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Tag Archives: fatigue

Water Retention |

November 3, 2008

| by Carrie Tucker

Fluid Retention Steals Your Health, Want To Stop It?

Female feet on scales

When you retain fluid oxygen and vital nutrients can’t get where they need to go!

Fluid retention is such a big problem because the extra water in your system is in the way!

When oxygen and other vital nutrients cant’ get where they need to go, you deteriorate!

If you don’t want your health to fade, watch for signs that you may be retaining water:

  • When you press your fingernail firmly into your thumb-pad, does it stay deeply dented for more than a second or two
  • When you press the tip of your finger into the inside of your shinbone, does your nail make a dent?
  • Do your ankles ever swell?
  • Does your shoe size increase as you get older?
  • Do your rings sometimes not fit?
  • Is your tummy ever tight and swollen?
  • For women, do you suffer from breast tenderness?
  • Does your weight fluctuate by several pound within the space of only twenty-four hours?

You should be concerned if you recognize water retention symptoms, even if your doctor isn’t!

 

Fluid Retention TO DO LIST:
Continue reading article →

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Uncategorized |

October 29, 2008

| by Carrie Tucker

Is Sleep Apnea Robbing You of Restful Sleep and Destroying Your Health?

Your family will probably notice your sleep issue before you do.

If your family is worried, you should be.

If you live alone, you may not be aware that you stop breathing while you sleep.

Do you feel tired all the time?

Do you fall asleep easily during the day?

 

Sleep apnea victims often fall asleep while standing up or driving.

To avoid serious injury or death, time is of the essence.Is sleep apnea robbing you of restful sleep and destroying your health?

Beyond these obvious signs of sleep apnea, the condition may go unnoticed and untreated.

Over the 10 years that I spent advocating for patients that I suspected had sleep apnea, the length of time that it took for those patients to schedule a sleep study, and to get those results read by a doctor shocked and alarmed me.

Often patients have to schedule a second sleep study after the first one shows they have DANGEROUS sleep apnea just to evaluate which equipment would treat the condition best!  MONTHS go by before ANY treatment is provided on a routine basis.

WHY are patients waiting for many months to a year for treatment of dangerous sleep apnea!

The only thing that makes this care cost effective is if the patient dies in their sleep before they accumulate too very many medical bills!

What is the motivation to ignore a potentially fatal illness?

Ignorance keeps many of these people from having any type of evaluation for MANY years before their doctor finally starts asking questions.  More often than not, the doctor asking the questions is an emergency or critical care doctor wondering why you fell asleep in the middle of your day.

Caregivers in rural areas are more likely to miss sleep apnea just because they don’t see it very often.

BUT, many times patients are SENT HOME without sleep apnea equipment EVEN WHEN sleep apnea has been documented DURING their hospitalization!

WHY?!

 

What’s WRONG with this picture?

Come on now!  Why is this issue not causing more alarm?

You can’t put all the blame on overwhelmed physicians.  I think we should hold the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology accountable as well.

A joint statement from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology  called for large-scale studies to determine the mechanism for the link between sleep apnea, and the increased risk for dying from cardiovascular disease.

Come on now.  They acknowledge that “de-saturation of blood oxygen levels is a stressor”.

Talk about an understatement!

Dangerously low blood oxygen levels are extremely harmful and potentially fatal!

Every time you stop breathing your oxygen level falls and your carbon dioxide level climbs causing a very harmful shift in your acid/base balance.

Sleep apnea effectively fries your body with acidity.  (Check out the ruler, your pH drops when you stop breathing!)

Why would they advise further research instead of treating the extremely dangerous condition that has already been identified?

 

DO SOMETHING to get the help you need TODAY.

Why is the American Heart Association choosing to fund further research instead of spending those dollars on solutions for the individual?

After all, the lead researcher, Terry Young, PhD, professor of epidemiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison said,

“In epidemiology you rarely get such strong, robust findings. This strong association between sleep apnea and increased risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular risk was striking.”

Enough endless spending on research.  Finances and Science are only valuable resources when put to good use.

The Obesity Epidemic Will Make Sleep Apnea

MORE Prevalent in the Near Future. 

Weight gain is also a side effect of sleep apnea. 

The time to evaluate and act is NOW!

Your life is in danger every time you sleep!

Have this discussion with your doctor!

Lose Weight and Utilize Home Oxygen

LIVE!

 

Many blessings,

Carrie Tucker, RCP

The Life Breath Coach

Heart Failure Solutions

 

PS– Remember everyday:

  • Relax and Release tension
  • Exhale Slowly
  • Be active in a way that adds Joy to your life

Plus pure water ~whole foods~sunshine~and laughter

Water Retention, cpap, fatigue, health, heart disease, heart failure, heart health, sleep apnea, technorati | Comment
Drug Safety |

October 9, 2008

| by Carrie Tucker

Is Your High Cholesterol Medication Killing You?

The hazard symbol for toxic/highly toxic subst...

“My cholesterol medications are killing me?”

Not fast enough for you to take notice, but YES they are!

Is there a way to lower cholesterol without risking your life?

You likely think that eating a diet low in saturated fat is the most effective way to lower your cholesterol, but it might surprise you to know that physical activity and sugar intake have a whole lot to do with what your lab tests point to.

Cholesterol medications are given to you to correct your lab results from your blood tests.

Are you aware that lowering your cholesterol level will NOT statistically lower your risk of death?

Your doctor is happy to prescribe a pill that will bring down your cholesterol level, but is it really the best course of treatment for you?

 

Do You Know the Side Effects of the Drugs Your Doctor Wants You To Take?

There are 3 major classes of “lipid-lowering drugs”

and

They all have side effects

Ask your pharmacist which type has been prescribed for you, so that you will be able to realistically look at the side effects you may be facing should you choose to begin  drugging yourself.

The oldest cholesterol-lowering drugs are Bile Acid Sequestrants.

These drugs cause poor absorption of fat-soluble nutrients. (vitamins A,D,E,and K)

You already have enough reason to avoid this drug.  These vitamins, especially E, are extremely important to your heart health, and supplementing won’t help if you are on this type of drug.

Bile Acid Sequestrants have a laundry list of side effects

  • bleeding disorders from Vit K deficiency
  • vision issues due to insufficient Vit A
  • interferes with absorption of thyroid medications
  • causes poor absorption of antibiotics
  • inhibits the absorption of several heart drugs

It doesn’t make sense to take a drug with undesirable side effects when there is a safe alternative that also binds with and removes cholesterol.

The alternative is dietary fiber.

 

The next group of drugs, Fibric Acid Derivatives, are down right deadly

The second class of drugs is generally used to lower triglyceride levels,  though it is unknown exactly how these drugs work.

They do cause a number of uncomfortable side effects.

  • nausea
  • loose stools
  • flatulence
  • muscle cramps
  • rashes
  • problems with skin and hair

It gets WORSE!

The World Health Organization conducted a six-year study of 10,000 patients using Atromid-S, a Fibric Acid Derivative.

This study found that Atromid-S actually increased the overall death rate by 44 percent.

It did lower triglycerides levels enough to reduce the risk of heart disease and death by heart attacks, but the increased mortality from other causes more than canceled this benefit.

The excessive deaths caused by this Fibric Acid Derivative were associated to:

  • gall bladder disease
  • cancer
  • pancreatitis

Lopid is anther Fibric Acid Derivative and according to the Physicians’ Desk Reference, has similar side effects.

Additional things to keep in mind:

  • These drugs should not be used with blood thinners or “Statin Drugs” (which will be discussed next).
  • If you have gall bladder, liver, or kidney problems, you should not use these drugs.
  • They are hard on the liver, and liver function should be closely monitored while taking them.

The Alternative is to eliminate sugar and other refined carbohydrates, and add a large dose of fish oil.

Even triclyceride levels in the thousands are relatively easy to treat with dietary changes.

========================================

The third class of drugs is known as:

Statins

All of the generic names for these drugs end with “statin”, which is where the name comes from.  They include some of America’s best selling drugs:

  • Lipitor
  • Zocor
  • Mevacor
  • Pravachol
  • Lescol

There have been 5 major studies of these drugs that prove that they lower risk of heart disease and death by heart attack, and other causes.

The medical community has been so impressed by these studies that they have gone overboard recommending these drugs.

The FDA actually approved Mevacor for use in people with normal cholesterol levels, and no sign of heart disease!

Some experts predict that half the population will be taking these drugs in the future, and there is a push to have them reclassified to over-the-counter status.

The National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines recommend aggressive drug therapy.  If fully implemented, 36 million Americans, one in every 5 adults, would be taking cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Statin drugs are helpful only when concentrated effort with lifestyle changes and natural therapies fail.

Despite the current infatuation with these drugs, they are NOT without RISK.

Side effects of Statin drugs include:

  • liver toxicity
  • gastrointestinal symptoms
  • rashes
  • blurred vision
  • muscle inflammation and weakness
  • rhabdomyolysis

Rhabdomyolysis is a condition involving muscle breakdown, and can be FATAL!

One statin drug, Baycol, was voluntarily recalled in August 2001 after being linked to 31 deaths.

Every one of the drugs in this class works in a similar manner and has similar side effects.

According to Public Citizen, a Washington D.C. consumer group, other statin drugs have killed an additional 81 Americans.

Julian Whitaker, M.D. warns of another adverse effect of statin drugs that he feels has contributed to the deaths from rhabdomyolysis.

It is not listed in the Physicians’ Desk Reference or the drug inserts, but Dr. Whitaker calls it:

“the most chilling of all the statin side effects”.

Statin drugs work by inhibiting the action of an enzyme that is required for the synthesis of cholesterol in the liver.

This enzyme is also necessary for the manufacture of co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10).

Statins deplete the body of CoQ10.

CoQ10 is essential for energy production.  The heart is the hardest working, most energy consuming of all the muscles in the body, and therefore hardest hit by deficiencies.

Dr. Whitaker says:

“I consider the CoQ10 deficiencies caused by the growing use of statin drugs to be in large part responsible for our current epidemic of heart failure.”

You should hear what he has to say about the negative effects of statins on your brain.  The brain contains an abundance of cholesterol.  It is not difficult to see how these drugs would affect your ability to think and function.

Suicide and violent behavior have been linked to very low cholesterol levels for a long time.

Pretty serious reasons to take a closer look at statin drugs!

========================================

Don’t fall prey to the hype surrounding these “miracle” drugs.  Educate yourself as to why you should give diet and lifestyle changes a REAL try.  There is help available when you open yourself to a new way of thinking about food and activity.

Alternatives to taking these risky drugs are to eat more fiber and less saturated fat and simple sugar.  Be more active and take CoQ10 and other supplements that can support you in your health building effort.

If you have no other choice but to take a statin drug, in is very important that you also take at least 200 milligrams of CoQ10.

Keep in mind that other natural alternatives may be helpful in lowering your cholesterol level:

  • fish oil
  • omega 3 fatty acid supplements (flaxseed oil)
  • inositol hexaniacinate (niacin and B vitamins, which has been found just as effective as statins in lowering cholesterol)
  • red yeast rice and other cholesterol-lowering supplements.

Nothing else matters if you don’t have good health.

Get Your Copy of The Cholesterol Lie and Arm Yourself With Knowledge That Can Save Your Life!

Click on the link to get your copy

The Cholesterol Lie


 

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carrie tucker, cholesterol, concentration problems, congestive heart failure, cough, fatigue, heart attack, heart disease, heart failure, heart failure solutions, high blood pressure, low oxygen level, lung disease, retaining fluid, technorati | Comment
Water Retention |

September 19, 2008

| by Carrie Tucker

Is Water Retention a Recurring Theme In Your Life?

Sometimes water retention makes you uncomfortable for a few days to weeks and then it will seemingly subsides and leave you be until the next time it comes to visit.

But did you know that you could be carrying around 20 extra pounds of fluid and NOT EVEN KNOW IT?

That extra fluid is putting a heavy burden on your heart muscle!

Sally had been trying to lose weight for years.

She was very strict with her diet and made sure to exercise 3–5 times every week.

When she saw her doctor, he always said the same thing, ”eat less, exercise more.”

She wondered how in the world she could eat any less, and felt that the doctor must not believe her!

Each week without progress made it that much harder to continue starving and exercising herself.

 Does Sally’s story sound familiar?

Ask yourself the following questions: Continue reading article →

anemia, arrhythmia, arthritis, cardiomyopathy, chest pain, concentration problems, congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure, cough, emotional distress, fatigue, heart attack, heart disease, heart failure, high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, inability to sleep unless propped up, low oxygen level, lung disease, lupus, retaining fluid, sleep apnea, smoking, swelling, technorati, tiredness, waking up breathless at night, weakness, weight gain | Comment
Water Retention |

September 8, 2008

| by Carrie Tucker

How You Get Rid of Water Off Your Ankles?

how you get rid of water off your anklesIf you have water around your ankles, you have a significant fluid balance issue.

Can you see your ankle bone at all?  If not, you likely have water in your lungs.

Is there a gurgling or crackling sound when you breathe?

You may need medical care before you are able to discover the cause of the water on your ankles.

Seriously!  Are you hearing this?

How you get rid of water off your ankles is an urgent question to answer!

My friend Terry was at deaths door, before she got her answer.  Your situation might not be as drastic, but maybe Terri’s story will get your attention and convince you to take your fluid retention seriously!

Continue reading article →

anemia, arrhythmia, arthritis, cardiomyopathy, chest pain, concentration problems, congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure, cough, emotional distress, fatigue, get rid of water weight, heart attack, heart disease, heart failure, high blood pressure, how you get rid of water off your ankles, hyperthyroidism, inability to sleep unless propped up, low oxygen level, lung disease, lupus, retaining fluid, sleep apnea, smoking, swelling, technorati, tiredness, waking up breathless at night, weakness, weight gain

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