have long term implications on one’s health.  Add in some alcohol everyday and all those bad carbs and the weight (namely fat) can pile on very quickly indeed. This could be especially true if excess fat is stored and the exercise stops and next thing you know that you have a years worth of fat to try and get rid of. Worse still, some people are eating like this every day and not exercising and putting on more inflammatory fat and not realising they are a ticking time bomb. These people then have a lifetime of fat to get rid of and that is not going to be an overnight fix by any means.

So many people always try to convince themselves that a little bit of this, or that, won’t hurt. That is absolute rubbish. Yes, a little bit of this and that won’t hurt if you have reached your optimum weight, got rid of all the bad fat around your body, and reached your health goals. Sure. But if you are already overweight, have excess tummy fat etc, yes, that little bit just set you back big time. Excess fat= inflammation.

Excess fat is also estrogenic and part of the reason obesity also unbalances hormones, causes inflammation in all the cells, decreases fertility, but also puts you at increased risk of many of the cancers we get as humans. We will talk about that in later posts.

Before you start making excuses and trying to plead your fat loss case, you might want to stop for a second and actually listen to some cold hard facts and from a qualified healthcare professional, not your next door neighbour pushing the next multi-level marketed shake diet scam. You need to put down your degrees in Dr Google and tell Dr Google to stick his fat loss advice misinformation where the sun doesn’t shine.

Excess fat and a sedentary lifestyle is going to cut your life short and also lessen your quality of life and increase your risks for other diseases that could cut your life even shorter. It is time to cut the BS (Bullshit) and tell it how it is.

On a daily basis I hear every excuse to why someone hasn’t been able to lose weight, or get their life back on track etc. I have heard it all. Even many of my fertility patients just don’t get that their current fat status is hindering their chances of healthy eggs, health sperm, and healthy embryos and having a healthy baby.

I have heard every excuse from “I go to the gym 2 hours per day and still can’t lose weight”, “But my diet is great and I still can’t lose weight”, “I’ve tried everything and seen everyone and still can’t lose weight” and so many other excuses.

Each time I hear the excuses start, the BS meter starts to go off and I feel the need to call people on their story they are living in. Sure, I get it is hard. Sure, I get the excuses. Sure I get it and understand the story being told to me. But seriously, nobody is going to do this for you.

People just need to take ownership and just admit that they are 100% responsible for their own body and now just need to take on the advice and just do it. You cannot keep blaming someone or something and keep shifting the focus off the one things holding you back, which is your self.

If someone is eating correctly (I mean eating a proper diet, not the one you have been conditioned to believe is healthy by clever marketing for big corporation), then you will burn fat and lose weight. You can’t out train a bad diet and you can’t lose fat if you are getting bad advice.

You won’t lose fat if you aren’t being honest with yourself and having chocolate, treats, biscuits, and drinking alcohol and all the other bad carbs along the way. One biscuit here and one piece of chocolate there, adds up to a crap load of sugar and fat storage in a week. Let’s not forget how alcohol is full of sugar and bad carbs and stores fat too.

Nine times out of ten it isn’t the diet that isn’t working for someone, it is the person not working and not doing things properly. Once that is sorted and proper adjustments made, plus moving the body at the same time, people will always lose that fat. They do when I am helping them.

The other big issue I see is people’s perceptions of what a good healthy diet consists of, or what they have been conditioned to believe is healthy. While this may not necessarily be their fault, once they have been told and don’t do anything about it, then there isn’t anyone to blame but self.

We also have the big issues in this country, and other parts of the world, with all of the unqualified wannabe health coaches (and bloody Dr Google) out there pushing the latest fad and not knowing what the hell they are doing and pushing it onto the unsuspecting masses who lap up the latest quick fix craze. We have also had years of indoctrination by cereal and bad food companies getting us to believe their sales pitch lies to boost their profits and keep us all sick.

Let me tell you one thing. There is no quick fix when it comes to fat loss. There is no magic pill, or magic shake, or magic supplement that is going to melt fat away overnight. People need to get that through their brains and start to be real about their expectations versus the reality of weight/fat loss.

It is called eating well, exercising and changing lifestyles, reconditioning the thought processes and learning to live life and love it at the same time. No shake, or quick fix fad, is ever going to replace a healthy diet and healthy lifestyle.

Those shake diets and quick fix fads only last a short time and while you are doing this and then once you stop, you rebound back to where you are. Don’t get me started on how those shakes etc are full of fillers, full of sugars and lack beneficial real nutrients and live enzymes. They aren’t real foods and they will never be real foods and we shouldn’t need to use them. OMG don’t get me started on what many people think are real foods.

One of the biggest issues with people not being able to lose fat is that their gut flora, or what we now call the Microbiome, is just not balanced and healthy and full of healthy bacteria. You can take multiple supplements and shakes and do copious amounts of exercise, but if your gut flora and Microbiome isn’t balanced and right, then nothing is going to work. If the Microbiome is balanced and healthy, then the rest of the body, the immune system and the mind will be healthy too.

Recolonising the Microbiome and balancing the gut flora is something I always start with when people are wanting to get healthy, and or lose fat. It is an absolute must to be able to reduce inflammation, get the digestion working properly, restoring the immune system, restoring optimum brain function, restore fertility and getting the body burning fat properly. Without getting the gut function working properly, nothing else will function properly either

You are all probably wondering why I use the word fat loss, instead of weight loss. That is because weight loss is not the goal to a healthy body. Fat loss is the goal. It is very easy to make someone lose weight, but the problem with most weight loss systems is that they make you lose muscle and body mass, not burn fat. So people lose the weight on the scales and the fat is left behind and then they rebound. It also leaves you a lighter person full of bad fat and full of inflammation that is still causing you to be unhealthy and have an increased risk of disease. You just become a fat skinny person and that isn’t good either.

We need to redefine the model of thinking around weight loss and start to re-educate people that we need fat loss to help the body become healthy. We also need to have a healthy Microbiome and healthy digestive system to achieve optimum health too. So no matter what your disease state is, your health goal is, or what you need to achieve to get your body back into optimum shape, gut health and a healthy Microbiome should be first and foremost.

Whether you want to lose fat, or recover from a disease state, or have a baby, fat loss and a healthy Microbiome are the integral key that you need to use to unlock your health and New Years goal. If you want to do fat loss properly, then book into a properly trained healthcare professional like myself, or a nutritionist and get your life and health back on track this New Year.

I know sometimes this may sound a little harsh, but it is from a place of caring and a place of wanting to give people the facts. We all need a wakeup call every now and then and sometimes there is no other way to do it but say it how it is. It is time to call people on their BS misinformation and excuses and let’s get the facts out there about what it takes to be healthy and what it takes to lose fat properly too.

Take care and here’s to good health this year

Andrew Orr

-Women’s & Men’s Health Advocate

-No Stone Left Unturned