ADHD? Is Homeopathy preferable to Big Pharma drugs?

This blog was first published, and is regularly updated, on my "Why Homeopathy?" website

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (or ADHD) is described by NHS Choices as “a group of behavioural symptoms that include inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness” and that common symptoms of ADHD include a short attention span or being easily distracted, restlessness, constant fidgeting or overactivity, and being impulsive. But there are many more symptoms than this, including:

• Accident proneness
• Poor eye contact
• Insomnia
• Fussy, intensive, demanding attention
• Temper tantrums
• Defiance
• Jealousy
• Cruelty
• Mischievousness
• Repetitive behaviour
• Making inappropriate noises and faces

Conventional Medical Treatment

NHS Choices says that “there is no cure for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but treatment can help relieve the symptoms and make the condition much less of a problem in day-to-day life.

NHS Choices says that ADHD can be treated using medication or therapy, but that “a combination of both is often the best way to treat it”.

It outlines four main drugs licensed for the treatment of ADHD, which they say are not permanent cures for ADHD, but “they can help someone with the condition concentrate better, be less impulsive, feel calmer, and learn and practise new skills”.

1. Methylphenidate

“Methylphenidate is the most commonly used medication for ADHD. It belongs to a group of medicines called stimulants that work by increasing activity in the brain, particularly in areas that play a part in controlling attention and behaviour”.

After describing how the drug is administered and monitored, and who it is suitable for, NHS Choices lists these common side effects:

• a small increase in blood pressure and heart rate

• loss of appetite, which can lead to weight loss or poor weight gain

• trouble sleeping

• headaches

• stomach aches

• mood swings

Methylphenidate drugs come in many different names, including Concerta, Equasym, Medikinet, and the most widely used, Ritalin.

2. Dexamfetamine

“Dexamfetamine is also a stimulant medication that works in a similar way to methylphenidate, by stimulating areas of the brain that play a part in controlling attention and behaviour”.

NHS Choices list these common side effects of dexamfetamine:

• decreased appetite

• mood swings

• agitation and aggression

• dizziness

• headaches

• diarrhoea

• nausea and vomiting

Dexamfetamine drugs come under many different 'brand' names, including Elvanse.

3. Lisdexamfetamine

“Lisdexamfetamine is a similar medication to dexamfetamine, and works in the same way”.

NHS Choices lists these common side effects of lisdexamfetamine:

• decreased appetite, which can lead to weight loss or poor weight gain

• aggression

• drowsiness

• dizziness

• headaches

• diarrhoea

• nausea and vomiting

4. Atomoxetine (Strattera)

“Atomoxetine works differently to other ADHD medications. It is known as a selective noradrenaline uptake inhibitor (SNRI), which means it increases the amount of a chemical in the brain called noradrenaline. This chemical passes messages between brain cells, and increasing the amount can aid concentration and help control impulses”.

NHS Choices lists these common side effects of atomoxetine:

• a small increase in blood pressure and heart rate

• nausea and vomiting

• stomach aches

• trouble sleeping

• dizziness

• headaches

• irritability

It goes on to admit that Atomoxetine has also been linked to some more serious side effects that it's important to look out for, including suicidal thoughts and liver damage.

NHS Choices have been somewhat ‘conservative’ about how dangerous these drugs can be, and the harm they can cause to children. 

Certainly no-one should agree to take these drugs until they have gone beyond what the conventional medical establishment are prepared to tell us about them. 

An ‘Informed Choice’ about taking pharmaceutical drugs like these can only be made after serious consideration of the possible consequences, and the possible harm that can be caused. 

To demonstrate the point, in a WDDTY report dated February 2005, the following side-effects of Ritalin (the most widely used ADHD drug) were listed, indicating just how damaging these drugs can be to young children (who are probably already suffering from a condition created by other NHS-ConMed drugs).

Cardiovascular

• Rapid heart beat (palpitations, tachycardia)
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Unusual heart rhythm (arrythmia)
• Heart attack (cardiac arrest)

Central Nervous System

• Altered mental status (psychosis)
• Hallucinations
• Depression or excitement
• Convulsions / seizures (excessive brain stimulation)
• Drowsiness or "dopey" feeling
• Confusion
• Lack of sleep (insomnia)
• Agitation, irritation, anxiety, nervousness
• Hostility
• Unhappiness (Dysphoria)
• Impaired mental abilities (cognitive impairment on tests)
• Jerky movements (Dyskinesias, tics, Tourette's syndrome)
• Nervous habits (such as picking at skin or pulling hair)
• Compulsive behaviour
• Depression/over-sensitivity
• Decreased social interest
• Zombie-like behaviour

Gastrointestinal

• Eating disorders (anorexia)
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Stomach ache, cramps
• dry mouth
• constipation
• Abnormal liver function tests

Endocrine/Metabolic

• Growth problems (pituitary dysfunction)
• Weight loss

Other

• Blurred vision
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Rash/conjunctivitis/hives
• Hair loss
• Inflammation of the skin (dermatitis)
• Blood disorders (anorexia, leukoplacia)
• Involuntary discharge of urine (enuresis)
• Fever
• Joint pain
• Unusual sweating
• Withdrawal and Rebound
• Sleep problems (insomnia)
• Evening crash
• Depression
• Over-activity and irritability
• Worsening of ADHD-like symptoms

And remember, these drugs are not offered as a ‘cure’, or even a treatment for the condition - they offer just an amelioration of some of the symptoms. And they normally have to be taken for many years.

NHS Choices then moves on to described therapeutic treatment, and mentions the following ‘talking’ therapies, none of which have any side-effects, or DIEs.

• Psychoeducation
• Behaviour therapy
• Parent training and education programmes
• Social skills training
• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

Then NHS Choices moves on to mentions the importance of some life-style and diet responses to ADHD, which also benefit from a lack of side-effects or DIEs. 

• cutting out certain foods and taking supplements (but stating that “there is no strong evidence these work, and they should not be attempted without medical advice”.
• Diet. There is a recommendation to “eat a healthy, balanced diet” but again with the warning “do not cut out foods without medical advice”.
• The connection between ADHD symptoms and some foods are mentioned, for example, “sugar, food colourings and additives, and caffeine are often blamed for aggravating hyperactivity, and some people believe they have intolerances to wheat or dairy products, which may add to their symptoms” in which case you are asked to keep a diary.
• Supplements, in particular, suggestions “that supplements of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids may be beneficial in people with ADHD”, although again, NHS Choices expresses reservations in that “the evidence supporting this is very limited”.

If the Conventional Medical Establishment had any interest in providing us with safe medicine perhaps it would focus of these therapeutic and life-style focused treatments, but as usual, it does not do so, instead remaining intent on pushing drugs on us that can be dangerous, and harmful to our health.

Homeopathic Treatment

Important Note. 

Homeopathy does not treat illness or diseases. It treats the individual who has been diagnosed with a particular illness or disease. The distinction is important, and if you wish to read more about this, click on the chapter “Illness Diagnosis” above. 

Homeopathy uses many remedies for people suffering with ADHD, and related illnesses. As is normal with Homeopathy, the correct remedy for any individual is based upon a remedy that best matches the symptoms of that individual. The main remedies used, with a brief description of the kind of symptoms they are used for, are as follows (taken originally from the www.helium.com website:

Arsenicum Iodatum 

For the individual who is irritable, unable to study, restless, anxious for health and demanding, climbs everywhere and wonders how they got there, fastidious, not exhausted by restlessness, is very warm, who tries to be nice but can't be still and dislikes bathing.

Asaftida

For relief of dissatisfaction with one's self; complaints about one's troubles, hysterical restlessness and anxiety. Indicated for the individual who is unsteady and fickle, irritable or apprehensive, over-sensitive or excitable.

Belladona

For relief of an overly-excited mental state, hypersthesia of all senses, delirium, restless sleep, convulsive movements. A great children's remedy. The Belladona patient is wildly hyperactive, feels he or she is acutely alive and may be crazed by a flood of subjective visual impressions with acuteness of all senses and changeableness.

Cereus Bonplandii

For the individual who desires to engage in work; to have all time employed; to be engaged in something useful. May find it difficult to keep attention fixed, and feel that time seems to pass slowly.

Coffea cruda

Stimulates the functional activity of all organs, increasing the nervous and vascular activity. The drinking of coffee by the aged is likely to increase production of uric acid. Effective for nervous agitation and restlessness, extreme sensitiveness, great nervous excitability and intolerance of pain, unusual activity of mind and body. Helpful for alleviating the bad effects of sudden emotions, surprises, joy, etc. Indicated for individuals who are impressionable, especially to pleasurable impressions, full of ideas, and quick to act. The patient may experience tight pain in head, worse from noise, smell, narcotics.

Iodium

For relief of the tendency to experience anxiety when quiet. May experience anxiety and depression, with no reference to the future. Sudden impulse to run and do violence. Forgetful. Must be busy. Iodium patients tend to have rapid metabolism, with loss of flesh despite great appetite.

Mandragora

For relief of restless excitability, hysterical tendencies, depression alternating with increased vital and mental activity. Hypersensitivity to noise and smells with increased appetite. The individual in need of mandragora has often experienced violence, either mental or physical, may have self-aggressive or self-abusive behaviour.

Sumbulus moschatus

Indicated for the individual with many hysterical and nervous symptoms, emotional and fidgety, dull in morning, clear in evening. May make frequent mistakes in writing and adding.

Randomised Controlled Tests (RCTs) on Homeopathy

Whereas the main proof for the effectiveness of Homeopathy are the patients who once suffered from this condition, and there are several RCT trials that have looked into the use of homeopathy for people suffering with arthritis, and similar diseases.

The following studies on Homeopathy and the treatment of ADHD have been listed on the Hpathy website. At this link each of the trials have been fully evaluated, and each one shows that the treatment of ADHD with Homeopathy can be successful.

1. Lamont J, (1997); British Homeopathic Journal, (1997) 86; p. 196-200

2. Frie, H, et al (2001); British Homeopathic Journal (2001) 90; p. 183-18.

3. Jacobs et al (2005); J Alternative and Complimentary Medicine (2005) 11:5, p. 779-806 .

4. Frie H, et al; Homeopathy (2006) 95, p. 163-170

5. Frie H, et al; Homeopathy (2007) 96, p. 35-41 

Another evaluation of these trials has been listed on the Huffington Post by Dana Ullman.

Osteoporosis? Why Homeopathy is more effective than conventional drug treatment

This blog first published on "Why Homeopathy?" website

Osteoporosis is a disease of the skeletal system when the bones lose density, become brittle and become more prone to fracture. It is the major cause of bone fractures in older people, particularly post-menopausal women. Women are affected by the disease 4 times more than men. The risk of osteoporosis can be reduced by adequate nutrition, especially with calcium and vitamin D, regular weight bearing exercise, and by stopping smoking and avoiding alcohol.

Conventional Medical Treatment

Drugs used to treat Osteoporosis have been found to cause more problems for the bones! So paradoxically, instead of the drugs improving the condition, they can actually make it worse!

This is perhaps the reason why NHS Choices is extremely coy when it outlines the treatment for Osteoporosis!

          “You may not need or want to take medication to treat osteoporosis. However, you should ensure that you're maintaining sufficient levels of calcium and vitamin D. To achieve this, your healthcare team will ask you about your current diet and may recommend making changes or taking supplements”.

Bisphosphonate drugs are the most commonly used medications used to treat osteoporosis. The DIEs of this treatment have been outlined above, yet they were approved, and continue to be approved by Drug Regulators throughout the world. They are used both for the prevention and treatment of the disease. They include the following:

• Actonel (risedronate)
• Boniva (ibandronate)
• Fosamax (alendronate)
• Reclast (zoledronic acid)

Side effects admitted by NHS Choices for bisphosphonates, taken orally, include gastrointestinal problems such as difficulty swallowing, inflammation of the esophagus, and stomach ulcers.

Side effects admitted by NHS Choices for bisphosphonates, taken intravenously, include flu-like symptoms, fever, pain in muscles or joints, and headache.

Other drugs used by the Conventional Medical Establishment to treat osteoporosis include:

• Evista (raloxifene), which belongs to a class of drugs called selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs).
• Miacalcin and Fortical (Calcitonin), a hormonal drug.
• Forteo (teriparatide), another hormonal treatment which has a ‘black box’ warning from the FDA as it can increase the risk of developing osteosarcoma, a rare but serious cancer. 
• Estrogen/Hormone Therapy (ET/HT). This treatment is is often known as estrogen therapy. It can increase a woman’s risk of developing cancer of the uterine lining (endometrial cancer), breast cancer, blood clots and heart attacks. Other side effects include vaginal bleeding, breast tenderness, mood disturbances, blood clots in the veins, and gallbladder disease.

So what other evidence is there about the risks of conventional medical treatment for Osteoporosis? The website Physorg published an article (15 January 2008)  "Popular osteoporosis drugs triple risk of bone necrosis" .The article outlined a study undertaken by the University of British Columbia, and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute that found the most commonly used Osteoporosis drugs almost tripled the risk of developing bone necrosis, a condition that can lead to disfigurement and incapacitating pain. 

The research was described as “the largest study of bone necrosis and bisphosphonates, a class of drugs used by millions of women worldwide to help prevent bone fractures due to osteoporosis”. 

It was also said to be the first study to explore the link between bone necrosis and specific brands of the drug group bisphosphonates, such as Actonel, Didrocal and Fosamax. Researchers apparently found that all three brands had similar outcomes.

The online Journal of Rheumatology published the findings, undertaken following 

“a recent USA FDA alert about bisphosphonates drugs that highlighted the possibility of severe and sometimes incapacitating bone, joint and/or muscle pain in patients taking the drugs”. 

Homeopathic Treatment

Please click here to see the evidence basis for Homeopathy

Important Note. 

Homeopathy does not treat illness or diseases. It treats the individual who has been diagnosed with a particular illness or disease. The distinction is important, and if you wish to read more about this, click on the chapter “Illness Diagnosis” above. 

Homeopathy uses many remedies for people suffering with Osteoporosis. As is normal with Homeopathy, the correct remedy for any individual is based upon a remedy that best matches the symptoms of that individual. The main remedies used, with a brief description of the kind of symptoms they are used for, are as follows:

Calcarea carbonica

This remedy can work extremely well for people with Osteoporosis by promoting the absorbtion of calcium. It is often helpful to individuals who are easily tired by exertion and tend to feel anxious and overwhelmed from work or stress. The person may be chilly, flabby or overweight, and feel worse from cold and dampness. Back pain, swollen joints, and a sweaty head at night are often seen. People who need this remedy often have strong cravings for both eggs and sweets.

Calcarea phos

Stiffness, soreness, and weakness of the bones and joints often are experienced by those who need this remedy. Delicate and easily broken bones. Aching in the bones of the neck, upper back, and hips can be distressing. Deep tiredness frequently is felt, especially after exercise. No appetite, green stools, offensive, with undigested food. Calcium deposits and bone-spurs may develop, even while general bone-loss is taking place, and fractures may be slow to heal. A feeling of dissatisfaction and a strong desire for travel or a change of circumstances are often seen in people who need Calcarea phosphorica.

Calcaria Iod

This remedy should be considered when there is deficiency of muscles and fat in addition to deficiency of bones. Unhealthy condition of glands is always present when this remedy is indicated.

Phosphorus

This remedy is often helpful to people who are sensitive, suggestible, imaginative, but easily tired or weakened physically. Bones may be less strong than normal, or be slow to heal after fractures. Weakness is often felt in the spine, with burning pain between the shoulder blades. People who need this remedy are often tall and thin with an easily-flushing face. A desire for refreshing foods (especially ice cream) and strong thirst for cold or carbonated drinks are other indications for Phosphorus.

Silicea (Silica)

People who need this remedy are often nervous, easily tired, very chilly, and tend to sweat at night. They have a refined or delicate appearance, and often have weakness in the spine. Their injuries are slow to heal, and they tend to have a low resistance to infection. Moderate exercise often warms the person up and improves energy.

Symphytum

When osteoporosis is a problem, fractures often occur from mild trauma. This remedy can be useful for strengthening and healing bones when new fractures occur, and also helpful when pain persists in old, healed fractures (see Fractures).

These remedy descriptions have been taken from the website ‘truestarhealth’

Randomised Controlled Tests (RCTs) on Homeopathic Remedies

Whereas the main proof for the effectiveness of Homeopathy are the patients who once suffered from this condition, and have recovered. I have found one RCT trial that have looked into the use of homeopathy for the treatment of Osteoporosis.

Comparative therapeutic use of Risedronate and Calcarea phosphorica – allopathy versus homeopathy – in bone repair in castrated rats

This study compared bone repair in rats of one conventional drug, and one homeopathic remedy (Calc Phos). 

          “The Risedronate treatment influenced repair, leading to a greater bone quantity thanks that induced with Calcarea phosphorica 6CH. However, the bone formed under the Risedronate treatment displayed a resistance to resorption, keeping its trabecular aspect, while the Calcarea 

phosphorica 6CH bone changed from an initially trabecular to a lamellar bone at the end of the experiment. The allopathic and homeopathic treatments led to different bone formation results regarding remodeling and maturation aspects. Further research is therefore necessary to assess the resistance and quality of the formed bone. Repair evaluation through optical density analysis does not faithfully describe the bone callus’ morphological course because it does not consider the differences between the trabecular and lamellar bones and also because it adds the fibrous connective tissue to the measurements”.

Osteoporosis. A disease caused by Conventional Medical Drugs?

Osteoporosis. Description of the disease

Osteoporosis is a disease of the skeletal system when the bones lose density, become brittle and become more prone to fracture. It is the major cause of bone fractures in older people, particularly post-menopausal women. Women are affected by the disease 4 times more than men. The risk of osteoporosis can be reduced by adequate nutrition, especially with calcium and vitamin D, regular weight bearing exercise, and by stopping smoking and avoiding alcohol.

History and facts about the disease

The International Osteoporosis Foundation has provided the following facts about the incidence and impact of this disease.

• Osteoporosis affects an estimated 75 million people in Europe, USA and Japan.
• 30-50% of women and 15-30% of men will suffer a fracture related to osteoporosis in their lifetime.
• Nearly 75% of hip, spine and distal forearm fractures occur among patients 65 years old or over.
• A 10% loss of bone mass in the vertebrae can double the risk of vertebral fractures, and similarly, a 10% loss of bone mass in the hip can result in a 2.5 times greater risk of hip fracture.
• By 2050, the worldwide incidence of hip fracture in men is projected to increase by 310% and 240% in women.
• In white women, the lifetime risk of hip fracture is 1 in 6, compared with a 1 in 9 risk of a diagnosis of breast cancer.
• In women over 45 years of age, osteoporosis accounts for more days spent in hospital than may other diseases, including diabetes, myocardial infarction and breast cancer.
• It is estimated that the lifetime risk of experiencing an osteoporotic fracture in men over the age of 50 is 30%, similar to the lifetime risk of developing prostate cancer.
• Approximately 1.6 million hip fractures occur worldwide each year, by 2050 this number could reach between 4.5 million and 6.3 million.
• Hip fractures cause the most morbidity with reported mortality rates up to 20-24% in the first year after a hip fracture, and greater risk of dying may persist for at least 5 years afterwards. Loss of function and independence among survivors is profound, with 40% unable to walk independently, 60% requiring assistance a year later. Because of these losses, 33% are totally dependent or in a nursing home in the year following a hip fracture.
• Vertebral fractures can lead to back pain, loss of height, deformity, immobility, increased number of bed days, and even reduced pulmonary function. Their impact on quality of life can be profound as a result of loss of self-esteem, distorted body image and depression. Vertebral fractures also significantly impact on activities of daily living.
• The incidence of vertebral fractures increases with age in both sexes. Most studies indicate that the prevalence of vertebral fracture in men is similar to, or even greater than, that seen in women to age 50 or 60 years.

Pharmaceutical Drugs used to treat this disease

Drugs used to treat Osteoporosis have been found to cause more problems for the bones! So paradoxically instead of the drugs improving the condition, they can actually make it worse!

The website Physorg published an article on15 January 2008 "Popular osteoporosis drugs triple risk of bone necrosis" .The article outlined a study undertaken by the University of British Columbia, and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute that found the most commonly used Osteoporosis drugs almost tripled the risk of developing bone necrosis, a condition that can lead to disfigurement and incapacitating pain. 

The research was described as “the largest study of bone necrosis and bisphosphonates, a class of drugs used by millions of women worldwide to help prevent bone fractures due to osteoporosis”. 

It was also said to be the first study to explore the link between bone necrosis and specific brands of the drug group bisphosphonates, such as Actonel, Didrocal and Fosamax. Researchers apparently found that all three brands had similar outcomes.

The online Journal of Rheumatology published the findings, undertaken following 

“a recent USA FDA alert about bisphosphonates drugs that highlighted the possibility of severe and sometimes incapacitating bone, joint and/or muscle pain in patients taking the drugs”. 

This is perhaps the reason why NHS Choices is extremely coy when it outlines the treatment for Osteoporosis!

          “You may not need or want to take medication to treat osteoporosis. However, you should ensure that you're maintaining sufficient levels of calcium and vitamin D. To achieve this, your healthcare team will ask you about your current diet and may recommend making changes or taking supplements”.

Bisphosphonate drugs are the most commonly used medications used to treat osteoporosis. The DIEs of this treatment have been outlined above, yet they were approved, and continue to be approved by Drug Regulators throughout the world. They are used both for the prevention and treatment of the disease. They include the following:

• Actonel (risedronate)
• Boniva (ibandronate)
• Fosamax (alendronate)
• Reclast (zoledronic acid)

Other side effects for bisphosphonates taken orally include gastrointestinal problems such as difficulty swallowing, inflammation of the esophagus, and stomach ulcers.

Side effects for bisphosphonates taken intravenously include flu-like symptoms, fever, pain in muscles or joints, and headache.

Other drugs used by the Conventional Medical Establishment to treat osteoporosis include:

• Evista (raloxifene), which belongs to a class of drugs called selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs).
• Miacalcin and Fortical (Calcitonin), a hormonal drug.
• Forteo (teriparatide), another hormonal treatment which has a ‘black box’ warning from the FDA as it can increase the risk of developing osteosarcoma, a rare but serious cancer. 
• Estrogen/Hormone Therapy (ET/HT). This treatment is is often known as estrogen therapy. It can increase a woman’s risk of developing cancer of the uterine lining (endometrial cancer), breast cancer, blood clots and heart attacks. Other side effects include vaginal bleeding, breast tenderness, mood disturbances, blood clots in the veins, and gallbladder disease.

Pharmaceutical Drugs that may have caused this disease

So what are the causes of the enormous rise in the incidence of Osteoporis? Several factors are usually mentioned in relation to osteoporosis. For instance, it has been shown to have a large genetic component; and body weight in infancy has also been associated. Physical inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, high alcohol intake are also frequently mentioned. 

Yet all these factors have not changed fundamentally over the decades that have seen the increasing incidence of the disease, certainly not enough to explain the increase. 

As usual, the evidence that pharmaceutical drugs have played a role is rarely mentioned. The International Osteoporosis Foundation provides a long list of conventional medical drugs drugs contribute to osteoporosis by causing bone loss. This is what they say, followed by the list of medicines implicated.

“Some medicines can be harmful to your bones, even if you need to take them for another condition. Bone loss is usually greater if you take the medication in high doses or for a long time.

• Aluminum-containing antacids
• Antiseizure medicines (only some) such as Dilantin® or Phenobarbital
• Aromatase inhibitors such as Arimidex®, Aromasin® and Femara®
• Cancer chemotherapeutic drugs
• Cyclosporine A and FK506 (Tacrolimus)
• Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) such as Lupron® and Zoladex®
• Heparin
• Lithium
• Medroxyprogesterone acetate for contraception (Depo-Provera®)
• Methotrexate
• Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as Nexium®, Prevacid® and Prilosec® 
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Lexapro®, Prozac® and Zoloft®
• Steroids (glucocorticoids) such as cortisone and prednisone
• Tamoxifen® (premenopausal use)
• Thiazolidinediones such as Actos® and Avandia®
• Thyroid hormones in excess

Note: This list may not include all medicines that may cause bone loss.

Yet perhaps there are three types of Big Pharma drug are the worst culprits. The first is Proton Pump inhibiting drugs, such as Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid, Tagamet, Zantec, Pepcid, which can reduce the absorption of calcium from the stomach. Long-term use (a year or more) of these drugs can increase the risk of hip fracture by up to 60%.

Then there is Steroid, or Corticosteroid drugs. It has been estimated that between 30-50% of patients on long-term Corticosteroid drugs will experience fractures, with a 2-fold increased risk of hip fracture in women, and 2.6-fold increase in men. Yet Steroid drugs are regularly prescribed for a variety of conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, Crohn’s disease, lupus and allergies. They are often prescribed to relieve inflammation. They are also used along with other medicines to treat cancer and autoimmune conditions and to support organ transplants.

Yet perhaps the biggest culprit in the rise of Osteoporosis is conventional medicine’s meddling with our hormones, and in particular, the hormones of women. Large numbers of women were, until relatively recently, prescribed hormonal treatments (HRT), particularly for menopausal symptoms. Add to these numbers the huge number of women who have taken the contraceptive pill over the last 50-60 years, the it become undeniably that conventional medical drugs have played, and continue to play, a large role in the disruption of normal hormonal balances within our bodies, and thus in the rise of Osteoporosis. Perhaps it is little wonder that Osteoporosis mainly affects older women, who have suffered most of the abuse caused by these drugs.

Cancer? Bad luck? Or dangerous drugs?

It's all over the mainstream media! The BBC Today programme heralded the news to me this morning as I awoke! Read the BBC version of this wonderful new 'scientific' evidence here.

Cancer is just bad luck!

The research was published in the journal 'Science' and this is part of the abstract...

These results suggest that only a third of the variation in cancer risk among tissues is attributable to environmental factors or inherited predispositions. The majority is due to “bad luck,” that is, random mutations arising during DNA replication in normal, noncancerous stem cells. This is important not only for understanding the disease but also for designing strategies to limit the mortality it causes.

And it is important for us to understand this rather than understand one of the major causes in the epidemic rise of all kinds of cancers during recent times.

Pharmaceutical drugs!

For anyone who relies on the BBC, or the mainstream media for health information, or who believe that their doctors and the NHS would tell them if were true, that might come as something of a surprise! It would be unbelievable. Big Pharma drugs that cause cancer? Surely not!

The idea that the drugs our doctors and the NHS give us, and which our mainstream media never questions, should cause cancer should not really be such a surprise. any scientists now believe that our DNA is the basis of the genetic code that gives orders to all cells, and that cancer can be caused by chemicals, radiation, and viruses these cells come into contact with. There can be little doubt that many of these 'chemicals' and much of this 'radiation' have been introduced to our bodies via conventional medical drugs. And it is well known that many ConMed drugs cause cancer.

HRT
Hormone Replacement Therapy is perhaps the best known. HRT was once prescribed for many millions of women throughout the developed world for menopausal symptoms until it was proven, without reasonable doubt, that it caused both breast and uterine cancer. And remember, HRT is still not banned despite this, and is still prescribed to some women, quite regardless of the risks.

Tamoxifen
Many women are given drugs for the treatment of breast cancer, particularly Tamoxifen, without being told about the evidence that the drug is known to be carcinogenic, and indeed that it causes a much more virulent form of breast cancer.

          "Many of the drugs used to treat breast cancer today are probable or known cancer-causing agents. Tamoxifen, for instance, is classified by the World Health Organization as a "human carcinogen"...

It is also known to cause uterine cancer too. (International Journal of Gynaecological Cancer 2007).

Statin Drugs
Cholesterol-lowering drugs, notably Statins, are also implicated in causing cancer. The Journal of the American Medical Association (3 January1996) warned that these drugs can cause cancer in rodents.

Exubera
This 'safe' drug, used for Diabetes, was approved in 2006, and withdrawn in 2007 because it was found to dramatically increase the chances of lung cancer. In clinical trials, carried out by the drug company, six of the 4,740 patients taking Exubera developed lung cancer compared to just one out of 4,292 people who were not taking the drug.  After the trial finished, another Exubera patient also developed lung cancer. (Source:  FDA website)

Omeprazole (Philosec)
This heartburn drug has been found to cause abnormal cell growth and stomach tumors in rats, although it appears that no one is certain (yet) whether it does the same for humans!

Spironolactone (Aldactazide, Aldactone)
This is a blood pressure medicine, also prescribed for hormonal imbalances and facial hair growth in women, is also know to cause tumors in rats.

Elidel cream and Protopic ointment
These topical skin treatments, used for ezcema, are now associated with lymphoma and skin cancer. The FDA has warned against using them in children under age 2, and has admitted that the long-term safety of of these ointments are "unknown".

There are many, many more pharmaceutical drugs, currently being prescribed to patients, that are known to cause cancer. These few examples are just the tip of a very large iceberg. There is little doubt that Conventional Medicine plays a large role in the epidemic levels of all types of cancers. Indeed, the rise and rise of cancer in recent decades mirrors very closely the rise and rise in the consumption of Pharmaceutical Drugs. This is NOT a coincidence.

But the Conventional Medical Establishment would prefer that we did not know that their drugs were a known cause of cancer. They prefer us to think that it is just 'Bad Luck'! 

Advance Notice of a new E-Book - DIEs

The year 2015 will see me engaged in a massive project to demonstrate how most, if not all chronic illness and disease, can be caused by the conventional drug we are being given to treat more minor conditions.

I call this the 'disease-inducing-effects' or DIEs of pharmaceutical drugs

The purpose of this new ebook will be to demonstrate that the many modern epidemics of chronic disease and illness are not merely the result of 'bad luck', as this study suggests. They are the result of misadventure - the disastrous misadventure associated with the Conventional Medical Establishment during the last 100 years and more.

Use Homeopathy and stay healthy for a long time!

People who use Homeopathy to keep themselves healthy, and help them recover from illness, stay healthy over the long-term. This has been the experience of many people who rely on this highly effective, and completely safe, medical therapy for over 200 years.

Now, what so many of us have believed and experienced for so long, to our benefit, has been reinforced by academic research. And Homeopathy has been found to have a long-lasting benefit.

The question the researchers asked was "How healthy are chronically ill patients after 8 years of homeopathic treatment?" and they set up a long-term observational study to discover the answer. A total of 3,709 patients were studied, and their perceived change in both complaint severity, and quality of life was analysed. The conclusion was simple, concise and extremely clear.

"Patients who seek homeopathic treatment are likely to improve considerably" and "these effects persist for as long as 8 years".

To read more about this research, see these links:

Claudia M Witt, Rainer Lüdtke, Nils Mengler, and Stefan N Willich

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2630323/

and

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1298309/

So if you suffer from an illness, especially if it is a long-term illness, and despite ongoing conventional medical treatment; or if you just want to stay healthy, you no longer have to believe the 'there is no evidence' school of thought, so loved by our mainstream media!

There is plenty of evidence that Homeopathy works, safely and effectively.

And the main evidence comes from people who use it!