Xtend-Your-Life Newsletter
Issue - 9th September 2005
Elections, constipation and prescription drugs...
Last night I watched a 'leaders' debate on television here in New Zealand. Our elections for government are taking place next Saturday. The leaders of all eight political parties were present. Six of these are minor parties hoping to be part of a coalition government with one or other of the major parties, Labour (the present incumbent) or, National.
It was an entertaining debate and all the usual things were argued about... the economy, social welfare, energy, education, race relations, and of course health. As with most other countries, next to the economy, health was a hot issue.
As expected all of the party leaders were saying the same thing about health... except one! More about the dissenter soon!
The general consensus of the majority of the New Zealand parties was the same as virtually all their western counterparts! They were claiming that more money was needed for the Health Care system to provide additional Doctors, nurses, hospitals, surgeons, care facilities, prescription drugs etc, etc.
50% increase in spending and worsening of waiting lists...
The opposition parties quoted statistics about how over the last 3 years under the current government, that although spending on health has risen by a massive 50%, the waiting lists for surgery had almost doubled, and delays are increasing and it is now so serious that people are dying waiting for their operations!
IN other words the health care system in New Zealand is experiencing the same problems as all other western countries. I use the word 'health care' with some reluctance because it is actually a misnomer and should be called 'sick care'.
Note: In New Zealand, the 'health care' system is government funded and is arguably the best in the world but the system itself is sick and is going down the 'gurgler' because no amount of money is going to resolve the current crisis which will continue to deepen as it is throughout the rest of the western world.
These systems will ultimately drag down the overall standard of living in all western countries as the demands for more money continues to escalate and people get sicker and sicker.
But, the politicians don't seem to understand that the system itself has got a disease and throwing more money at it will only temporarily suppress the symptoms and will not deal with the underlying cause of the problem.
Only one got it right!!
Last night during the leaders debate only one politician understood the fundamental problem when she espoused their party's health policy which centered around PREVENTION.
She made the point that if people didn't get sick in the first place the current problem would not exist! Instead of piling more money into hospitals and drugs, if some of it was diverted to educating the public as to how they can avoid all these preventable diseases in the first place the demands on hospitals and Doctors etc would go down dramatically.
Comment: In fact I believe that the demand would drop much faster and to a greater degree than anybody anticipates, based on one simple premise, and that is modern drugs very rarely cure a condition but instead rely on keeping the condition 'under control' by suppressing the symptoms. Because the underlying cause is not dealt with, other related illnesses will often manifest themselves. These are usually illnesses which may have been avoided if the cause of the original condition had been dealt with. As a result when a person gets ill and is started on a regime of suppressive drugs they usually become a 'dependent' for the rest of their lives. The statistics support this statement.
So... did anyone take notice of this politician who had the correct views about health? Unfortunately no... not even the moderator of the debate. I guess part of the problem is that this particular party has some pretty 'wacky' policies on other issues.
Therefore, sad to say but we in NZ can look forward to more of the same... deteriorating health for a significant proportion of the population, with countless people living lives of misery or substandard health.
Why is this the case?
One word again... ignorance!
Ignorance on behalf of the politicians... and also the electors in general. Now, I don't say this in an unkind way because most people are too busy getting on with their lives to really think about these things. Many people have been brought up to think of their Doctors as some type of 'god' who can perform miracles with the help of modern medicine... but it is all an illusion.
Nonetheless, that is what is commonly believed and people like you who are reading this newsletter are unfortunately in the small thinking minority. Politicians have the same beliefs and they make the laws which favor a continuation of the same crazy system and which penalizes efforts to prevent illness in the first place.
What about the Pharmaceutical Companies? Are they to blame for this current sad state of affairs. Many people think they are... but they are not. They are merely taking advantage of a very favorable situation which the general population has allowed to develop.
I agree however, that many pharmaceutical Companies are totally devoid of conscience and do some very bad things, but they also have done some good work as well. I wouldn't want to speculate if one outbalances the other.
Nonetheless, at the end of the day the direction as to which way our future 'health' or 'sick' care systems go, will be determined by the politicians which are influenced by the voters.
So... it is up to all of us if we don't like what is happening to convey those thoughts to our elected representatives...
OK... what has the elections to do with constipation?
Nothing really, other than yesterday I had an email from someone and the theme of it I felt tied in with some of the comments that I have made earlier in this newsletter.
In the earlier part of his email he was asking for my comments about what would be a good supplement program. But... we won't go into that here but rather just relate to you the part that is relevant to this newsletter. Here is what he said:
"I'm 65. I ride a stationary bike 5 days a week 30 minutes a day Get that heart rate up around 120 for 30 minutes. I work out with my Bowflex 3 times a week, two sets and I go the distance. Then I do stretching exercises 5 days a week. A typical day for me starts with a fruit drink in the morning around 6:00 am, soy protein powder, organic yogurt, soy milk, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, apple cider, green tea, raw honey, brand buds and ice. During the day I might have another fruit drink, usually what's left over from the morning, after I work out with some walnuts, pumpkin seeds etc. At night I usually have salmon or chicken (Whole Foods) broccoli or spinach, beans, or a salad, kale, spinach, onion, tomatoes, broccoli sprouts. All organic.
Don't drink alcohol but I'm over weight by about 20 pounds. I eat too much of the right stuff, red grapes and that sort of thing. Drink nothing but Figi water, green tea. I try to stay away from the sweets, don't always succeed. Try to stay away from the diet coke, don't always succeed but I do pretty good. Eat a lot of fruit at night, red grapes, oranges and prunes. I buy all my meats, vegetables, and fruit from Whole Foods, 99.9% of everything I eat is organic"
Now... isn't that great? With a diet and exercise regime like that he should be in great health shouldn't he? But read on...
"I have a real problem with constipation, more like obstipation even though I exercise and get plenty of fluids. I had a microwave treatment for my prostrates that wasn't successful. Very difficult time going to the bathroom. I take Benicar 20 MG, Verapamil 240 MG, Protonix 40 Mg or Nexium, Zocor 80 MG, sometimes I take Ambien and Clonazepam 1MG to relax and sleep."
Oops... not so good!
Here is part of what I said to him:
The first thing that I would do is have a hard look at the REAL need for the prescription drugs that you are taking. I have no doubt that they are the cause of your constipation and would also be contributing to your urination problem. Consider this:
Benicar has listed as one of it's side effects 'no urine'
Verapamil has listed as one of it's side effects 'constipation'
Nexium has listed as one of it's side effects 'constipation'
Ambien should only be used for very short periods also lists constipation as one of its side effects.
Clonazepam not only lists constipation as a side effect but also difficulty urinating.
Zocor also has a number of side effects which you may or may not be experiencing... usually muscle pain. But even worse it robs your body of CoQ10 and can actually increase your risk of a heart event. Have a look at two articles I wrote about this by going back to our
archives and clicking on 15 April 2005. Don't forget to read part two as well. Check out the links for the supporting data.
I think that what you need to do is talk to your Doctor about if you really need all this stuff. That may be hard depending upon what your Doctor is like. You may have to find a complementary physician who also understands natural alternatives. He/she could help wean you off these drugs.
There was more...
But I just wanted to give you the gist of this! When you consider the fact that the problem of constipation is higher in the USA than any other country on earth and that the use of prescription drugs is higher per capita than any other country you can't help but wonder if there is a connection here?
I tend to think that there is.
Bottom line... if you are taking a lot of prescription drugs take the time to learn about them. Put the name of the drug into Google and do a search. Be aware of the possible side effects. Question your Doctor as to whether you really do need all of them. Also ask about the possible interaction of them with each other. This is a bigger problem than most people realize.
If you have a condition, research the possibility of an effective natural solution... but above all do the best you can to prevent getting sick in the first place.
Good luck and good health,
Info about the editor
Important notice: All material provided within the newsletter XTEND-YOUR-LIFE is for informational and educational purposes only, and is not to be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action should be taken solely on the contents of this publication. Consult your physician or a qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health and wellbeing or on any opinions expressed within this newsletter. The information provided in this newsletter is believed to be accurate based on the best judgment of the editor but the reader is responsible for consulting with their own health professional on any matters raised within.
