Sept/Oct 2005 Health News (archived version)

Hello Friends,

My thoughts and prayers go out to those still suffering from the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The images of flooded neighborhoods, flattened houses and crowded shelters, is heart wrenching. Growing up in the South, I've spent quite a bit of time on the gulf coast of Alabama and Florida, and have enjoyed numerous long weekends in New Orleans. The Gulf Coast beaches of Alabama and the panhandle of Florida are some of the prettiest in the world. My most recent trip to the gulf coast occurred a few weeks ago. Walking along the sugar colored sand beach and admiring the calm turquoise blue water, it was hard to imagine 20 foot waves and 100 mile an hour winds. Yet, the evidence of hurricanes Dennis (past) and Katrina were visible; damaged houses, eroded beaches and crews of construction workers plying their trade. God bless those who are still feeling the pain of these storms. Jackson Hole Wyoming I was in Jackson Hole last month to present material from my new book "Treating and Beating Anxiety and Depression with Orthomolecular Medicine." My wife and I have wanted to visit Jackson Hole for a number of years. So we were very excited when The Teton Health Festival asked me to submit material for their consideration. I submitted material from "Treating and Beating Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome," a book that I wrote 2 years ago and from a book I was finishing, "Heart Disease: What Your Doctor Won't Tell You." Neither of these titles seemed to get the committee too excited. They asked if I could submit additional material perhaps from another book. I really wanted to go to Jackson Hole for several reasons; to see Dr. Wayne Dyer, to get out of the Alabama heat, but mostly to appease my wife and family who had already sacrificed their summer while wrote my new book on heart disease. I let the committee know I was finishing up a new book on mood disorders and orthomolecular medicine (I had my fingers crossed behind my back) and that I would have it ready by the time I spoke in September. I had 6 weeks to write "Treating and Beating Anxiety and Depression with Orthomolecular Medicine," before it would have to go to the printer. I had just finished writing the book about heart disease and now I was going to have to write non-stop (some days 18 hours a day) in order to make this impossible deadline. Only the fact that we would be vacationing in Jackson Hole and my pledge that I wouldn't be writing any more books until next year, kept my family from total mutiny. The pre-release copies of "Treating and Beating Anxiety and Depression with Orthomolecular Medicine" books arrived in Jackson Hole the same day I did. My talk was a success and I'll have another book in the bookstores this coming spring. Whew! The Teton Health Festival appeared to be a huge success. Several hundred people attended Dr. Wayne Dyers talk and yours truly got to spend some time with Dr. Dyer. I?ve been a big fan of Dr. Dyer for several years. "There is a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem," and "You'll See It When You Believe It," are two of my favorite books. Dr. Dyer has appeared numerous times on PBS and will appear once again this November. His shows have raised over one million dollars for public broadcasting. Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, affectionately called the "father of motivation" by his fans, is one of the most widely known and respected people in the field of self-empowerment. He became a well-known author with his best selling book, "Your Erroneous Zones," and has gone on to write many other self-help classics, including "Meditations for Manifesting, Staying on the Path, Your Sacred Self, Everyday Wisdom," and "You'll See It When You Believe It." Dr. Wayne Dyer's website I'm happy to report that my family is still with me. The weather in Jackson Hole was a balmy 60 degrees with zero humidity! The day of my talk the temperatures had dropped to 28 degrees and it briefly snowed as I walked to the facility where I gave my talk. We saw elk, bison, baby black bears and one very large and one very large mamma black bear. My family and I had a wonderful time. My 6 month old son had his first plane ride (and did fantastic) and my 8 year old daughter thinks Jackson Hole is the prettiest place she's ever been. About my New Book "Heart Disease: What Your Doctor Won't Tell You" This Book Should be Banned! The following is a letter a received from one of my long distance patients. Dear Dr. Murphree, I wanted to write and let you know just how well J. ______is doing. As you know he had been complaining no energy (sic), poor memory, breathing problems, depression, and all over achy pain for almost 2 years. He had been to lots of doctors but none seemed to help. After you suggested we read your new book about heart disease I ordered it and couldn't put it down once I started reading it. I read it twice because I just couldn't believe what you were saying. I found it to be so interesting. J.______ had been on Lipitor and Cardizem for almost 3 years and it never occurred to us that his poor health may be from taking his heart drugs. Within 2 weeks of stopping these drugs J.___ felt better than he has in years. Thank you for helping me get my old husband back. I showed your book to my medical doctor and he said it should be thrown in the trash and banned from the bookstores. I made sure to get it back from him because I want my sister to read it and get off her high blood pressure medications. I don't care what my doctor says J. _____ is doing great and I?m so thankful. God bless you, Ann L. I'm sure Ann?s doctor won't be the only doctor wanting to ban my Heart Disease book. I may have to go into hiding like Salman Rushdie did when he wrote The Satanic Verses. Strattera Gets Warning Label The Food and Drug Administration warned doctors Thursday about reports of suicidal thinking in some children and adolescents who are taking Strattera, a drug used to treat attention deficit disorder. Manufacturer Eli Lilly & Co. announced that a black-box warning will be added to the drug's label in the United States. Such a warning is the most serious that can be added to a medication's label. In a statement, the FDA said it "is advising health care providers and caregivers that children and adolescents being treated with Strattera should be closely monitored for clinical worsening, as well as agitation, irritability, suicidal thinking or behaviors, and unusual changes in behavior, especially during the initial few months of therapy or when the dose is changed." The Numbing Of American Kids Young children are often prescribed psychotropic drugs for pain relief, anxiety, bed wetting and attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder. The number of preschoolers in the United States being prescribed antidepressants and stimulants soared 50 percent between 1991 and 1995s, despite limited knowledge about the effects of such drugs on young children. The number of 2 to 4 year-olds on psychiatric drugs including Ritalin and antidepressants like Prozac jumped 50 percent between 1991 and 1995, in a study of more than 200,000 preschool-age children. The number of children getting any of the drugs totaled about 100,000 in 1991, and jumped 50 percent to 150,000 in 1995. That year, 60 percent of the youngsters on drugs were age 4, 30 percent were 3 and 10 percent were 2-year-olds. In 2002, about 6 percent of all boys and girls were taking antidepressants, triple the rate in the period 1994-96. And about 14 percent of boys -- nearly one in seven -- were on stimulant drugs in 2002, double the number in 1994-96. Research in the United States found that Ritalin may cause lasting changes to the brain. In a study carried out by the Harvard Medical School, healthy rats given the drug in their infancy were found to have a reduced sense of pleasure and were more prone to signs of despair during adulthood. Are the children who take stimulant medications today setting themselves up for chronic adult depression? Perhaps. Paxil and Other Antidepressants May Increase Risk of Suicide In Children Mosholder, a child psychiatrist, reviewed data from 20 clinical trials involving more than 4,100 children and eight different antidepressants. His preliminary analysis, according to two FDA sources familiar with the report's contents, concluded that there was an increased risk of suicidal behavior among children being treated for depression with Paxil and several other antidepressants. The use of antidepressants and other psychiatric medication among children has more than tripled in recent years and now approaches adult usage rates, according to a January 2003 study in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. Study author Julie Zito, an associate professor of pharmacy and medicine at the University of Maryland, estimates that more than 1 million American children used antidepressants in 2000. Just Say No Campaign Seems Ironic I find it ironic that while our children are lining up to attend a "Just Say No To Drugs Talk," their being dispensed their daily Ritalin, Strattera, or other mood altering drug. Implying that there is a drug for every symptom only increases the false belief that we can self medicate away our fears and inadequacies with illegal mind altering substances. Paxil And Birth Defects The Food and Drug Administration is warning that a study has suggested that the antidepressant Paxil may be associated with birth defects. Paxil's manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, said it will include the results of the study in the drug's list of precautions. A retrospective study found increased numbers of babies born with birth defects to women who were taking Paxil during the first trimester of pregnancy, as compared with women on other antidepressants, according to the FDA and the company. To learn more about anxiety and depression please click on the link below to view a past newsletter. Health News, January, 2004 Click Here to see more information about my new book, "Treating and Beating Anxiety and Depression with orthomolecular medicine" Meditation in a Bottle L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea, produces a pronounced feeling of tranquility in as little as fifteen (15) minutes. L-theanine increases the activity of GABA, a neurotransmitter (i.e. natural messenger in the brain) that promotes relaxation and reduces anxiety. L-theanine also stimulates the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for confidence and a sense of well-being. L-theonine as been shown to increase Alpha waves. Alpha waves are associated meditative states of mind. Individuals taking L-theonine report feeling calm and relaxed. Research with human volunteers has demonstrated that L-theanine creates its relaxing effect in approximately 30 to 40 minutes after ingestion. L-theanine can be safely taken with prescription medications. On sale this month, click here to take advantage of this special"