Sunday 26 February 2012

Zero medications.

As mentioned in Both Sides Now: Medications, some medications are essential, as they are hormones that the body can no longer produce for itself due to glandular dysfunction. Other medications act as dietary supplements. It's the medications that change how the body works which can cause problems.

Due to prostatitis, I had been prescribed the alpha-adrenoreceptor blocker Tamsulosin Hydrochloride at a dose of 400ug/day. This reduces constriction of sphincter muscles in the urethra, which alleviates urinary retention. However, it also affects arterioles, the iris in the eye, veins, the stomach, the intestines, male sex organs, the skin, the liver, pancreatic Acini & Islet (beta) cells, fat cells and salivary cells.

I stopped taking Tamsulosin and have had no problems weeing, so the prostatitis has gone. I'm now taking zero medications that change how my body works.

So eating less and moving more does have benefits.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Zero medication is the ideal. A couple of years after I had my stroke I started low carbing and taking fish oil and watching my omega 3 to 6 ratios and presto, no more blood thinners/anti-clotting meds. I've reduced my asthma meds to minimal so that the prescription expires at the pharmacy and they have to call the doctor to renew it. I never take it all. I'm hoping to completely eliminate my asthma meds eventually. It's getter better not worse as I age.

Good work Nigel. You are doing something right.

Kateryna

Nigel Kinbrum said...

Thanks! I only take thyroxine and testosterone gel, as my body doesn't produce those any more.

I was prescribed potassium citrate for a uric acid kidney stone in 2002, but as I no longer have hyperuricaemia or hyperuricuria, I don't need that.

chmeee said...

All the bestpeople take thyroxine (I'm on 125 mcg per day ). For me, a TSH level of 1 and below works best. Note also recommended 'norma' range. In treh UK 1 - 5, elsewhere 1 to 3. Lower is better.

Oh, plus 1000 mcg of B12 tablets, every 3 to 4 days. Injections on teh NHS every 3 montsh just didnb't work. I felt pretty c**p for the last two weeks prior to the injection, but don't now. Why ? I duuno 'guv - maybe I just liek being in control and it is osme sort of perveerted placebo effect. Eitehr way, i don't care; I just know what makes me feel better. ( And yes, I have had my levels checked both way. - in range with injections, medium to high range with tables. My GP was very supportive, incidentally, and is aso in general. )

Nigel Kinbrum said...

My TSH, LH & FSH < 0.03

On no thyroxine, TSH = 0.2 (RR = 0.3 to 4).

Galina L. said...

Only after reading "Good Calories Bad Calories" it came to my attention that "normal" human deceases like caries, inflamed appendix, age-related high blood pressure, cancers, cardiovascular problems, dementia and much more are just product of our civilization. Ignorant me! Life style we pay for the highest possible price!

Anonymous said...

Hi Nigel. Thanks for adding me to your blog roll. Have you had a chance to see my health regimen. I have tried my best to keep it evidence supported: http://hansref.blogspot.com/p/my-health-regimen-and-targets.html

How is your prostatitis? I would have to disagree with Anon. Sure zero medication is ideal in the sense that if you don't need any you are healthy. But if you need it then medication is ideal.

Nigel Kinbrum said...

Hi Hans,

I just looked at your health regimen. There's a lot of evidence there! As I've got older, I've become more relaxed about my diet & supplements. I used to take a lot of supplements, but nowadays I take only three.

Magnesium ~200mg/day, as ~2.5g/day Epsom Salts dissolved in drinks.

Vitamin D3 5,000iu/day, as I'm still the Prince of Darkness!

Vitamin K2 15mg/week, as it encourages the correct distribution of calcium.

Breakfast is usually ten Brazil nuts and ten prunes washed down with a milky coffee.

Lunch is often pork belly strips microwaved from frozen with a little sauce underneath a pile of frozen stir-fry veggies. I don't add EVOO any more. I also eat beef & chicken, cooked in the same way.

My main starches are sweet potatoes microwaved in their jackets eaten with dips and a couple of slices a day of toasted Burgen soya & linseed bread with pâté & 75% fruit jams.

A 120g tin of sardines in tomato purée makes a handy snack most days.

My prostatitis appears to have gone, as I don't wake up for a wee in the middle of the night. As I use trans-dermal testosterone, I have annual PSA tests. The last result was ~3. It will be interesting to see the next one.

Cheers, Nige