Cingles Info

The HEP Support Group Handbook
Prepared by
The Hepatitis Education Project
October 1996

I have read that the further along you are (cirrhotic for instance) the less
likely you are to respond........ that does have a little to do with
age......... but not completely as some older people have not had it as long
as some of us *medium* people LOL ......... medium people?? You know
what I mean........... we aren't 70 yet anyway!!! LOL
Would be glad to read any research on it ;-)
Peace and Love,
Pam
"Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through
snow." - Jeff Valdez

Just wanted to say Hi! and let everyone know I'm here.

I think I have read that somewhere, too...........that older persons have
a lesser response rate to treatment. However, it could have been said that
younger people with hep c respond better because they have not had the virus
as long, either. I need to do some research as opposed to just guessing.
Good
Evening/Day to You, Johnny O
In a message dated 11/24/2002 7:19:07 PM Pacific Standard Time,

Sorry,
Heard the word tennis! I miss that! Volleyball, frisbee.......Just
going down memory lane. Hope that someday we can all go back to
things we used to love and can't seem to do anymore!...........Dana
-- In HepCingles2@y..., "~PeachStatePam~" <figment@n...
Robin........ from what I have read you probably WILL have fewer
sides and there IS a higher response rate......... I did want to
clarify that I have never read that the older you are the less you
respond. I know several people in their 60's who have done
treatment quite successfully and one lady at my support group is
doing so well with the sides that she just joined a tuesday night
tennis group and can't come to meetings for awhile ;-) So you just
never know until you try ;-) Anyway, that is just my two cents and
someone else probably has three or four lol TTYL

(((Robin))) So sorry to hear about your back........ I could just picture
you lying there talking to the parents!! Sorry if I snickered just a
little, I KNOW you were miserable, but it was quite the picture!! Are you
the principal at your school? My sis is a teacher but a gym teacher and I
don't think you would catch her in a dress....... ever!! That is weird
that your viral load went UP while on treatment.......... I sure hope this
next round works for you. I had terrible sides and went to the hospital
but my viral load went from 8 million to undetectable so it WAS working at
least!! Good luck!
Peace and Love,
Pam
"Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through
snow." - Jeff Valdez

Hey Robin and TC.......... I was at the chat tonight so I am responding to
emails late........... I wish you luck on this next round of treatment
Robin........ from what I have read you probably WILL have fewer sides and
there IS a higher response rate......... I did want to clarify that I have
never read that the older you are the less you respond. I know several
people in their 60's who have done treatment quite successfully and one lady
at my support group is doing so well with the sides that she just joined a
tuesday night tennis group and can't come to meetings for awhile ;-) So
you just never know until you try ;-) Anyway, that is just my two cents
and someone else probably has three or four lol TTYL
Peace and Love,
Pam
"Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through
snow." - Jeff Valdez

HI Brian and Welcome
I'm Tom ak TC in Warren, Michigan. We had a Michigan HepC picnic
this summer in Utica, Michigan. We also had a Great time at the
annual Michigan Liver Walk.later

Have Hepatitis C? Want to talk? Please meet us at the HepCat Hideout Chat at
http://forums.delphiforums.com/HepCingles on Saturday nights at 7pm PST which is
10pm EST. You do NOT have to be single to attend!! If someone is not there
PLEASE hang out for a few and they will show up shortly :-) Hope
everyone has a wonderful weekend and I am sorry I didn't get this out in a more
timely manner........ Take care all!!
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The Bush White House has refused to proclaim May 2006, National Hepatitis
Awareness Month.
Below is a sign-on letter to show your support for National Hepatitis Awareness
Month 2006.
Who should respond? All persons and organizations affected by HCV or concerned
about the hepatitis C crisis.
How to respond? go to
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/IMPACTC/campaign.jsp?campa\
ign_KEY=3510 and tell him what you think! - your e-mail will be sent to
President Bush and your elected officials in Congress.
Please help distribute this letter and encourage organizations to sign-on.
May 2, 2006
President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
RE: National Hepatitis Awareness Month 2006
Dear Mr. President,
Our country is currently in the midst of a very real epidemic: the hepatitis C
crisis. As the President of the United States, you are responsible for
protecting the health and safety of the American people. While the media
focuses on potential threats that may never be realized (e.g., avian influenza)
and rare illnesses that affect only a handful of Americans (e.g., West Nile
virus and SARS), hepatitis C goes largely unrecognized. Hepatitis C is the most
common, blood-borne chronic viral illness in the U.S. The number of Americans
infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is 5-times greater than the number
living with HIV/AIDS. Yet, to date, your administration has remained silent
about this public health crisis and recently denied a request for a Presidential
Proclamation recognizing May 2006 as National Hepatitis Awareness Month.
Conservative estimates generated by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention indicate that approximately 5 million Americans have already been
infected with HCV. Hepatitis C is very serious medical condition that poses an
enormous threat to the health of the American people as evidenced by the
following facts:
. Chronic hepatitis C is the leading indication for adult liver transplantation
in the U.S.
The demand for liver transplants for this indication has increased by a least
12-fold since 1990.
. Chronic liver disease is now among the top ten causes of death for Americans
age 25 years and older.
Chronic hepatitis C is the leading cause of chronic liver disease in the U.S.
accounting for up to 60% of all cases.
Chronic liver disease associated with coinfection with hepatitis C and/or
hepatitis B is now a leading cause of death for those with HIV/AIDS.
. Hepatitis C is a known human carcinogen.
The incidence of liver cancer among Americans more than doubled between 1975 and
1998.
The number of new cases of liver cancer and the associated number of liver
cancer deaths are expected to double again in the U.S. over the next 10 to 20
years.
. The hepatitis C epidemic in the U.S. is expected to result in 3.1 million
years of life lost by 2019 unless immediate intervention is implemented to
control the HCV epidemic.
. The projected direct and indirect costs of the current HCV epidemic, if left
unchecked, will be over $85 billion for the years 2010 through 2019.
Mr. President, you have a responsibility to the American people to raise
awareness about the hepatitis C epidemic, which currently affects at least one
in 50 Americans.
I respectfully urge you to reverse your administration's previous decision and
to help us educate the American public by issuing a Presidential Proclamation
recognizing May 2006 as National Hepatitis Awareness Month.
Further, I ask that you urge Congress to set their attention on passage of The
Hepatitis C Epidemic Control and Prevention Act [S.521/H.R.1290]
Respectfully,

Sure Pam you got it I will be writing it before you are reading this!

Shalom, Hello, Welcome and Best wishes on your Biopsy Bruce.....Dana
in PA

Hello Brian,
Welcome to the group!...........Dana in PA

Welcome DDC! Not in your area, but just a welcome!.......Dana in PA

hello to all of you
i am 50 and living in israel
i have known about my hep for 5 months
will have a biopsy on the 2'nd of dec
i am 1b with a low viral load
just wanted to say shalom
b

Shalom Bruce and welcome to HepCingles2. I sure hope the biopsy is good
news and not much damage. Please let us know what it shows ;-) Take care
of yourself!
Peace and Love,
Pam
"Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through
snow." - Jeff Valdez

While prowling around the net today I came across this link..no doubt from Pams
Link at the end of my signature..HEALS...anyhow..its pretty informative and you
can click on anything and it goes on and on forever.................well I found
it interesting :)
http://www.epidemic.org/
~Bayla~
SVRnWaiting
'C' It! Treat It! Beat It!
http://hometown.aol.com/nydragonslayer/
http://www.healsofnfl.bravehost.com/

Hi everyone....... I am writing to all of you to ask a favor. I need some
letter writing pretty please ;-) As members of the Hepatitis C community I
feel it is important for *ALL* of us to thank any and every one that brings
awareness to this disease. Let me start by saying that because of a comment
made on a radio show about Pam Anderson, Kid Rock, and the CDC another wonderful
hepper (Karen) took the initiative and wrote a scathing letter to Radio Station
Z93 in Atlanta, GA. They reacted by MAGNIFICENTLY offering an HOURS air time
to Karen and the leader of my Woodstock Hep C Support group Dee who did a
magnificent job of educating the public on risk factors, treatments, and general
Hep C info! It was a wonderful show and they are my new #1 station for
listening pleasure! The radio station is going to FURTHER follow up by doing
10 to 15 second Public Service Announcement *bullets* off and on during the day
to bring more awareness to it. I absolutely APPLAUD their efforts towards Hep C
Education and Awareness and would LOVE for everyone to flood this man's email
with thank you notes (even if you don't live here you can thank them for doing
this and for supporting our community!) We should all thank any radio, tv, or
newspaper for all articles and shows that help our cause! It can be a short
and simple note just PLEASE WRITE! His email addy is MichaelHughes@...
THANK YOU EVERYONE for taking a moment to do this! If you have something going
on in your area that needs a supportive email or two PLEASE feel free to post it
and I certainly will follow up with praise and I am sure that others will also!
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
Peace and Love,
Pam
"Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through
snow." - Jeff Valdez
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Hi ddc and welcome......... keep checking back........ someone might pop on
from your area ;-)
Peace and Love,
Pam
"As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat." - Ellen Perry Berkeley

Infergen Plus Ribavirin Produces Higher Sustained Virologic Response Than
Rebetron in Patients with Genotype 1
Researchers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (Washington, DC) and Kaiser
Permanente (Falls Church, VA) conducted a prospective, randomized clinical trial
to determine whether treatment with consensus interferon (Infergen; CIFN) plus
ribavirin was safe and effective when compared to treatment with Rebetron
(standard interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin).
Group 1 received 3MU IFN alfa 2b three times a week. Group 2 received 15 mcg
CIFN three times a week. All volunteers received 1-gram ribavirin/day. The study
group consisted of 127 subjects, 64 in-group 1 and 63 in-group 2. The
medications were given for 24 weeks. If HCV RNA was undetectable at week 24, the
subjects were continued on treatment for 48 weeks, otherwise treatment was
discontinued. Sustained antiviral response (negative HCV RNA at week 72) was the
primary end point.
Subjects in the two groups were similar in gender (68% for both groups), age
(mean age: 43 years for both groups), ethnic background (62% and 68% Caucasians,
respectively), HCV genotype 1 (75% and 65%, respectively), initial HCV RNA titer
(mean 3.8 and 4.9 million copies, respectively) and liver histology (25%
cirrhosis).
Study Results
To date 105 of 127 subjects have completed the 72 weeks study period and 117
have completed 48 weeks of therapy. All data will be available by Fall 2002.
Intention to treat analysis for week 48, showed undetectable HCV RNA in 46% and
62% for groups 1 and 2, respectively. The sustained response rates at week 72
were: 31% for group 1 and 55% for group 2.
HCV genotype-1 infected subjects had a SR of 20% and 39% for groups 1 and 2.
Adverse events requiring medication discontinuation were observed in 5% and 6%
of Groups 1 and 2; dose modifications were done in 45% and 51% of groups 1 and
2, respectively.
In conclusion, the safety of both combination therapies was similar. The
combination of CIFN and ribavirin resulted in a significantly higher sustained
viral clearance than the combination of IFN alfa 2b and ribavirin, particularly
in genotype-1 infected subjects.
Given the greater representation of non-Caucasians in this study when compared
to previous trials, the sustained antiviral response rate of the combination of
CIFN plus ribavirin is competitive to that reported for the pegylated
interferons plus ribavirin and could be considered as an alternative treatment,
especially in patients infected with genotype 1.
11/18/02
Reference
M Sjogren and others. SUSTAINED ANTIVIRAL RESPONSE WITH CONSENSUS INTERFERON
(CIFN)PLUS RIBAVIRIN OR INTERFERON ALFA-2B (IFN ALFA-2B) PLUS RIBAVIRIN IN
TREATMENT-NAIVE SUBJECTS WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS C. A PILOT STUDY. Abstract
100345. Hepatology ID 593 (oral session). Hepatology Vol 36, No 4, Part 2 of 2.
October 2002.
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No offense taken Mykal. Nothing happened anyway, just some
conversation......golf definitely was the main subject.
Later on, John
In a message dated 11/22/2002 3:05:10 PM Pacific Standard Time,
Nevernilla@... writes:

I just wanted to say hello to everyone. I am a 37 year
old single guy from Michigan. Drop me a line.
Brian

Do as thou will
as long as it harms no other

I sure hope ya'al don't get offended but I have just never been one to "kiss and
tell" but to each his own I suppose. Best of luck to you! Mykal

November 20, 2002
By TOM COHEN
.c The Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) - Police filed charges Wednesday in what is considered one of
Canada's worst public health disasters, a tainted blood scandal that infected
thousands of people with HIV and Hepatitis C.
The Canadian Red Cross, four doctors and an American pharmaceutical company were
all charged after a five-year investigation by a Royal Canadian Mounted Police
task force.
About 1,200 people were infected with HIV and thousands more contracted
hepatitis C after receiving tainted blood and blood products in the 1970s and
1980s, some allegedly from U.S. prison inmates.
While no figures exist on the number of victims who died, organizations involved
say there were many deaths. The Canadian Red Cross began screening donors for
HIV in 1985 and for hepatitis C in 1990.
``This has been a long time coming,'' Tom Alloway, president of the Canadian
Hemophilia Society, said of the charges. ``It think it means the beginning of
closure, both for victims who are still alive and the families of victims who
died.''
The charges include criminal negligence causing bodily harm, which carries a
maximum 10-year sentence, and common nuisance by endangering the public, which
is punishable by up to two years in prison.
``I want to see these individuals go to jail,'' said Scott Hemming, 35, a
hemophiliac who contracted hepatitis C from a blood transfusion in 1987. ``It is
unfortunate what happened to my family, but I want to ensure it never
happens to my daughter's family.''
The Red Cross and the former director of its blood transfusion service, Dr.
Roger Perrault, were accused of not screening out blood donors who might have
had HIV. The Red Cross faces six common nuisance charges, and Perrault faces
three counts of criminal negligence and seven of common nuisance.
Armour Pharmaceutical Co. of Bridgewater, N.J., was charged with criminal
negligence and common nuisance, along with failing to tell the Canadian
government of problems with the blood products.
Alloway said Armour's blood products were distributed in Canada after being
withdrawn in the United States.
Criminal negligence charges were also filed against former Armour vice president
Michael Rodell, and former government health officials John Furesz and Wark
Boucher.
All four doctors and Armour also were accused of allowing Armour's HIV-infected
blood-clotting product to be given to hemophiliacs.
``The Canadian public has the right to expect the safest blood and the safest
blood products possible,'' said task force head Supt. Rod Knecht.
The task force was formed in 1997 after a judge's report on the Canadian blood
system criticized the Red Cross and the government for problems that allowed the
tainted blood scandal to occur.
Lawsuits and compensation packages involving the Red Cross and the federal and
provincial governments include the creation of a $711 million government fund
for those infected.
11/20/02 20:39 EST
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18001-2002Nov20.html
A good exercise for the heart is to bend down and help another up.
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If I am admitted to the hospital and they are aware that I have signed a donor
card, I will not be treated as aggressively because of the need for organs.
The decision to sign a donor card will in no way affect the level of medical
care for sick or injured person. The team of doctors and nurses involved in
treating the patient is not involved with the transplant/recovery team, which is
called in only after death has occurred or is imminent.
My religious beliefs prevent me from considering organ donation.
Major religions support organ donation. In fact, the Rabbinical Council of
America has approved organ donation and Pope John Paul II referred to organ
donation as an act of great love.
Organ transplants can be "bought" by the wealthy and powerful.
Organs are computer matched according to compatibility of donor and recipient
tissues, determined by various tests, waiting time, and the medical need of the
recipient. Social or financial data are not part of the computer database and,
therefore, are not factors in the determination of who receives an organ.
The body is often mutilated to obtain organs and tissues.
There is no marring of the body during organ or tissue recovery. The organs
and tissue are removed with dignity, in a sterile surgical procedure like that
performed on a living patient.
If a person donates his organs or tissue, a normal funeral service cannot be
held.
Funeral arrangements are not delayed by organ and/or tissue donation. If an
unusual set of circumstances occurs and a slight delay is necessary, permission
is sought from the family first. Additionally, since the body is not disfigured,
a traditional, even open casket service is possible.
The donor's family has to pay for the recovery of organs.
There is never a charge to the family of the donor for organ recovery. All
associated costs are paid by the organ procurement organization.
http://www.transplant-speakers.org/
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Del,
Was just wondering if you received my email earlier today, I guess I sent it
to the group, as I have no other email for you??
Take care of you
Sincerely,
Lisa

Someone just shared this site with me and I had to pass it on. Really great
pictures. Check it out! ;-) Of course the mountains and the kitties were my
favorites!
http://www.wtv-zone.com/cal555/index.html
Peace and Love,
Pam
"Cats are rather delicate creatures and they are subject to a good many
ailments, but I never heard of one who suffered from insomnia." - Joseph Wood
Krutch
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Enjoy it when you get it!
Jon

LOL,,,,,,,,,I hope that did not sound braggadocio. She was just a golfing
partner who made a comment or two. :) still the same,
Johnny O
In a message dated 11/21/2002 9:55:52 PM Pacific Standard Time,

Were gonna have to change your name from Johnny O, to Lucky Johnny!

You GO BILL :-) I ask everyone I see whether they have signed their donor
cards or not. Have taken lots of literature to my local support group as
many were under the mistaken impression that they could not be donors with
Hep C. I have been amazed at how many people did not know that :-) Take
care of yourself!
Peace and Love,
Pam
"There are many intelligent species in the universe. They are all owned by
cats." - Anonymous

New Study Reports Alarming Rates of HIV and HCV Among African American and
Latino American Drug Injectors
Former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Joycelyn Elders Backs Needle Exchange
Programs to Fight Spread of HIV and Hepatitis C Among Drug Injectors
NEW YORK, Nov. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- A study released this week found among drug
injectors, African Americans are five times as likely to get HIV than whites and
Latinos are one-and-a-half times as likely. The study also found that 50 to 80
percent of needle drug users become hepatitis C positive within six to 12 months
of beginning injection drug use, making up for about half of new hepatitis C
cases in the U.S. This study was released by The Dogwood Center, an
independent, nonprofit research organization, in conjunction with the Harm
Reduction Coalition, a group committed to reducing drug-related harm.
"This powerful report brings home the severity of the problem of AIDS spread
through dirty needles. We have got to be about preventing disease," said former
U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Joycelyn Elders. "Silence about the
importance of needle access programs is causing the deaths of thousands of our
bright young black and Latino men and women. Time is slipping away. Our bright
young people are slipping away."
The study, "Health Emergency: The Spread of Drug-Related AIDS and Hepatitis C
Among African Americans and Latinos," is the fifth study in a series detailing
the impact of the injection-related AIDS and hepatitis C epidemic on African
Americans and Latinos. The Dogwood Center has been documenting the spread of
AIDS and hepatitis C through the "Health Emergency" series since 1995.
The study also examines methods of disease prevention, specifically, the need
for more studies to determine the benefit/critical importance of needle exchange
programs among injecting drug users. According to "Health
Emergency," there have been eight federally funded research studies that found
needle exchange programs slow the spread of HIV and do not increase drug use. In
addition, the latest United Nations report on worldwide AIDS prevention also
points to the importance of sterile needles for HIV prevention.
"Through this study, we are able to prove that syringe exchange is effective HIV
prevention," said Maria Chavez, California Director of the Harm Reduction
Coalition. "We firmly believe that with more, federally-funded needle
exchange programs, we will be able to help prevent the further spread of
blood-borne disease like HIV and hepatitis C."
The study also examined the benefit of treating people with drug addiction in
helping prevent the spread of AIDS and the struggles that come with treating
those that are disadvantaged and disproportionately affected by HIV and
hepatitis C.
"New AIDS and hepatitis C treatments have extended life for many thousands of
patients," said Chavez. "Unfortunately, many African American and Latino
patients are not benefiting as much as whites from the new treatments. The
outcomes of this study underscore the critical need for action to be taken on
behalf of these communities to ensure that they are receiving the information
and medication they need to fight the spread of these diseases."
Additional Study Facts and Findings
* Clean needles save lives -- According to the Centers for Disease Control
(CDC), using sterile syringes only once remains the safest, most effective
approach to limiting HIV transmission among injection drug users who cannot or
will not stop injecting drugs.
* Cost Effective -- It is three times more expensive to provide medical
treatment for one person sick with HIV/AIDS than to prevent one new HIV
infection using needle exchange programs and pharmacy sale of syringes.
* Hepatitis C -- With hepatitis C, as with AIDS, is a blood-borne disease where
a major factor in the spread of the disease is sharing needles.
* Women, Children and Families -- With thousands of motherless children and
about 60 percent of all AIDS cases among women caused directly or indirectly by
HIV-infected needles, the case for clean-needle programs to save the lives of
women and children and prevent the destruction of families could not be
stronger. Some 80 percent of infants born with HIV are African American or
Latino.
* Lack of health care -- Sub-optimal health care received by African American
and Latino people with AIDS is translating into more infections that might be
the case if these people were receiving care comparable to that received by
whites.
* Bridge to Treatment -- Every needs exchange program in the country serves as a
major entry point to drug treatment for drug injectors.
Full copies of "Health Emergency: The Spread of Drug-Related AIDS and Hepatitis
C Among African Americans and Latinos" can be obtained by contacting the Harm
Reduction Coalition at he2003@... or by
logging on to http://www.harmreductions.org.
About Dogwood Center
The Dogwood Center is an independent, nonprofit research organization concerned
with social justice issues related to drugs and AIDS.
The director of The Dogwood Center is Dawn Day, an activist scholar with over
thirty years of experience as a researcher and writer on social issues. Dr. Day
has a Ph.D. in sociology and an MSW in social work, both from the
University of Michigan.
About Harm Reduction Coalition
Harm Reduction Coalition is committed to reducing drug-related harm, including
HIV, Hepatitis, homelessness, violence and death among individuals and
communities. HRC believes in every drug user's right to health and
well-being, as well as in their competency to protect and help themselves, their
loved ones, and their communities. HRC forms part of a broader progressive
movement of individuals and organizations seeking to challenge the social,
cultural and economic structures -- including current drug policy-that foster
and sustain disadvantage, discrimination and denial of civil liberties and human
rights. Founded in 1993, HRC has offices in both Oakland, California and New
York City.
Make Your Opinion Count - Click Here
http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X72279884
SOURCE Harm Reduction Coalition; The Dogwood Center
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"Judge not, lest ye be judged........" hmmm kinda has a nice ring to
it. :)
have a pleasant day, evening, morning, Johnny O

Works both ways......lol.......I played golf with a beautiful woman today
and she was the one that started the "sexual innuendo", then blamed me for
distracting her golf game...........the nerve......lol :) We are
going to "play" again in a few days.
Fore,
Johnny O
In a message dated 11/21/2002 7:16:56 AM Pacific Standard Time,
NancyE1954@... writes:

Please sign Petitions to Congress
http://hcvets.com/petition/funding.asp
Hepatitis C Funding Petition
Demand that our Government allocate more funding for this Epidemic.
Sponsored by: Norm Seiff
http://www.i-charity.net/bin/ptn/43
Make Hep C victims eligible for Social Security
Benefits Petition to Mr. Kenneth Apfel,
Commissioner, SSA
Sponsored by: Kathryn Morse
http://www.i-charity.net/bin/ptn/184
Request to form a President's Council on HCV
Petition to Congress and the President of the U.S.
Sponsored by: David McGinty
http://www.gopetition.com/info.php?currentregion=0&petid=755
Request for warning labels on Toothbrushes and Razors
Petition asks that public service announcements be frequently heard......
Sponsored mailto:by:
zen48340@...
http://www.i-charity.net/bin/ptn/56
Epidemic: Hepatitis C & The President
Petition to President Bush
Sponsored by: Steven Carricut
http://hcvets.com/petition/petition.htm
Service Connection for Veterans/ Active Military/ and Dependents
To Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Anthony J. Principi, Majority and Minority-Veterans Committee Members
Republican and Democratic Committees From the Citizens of the United States.
http://www.i-charity.net/bin/ptn/sign/80
The Nationwide Petition Drive To Reform/Repeal The Feres Doctrine
Human/constitutional rights violations of American citizens serving in the
United States Armed Forces.
Sponsored by Veterans Equal Rights Protection Advoc.
http://hcvets.com/vabs/dr_cecil.htm
Save Dr. Ben Cecil Clinic and the Lives of HCV Vets at Louisville VAMC
Stop the closure of number one VA treatment center for veterans.
Sponsored by Hepatitis C's Movement for Awareness
List courtesy of http://hcvets.com/forum_public/hma/disc.htm

Is there anyone in the No Virginia area?

Marijuana has soooo many chemicals in it that it is not something i would use as
a "medicine" 3 joints has as much tar as one pack of ciggies. lung problems can
& do happen just as with inhaling any type of chemical. aspergillis fungus grows
on some plants & if it gets in your lungs it can cause Major problems. I am
taking college courses in Pharmacology and it is a hard drug to study because of
all the other chemicals in it.
don't get me started on ciggies!! Be good to your lungs & liver and try
other meds first. AND PLEASE this is JMHO.......along with my professors too.
Hugs Melly
BARB <irisdancinghorse@...
I heard thru the grapevine that our state re; Minnesota is
considering medical marijuiana; not sure when what and how but they
are certainly considering it I guess? The stats on marijane; is that
it does decrease pain, and works for many illness's including MS. We
will have to wait and see if its even a legal option in this state.
Heck half the state smokes it now, and they aint all sick, lol.
the only thing I've heard neg/ about smoking weed for people
w/hcv;is that it can cause portal hypertension I guess?which in turn
can create variciouse bleeding or viens to expand? spelling is bad
this am, lol, Well Just thought I'd put my two cents worth in on the
hole deal:)All medications do come from a plant of some form, most
non synthetic ones, and aspirin came from the bark of a tree,
so........maryjane is a natural plant. Iam not endorsing one way or
another if someone should smoke, its a personal choice, but.... if
someones down and out and sick, and it takes the pain away, how can
it be that its so bad, even tylonal can become addictive, lol,
phychologically to some.

This is a really tough one. Having been successfully transplanted
and living a completely normal life I know a big part of this outcome
was that other than my liver disease I was very strong and healthy it
was also that I was blessed to have been treated at one of the best
clinics in the country. I have also met people through the transplant
comunity who were very ill prior who have far exceeded all
expectations. I would suspect the solution to this dilema is to
increase donors. I see many people on these boards who may at some
point be on the list and most who will not I would like to see every
one get the same chance that I have. I am going to sugest something
that may help, it is something that I have done already. If each of
us would get at least 10 people to sign donor cards and ACTIVLE AND
VOCALLY PUSH ORGAN DONATION. we could put a big dent in the shortage.
Do all on this board have singed donors cards as we even though we
have this virus can donate.

livers available for transplant is forcing closer scrutiny of
transplantation criteria. The Model for Endstage Liver Disease (MELD)
developed at the Mayo Clinic falls short of the mark, according to a
presentation on Nov. 4 by
Sciences Center, at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American
Association for the Study of Liver Diseases in Boston, Massachusetts.
In a study of 66 liver transplant recipients with a right lobe
transplant from a living donor,
(UCLA) have developed a new model which is a far better predictor of
outcome, according to a report in the September issue of the Annals
of Surgery. In 46,942
variables identified as independent predictors for recipient survival
include recipient age and recipient creatinine, donor age, sex, total
bilirubin, prothrombin time, retransplantation, and warm and cold
ischemia times. To learn more about the UCLA model and its
implications for liver transplantation, Medscape's Laurie Barclay
interviewed lead author Rafik M. Ghobrial, MD, an associate professor
of surgery in liver and pancreas transplantation at the Dumont-UCLA
Transplant Center and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Dr. Ghobrial is also the first author of a study of donor and
recipient outcomes in right lobe adult living donor liver
transplantation (LDLT), which appears in the October issue of Liver
Transplantation.
survival but of death, that is, how quickly the recipient is likely
to die while awaiting transplant.The MELD model was designed to give
priority to the sickest patients in greatest need of transplantation.
So, for example, if a score of 1 represents the sickest patients who
are currently in the ICU, and a score of 3 represents those at home
but still in dire need of a transplant, patients scored 1 are
considered better candidates even though patients scored 3 are more
likely to survive after transplantation.
transplantation are always changing because there aren't enough
organs to go around, so we're trying to maximize distribution of this
precious resource. MELD factors in both waiting time for
transplantation and how sick the patient is. But with time, how long
the patient has been waiting for transplantation loses its
effectiveness as a criterion. The MELD assigns a score to every
patient, and
waiting for a transplant, as well as the chance of dying after
transplantation. The UCLA model differs in its overall focus and in
its specific criteria. It uses a combination of recipient, donor, and
operative factors to predict good outcome. For example, we know that
renal failure negatively impacts survival because some patients may
actually need a double organ tranplant, so the UCLA model includes
recipient creatinine. There's nothing in the MELD model to indicate
that a patient has gone too far to justify transplantation. No one
wants to be unsympathetic to a dying patient, or to tell his family
that he can't be transplanted because he's likely to die anyway. But
at the end of the day, using the MELD model leads to transplanting
the sickest patients, while the UCLA model attempts to select those
patients who will make the most use of the organ.
model in predicting outcome? Dr. Ghobrial: The UCLA model was
developed over many years in hepatitis C patients, and it accurately
predicts outcome and survival. It selects those patients most likely
to survive the operation, to have a quick recovery, to have survival
of the transplanted organ, and to live longer after transplantation.
The battle between the two models is like a tug-of-war, but
more logical and practical approach. We have to offset the urgency of
the recipient's need with the predicted efficiency of organ
utilization.
Ghobrial: It's very well accepted among groups awaiting transplant
because it's an understandable model. The UCLA model accurately
predicted outcome in the 25,000 patients studied retrospectively.
Before this model,
study the model and validate it prospectively. Prospective validation
will take years.
Winfrey show and other media, has helped increase awareness slightly.
But I think education has gone about as far as it can, and it has not
translated into a dramatic increase in the number of available
organs. The key is in changing legislation. Right now, the
legislation is that no one who dies is an organ donor unless the
family agrees to it. We should change that so that everyone who dies
is a potential organ donor unless the family objects. But there are
not a lot of politicians willing to do that.
than 70% in one year, if it falls below threshold criteria, we
shouldn't transplant. If one-year survival probability is at least
80% to 90%, it's okay to
patients who are very sick, recognizing the pressures of third-party
insurers, decreased reimbursements, and the high cost of drug
therapy. The most common cause of death following transplantation is
sepsis, which is very expensive to treat. We have to take into
account that the costs of treating one patient for sepsis - who
ultimately dies - could have been used to treat two
determine the optimal interventions and decisions. But in general,
the sicker the recipient, the less effective any interventions will
be.
threshold indicating low probability of survival, they should be
delisted. Everyone agrees in principle that that's a great idea. But
I'm a physician - I've sworn to preserve life. I am going to do my
best for my patient no matter what. If there's a predetermined
national agreement about who should not be transplanted, it makes my
decision easier and more justifiable, even though it's
psychologically, practically, and medicolegally difficult to tell a
patient and his family that he's too sick to qualify for transplant.
before the recipient gets too sick. On the other hand, LDLT is
relatively new, and we have a 15- to 20-year history of cadaveric
transplantion, so we have a better understanding of the complications
and operative technique. There has not yet been a comparably rigorous
analysis of LDLT. We also have to consider risk to the donor with
LDLT.
and recipient factors, LDLT is clearly a good thing, but it shouldn't
be done in hopeless situations where the recipient is not likely to
survive. We should subject criteria for LDLT to rigorous analysis.
When do you get the best
deaths in healthy donors. Last year, there were about 400 LDLTs
performed in the U.S. The risk of donor death is less than 1.0% -
very low, but real. A donor
complications, the complication rate in donors ranges from 9% to 67%;
probably 20% is a reasonable overall estimate. It's not like a bone
marrow transplant - it's an extensive procedure. The complications
are mostly

Pam I met Kevin as a newbie too. He taught me a lot and sorta took me under his
wing. He gave me so much help, encouragement and material for our rally. I
always felt so lucky that he wrote me right before he died telling me what a
special friend I was and I got to tell him the same. He had once told me he
would not see 2000 and he really wanted to as he had looked forward to the "new
world" for a long time. I was always so happy he made it a little way into the
new year and saw the 2000 celebrations. I used to get onto him about working so
hard for everyone else. You probably know he spent 16 hours a day on his
computer sending letters and researching hep, vets and all our rights. He was
proud of his service to the country and he wanted to spend the end of his life
serving us all and he did. I don't know if you knew but he died at his computer
from a varacies bleed from what I was told. When I am on bases with my kids or
see them in uniform I think of Kevin. Maybe it is lucky he can't see what is
going on in the world cause he would of been out there trying to clean up the
mess at the world trade center or trying to go to war. He definitely was a doer.
Do you have his picture from the US Today article. I keep it on my bullentine
board. I think I have an extra left I could send you if you don't have one. He
was sorta cute and you picked a good one to oggle. No wonder you are such a
giver and fighter if Kevin was your first inspiration on line. You took me back
too. I remember the first time I found heppers on line. I had had what they
said was a heart attack, then gall bladder attack and when they took my gall
bladder out they seen my black chirosis liver. I had a week off work and
thought I would go home the next day and be fine, minor surgery right? I woke
up to my family and doctor crying and shoving color photos of my ugly liver in
my face. They said I would be dead in 2 years and my life was pretty dismal for
a while there. Back then 96, they wouldn't even try interferon with chirosis.
Anyway after weeks of sick hell I found the BA Cafe and heard the John Henry
song and burst out laughing and went around singing it. I mailed John Sheppard
ten bucks and he sent me a copy. My family thought I was nuts between that song
and Reezers Nut house laughter and music. They couldn't understand my "morbid"
humor but I was so thankful to find people I could laugh and cry with and not be
tiptoed around. As far as being "old" on the lists my favorite line is "I feel
like I am in the soylent green line and I am getting close to the head of the
line cause everyone in front of me has already went through the door." Sorta
scarey and I hate my address book with Lyric, Patchie and so many greats in it
but then I think they are spurring me on to fight harder and we all learn from
them. Anyway I love you and we are gonna be fellow warriors for a long while.
Love ya, Did I read your town name is Woodstock? How appropriate! LOL hugs and
smiles, Tricia

Please folks, let's not spread the paranoia. We have enough people out there
afraid to get near us, share food with us, let us use their facilities, make
love to us ... let's not start unfounded rumors among ourselves.
The only way you could catch hep from a toilet seat is if a bleeding hepper
sat on the seat, bled on it ... and then someone else with open wounds sat on
the bloody seat & their wounds co-incided with the bleeding hepper's spot. And
even so, that's pushing it.
Now, while ANYthing is possible, this strikes me as highly improbable. If hep
were that easy to catch a LOT more people would have it & you would see
circles of hep around all the people involved in heppers' lives on a long-term
basis.
One cell can give you hep, but it really needs to be sent directly into your
bloodstream. You wouldn't believe the stuff I hear out there, fear of heppers
sweating on other people's things, fear of lymph mixed in with sweat getting
on someone's stuff & then rubbing against someone else. Fear of catching hep
from being kissed by a hepper or from love bites during sex.
I mean ... if you can make an arguement for catching hep from a toilet seat,
catching it from kissing sounds pretty reasonable too .... what if I had one
cell of blood in my mouth from flossing & then someone had a slight little
scrape on their lip from eating a crusty sandwich ... but that just isn't
happening & the patterns of contagion & the sheer numbers of people with the
disease bear that out. Let's relax a little, shall we?
Michele

even think,Violent altercation,laughably enough,even from a toilet
seat, when they first "discovered" HCV they said that most infected
people got it from unscreened plasma and blood products, remember
all it takes is 1 cell to transmit it,

But by the time they get to the hepatologist he will have figured out a way to
blame it on the patients past drug abuse history LOL...Mykal

Yea being in the end stage is really scary sometimes but all we can do is keep
on truckin!...Mykal

Well that works for a while but when they get worn to the point of sharpening
them on matchbook strikers its almost impossible to get that stuff out of there
LOL

UCLA Liver Transplant Model Predicts Good Outcome: A Newsmaker Interview
With Rafik M. Ghobrial, MD
Laurie Barclay, MD
Nov. 13, 2002 - Editor's Note: The desperate shortage of donor livers available
for transplant is forcing closer scrutiny of transplantation criteria. The Model
for Endstage Liver Disease (MELD) developed at the Mayo Clinic falls short of
the mark, according to a presentation on Nov. 4 by
James F. Trotter, MD, from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, at
the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver
Diseases in Boston, Massachusetts. In a study of 66 liver transplant recipients
with a right lobe transplant from a living donor,
preoperative MELD scores failed to predict which patients or grafts would
survive for at least one year after surgery.
Investigators from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) have
developed a new model which is a far better predictor of outcome, according to a
report in the September issue of the Annals of Surgery. In 46,942
patients with orthotopic transplants over the last 10 years, variables
identified as independent predictors for recipient survival include recipient
age and recipient creatinine, donor age, sex, total bilirubin, prothrombin time,
retransplantation, and warm and cold ischemia times. To learn more about the
UCLA model and its implications for liver transplantation, Medscape's Laurie
Barclay interviewed lead author Rafik M. Ghobrial, MD, an associate professor of
surgery in liver and pancreas transplantation at the Dumont-UCLA Transplant
Center and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dr. Ghobrial is also the
first author of a study of donor and recipient outcomes in right lobe adult
living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), which appears in the October issue of
Liver Transplantation.
Medscape: How well does the MELD model predict recipient survival, graft
survival, and overall outcome after liver transplant?
Dr. Ghobrial: Actually, the MELD model is not a predictor of survival but of
death, that is, how quickly the recipient is likely to die while awaiting
transplant.The MELD model was designed to give priority to the sickest patients
in greatest need of transplantation. So, for example, if a score of 1 represents
the sickest patients who are currently in the ICU, and a score of 3 represents
those at home but still in dire need of a transplant, patients scored 1 are
considered better candidates even though patients scored 3 are more likely to
survive after transplantation.
Medscape: How does the UCLA model differ from the MELD model?
Dr. Ghobrial: The criteria to determine suitability for transplantation are
always changing because there aren't enough organs to go around, so we're trying
to maximize distribution of this precious resource. MELD factors in both waiting
time for transplantation and how sick the patient is. But with time, how long
the patient has been waiting for transplantation loses its effectiveness as a
criterion. The MELD assigns a score to every patient, and
predicts with some accuracy the chance of the patient dying while waiting for a
transplant, as well as the chance of dying after transplantation. The UCLA model
differs in its overall focus and in its specific criteria. It uses a combination
of recipient, donor, and operative factors to predict good outcome. For example,
we know that renal failure negatively impacts survival because some patients may
actually need a double organ tranplant, so the UCLA model includes recipient
creatinine. There's nothing in the MELD model to indicate that a patient has
gone too far to justify transplantation. No one wants to be unsympathetic to a
dying patient, or to tell his family that he can't be transplanted because he's
likely to die anyway. But at the end of the day, using the MELD model leads to
transplanting the sickest patients, while the UCLA model attempts to select
those patients who will make the most use of the organ.
Medscape: What are the advantages of the UCLA model over the MELD model in
predicting outcome? Dr. Ghobrial: The UCLA model was developed over many years
in hepatitis C patients, and it accurately predicts outcome and survival. It
selects those patients most likely to survive the operation, to have a quick
recovery, to have survival of the transplanted organ, and to live longer after
transplantation. The battle between the two models is like a tug-of-war, but
we feel that the UCLA model achieves a better balance through a more logical and
practical approach. We have to offset the urgency of the recipient's need with
the predicted efficiency of organ utilization.
Medscape: How well is the UCLA model accepted in the field? Dr. Ghobrial: It's
very well accepted among groups awaiting transplant because it's an
understandable model. The UCLA model accurately predicted outcome in the 25,000
patients studied retrospectively. Before this model,
we didn't have the data to predict patient survival, but now we can study the
model and validate it prospectively. Prospective validation will take years.
Medscape: How can we best cope with the drastic shortage of available livers for
transplant?
Dr. Ghobrial: Education of the general public, through the Oprah Winfrey show
and other media, has helped increase awareness slightly. But I think education
has gone about as far as it can, and it has not translated into a dramatic
increase in the number of available organs. The key is in changing legislation.
Right now, the legislation is that no one who dies is an organ donor unless the
family agrees to it. We should change that so that everyone who dies is a
potential organ donor unless the family objects. But there are not a lot of
politicians willing to do that.
Medscape: What criteria should factor into deciding who should receive a liver
transplant?
Dr. Ghobrial: If predicted survival based on the UCLA model is less than 70% in
one year, if it falls below threshold criteria, we shouldn't transplant. If
one-year survival probability is at least 80% to 90%, it's okay to
transplant. We need to consider the cost-effectiveness of treating patients who
are very sick, recognizing the pressures of third-party insurers, decreased
reimbursements, and the high cost of drug therapy. The most common cause of
death following transplantation is sepsis, which is very expensive to treat. We
have to take into account that the costs of treating one patient for sepsis -
who ultimately dies - could have been used to treat two
patients who survive. We'll have to study all these factors to help determine
the optimal interventions and decisions. But in general, the sicker the
recipient, the less effective any interventions will be.
Medscape: How difficult is it to apply the UCLA model in practice?
Dr. Ghobrial: If a prospective recipient falls below a certain threshold
indicating low probability of survival, they should be delisted. Everyone agrees
in principle that that's a great idea. But I'm a physician - I've sworn to
preserve life. I am going to do my best for my patient no matter what. If
there's a predetermined national agreement about who should not be transplanted,
it makes my decision easier and more justifiable, even though it's
psychologically, practically, and medicolegally difficult to tell a patient and
his family that he's too sick to qualify for transplant.
Medscape: What are the advantages and disadvantages of LDLT over cadaveric
transplant?
Dr. Ghobrial: One big advantage of LDLT is that you can transplant before the
recipient gets too sick. On the other hand, LDLT is relatively new, and we have
a 15- to 20-year history of cadaveric transplantion, so we have a better
understanding of the complications and operative technique. There has not yet
been a comparably rigorous analysis of LDLT. We also have to consider risk to
the donor with LDLT.
Medscape: What patient selection criteria do you recommend for consideration of
LDLT over cadaveric transplant?
Dr. Ghobrial: Under the right circumstances, given the right donor and recipient
factors, LDLT is clearly a good thing, but it shouldn't be done in hopeless
situations where the recipient is not likely to survive. We should subject
criteria for LDLT to rigorous analysis. When do you get the best
outcome? What is the best utilization of donor tissue? These questions still
need a lot of work before we can find the answers.
Medscape: What are the risks to the donor in LDLT?
Dr. Ghobrial: Death. In the U.S., there have been two perioperative deaths in
healthy donors. Last year, there were about 400 LDLTs performed in the U.S. The
risk of donor death is less than 1.0% - very low, but real. A donor
who is very healthy can end up dying. Depending on how you define complications,
the complication rate in donors ranges from 9% to 67%; probably 20% is a
reasonable overall estimate. It's not like a bone marrow transplant - it's an
extensive procedure. The complications are mostly
minor, but some are life-threatening.
Ann Surg. 2002;236(3):315-322
Liver Transplant. 2002;8(10):901-909
Reviewed by Gary D. Vogin, MD
Related Links
Conference Coverage
53rd Annual Meeting of The American Association for the Study of Liver
Diseases
News
Pre-Op MELD Score Does Not Predict Survival in Living Donor Liver Transplant
Recipients
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Bleach Disinfection of Syringes May Prevent HCV Infection Among Drug Users
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Nov 13 - Washing syringes in bleach may help prevent
hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among injection drug users, according to the
findings of a nested case-control study. Dr. Farzana Kapadia, from the New York
Academy of Medicine, and colleagues analyzed data from 78 anti-HCV
seroconverters and 390 persistently anti-HCV seronegative injection drug users
to determine the effect of bleach syringe
disinfection on seroconversion. The researchers' findings are published in the
November issue of Epidemiology.
Injection drug users who said they always washed syringes with bleach were 65%
less likely to become infected with HCV than were those who reported never using
bleach. Subjects who reported occasional syringe disinfection
with bleach were 24% less likely to become infected than were those who reported
not using bleach. The protective effect of bleach use was not weakened after
controlling for
most factors associated with anti-HCV seroconversion, the authors state. "Given
the efficiency of HCV transmission and the reluctance of newer, younger
injectors to self-identify their needs or to utilize available services,
risk-reduction options such as syringe disinfection using bleach
should not be discounted," the researchers emphasize.
"Disinfecting syringes with bleach, which is inexpensive and readily available,
merits consideration for further investigation in prevention studies of HCV
infection, in both laboratory and field trials," Dr. Kapadia's team notes.
Epidemiology 2002;13:738-741.
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Hepatitis C Outbreak at Neb. Clinic
Tue Nov 19, 4:32 PM ET
By SCOTT BAUER, Associated Press Writer
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - At least 81 people treated at a Nebraska cancer clinic have
tested positive for hepatitis C in an outbreak that may have been caused by a
contaminated vial of medicine, health officials said Tuesday.
Dr. Tom Safranek, the state epidemiologist, said poor medical practices at Dr.
Tahir Javed's clinic in Fremont may be to blame. The patients, who were
suffering from cancer or blood disorders, were treated at the clinic in 2000 and
2001. Just before it shut down last month, the clinic advised 612 patients to
get tested and nearly 500 did. It is possible that a clinic worker used a
syringe to administer medicine to
a patient who had hepatitis C, then drew more medicine from the same vial for
the patient with the same syringe, Safranek said. Doing that would contaminate
the rest of the medicine in the vial, and infect other patients given the drug,
he said. Medical charts are being examined, and current and past employees of
the clinic are being questioned by state health officials. Javed left the United
States in July and returned to his native Pakistan to attend to his ailing
mother, Safranek said. State health officials were notified of the problem in
September by an Omaha doctor who had two patients with hepatitis C who also were
patients at
Javed's clinic. In all, 485 people sought tests after receiving letters from the
clinic. Of the others, some chose not to be tested, others may have been tested
by their own doctors, and others died. The state said it was not aware of any
deaths among the patients with hepatitis C. Doctors said they do not know what
effect the virus would have
on the clinic's already ailing patients. Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the
liver and the most common bloodborne
infection in the United States. People who have been infected may experience
fatigue, loss of appetite and yellowing of the skin. The virus can eventually
lead to cirrhosis or cancer of the liver. Health officials are confident no
other patients have to be contacted because of changes made at the clinic in
2001, Safranek said, declining to
elaborate. In Oklahoma, a hepatitis C outbreak that infected more than 50 people
this year was blamed on a nurse anesthetist who told health officials he reused
needles and syringes.
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AND PLEASE this is JMHO
hey Melly..whats JMHO stand for?
~Bayla~
SVRnWaiting
'C' It! Treat It! Beat It!
http://hometown.aol.com/nydragonslayer/
http://www.healsofnfl.bravehost.com/

Hey Pam
Thanks for Kevin's Site. I had lost it when my computer crashed. It
seems like time is going by all to fast. I stay away from the
memorial sites for now as I am trying to get off my Anti-D's.~~~~~TC

Hey there Tricia........... you sent me memory lane tripping!! We really
have been on these lists a LONG TIME and have lost so many wonderful
people........ I started with Hep C cyberspace around Sept. 1997 after being
diagnosed in June. Anyway, I *googled* Kevin (he greeted me so warmly when
I first joined these lists!) and LOOK at all the places his memory lives on
;-)

Experts Lay Down the Law on Acid Reflux
Panel Separates Treatment Facts from Fiction
By Daniel DeNoon
WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Michael Smith, MD
Nov. 15, 2002 -- The acid reflux of heartburn comes with a common heartache --
doctors don't agree. They don't agree about treatment. They don't agree about
testing. They don't agree about cancer risk. But now there's help.
A panel of experts convened by the American Gastroenterological Association has
laid down the law on acid reflux in a 25-page document. It's sure to be
controversial, as it contradicts beliefs held by many doctors. Walter L.
Peterson, professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern
Medical Center, chaired the panel. He says he and his colleagues ignored hearsay
and looked only at rigorous scientific evidence.
"This group of experts ... produced a document that may be controversial but is
definitely factual," Peterson says in a news release.
Heartburn is caused by acid reflux, or GERD -- gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Acid reflux happens when the muscle between the stomach and the esophagus gets
weak or relaxes at the wrong time. This lets the contents of the stomach,
including acid, splash up into the esophagus. The esophagus doesn't have the
same kind of protective coating as the stomach, so stomach acids burn it.
Doctors treat acid reflux with over-the-counter drugs, prescription drugs, and
surgery. What works? The panel of experts covered seven major questions.
What Over-the-Counter Treatment is Best?
Patients with mild or moderate acid reflux get relief from several different
non-prescription drugs. There are several types:
a.. Antacids neutralize stomach acids. These include drugs such as Tums and
Rolaids.
b.. H2 receptor antagonists reduce production of stomach acids. These include
drugs such as Axid AR, Pepcid AC, Tagamet HB, and Zantac 75.
c.. One drug -- Pepcid Complete -- combines an antacid with an H2 receptor
antagonist.
The panel finds that all these drugs work to various degrees. It found that
Pepcid Complete worked better than either an antacid or H2 receptor antagonist
alone.
"For many patients with no 'red flags' -- experiencing heartburn for periods not
exceeding four weeks -- over-the-counter agents provide rapid, effective, and
safe relief," says panel member Hashem El-Serag, MD, MPH, in a news release.
What Prescription Treatment is Best?
Drugs known as proton-pump inhibitors are commonly prescribed to treat acid
reflux. Proton pump inhibitors block release of stomach acids. These drugs
include Aciphex, Nexium, Prevacid, Prilosec (now available in generic form), and
Protonix.
The panel found few differences between these drugs. However, they note that
Nexium may heal sores in the esophagus faster.
The panel recommends that patients and doctors choose the proton-pump inhibitor
that costs the least.
Does Acid Reflux Lead to Cancer?
Chronic acid reflux can lead to a condition known as Barrett's esophagus or BE.
BE has been thought to pose a significant risk of cancer. However, the panel
found that this risk is no more than half as great as once thought. For most
people, BE will not cause cancer.
It's a significant finding. Doctors routinely send BE patients for yearly
screening with an endoscope, an instrument that is inserted down the throat. The
panel now says that BE patients need such a test only once every three to five
years.
What About New Endoscopic Treatments?
The FDA has approved two non-surgical treatments for acid reflux: the Stretta
procedure and endoscopic suturing. The FDA approved these procedures based on
their safety but was unsure of their effectiveness. Many doctors are using these
techniques.
There are also two other techniques now in clinical trials: Enteryx and PMMA
microspheres.
The panel concludes that all of these procedures are still experimental. It does
not recommend their use, and it advises doctors to warn patients about the
"risks associated with unproven therapies."
Can Surgery Cut the Need for Drugs or Prevent Cancer?
A common surgery for acid reflux is called fundoplication. It wraps the top of
the stomach around the esophagus to keep stomach contents from backing up.
The panel notes that only four out of 10 patients are free of heartburn and no
longer need drugs after this surgery.
"Patients should be informed to not expect they will no longer need medication
or experience GERD symptoms," the panelists write. "Prevention of cancer is not
an acceptable [reason] for surgery."
Should Heartburn Patients Undergo Endoscopy?
Doctors often refer heartburn patients to a specialist for endoscopy testing.
However, the panel states that if patients' heartburn gets better after drug
therapy they do not need such tests.
Does Acid Reflux Cause Asthma or Other Lung Symptoms?
Acid reflux patients often have asthma or other lung problems. However, the
panel finds there is not enough evidence to say whether acid reflux causes these
conditions.

tanxs!!
del
Melly <san_diego_gulls_girl@...
Marijuana has soooo many chemicals in it that it is not something i would use
as a "medicine" 3 joints has as much tar as one pack of ciggies. lung problems
can & do happen just as with inhaling any type of chemical. aspergillis fungus
grows on some plants & if it gets in your lungs it can cause Major problems. I
am taking college courses in Pharmacology and it is a hard drug to study because
of all the other chemicals in it.
don't get me started on ciggies!! Be good to your lungs & liver and try
other meds first. AND PLEASE this is JMHO.......along with my professors too.
Hugs Melly
BARB <irisdancinghorse@...
I heard thru the grapevine that our state re; Minnesota is
considering medical marijuiana; not sure when what and how but they
are certainly considering it I guess? The stats on marijane; is that
it does decrease pain, and works for many illness's including MS. We
will have to wait and see if its even a legal option in this state.
Heck half the state smokes it now, and they aint all sick, lol.
the only thing I've heard neg/ about smoking weed for people
w/hcv;is that it can cause portal hypertension I guess?which in turn
can create variciouse bleeding or viens to expand? spelling is bad
this am, lol, Well Just thought I'd put my two cents worth in on the
hole deal:)All medications do come from a plant of some form, most
non synthetic ones, and aspirin came from the bark of a tree,
so........maryjane is a natural plant. Iam not endorsing one way or
another if someone should smoke, its a personal choice, but.... if
someones down and out and sick, and it takes the pain away, how can
it be that its so bad, even tylonal can become addictive, lol,
phychologically to some.

Court overturns ruling on vets' free lifetime health care
From Terry Frieden
CNN
Tuesday, November 19, 2002 Posted: 2057 GMT
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A federal appeals court Tuesday ruled that the U.S.
government does not owe free lifetime medical care to World War II and Korean
War veterans who agreed to serve 20 years in exchange, despite promises made to
them when they were in the armed forces.
The ruling represents a victory for the federal government, which had argued the
veterans were not entitled to the benefits. The ruling will potentially save the
government billions of dollars in health care costs.
The 9-4 ruling by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in
Washington, D.C., overturns a ruling by a three-judge appeals panel in February,
2001, which ruled that the veterans were entitled to the lifetime health care
based on the military's promises.
In the opinion issued Tuesday the Court said that action taken this year allows
for free care in the future, but that the government is not obligated to pick up
the medical expenses incurred from 1995 to 2001.
"Because [the law] at most authorizes space available treatment and not free
health insurance for life, we hold that the Air Force Secretary lacked the
authority in the 1950s when plaintiffs joined to promise free and full medical
care," the Court majority said.
The majority of judges, however, clearly seemed sympathetic to the veterans
against whom they ruled.
"We ... can do no more than hope Congress will make good on the promises
recruiters made in good faith to plaintiffs and others of the World War II and
Korean War era from 1941 to 1956 when Congress enacted its first health care
insurance act for military members, excluding older retirees," the court
majority said.
In an emotional dissent four judges sided with the veterans.
"If Congress can appropriate billions for this aspect of national defense and
not know how it is accounted for, then God save the Republic. Of course Congress
knew; of course the service secretaries authorized promises in return for
service; of course these military officers served until retirement in reliance,
and of course there is a moral obligation to these men," read the dissent.
http://europe.cnn.com/2002/LAW/11/19/retired.veterans.hearing/
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For those of you out there that wonder if you should do the meds for Hepatitis C
here is the otherside of the coin.
What happens at End Stage Liver Disease. For some there is no hope for the
meds maybe working. This was sent to me by a dear friend in ESLD. Below are his
words.
What is ESLD in real terms?
It's spending Christmas with family and looking at photos and not knowing who
is in the photo because you can't remember who the people are when all of your
life you've had a near photographic memory.
It's trying to write something and having to use 2 hands because they both
shake.
It's going to bed at 10PM after taking 2 sleeping pills, 2 tranquilizers and
an anti-psychotic drug and then being wide awake at 1 AM. So you take 2 more
sleeping pills and that gets you until 4 AM before you're wide awake again. So
maybe 2 more tranquilizers and toss and turn for an hour until you finally fall
asleep only to wake up at 7 AM. Then it's anti-fatigue pills to try and make it
through the day.
It's having a long day without a nap and sleeping for 30, 40, sometimes 50
hours straight after and missing beautiful days that you know are limited.
It's having to search for the giant size pill separator box because even the 2
you used at once won't hold them anymore.
It's pain. A lot of pain. It doesn't go away, it's always there. No one will
give you a prescription for morphine that is the only thing that takes it all
away.
It's frustration. Frustration with your own inabilities. Frustration with the
medical field. Frustration with your family that just doesn't "get it".
It's not wanting to tell your Mother how it really is because you'll know
she'll cry.
It's loneliness. Not outward. The loneliness of your thoughts when you turn
the light out at night and think about tomorrow.
There is no anger, it's way past that. Very little humor.
It's about living on disability and at the end of the day you get paid, after
paying all your bills, and going through your budget, you have $70.48 for the
rest of the month and recalling a time $70.48 was a lunch tab.
It's problems peeing, eating, walking, sitting, reading, speaking,
remembering, having sex, shopping, showering, dressing, concentrating,
comprehending, standing and seeing.
It's a complex ballet of drug reactions, ever changing physical abnormalities,
constantly changing emotions and mental paradoxes.
It's about making "lists". The kind that dying people make. Lists of things
you want to do, places you want to go, people you want to see when all the while
you know in your heart you know you probably won't have the energy or resources
to do them.
It's not about "hope". It's not about "wish". It's not about "dreams".
It's about reality.
It is only too real.
~Bayla~
SVRnWaiting
Imagination was given to us to compensate for
what we are not; a sense of
humor was given to us to console us for what we
are.
-Mark McGinnis

CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update
Tuesday, November 19, 2002
"System to Remove HIV from Donated Blood Planned"
Associated Press (11.19.02)
Florida Blood Services in St. Petersburg, Fla., is planning to test a system
that would remove HIV, other viruses and bacteria from donated blood. Medical
Director Dr. German Leparc said Monday that he hopes the experimental project
will begin by April.
The announcement comes four months after two people contracted HIV during
transfusions of tainted blood provided by Florida Blood Services. "What
everybody expects is zero risk. Nobody wants to accept anything but zero risk,"
Leparc said. "I don't think there's anything
in life that's zero risk... but we're trying to get there."
Scientists are experimenting with two different methods of
cleansing blood - using ultraviolet light to kill viruses and bacteria, or
killing them with chemicals. Leparc said he is talking with two Tampa-area
hospitals about getting involved with the project, which would include two
clinical studies. One would measure the effectiveness and safety of treated
platelets; the other would measure how well treated red blood cells perform when
they are transfused into patients undergoing open-heart surgery. Leparc said the
study would attempt to determine if the treated blood works in the same manner
as untreated blood, and if any side effects would negate any benefits.
After the two HIV cases through transfusions were confirmed, federal and state
investigators determined that the blood provider met all government standards
during the process. Before the July infections were announced, there was only
one other reported case of HIV being transmitted during a transfusion since the
nation's blood banks
implemented new screening technology in 1999.
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BioPartners and DURECT Corporation Enter Into Agreement for Development Of
Sustained Release Interferon Alpha
DURECT Corporation (www.durect.com) is pioneering the development and
commercialization of pharmaceutical systems for the treatment of chronic
debilitating diseases and enabling biotechnology-based pharmaceutical products.
DURECT's goal is to deliver the right drug to the right site in the right amount
at the right time. (PRNewsFoto)[JL]
CUPERTINO, CA USA 07/17/2002
ZUG, Switzerland and CUPERTINO, Calif., Nov. 19
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BioPartners, a global biopharmaceuticals company and
one of the leaders in
the emerging field of competitively priced multi-source biopharmaceuticals, has
signed an exclusive agreement with DURECT Corporation (Nasdaq: DRRX), a U.S.
based pioneering pharmaceutical systems company, for the development of a
sustained release formulation of recombinant interferon alpha for the treatment
of Hepatitis C.
The agreement with DURECT entitles BioPartners to exclusively develop and
commercialize the sustained release product in key territories including the
U.S., Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East. The
worldwide recombinant interferon alpha market was worth $1.8 Billion in 2001 and
is forecast to grow to $5.5 Billion by 2010 due to the added convenience offered
by sustained release and pegylation products and the predicted rise in the
prevalence of Hepatitis C.
The product will be developed using DURECT's patented drug delivery technology
SABER(TM) and BioPartners' daily recombinant interferon alpha product. The
SABER(TM) technology works by encapsulating proteins in a
viscous carrier from which the drug is slowly released. BioPartners believes
that SABER(TM) offers potential advantages in terms of product performance and
ease
of administration over the pegylation technology that is currently used in
marketed sustained release alpha interferons. First, as SABER(TM) does not
alter the molecule being delivered (as pegylation does), it may offer
greater efficacy and safety. Further, SABER's low solution viscosity upon
injection results in the need for a small gauge needle and may result in easier,
less painful administration. BioPartners intends to conduct a full clinical
development program for the product.
"We are very excited about our agreement with DURECT as it not only shows our
commitment and capability to develop multi-source biopharmaceuticals, which
offer therapeutic advances, improved patient convenience and
competitive pricing, but also because it demonstrates our understanding of the
market and highlights that BioPartners is leading the way in multi-source
biopharmaceuticals. Importantly, the sustained release product complements
our existing portfolio for the treatment of Hepatitis C, which includes a daily
recombinant interferon alpha and ribavirin, making it possible for us to provide
patients and physicians with a choice of gold standard treatment regimes,"
stated Brian O'Callaghan, President and CEO of BioPartners.
Commenting on the agreement, Dr. Felix Theeuwes, Chairman and Chief Scientific
Officer of DURECT said, "Our patented SABER technology is ideal for products
such as recombinant interferon alpha because its hydrophobic nature helps to
stabilize proteins and it is well suited for long-term delivery of these novel
therapeutics. The SABER delivery system offers significant advantages over
existing systems in terms of product performance, ease of administration, and
manufacturability. We are thrilled that BioPartners has chosen to work with
DURECT for the development of a sustained release recombinant interferon alpha,
which fits with our own corporate goal to
enable the delivery of biotechnology products".
Under the agreement, BioPartners and DURECT will share the funding of certain
preclinical development activities at DURECT. BioPartners is responsible for
additional preclinical activities and all clinical activities. DURECT will
receive milestone payments based on the achievement of certain preclinical
development milestones and a royalty on product sales. Specific financial terms
are undisclosed.
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne infectious disease of the liver and is transmitted
through body fluids, primarily blood or blood products, and by sharing needles.
In many patients, the mode of transmission is unknown. Unfortunately, most
people infected with hepatitis C are unaware of it because
it may take years for symptoms to develop and it is therefore sometimes referred
to as the "hidden epidemic". Hepatitis C chronically infects an estimated 170
million people worldwide (three percent of the world's
population), with as many as 180,000 new cases occurring each year. It is the
leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer and one of the most common reasons
for liver transplants in Europe and the U.S. It is estimated that less than 30
percent of all cases are diagnosed. The standard treatment for Hepatitis C is
recombinant interferon alpha as monotherapy or combination treatment with
ribavirin. If left untreated, hepatitis C can be fatal for some patients.
Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, BioPartners
(http://www.biopartners.com) is a global biopharmaceuticals company and a leader
in the emerging field of multi-source biopharmaceuticals. BioPartners' mission
is to develop patentable and innovative formulations of "first generation"
biopharmaceuticals as well source advanced delivery systems that may improve
patient compliance to its product portfolio. BioPartners is developing a
comprehensive range of biopharmaceutical products that may offer life-saving
therapeutic benefits
across many therapeutic areas, including oncology, virology, haematology,
endocrinology and neurology.
BioPartners was founded by Global Healthcare Partners and Credit Suisse First
Boston. Global Health Care Partners currently consists of some of the most
respected and recognized figures in the international pharmaceutical
industry. These include Henry Wendt, former Chairman of SmithKline Beecham and
current Non-Executive Director of BioPartners and Ted Roberts, former Head of
Pharmaceuticals of Merck KgaA and current Chairman of BioPartners.
BioPartners has partnered with LG Life Sciences, the leading South Korean
manufacturer of biopharmaceuticals for the manufacture of its daily recombinant
interferon alpha as well as other recombinant products in development
BioPartners is forming a global distribution network for the
commercialization of its products. Worldwide distribution partners include
Nycomed Pharma, Cambridge Laboratories, Grupo Vita, Novatec Healthcare,
Alphapharm, MediQuest, Key Oncologics and MegaPharm.
DURECT Corporation (http://www.durect.com) is pioneering the development and
commercialization of pharmaceutical systems for the treatment of chronic
debilitating diseases and enabling biotechnology-based pharmaceutical products.
DURECT's goal is to deliver the right drug to the right site in the right amount
at the right time. In November 2001, DURECT completed a pilot
phase III program for the CHRONOGESIC(TM) (sufentanil) Pain Therapy System, a
3-month product for the treatment of chronic pain. DURECT owns three
proprietary drug delivery platform technologies, including the SABER(TM)
Delivery System (a patented and versatile depot injectable useful for protein
delivery), the MICRODUR(TM) Biodegradable Microparticulates (microspheres
injectable system) and the DURIN(TM) Biodegradable Implant (drug-loaded implant
system). NOTE: CHRONOGESIC(TM) is a trademark of DURECT Corporation. SABER(TM),
MICRODUR(TM) and DURIN(TM) are trademarks of Southern BioSystems, Inc., a wholly
owned subsidiary of DURECT Corporation. Other trademarks referred to belong to
their respective owners.
The statements in this press release regarding DURECT's and BioPartner's
products in development, product development plans and potential opportunities,
are forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties that can cause
actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking
statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to,
DURECT's and BioPartner's abilities to research, develop, manufacture and
commercialize these products, obtain product and
manufacturing approvals from regulatory agencies, timely enroll patients and
clinical sites in connection with clinical studies, effectively administer
clinical trials, and protect intellectual property rights, as well as
marketplace acceptance of these products. Further information regarding
these and other risks is included in DURECT's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2001 filed with the SEC on March 28, 2002, under
the heading "Factors that may affect future results," and other
periodic reports filed with the SEC.
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Tuesday, November 19, 2002
All a blessing
Whether the golden sun warms you to the core or the bitter cold wind stings your
face, it is all a blessing. Whether you are surrounded by pleasure or immersed
in toil and strife, every moment is a thing that carries boundless beauty and
possibility.Take each moment as it comes to you and give your best to it.
Resenting the pain will only make it more painful, and hoarding the pleasure
will only prevent you from experiencing its joy.Give your attention and your
energy to where you are. For when you truly appreciate the value of where you
are and what you have, it opens you up to a world of possibilities.Move beyond
your own arbitrary judgments, and things that were once difficult and
intolerable can become far easier to bear. Consider that
much of what makes something difficult is the way you think and feel about it.
Rather than seeing yourself as enduring something unpleasant, see yourself as
contributing your very best to a challenging and energizing situation. Rather
than waiting for something better to come along, take the initiative and find a
way to make something better actually happen. Every moment is a truly unique
and valuable blessing when you see it as such.--
Ralph Marston
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Collgard Biopharmaceuticals Announces New Pre-Clinical Study Results Indicating
That Tempostatin Reverses Existing Liver Fibrosis
Tuesday November 19, 9:31 am ET
These pre-clinical results are the "strongest ever observed with potentially
anti-fibrotic drugs," reports study investigator Professor Detlef Schuppan
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 19, 2002-- Collgard Biopharmaceuticals
(www.collgard.com), the tissue therapeutics company, announced today that two
new pre-clinical studies show that Tempostatin(TM) (Halofuginone hydrobromide)
can reverse existing liver fibrosis in animal models that closely resemble human
disease.
The study results were recently presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases in Boston on November 3,
2002 by Professor Detlef Schuppan, Vice Director of the Department of Medicine I
in the University of Erlangen-Neurnberg, Germany and Dr. Mark Pines of the
Volcani Center research institute in Rehovot, Israel.
Previous studies have shown that Tempostatin(TM), Collgard's lead drug
candidate, has the capacity to suppress tissue fibrosis (scarring) in response
to injury, suggesting that it could potentially arrest the development of
cirrhosis in patients with chronic liver disease such as Hepatitis C. The new
pre-clinical study results announced today confirm that Tempostatin(TM) not only
has the ability to protect liver tissue from fibrosis during the immediate
period of tissue injury but also demonstrates a dramatic capability in reversing
existing fibrosis. The fibrolytic finding makes Tempostatin(TM) the first agent
to reverse fibrosis in an already fibrotic liver, restoring the ability of the
tissue to regenerate, and challenging the current clinical belief that liver
fibrosis is an irreversible condition.
The newly reported pre-clinical studies suggest that Tempostatin(TM) has both
antifibrogenic and novel fibrolytic activity, working to prevent the formation
of fibrosis as well as break down the distorting extra-cellular matrix by
inducing the enzymes MMP 3 and MMP 13. The MMP molecules are highly specialized
molecular scalpels that cut and remove the abnormal matrix proteins responsible
for maintaining fibrosis. Thus, Tempostatin(TM) combines the powerful tissue
regenerative effects of suppressing Collagen type I synthesis and inducing MMP 3
and MMP 13 working at a submicromolar concentration.
"The new findings are of great interest. It appears that once the abnormal
matrix proteins have been removed, the tissue regenerative process can then
proceed without interference and restore functional tissue. The current study
provides a powerful example of how tissue therapeutics may offer great promise
for the prevention and reversal of one of the most challenging and complex
clinical conditions in medicine today," said Collgard CEO Dr. Bruce Bach, M.D.
Ph.D.
Chronic liver disease resulting in liver fibrosis is a global health problem
affecting more than 800,000 people in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Liver fibrosis
and cirrhosis are two of the major causes of liver failure. At present, the only
cure for fibrosis is transplantation and the supply of organs is extremely
limited. Because fibrotic liver disease may not be detectable until an advanced
stage, the possibility of reversing fibrosis represents a critical unmet need
for patients with chronic liver disease.
"The unique contribution of Tempostatin(TM) in restoring normal tissue structure
after injury is further extended by the promising data in these pre-clinical
studies. It provides further evidence that slowing, rather than accelerating the
cellular response to injury may provide a significant clinical advance for those
patients suffering from fibrotic diseases," Dr. Bach added.
About Collgard Biopharmaceuticals
Founded in 1996, Collgard Biopharmaceuticals is a clinical stage tissue
therapeutics company, led by a global team of medical and drug development
experts in Boston, Atlanta and Tel Aviv. The company is currently engaged in
Phase II human clinical studies evaluating Tempostatin(TM) for the prevention
and treatment of organ failure, restenosis, and specific cancers. Scientific and
clinical collaborators include the U. S. National Cancer Institute (NCI), and
the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC).
About Tempostatin(TM)
Tempostatin(TM) is a fully synthetic small molecule, identified by Collgard as a
"master switch" in the body's tissue repair process. Tempostatin(TM) works by
influencing both the activation of repair cells and the production and clearance
of the extra-cellular matrix protein.
For additional information: Marjie Hadad, Marjie@..., +972-55-365-220.

When You Crave A Good Feeling
Some moods trigger food cravings -- and vice versa. The challenge is to keep
both in check.
By Star Lawrence
WebMD Feature
Reviewed By Michael Smith, MD
Think of your body as an insanely complex, gooey car. Put in gas and oil (a
balanced diet), and you're good to go. Put in nicotine, alcohol, caffeine,
weird, manufactured fats, gummy, washed-out flour, and sugar, and it's like
pouring sugar into the gas tank. You'll sputter, run on, stop and start, or
stall.
Put Food In, See a Difference
Senior New York University clinical nutritionist Samantha Heller, MS, RD, would
probably prefer an analogy to a chemistry set. "If you are chemically balanced,"
Heller contends, "your moods will be balanced."
A lot of factors can throw the body out of balance. "A lot of women are anemic,"
she says. "This leads to depression and fatigue. Older people are often
deficient in the B vitamins. People who don't eat regularly often have big
shifts in blood sugar." People also have chemical sensitivities to certain foods
that can govern mood.
In a study of 200 people done in England for the mental health group known as
Mind, subjects were told to cut down on mood "stressors" they consumed, while
increasing the amount of mood "supporters." Stressors included sugar, caffeine,
alcohol, and chocolate (more of that coming up). Supporters were water,
vegetables, fruit, and oil-rich fish.
Eighty-eight percent of the people who tried this reported improved mental
health. Specifically, 26% said they had fewer mood swings, 26% had fewer panic
attacks and anxiety, and 24% said they experienced less depression.
How Moods Are Fed or Starved
One big set of chemicals that control mood are the neurotransmitters in the
brain led by the pleasure "drug" serotonin. These substances determine whether
you feel good and energetic or tired, irritable, and spacey. They run on sugar,
preferably the form that comes from low glycemic carbohydrates (not doughnut
sprinkles), according to Molly Kimball, RD, sports and lifestyle nutritionist at
the Ochsner Clinic Foundation and Hospital in New Orleans.
The idea, she says, is to maintain a stable blood sugar level through the day,
slowly feeding these substances into the brain. Low glycemic carbs include whole
grain bread, beans, whole grain crackers, soy, apples, pears, peaches, and other
fruits.
What Kimball calls "crappy carbs" -- commercial granola bars, animal crackers,
graham crackers, potato chips, and of course, cakes and pies -- flood into the
system too fast and cause your body to order up a big shot of insulin, which
then tips the balance you've tried to maintain. "You can see it when you've had
a white flour pancake and syrup for breakfast," Kimball says. "By mid-afternoon,
you're ready for a nap." This sugar alert/insulin cycle can gradually become
less efficient and lead to diabetes and other problems.
Comfort Foods Really Work
If you have let your neurotransmitters get off balance or if external forces
have conspired to put you in a bad mood, don't fret, it happens. That's when
your body will start to think "comfort food."
According to Joy Short, MS, RD, assistant professor and head of undergraduate
nutrition and dietetics at St. Louis University, you should fulfill that craving
-- but in moderation. "You might take time to think, 'Am I really hungry or just
feel like eating because I am stressed,'" she says. However, if you can't think
of a healthier response, eat your comfort item and enjoy it! If you must eat a
deep-fried Twinkie, eat one and lighten up on (but don't skip) the rest of the
meals in the day, she says.
You could make comfort foods more nutritional, she says. Interestingly, both men
and women choose ice cream as their preferred comfort food, but coming in second
is chocolate for women and pizza for men. "If you want a cookie, make it oatmeal
raisin or vanilla wafers. Buy low-fat ice cream. Make your hot chocolate with
skim milk. And forget the chips, in favor of popcorn or pretzels," Short says.
Or after Domino's arrives, throw some artichoke pieces, anchovies, or frozen
veggies on top and heat.
What about that universal comfort food, chocolate? Much has been written about
chocolate's rich complement of mood-altering che