Monthly Archives: January 2015

Antiaging and testosterone

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testosterone word in letterpressIt is obviously true that we all have to get older, but I believe we do not have to age. This last statement is true for aging physically, mentally and spiritually. I have been an M.D. 45years and doing anti-aging and holistic medicine for 25 years using Human Bio-identical Hormones (HBIH). These hormones are made by a compounding pharmacist for each individual according to the clients laboratory reports along with the client sitting for about 2 hours and telling me their symptoms and signs. Why? Because each person is an individual with their own unique physiology and listening to a client is as important (or as I think more important) as the laboratory tests.

There is so much scientific evidence based documentations on the benefits of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Unfortunately, there exists so many myths about HRT. (please read blog on testosterone Myths). In this blog I will just explain the benefits of testosterone since progesterone and estrogen presentations have been written about so much and less about testosterone. I do have a blog on progesterone (Progesterone the brain protector). When I write about hormones I am referring only to Human Bio-identical Hormones.  a hormone with the exact molecular structure of that produced by the human ovaries and testes that nature has intended for our body’s use. They can be reproduced by a compounding pharmacist without changing the biochemical structure as is done with synthetic pharmaceutical hormones. It is the synthetic Testosterone which the media writes and talks about negatively without doing the research. The ivy league researchers and physicians also use synthetics instead of bio-identical hormones. There is a big difference between the two types of hormones. Also it is important that the dose be the physiological dose for the individual – that is the amount that nature intended for that individual person to function optimally; not the same pharmaceutical packaged dose for everyone.  The lack of testosterone in the male is called andropause (mens’ menopause) which can be equated to womens’ menopause. In fact, the symptoms and signs that the male has are very similar to the symptoms and sign of the menopausal female. (Except females do not get enlarged prostates). Some males even have hot flashes and night sweats. (See blog on Andropause compared to menopause)

So here are some facts about testosterone:

  • It has been shown that there exists 3-4 more testosterone receptors in the heart of males and females then in the male gonads (testosterone therefore is not just there to bother women). This means that it is heart protective since we know that nature always has a purpose and rarely creates biological states haphazardly.

  • Testosterone also helps stimulate the production of nitric oxide which is necessary to dilate the arteries. This helps prevent high blood pressure and for the male more consistent erections.

  • Testosterone is necessary to prevent osteoporosis. It is true for women that estrogen and progesterone help prevent osteoporosis but it is testosterone that really keeps the bones strong for both men and women That is why men do not get osteoporosis until they are much older then women. Men have been building strong bones and muscles for so long due to their higher amount of testosterone. (The Testosterone Syndrome by Eugene Shippen M.D.) Men can get osteoporosis eventually and therefore like women should after 60 get a bone density test. Even before this age if symptoms and signs suggest this deterioration is happening; such as loss of height, hunched back or even pain of the back or hips.

  • Testosterone is necessary for firm and strong muscles. This also means a flatter abdomen (not necessarily a six-pack). A 50 year old can work out hard in the Gym but if the foundation building blocks are not there (testosterone) they probably will not build hard muscles. Like a pretty house with a poor foundation eventually it will collapse even after many trials of repair.

  • Testosterone has now been shown to have receptors in the brain. Many studies have shown statistically the lower the testosterone level in men and women the more likely that these people get dementia. In fact, in one study they gave testosterone to Alzheimer men (synthetic in this study) and although it did not cure the Alzheimer Disease it dramatically slowed it down. (Pike, C., PhD. & et al (Dec. 20, 2006). “Testosterone therapy may prevent Alzheimer’s Disease.” Science Daily (abstract from the University of Southern California) & (Resnick, Susan PhD. & Moffat,Scott PhD.(2007). Low Testosterone Levels Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease in Older Men. Journal of Neurology.) They have also shown by using functional MRIs (fMRI) that testosterone is needed by the brain. These are MRIs that show different colors for the active and inactive parts of the brain. When testosterone is low it showed lower memory capacity in these areas. In fact, with really low testosterone levels these people were not able to fantasize.

  • Although I did not want to get into testosterone myths in this blog I know some people will have the question of testosterone causing prostate cancer. It has been evaluated by many prominent physicians and researchers that have come up with the same answer that testosterone does not cause prostate cancer but rather it is estrogen. This is because all fetuses start as females and have small uteri.  When the potential male fetus reaches a certain embryological maturity the prostate develops around the uteri (which remains inside the prostate called a utricle). It is estrogen that hits the utricle to cause the cancer as it would cause cancer of the uterus in a female. Also if testosterone was the cause of prostate cancer we would see more of it when males are young bucks with higher levels of testosterone then at the low testosterone levels when men are older and get prostate cancer. The argument against this is that is takes testosterone more then 50 years to cause the cancer. Well, if a man is more then 50 and it takes another 30-50 years for this to happen it will be happy years.There are numerous reasons why a male can build up too much estrogen but again this could be another blog or answer to FAQs.

  • It has now been shown that testosterone does not cause clotting of the blood as  was once thought (but never proven). Because testosterone may mildly raise the hematocrit and hemoglobin that the blood was thickened and therefore clotting would occur. This elevation does not even occur in most males using bio-identical testosterone and when elevated they are still usually within the normal limits for a male.  This was all speculation. In the following research article testosterone clotting was shown not to be the case. (Smith, A. M. et al. (2005). “Testosterone Does Not Adversely Affect Fibrinogen or Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA) and Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) Levels in 46 Men with Chronic Angina.” European Journal of Endocrinology, 152 (2), 285-291.)

It is really a shame that testosterone has been vilified for such a long time because of traditional ignorance and not up-to-date healers. A lot of these myths are due to athletes and wanna be athletes taking huge doses of synthetic testosterone. It is true that any natural or unnatural product that is used in non-physiological doses can cause harm. That is why one goes to a physician that is up-to date, non-prejudicial about bio-identical hormones, and willing to listen to you and any new findings and questions that you have for him/her.

Choices are not easy for a client in choosing anti-aging hormones since there are so many prejudicial myths built up for so long in the medical community. That is one of the reasons I  have written my book (Emotional Vampires and your Hormones: an holistic physician’s view of how stress affects your well-being and what you can do about it). I present to the public medical information that is known but not promoted to let the person make their own educated decisions.

The Antibiotic Controversy

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antibiotic controversyHaving been in medicine more then 45 years of which 25 of these in Holistic Medicine. I find there are a few thoughts that are being disregarded on the topic of antibiotics by both healers and the general public.  As an holistic MD I am against the indiscriminate use of antibiotics as has been done in the past and still persists in the present despite all the AMA warnings, but at least to a significantly lesser degree . As a rational and past ER MD I know that “to throw the baby out with the bath water” is as narrow minded and dangerous as the allopathic physicians’ negative view of the use and consideration of alternative-complimentary medicine.

People that have experienced life threatening illnesses such as mesenteric gangrene, or a burst appendix, felon of the finger or sepsis, etc. have appreciation for the antibiotic use. There is a place for the emergent use of antibiotics but not their abuse as history has presented to us. A simple UTI can be handled with colloidal silver IV &/or mannitol; but as a learned MD I do not want to put the client at risk of the possible sequel of glomerulnephritis or pyelonephritis and therefore an avoidable hospital admission & the consequences of an iatrogenic infection (and hospital food). If I use an antibiotic I double the dose (AM &PM) of the probiotic while on it and keep the client on this for a minimum of 30 days after the antibiotic course. Hopefully my clients take a probiotic every day for all their life.

For 25 years I have been successful treating advanced infections with the IV use of colloidal silver &/or H202, &/or high dose Vitamin C. Always with discretion & discussion with the client. I rarely use antibiotics but as stated when I believe it is necessary I discuss this choice with the client and explain why I believe it is necessary. I use IV therapy with my holistic choices since many people have dysbiosis or leaky gut syndrome and will not absorb via treatments done orally. This way I know my alternative treatment is in their blood and going to the infection or inflamed pathology. I have for example used colloidal silver IV and H202 IV to cure the flu in12-36 hours. There is a place for all our knowledge in healing when used correctly. The treatment must fit the individual client and disease and not just be a standard textbook treatment.

I suggest to people that they have a list of questions for their physician-client interaction because so often people are intimidated or nervous and forget what they wanted to ask. The physician should take the time to explain the answers to the client and having a list should make this an easier task for the healer.

Yes, there could be side affects to any pharmaceutical but also to alternative-complimentary therapies. There are also side effects of any serious pathology like sepsis or neurocyticercosis (a parasitic infestation of the brain) when not being treated with antibiotics. The side effects without proper antibiotics of some terrible diseases is death or disability. There are so many illnesses and diseases with similar symptoms and signs that it takes a lot of education for an MD, DO or ND to learn what is called the differential diagnoses (DD), or at least to know where to look for them,  when to look for them and when to refer. The DD cannot be learned in a 1-2 year alternative course. There are long residencies so the physician can actually see these diseases and keep learning from other experts. Continuous education for licensed MDs, DOs and NDs is very stringent and monitored. After all this education I believe the healer is ready to make a decision whether to use and practice alternative-complimentary therapies or allopathic or both together. At least the previous education gives the choice and knowledge to the healer to discuss options with the client as a partnership.

Be aware that my statements in no way are my feelings of support for the big pharmaceutical conglomerates; their villainous prices in the USA (compared for the same pharmaceuticals in other countries), their ways of advertising both via the media and to physicians. My opinions are only my very long experience of learning in both fields of medicine. I feel It is the physician teaching the patient and the patient teaching the physician.

But “do not throw the baby out with the bath water.”

Compliance = Responsibility

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ComplianceMagnifying-GlassThere is a joined responsibility of the client (patient) and also the healer during treatment and prevention. I was talking to a friend the other day and asking him about the lab work that he was was supposed to have gotten and found he  was putting it off with various excuses , none of which were economic. Such as, I was too busy; while I know he starts his day at 9-10 AM and could be at the lab at 7:30 am. Yet, he wanted his physician to write him a prescription for a schedule II pharmaceutical which ethically, morally and in the practice of good medicine has to be followed by lab work between every 6-12 months.

This is a long introduction on what is the role of the patient and the physician or healer. Of course this is my opinion! The client has the responsibility of following the physician’s requests or addressing the physician with questions of why the requests are necessary. I believe the physician has the responsibility of explaining why the steps of the treatment are necessary and what they mean. If the client does not agree after the explanations, in my mind he does not trust or agree with the expertise of the healer and should move on to healer which s/he feels more comfortable

I have experienced too many avoidable problems in medicine with physicians trying to be too accommodating and sacrificing what they know as good medical practice so that the patient can be accommodated. The healer is usually doing this with an open heart and empathy for the patient. But it is comparable to a parent not explaining to their child the consequences of doing or not doing an act and then not being forceful enough to enforce what is right for the child’s safety.

On the other hand, too often the client wants the convenience of the physician doing all the work for them and believing that the “pill popping” will make them better. Obviously this is false! The medicine or alternative treatments will help alleviate or cure the person but only if directions are followed by them and/or practiced by them . For example; an orthopedic surgeon can put a prosthetic shoulder in the patient but the patient has to dutifully follow through with the post surgical assigned program to get full beneficial range of motion.

It really bothers me if the physician or healer does not sit and explain the importance of their regimen for whatever the pathology with the attitude that the client is not smart enough to understand: but it also really bothers me when the client is nonchalant about the explanation and directions and believes that the responsibility is all on the healer. Ultimately it is the client that suffers physically and mentally when the healing is not as complete as possible. I find it helpful for the client to prepare a list of questions before the interview with the physician since often time is limited and also the client is nervous and forgets problems that s/he wants to have answers. This tactic helps the physician alleviate stress of the client and also get to know the client better.

So compliance is a two way avenue. The physician can only be a guide (and life-guard when necessary) for the client and not the full time caretaker. The medicine is so often only to relieve the symptoms and signs but not the panacea for wellness. The client is responsible for following advice or not with the knowledge that there are always options and also consequences for any action. The client also needs to practice good health regimens as much as they can to keep a good immune system

I hope this blog helped to enlighten some readers it was a good cleansing for me.