Dreaming of Peter

Reasons for Night Sweats In Men

2018-11-21T15:31:00.000-08:00

Waking up with soaked pajamas and sheets due to perspiration can be a startling experience. These are called night sweats or nocturnal hyperhidrosis. No matter what you call it, it is not normal in men. Night sweats can be the signs of a potentially deadly infection or of a chronic health condition. Not all diagnosis will be so dire, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

Idiopathic Hyperhidrosis

This diagnosis sounds more frightening than it really is. For an unknown reason, a man’s body may break out into a heavy sweat. This is embarrassing and inconvenient, but not life-threatening.

Infections

Night sweats can be the symptom of a deep-seated infection from a seemingly harmless break in the skin, such as a scratch or injection. Check the injured site for pain, swelling, redness or leakage of fluids. Infections of internal organs like the kidneys may also cause night sweats, pain and fever.

Tuberculosis

This is a potentially deadly infection caused by bacteria. The body raises its temperature in an attempt to kill the bacteria. Men with tuberculosis usually show other symptoms along with night sweats, including cough, fever, problems breathing, chest pain and sudden weight loss. Infants, babies and elderly men are most prone to tuberculosis.

Hyperthyroidism

An overactive thyroid gland can cause a variety of bizarre symptoms in men, including sudden perspiration. A malfunctioning thyroid gland usually cannot be prevented but can often be easily treated. Other symptoms of hyperthyroidism include insomnia, rapid heartbeat, uncontrollable tremors, diarrhea and a sudden increase in appetite often paired with unexplained weight loss.

Stroke

Nocturnal sweating is a rare symptom of a stroke. Strokes are when the brain suddenly lacks enough blood to keep functioning. There is also condition called trans ischemic attack or TIA where men experience symptoms for less than a hour or even just a few minutes. Many men wrongly assume that when the symptoms go away, so does any danger. Anyone experiencing a TIA has a high risk of suffering a full-blown stroke within 24 hours.

Hodgkin’s Disease

Also called Hodgkin’s lymphoma, this is a potentially deadly form of cancer. Usually men suffering from Hodgkin’s disease also show other symptoms like swollen lymph glands, fever, itchy skin or feeling exhausted all of the time. Occasionally night sweats are the only symptom until more serious symptoms develop.

Medication or Niacin Side Effect

Excessive perspiration during sleep is a rare but treatable side effect of some medications like antidepressants. Men taking supplemental doses of dietary vitamin B3 or niacin may also wake up drenched in sweat. Medications known to cause nocturnal hyperhidrosis include but are not limited to:

· Donezepil (brand name Aricpet) a dementia drug
· Aripiprazle (brand name Aricept), an antidepressant
· Indinavir (brand name Crixivir) a drug for HIV
· Cyclosporine (brand name Neoral) a drug used to help patients adjust to organ transplants
· Daclizumab (brand name Zenapax), used like cyclosporine.
· Interferon alpha-2a (brand name Roferon), used to treat serious immune disorders like AIDS or hepatitis C.

Never suddenly stop medication because this can cause even more problems than nocturnal hyperhidrosis. Talk to a medical professional about alternatives such as cutting back on dosages.

Image of sweating man by Dogbertio 14 for Wikimedia Commons

Why Do Women Gain Weight During Menopause?

2018-11-21T15:25:00.000-08:00

It’s normal for menopausal women to experience some hormonal weight gain, usually around the belly. Although not as talked about as other common symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats or joint aches, menopause weight gain is one of the most common symptoms of middle-aged and elderly women, whether they are experiencing perimenopause, menopause or postmenopause.

Some studies have suggested that genetics plays a role in menopause weight gain. However, it is possible for women nearing menopause to prevent weight gain. Even if the woman gains weight, there are steps she can take to lose her extra pounds through diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes.

Massive Hormonal Changes

When women hit middle age, their bodies slow down the production of the hormone estrogen. Menopausal weight gain is caused by this hormonal imbalance. It is thought that estrogen somehow plays a crucial role in how the body stores fat. More studies need to be done to determine exactly how estrogen affects body metabolism.

A common misconception is that hormone replacement therapy or HRT causes menopausal weight gain. Although women can get other negative medical conditions from estrogen replacement therapy, weight gain is not one of them. Adding estrogen or the ability to balance hormones naturally is thought to help a woman prevent weight gain or lose weight.

The Aging Process

Hormonal imbalance is not the only problem facing a middle-aged woman. As women age, they tend to get tired easily and are not able to be as active as they once were. As a consequence, they become more sedentary. Since they are not burning off more calories they consume, they will gain weight.

Older women also begin losing the lean muscle mass they had as youths. Their bones also become more brittle and prone to breaking due to estrogen loss. This combination of weakened muscles and problematic bones can certainly make an aging woman become wary of exercise.

Treatment

Women experiencing hormonal weight gain or other menopause hormonal changes should talk to their doctors or gynecologists about changes in diet and safe exercise options. Many women prefer to go on a plant based natural hormone replacement regimen rather than use estrogen replacement medications made from pregnant mare urine.

Women should stop smoking and cut back on their exposure to second hand smoke, since tobacco smoke can slow down metabolism and dull the taste buds, making a woman crave foods high in sugars and fats.

What You Need To Know About Acid Reflux Pillows

2018-05-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

One of the most annoying symptoms of acid reflux disorders that quickly make you miserable is that you are too uncomfortable to sleep. Not being able to get enough sleep throws the entire body off kilter and can make you more susceptible to new illnesses. If you’ve already seen your doctor about your problem, he or she may recommend, among things, acid reflux pillows. These have helped many sufferers of acid reflux, heartburn, and gastroesophogeal reflux disease (GERD) to get a decent night’s sleep.

It’s Funny Looking

Acid reflux pillows most often come in a ribbed wedge design, so yes, they can be funny looking. This peculiar shape keeps your head and neck in place, so hopefully your stomach acid will stay in place, too. Some acid reflux, GERD and heartburn sufferers have found that by raising their bodies in a comfortable, slight incline, they can get a much more comfortable night’s sleep. However, you can often fall asleep sitting up, move around in the deep relaxation of sleep and lie flat, thus encouraging the stomach acid to creep back up your throat. Acid reflux pillows hope to avoid that and keep you in a comfy position all night.

You can use them alone or with other pillows as well. Most acid reflux pillows are made of hypoallergenic foam and come with their own pillowcases. They come in a variety of sizes and accessories. Some even come with additional wedges to doubly assure that you stay in position.

Where Do I Get One?

Acid reflux pillows are easy to find. There are many makers and types, so there isn’t just one source that makes them. You can find them in pharmacies, health stores and even large chain department stores. And, of course, there are scads of them online. Although some are sold on online auctions, make sure they are new, so that they are sanitary. They come in a variety of prices.

You might want to try a small one to see if you like it, then get a more, or a larger one. There are even those large enough for the entire body! You need pillows anyway. Why not try one that might help your acid reflux, too? You’ll be multitasking as you sleep.

Do They Work?

Acid reflux pillows are only one weapon in the war against acid reflux. They don’t cure acid reflux all by themselves. You still have to take your medicines and follow your doctor’s advice. For the first few nights you still might not sleep well because your body is just not used to the feel of these pillows yet. Your body will usually adjust in less than one week. Sweet dreams.

Naps Powerful Learning Aid for Pre-Schoolers, Says Study

2017-02-23T16:33:00.002-08:00

Naps are good for what ails you -- especially if you are a 3-year-old and what ails you is having trouble learning, suggests a University of Arizona study which was published in the latest issue of Child Development. The study recommends that 3-year-olds need 10 hours of sleep every 24 hours.

Study Specifics

39 children were tested altogether. These were considered "normal" 3-year-olds in health and development. They were split into two groups -- habitual nappers (those who have at least 4 naps a week) and non-nappers (those who have three or fewer naps in a week.) A nap was considered to be 30 minutes long.

The kids were taught new verbs and either had a nap afterwards or did not. They were even taught verbs made of nonsense sounds like "blicking" and "rooping." (You mean they're not real words? Anyway --) the kids were tested on their new vocabulary skills 24 hours later. Habitual nappers (who had a nap averaging 1 hour) did much better than the non-nappers.

The Least You Need to Know

Like it or not, those damn kids of yours need naps. This is not the only study to suggest this. A similar study in 2013 at the University of Massachusetts Amhurst tested 40 kids, where some had naps averaging 77 minutes after a learning period and some kids did not have naps. The nappers had 10% better memory retention than the (presumably) cranky non-nappers.

Unfortunately, neither study does not go into how to get a 3-year-old to take a nap.

Image from Wikimedia Commons

When It's Time To Give Up On a CPAP Machine

2017-02-12T18:08:00.001-08:00

My Mom suffers from many chronic ailments, including severe sleep apnea. Inevitably, doctors perscibed her a CPAP machine. She tried it for 18 months. It had absolutely no positive effect -- in fact, it had a lot of negative effects. Some (not all) of her doctors want her to try again. Here's how to tell if your CPAP machine is really a CRAP machine.

As always, do not use this blog post in the place of professional medical advice.

Keeps Taking Off Mask When Asleep

This was the big problem with Mom and her CPAP machine. Her subconscious was just not going to go along with it. It's hard to fix. I'd have to stay wake every time Mom slept or took a nap and stare at her to make sure she wouldn't take the mask off. Not. Gonna. Happen.

Machine or Mask Keeps You Awake

The purpose of a CPAP machine is to get you better sleep. If it's been months and you haven't had any decent sleep since before the machine arrived, no matter how many new masks you've tried, it's time to think about giving up.

You Can No Longer Afford It

There's no sense using a treatment that you cannot afford. I've been homeless and let me tell you -- it's damn hard to lug around a CPAP machine when you're getting chased by alcoholics with the DTs.

You Have Severe Incontinence Issues

This is another problem Mom had. By the time she unhooked herself from the CPAP machine, she'd soaked her undies, nightgown and sometimes the carpet. Mom has bad arthritis, knees and scoliosis. She has to use a walker in the house and so moves slowly. When she got back from the toilet and me cleaning her up, she was too upset to go back to sleep.

You Cannot Clean It Regularly

A CPAP machine needs to have the masks and hoses regularly taken off, cleaned and completely dried before being used again or dangerous mold and bacteria can grow in the warm, moist environment. Cleaning was not a problem for Mom since she had me do it, but it you have mobility issues and don't have a caretaker to clean for you then a CPAP machine may not be the best thing for you.

Image by JoJoJo04 from Wikimedia Commons

How the Common Bed Bug Proves that Evolution is True

2017-02-12T17:51:00.001-08:00

We can learn a lot about evolution from the common bedbug. It has vestigial wings, developed a gene change in about 50 years and females adapted one organ to work for reproduction.

The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) is not only creepy, but provides three lessons in why Charles Darwin was right. Bed bugs can go through a couple of generations per year, so we are able to see them evolve in out lifetime. And they aren’t through evolving yet.

These three lessons are in vestigial traits, genetic mutation and modification of an existing body part to do a function that it wasn’t originally intended for.

Vestigial Wings

Place a bed bug under a microscope and you’ll see along their sides tiny pads that appear like a little like stunted mosquito wings. Well, that’s because they are wings. However, after millions of generations of not flying, the wings atrophied and eventually shrunk. These pads are located exactly where wings would be in other insects such as mosquitoes.

According to Creationism, all species appeared in their current form less than 10,000 years ago. Creationists tend to state that either vestigial organs do not exist or vestigial organs have functions yet undiscovered. But Creationism cannot explain why bedbugs needed to lose their wings.

But evolution can. The common ancestor bed bugs, bat bugs and swallow bugs fed on cave-dwelling critters such as bats, according to Virginia Tech entomologist Dini M. Miller, PhD. But when people started dwelling in caves, a new food source was ready to be exploited. Flying takes up a lot of energy. By hitching lifts on human goods, clothes and bodies, bed bugs could save energy.

Genetic Resistance to Pesticides

With the sequencing of the bed bug genome, scientists discovered just why bed bugs are resistant to so many pesticides -- they evolved genes to neutralize the pesticides. Many pesticides like pyrethrins kill by harming nerve cells and paralyzing the insect. Bed bugs are genetically different from bedbugs fifty years ago.

In an effort to find out why bed bugs are so hard to kill, researchers from Ohio State University located a colony of bed bugs known as the Harlan colony, after the US military’s entomologist that began the colony, Harold Harlan. The Harlan breeding colony has never been exposed to insecticides. The genes of these bedbugs were compared to bedbugs from a Columbus, Ohio apartment.

And the genes were slightly different. The Columbus bed bugs could produce vast amounts of enzymes which help to break down toxins and flush them from the body. The Harlan bed bugs did produce this enzyme, but in much lower quantities. As a result, they are much easier to kill than modern bedbugs.

Female Bed Bugs and Traumatic Insemination

Remember that creatures adapt in order to help the individual survive to pass along its genes and not necessarily adapts for the benefit of the entire species. This can lead to survival struggles between members of the same species – and takes the battle of the sexes to a whole new level.

Female bed bugs lack sexual organs. So how do they get pregnant? The male bed bug wields a hypodermic-like Sexual intormittent organ that pierces the female and pumps sperm directly into a groove in her abdomen. This process is called, appropriately enough, traumatic insemination. Females can die from their wounds.

A lot more would die if the female bed bug had not evolved a pseudo-sexual organ called the spermalege. Thought to be modified from part of the female’s immune system, a spermalege is merely spongy tissue filled with blood-like liquid called hemolymph. The male bed bug’s organ can only penetrate through parts of a female’s abdomen – not the entire abdomen.

Over the millennia, these injection sites filled with large tissue in order to quickly eliminate any pathogens introduced from the puncture wound. There is also a theory that the female bed bug’s immune system chooses which sperm lives and kills the rest.

Conclusion

Creationists state that all species alive today were created in one week about 10,000 years ago. However, the bed bug has gone through genetic changes in just 50 or 60 years. Bed bugs also have useless wing pads and females have parts of their immune system to act as a sexual organ. The Creator either has a perverse sense of humor or there was no creation in a week. Creatures are never done adapting to survive and reproduce in ever changing circumstances.

References

“Why Evolution is True.” Jerry A. Coyne

Purdue University. “De-Bugging the Bed Bug: Sucking it Up in 2008.” Dini M. Miller. 2008. http://aapco.ceris.purdue.edu/doc/min2008/attach/03mar08/attach32.pdf

National Public Radio. “Bedbug Genome Reveals Pesticide Resistance.” Jon Hamilton. January 19, 2011. http://www.npr.org/2011/01/19/133057071/bed-bug-genome-reveals-pesticide-resistance

“Costly traumatic insemination and a female counter-adaptation in bed bugs.” Edward H Morrow and Göran Arnqvist. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Science. November 23, 2003. 270(1531): 2377–2381.

http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/270/1531/2371.full.pdf

Bed bug image from Wikimedia Commons

Self-Hypnosis: Now You Are Under Your Own Power

2017-02-12T17:48:00.000-08:00

With self-hypnosis, you are giving yourself encouragement and support to do most anything, like get better sleep. It can take a while to convince yourself that you can and will change, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t change right way.

Henry Ford once said, “If you think you can do a thing or you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” This one sentence is the secret to learning self-hypnosis, also called “autosuggestion” or “positive reinforcement”. Although you can certainly go to a certified hypnotherapist, you can also easily learn the same techniques that they employ. The hard part is whether you can believe that you can change.

Who Needs Self-Hypnosis

If there’s something about you that you need to change, such as quitting smoking, losing weight, having more self-confidence, stop a stutter or sleep better, self-hypnosis can work for you. You still have to actually do stuff in the real world, such as not smoke or stick to your diet, but many people have found help in doing this with self-hypnosis.

You are giving yourself encouragement and support. It can take a while to convince yourself that you can and will change, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t change right way. Give yourself the same slack as if you were learning a new sport or skill.

Step One: Relaxation

First off, you need some quiet time where you won’t be disturbed. Start with fifteen minutes or a half hour. You can sit up or lie down. You are actually not going to sleep, just putting yourself in a very relaxed state. You can use silence, a white noise generator or some soft music, whatever helps you relax and your body to get loose and floppy. Just let it happen at it’s own pace.

Step Two: Deepening the Relaxation

Yes, this gets you even more deeply relaxed and open to suggestions. Some people count down twenty to one, some chant a favorite prayer or poem – silently. There’s no need to do it out loud. Doing it out loud might make you tense.

Step Three: Making the Suggestions

This step is pretty self-explanatory. After you are really relaxed, just repeat quietly to yourself whatever you want to change. “I am a successful writer,” for example, or “I can be happy without snacking!” Something short and easily memorized is best. There is no right or wrong way to know when you are relaxed enough to make the suggestion. Just let your instinct guide you. Remember, you are not taking a test on self-hypnosis. You won’t fail.

Step Four: Waking Up

Once your positive suggestion is made, you can wake up and rejoin the real world. Just make another suggestion to wake up, feeling refreshed and full of energy. You might want to do the opposite of your deepening technique. If you counted down to deepen your relaxation, count up. Or you can just say “The alarm is going off now. Time to get up.”

Step Five: Practice, Practice, Practice

As you practice, you will find it easier and may be able to take shorter sessions or longer ones. If you keep falling asleep, perhaps you could just repeat the suggestion to yourself while you are fully awake, even writing the sentence down over and over again. There is no one way of self-hypnosis technique that works for everyone.

Links to References

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypnosis/MY01020/DSECTION=what-you-can-expect
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/valorie-j-wells-phd/anxiety-self-hypnosis_b_878694.html
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1985-06-05/news/8501220402_1_advance-ethical-hypnosis-students-breathing

Image of Hypnosis statue from Wikimedia Commons

Alprazolam (Xanax®) Withdrawal Symptoms

2017-02-10T11:52:00.000-08:00

Having trouble sleeping lately? Have you also stopped taking Xanax?

Alprazolam, sold in generic form but best known by the brand name (Xanax®) can be a powerful tool to help manage symptoms of anxiety disorders. A patient may be prescribed alprazolam along with cognitive behavior therapy. The medication can often help a patient calm down enough to fully absorb his or her therapy sessions.

But alprazolam is only prescribed short-term because of the risk of addiction. This is a class of drug known as a benzodiazepine. Over prolonged use, usually more than six months, the body becomes tolerant of benzodiazepines. The body then needs to take more and more pills in order to get the same effect. The person then becomes addicted. Xanax® withdrawal symptoms can be painful.

No Cold Turkey

Never stop taking alprazolam suddenly. Always tell your doctor or therapist that you want to go off alprazolam. Benzodiazepines need to be tapered off slowly. If you do not have a pill splitter, ask your pharmacist to split the pills, if necessary.

Normal Withdrawal Symptoms

Alprazolam withdrawal symptoms differ from person to person. Common mild but highly annoying withdrawal symptoms to plan ahead for include:

Headache
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Dizziness or lightheadedness

Unless a person is both vomiting and has diarrhea to the point where he or she risks becoming dehydrated, calling a doctor is usually not necessary. These withdrawal symptoms can start a few hours after the last dose or even occur during a missed dose. But always consult your doctor if you are worried about these symptoms.

Unusual Withdrawal Symptoms

Some strange but not dangerous symptoms have been reported by some patients, including this writer, as they went through Xanax® withdrawal. These include:

Sweaty palms or breaking out into a mild sweat

Ringing of the ears or hearing strange noises that no one else can hear

Having a persistent strange taste in the mouth that can last for days

These symptoms should go away in a few days but always contact a medical professional if they either do not go away after a week or if you are very worried about them.

Dangerous Withdrawal Symptoms

These are the worst known alprazolam withdrawal symptoms. Anyone going cold turkey from alprazolam risks experiencing these symptoms. Anyone tapering off of any benzodiazepine should have a doctor’s office or trusted friend call the patient every couple of days to see if these symptoms crop up:

Seizures
Return of panic attacks
Hallucinations
Heart palpations or a hammering heart
Sudden or bizarre personality changes

Contact a doctor immediately.

Sources:

“The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Controlling Anxiety.” Joni E. Johnston, Psy.D. Alpha Books; 2006.

EMedTV. “Xanax® Withdrawal Symptoms.” http://anxiety.emedtv.com/xanax/xanax-withdrawal-symptoms.html

National Anxiety Foundation. “For the Layperson: Dr. Steve’s Guide for Discontinuing Xanax® (Alprazolam.)” Stephen Cox, MD. http://lexington-on-line.com/naf_xanax.html

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Dangers of Combining Prozac and Xanax

2017-02-10T11:46:00.000-08:00

Please do not use this article as a substitute for a mental health professional’s diagnosis.

Prozac (fluoxetine) and Xanax (alprazolam) are two of the most prescribed drugs for mental disorders. Prozac is often prescribed long-term (over six months) while Xanax is prescribed usually prescribed for short term use only due to its highly addictive nature. Although many patients can take both Prozac and Xanax without problems, for some patients, this combination may worsen their depression or anxiety.

Usual Symptoms

Xanax helps slow down brain function. There are many advantages to a slowing of brain function, particularly for patients suffering from debilitating panic attacks or flashbacks to traumatic events. People experience significant physical pain from panic attacks and flashbacks, which only reinforces their fears and makes it hard to shake off the past. When a patient can be freed from the physical symptoms, it helps them to take in good stimuli and help them with talk therapy.

But when brain functions are slowed down, people tend to get sleepy. Antidepressants are notorious for making people sleepy. However, people on Prozac tend to lose this sleepy feeling after two to four weeks since their first dose. But taking Xanax on top of Prozac may cause sleepiness or a feeling of all-encompassing fatigue. Some people adjust and some people do not.

Unusual Symptoms

Medication Madness: The Role of Psychiatric Medications in Cases of Violence (Macmillan; 2009) chronicles many instances of patients reacting badly to a combination of Xanax and Prozac. They became even more depressed, loss interest in anything, had suicidal thoughts and had more frequent panic attacks or bouts of crippling anxiety. Some people even became violent or engaged in dangerous activity such as risky sex.

However, some of people of these lurid tales also took other medications such as sleeping pills or drank alcohol – a practice highly discouraged for anyone taking benzodiazepines.

One less dramatic unusual side effect from the mixing of the two drugs is bad constipation. Constant constipation that lasts more than two weeks can also be a problem, particularly if the constipation also causes painful cramps. Eventually, a patient will have to taper off of Xanax, but call a doctor to see if a reduction should start sooner than planned.

Proceed With Caution

Everyone reacts differently to prescription drugs – and a combination of prescription drugs. No matter if a patient has taken Prozac for years without side effects, adding Xanax should be a matter of proceeding with caution. Since a patient’s brain functions are slowed and they may be battling comorbidities such as migraines or epilepsy, the patient may become easily confused due to fatigue and physical pain.

When any patient is prescribed a new psychiatric medication, the patient needs supervision to be sure unusual symptoms do not develop. This person needs to be a trusted friend or family member. If the patient has none, then the doctor’s office should at least call every few days and schedule check up appointments one to four times a month. Any missed appointments should be a red flag.

Sources

Breggin, Peter. Medication Madness: The Role of Psychiatric Medications in Cases of Violence, Suicide and Crime. Macmillan; 2009.

Drugs.com “Xanax Information.” 2010. http://www.drugs.com/xanax.html

Author’s personal experience

Image "The Drowsy One" (1840) by Friederich von Amerling from Wikimedia Commons

YouTube eHow Video: How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs on Pets

2017-02-03T22:58:00.000-08:00

Bed bugs are more likely to feed on pet owners than pets, but any port in a storm works for bed bugs. Bed bugs are not know to transmit any diseases through their bites, but the bites themselves are problematic. If there are hundreds of bed bugs feeding on one pet, the pet's blood loss will be considerable.

Sadly, there is no medication to kill bed bugs that bite our pets such as for fleas, ticks and lice. You have to kill the bed bugs in order to protect you and your pets. This requires extensive home cleaning and at least two treatments from a professional exterminator. Here's more from eHow:

Side Effects of Lipozene (Glucomannan)

2017-02-03T22:28:00.000-08:00

Glucomannan's secondary side effects is sleep loss due to the primary side effects. If you already have trouble sleeping, be careful with this supplement.

Lipozene is a weight loss herbal supplement also known as glucomannan or knojac fiber. It’s available over the counter as opposed to a prescription drug. It’s made from African plant roots. Fiber is important to help make a person feel full and to keep the bowels regular. Two 1500 milligram capsules are swallowed with a full glass of water a half hour before meals to help curb overeating. Lipozene can cause embarrassing gastrointestinal side effects because of this powerful form of fiber.

Just because a supplement may be labeled “natural” doesn’t mean it’s free from side effects. Always talk to a doctor or nutritionist before taking any herbal supplement, including Lipozene. Some people are able to take half the recommended dose to avoid the worst of side effects, but halving the dose does not help everybody. Themanufacturer urges all pregnant or nursing women to avoid Lipozene.

Common Side Effects

The most common side effects of Lipozene are similar to a spastic colon, drinking a prescription laxative or eating a bowl too many of your favorite high-fiber breakfast cereal. Gas, intestinal pains, cramps from bloating and diarrhea can last for hours after taking Lipozene. The intensity of these symptoms varies from person to person.

Because of these side effects, women who have spastic colon or diarrhea during their periods should not take Lipozene at those times. People with hemorrhoids may find their symptoms flare up on Lipozene. People who have already been diagnosed with gastrointestinal ailments like irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease may experience severe symptoms of their condition. Anyone with these conditions should ask their doctor’s advice before taking.

Uncommon Side Effects

One uncommon side effect is an inability to swallow the capsules. The fiber in Lipozene begins to expand when in contact with moisture. This means that the pills can swell up to cause dangerous intestinal blockages. The pills may begin swelling up in the throat, causing pain. This swelling is why Lipozene has beenbanned in Australia since 1985.

Another unusual aside effect is a sudden drop in blood sugar levels, which can make you drowsy or tired. Anyone taking insulin or suffering from diabetes needs to keep their glucose levels as stable as possible. Consult a doctor before taking Lipozene. Your doctor may advise against taking glucomannan.

Warning

Some people are allergic to glucomannan. These allergic reactions will happen within a few minutes of the very first dose. These allergic symptoms include sudden skin rashes, hives, difficulty breathing or a strange swelling of the face, tongue or throat. If any of these symptoms occur, contact a doctor immediately.

If you are determined to take Lipozene anyway, make sure you are at home near a bed and a toilet in case of bad side effects. Try on a night before you have to work or go to a major event like a wedding because gastrointestinal upsets may keep you up all night.

Image of knojack plant by James Steakly for Wikimedia Commons.

Bedbug Reproduction and Traumatic Insemination

2017-02-01T21:29:00.000-08:00

Pity the poor female bedbug – she does not have any genitalia. So how do bedbugs reproduce? Through the bizarre act of traumatic insemination.

Bedbugs (also spelled bed bugs) such as Cimex lectularius reproduce in a way much different than other animals – even other insects. This process is very accurately called traumatic insemination. However, researchers Alastair D. Stutt and Michael T. Siva-Jothy report that in their observations of 89 traumatic inseminations, the female never once resisted a male.

The Process

The male has a blood meal. 36 hours later, he’s ready for copulation. The male locates a female based on size. Females are often larger than males, but a male trying to copulate with other males does happen in the bedbug world. Upon finding a female, the male locates a groove in the female’s abdominal wall, stabs through her exoskeleton with his sexual intromittant organ. Once skewered, the male pumps in semen, withdraws and crawls off to find another blood meal.

Underneath the punctured exoskeleton, the male’s sperm enters the female’s mesospermalege. This is a pair of fake sexual organs modified from the insect’s immune system. The theory is that males used to stab a female anywhere and injected sperm into the bloodstream, as happened to the closely related bat bugs. But if the male is going to stab, he should just stab in one place most able to take the blow. So the female’s body evolved just such a location. Inside are spongy tissues and a liquid called hemolymph. The sperm rides the hemolymph to the female’s ovaries.

The sperm finally combine with the eggs. She lays about six per week and can lay up to 500 in her one year lifetime if she is able to get a hold of blood meals about every two weeks.

Complications

Bedbugs, although not a social species like termites or bees, do cluster together in hiding places. Female bedbugs, after several traumatic inseminations with males, often crawl off alone to recover, according to Cornell University. If she is inseminated too many times, she can develop an internal infection and die. According to Stutt and Siva-Jothy, bedbug females receive an average 20 traumatic inseminations per month.

But by crawling off to get some peace and quiet, she also winds up spreading the bedbug population throughout the general area. This helps more bedbugs find more sources to feed from so that more and more and more bedbugs do not feed from the same body or bodies.

Another complication is that the sperm from the first male that inseminated her will not succeed in fertilizing her eggs. That honor goes to the sperm from the last male that inseminated her. Just how this happens is unclear. It could be that the female’s mesospermaledge chooses which sperm will live and which will die. This may be why it is so closely tied into the female’s immune system. Should this theory prove to be true, then perhaps the female bedbug has the last laugh after all.

Sources

Cornell University New York Integrated Pest Management. “FAQ List for Bed Bugs.” http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/whats_bugging_you/bed_bugs/bedbugs_faqs.asp

“Traumatic insemination and sexual conflict in the bed bug Cimex lectularis.” Alastair D. Stutt and Michael T. Siva-Jothy. “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.” Vol 108, No. 13. March 29, 2011. http://www.pnas.org/content/98/10/5683.full

National Geographic News: “Bat Bugs Evolved Fake Genitals to Avoid Sex Injuries.” Anne Minard. Sept. 25, 2007. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/09/070925-bat-bugs.html

Image by Rickard Ingell for Wikimedia Commons

How to Get a Free Hotel Room Upgrade

2017-01-31T15:41:00.002-08:00

Vacations suck when you can’t get any sleep. There’s no sense paying for a room if you cannot get any sleep in it. Always be polite when asking for a better room.

Your hotel room may be great, but you can bet there are much better ones in the hotel you are staying at. Perhaps you want a room with luxury features such as a great view, mini bar or balcony. You may also want a specific room in the hotel, such as the room closest to the hotel pool. You may be able to get it without incurring any additional costs if you follow these tips.

When Booking a Room

Summer and holidays are the worst time to try and ask for a free room upgrade. It’s also hard to get a room when the hotel is fully booked because of a major sporting event or business conference. Your best bet in getting an upgrade is for when the hotel is not so busy at any other time. See if you can join the hotel rewards program. Members usually get first crack at any room upgrades.

Huffington Post blogger and frequent traveler Amy Chan advises customers to check in to their hotels as late as they possibly can. Always check with your hotel for check-in times. If you can put off checking in until the last hour you are allowed to do so, there is a better chance that someone who booked a luxury room has cancelled.

Before You Ask for an Upgrade

Make sure you look respectable and wear conservative or professional clothing before you ask a member of the hotel staff for an upgrade. Do not wear trashy, overly-revealing clothes. Women especially need to keep this in mind. No hotel wants to be known as a home for prostitution. Unfortunately, many hotel workers will make an instant snap judgment about your profession based on your clothes, hair style and amount of makeup.

Be calm and smile when asking for an upgrade. Be polite at all times – even when you know that a luxury room is available and you are denied getting it. After all, you are asking for a favor. Ask if you could be considered for any room upgrades, should they become available. If you are at the hotel because of a special event like a family reunion, mention this to the clerk. Sometimes this is enough to push you to the front of the waiting list for a room upgrade.

Disappointment with Hotel Room

Although most regular hotel rooms are comfortable and adequate, some rooms are far from perfect. Perhaps the shower doesn’t work. Perhaps nearby construction is keeping you awake. Complain to the manager politely and suggest that you can be placated by a room upgrade. Only use this tactic if you have a genuine complaint, otherwise you may be branded as a troublemaker.

Image of Shanghai hotel bed by Daniel Case for Wikimedia Commons

Author's Note: This article first appeared on the late-lamented website Helium,com and I see it's up on some scraper sites on the web.

Using Exercise to Stop Hamsters From Cage Bar Biting

2016-11-27T10:21:00.003-08:00

A common behavior problem among pet hamster species is that they bite the bars of their cages for hours every night. They do this because they are bored. Provide your hamsters with physical and mental stimulation.

CHUNKCHUNKCHUNKCHUNK!!!! This is a familiar sound to many hamster keepers, especially those with Syrian or golden hamsters. The beloved hamster is gnawing endlessly at the metal bars of its cage. Since hamsters are nocturnal, no one in the home is getting any sleep until the hamster stops bar biting.

In 1998, some unknown person dumped a cage full of Syrian hamsters at our apartment complex parking lot. My roommates and I managed to rescue two. We thought we were ding the best we could by getting Habitrail cages that alternated plastic bottoms, tunnels, wheels and metal bars for better ventilation.

And then the bar biting began.

Is This Normal?

Hamster teeth grow throughout their lifetime. Gnawing regularly on hard objects helps to wear their teeth down. Some gnawing behaviors are normal. But, according to Training Your Pet Hamster co-authors Gerry Bucsis and Barbara Somerville, obsessive gnawing is not. Although all hamsters will test the strength of their cage bars, they should not be biting the bars for hours a night every night.

This is because hamsters evolved to wander for miles every night among arid, desert regions in Asia and the Middle East, constantly looking for food. Syrian hamsters have only been domesticated since 1930. Other pet hamster species only entered the pet trade in the 1970s at the earliest. The instinct to run, search, dig and store food is still strong in pet hamsters.

Hamsters can also break their teeth chewing on metal bars, according to Hamsterific.com. When hamsters bite the bars of their cages, they tend to lean on one side, which means their teeth are not getting worn down evenly. This can make eating more difficult as well as cause tooth damage.

Causes of Bar Biting

Hamsters bite the bars of their cages because they are trying to find a way out. According to Martha Boden, writer for Small Animal Channel.com and Bow Tie Press, hamsters are trying to find a way out because they have a ton of energy and very little roomto release than energy. Even a cage we may think is large is practically nothing for an animal that evolved to scramble across the desert for miles every night.

Hamster may also try to escape if they scent another hamster in breeding condition anywhere nearby. This was what happened to the two hamsters we rescued back in 1998. Unfortunately, one was male and the other was female. Despite keeping them in separate cages and separate rooms, Hamnesty the male somehow managed to escape and have a tryst with Miss Whiskers.

A couple of weeks later, a heavily pregnant Miss Whiskers managed to squeeze through the bars of her cage despite being as round as ping pong ball. The reason she escaped was because of hunger. She was found inside the food bowl of our terrified guinea pig’s cage. Cinnamon the guinea pig, although being far larger species, knew better than to argue with a ravenous pregnant Syrian hamster. The next day, Miss Whiskers gave birth to eight healthy babies.

More Physical and Mental Stimulation

For most hamster owners, males and females arranging trysts are not the main causes of bar biting. Boredom is. Some owners with large imaginations and some spare cash create elaborate cage structures for their hamsters so they have yards and yards to explore.

Other hamster owners cannot afford such elaborate set-ups. But they can give their pets some physical and mental stimulation by taking the hamster out of the cage and placing them in a toy like a hamster ball. Ten or fifteen minutes is plenty of time inside of such toys because the air may run out. Always supervise your hamster when he or she is in a hamster ball.

Gerry Bucsis and Barbara Somerville also recommend placing the hamster in an empty bathtub for 30 minutes to one hour per night. Hamsters cannot jump out of the bathtub, but you should still supervise them anyway. Toys and chew treats can be placed in the tub with the hamster. Sticking a treat inside of a scrunched up ball of clean paper makes the hamster work for his or her food.

After all of this activity, the hamster should be tired and more than ready to get back to his or her cage, check on the caches of treats, groom and sniff about the premises to make sure all is well.

In Conclusion

Hamsters are highly intelligent and highly active little creatures. They are not satisfied with a clean cage, plenty of food and a wheel. If these needs are not met, they turn to potentially dangerous and highly annoying habits like biting the bars of their cages. They need to discover new things and take time to run about outside of their cages. If these tips do not work, consider housing your problem hamster in an aquarium. Be sure to keep the aquarium away from heat sources like bright sunlight.

References:

Training Your Pet Hamster. Gerry Bucsis and Barbara Somerville. Barron’s; 2002.

Hamsterific. “Stop Chewing on Those Bars!” http://www.hamsterific.com/CageBarChewing.cfm

Small Animal Channel. “Hamster Bites Cage Bars and Water Bottle.” Martha Boden. http://www.smallanimalchannel.com/critter-experts/hamster/hamster-bites-cage-wires.aspx

Personal experience with Syrian hamsters

Image by Ferryhalim for Wikimedia Commons.

Effects of Snacking Late at Night

2016-06-20T10:37:00.001-07:00

Although clinical studies vary on if late-night snacking causes people to gain weight, it can certainly interrupt your sleeping patterns. Not getting enough sleep can lead to weight gain.

My favorite time for snacking is late in the evening. Although I know I shouldn't do it, I eat late in the evening anyway. Why? Perhaps because I associate eating with relaxation. Perhaps I got into the habit of eating a meal before going to bed when I worked the graveyard shift. Or perhaps I have bad eating habits.

Because I have never been able to break this habit, I have curtailed it a bit. I generally don't snack in the daytime (usually because I'm not hungry). Instead of having something high calorie and high protein, I usually limit it to a few cookies or a bowl of cereal. And I string out the time it takes me to eat my snack by reading, writing or watching my goldfish in order to distract me from my belly.

Do You Gain Weight Or Not?

One of the reasons that eating late at night is discouraged is because it it generally believed that you gain weight faster when you eat and immediately sleep rather than eat and go throughout your day, burning those calories. However, this might not necessarily be true. (But if believing eating right before bed will make you fat is enough to stop you eating before bed, skip the next paragraph!)

A 2006 study done by the Oregon Health & Science University studied the weight gain of 47 female monkeys. Eating at night didn't cause any significant weight gain over eating during the day. Giving hysterectomies to 19 of the monkeys didn't make a difference, either. Apparently, you need more than just a day to burn off calories consumed.

Contrast this with a 2005 study done on college students who regularly snacked from 8pm to 4am. Conducted by The American College of Sports medicine, 212 college students described as "sedentary" gained at least 1.1 pounds when they snacked at night. And another study released in 2009 also linked eating before sleep to weight gain – well, for mice, at least.

Your Sleep Is Disrupted

But the big reason not to snack right before bed is that the digestion often interrupts your sleep. This can be because you have to go to the bathroom, or that you get heartburn after lying down too soon after eating, or you are snacking with caffeine and sugar that can keep you awake.
You also want to avoid alcohol a few hours before bed, because not only does that pack on the pounds (no matter what time of day you drink it) but it can also make you have irregular sleep patterns.

When you don't get enough sleep, you get stressed. And when you get stressed, your body puts out a chemical called cortisol that gets your body ready to run for its life or fight for survival. When cortisol is released, it tells the body to stop certain functions so you can have the most energy diverted to fighting or fleeing. One of these is digestion.

So, you can't digest your food as thoroughly when you're chronically stressed with sleepiness as when you have enough sleep. Because stress can make you fat, it can be extrapolated that eating a lot right before bed can make you not only tired and stressed, but fat.

References:

Science Daily. “Scientists Dispel Late-Night Eating/ WeightGain Myth.” 2006.

Mayo Clinic. “Insomnia: Causes.”

NYTimes.com. “Late Night Eating Linked to Weight Gain.” Tara Parker-Pope. Sept. 3, 2009.

Image of frig by Aude for Wikimedia Commons

Cymbalta Side Effects and Withdrawal Symptoms

2016-06-13T17:05:00.001-07:00

The body needs about 2 to 4 weeks to adjust to Cymbalta (duloxetine hydrochloride.) It often causes sleep problems. Here’s how to know when to call the doctor.

Cymbalta is the brand name for duloxetine hydrochloride, which in the family of antidepressants called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). More familiar drugs like Prozac (fluoxetine) and Paxil (peroxetine) are also in the family. Although many people with depression, fibromyalgia and/or general anxiety disorder (GAD) have been helped with Cymbalta, side effects are common and to be expected.

Normal Side Effects

It can take up to a month for the body to adjust to life with Cymbalta. This means that some normal side effects can last for a month. Some people adjust as soon as ten days. The normal side effects of Cymbalta for new users are:

Fatigue
Increase in appetite (although some people have a decrease in appetite)
Dry mouth
Constipation or diarrhea (but not both)
Increase or decrease in sleep
Loss of sex drive
Mild nausea that goes away after a couple weeks.

Serious Side Effects

Like any other drug, some people can be allergic to Cymbalta. These serious side effects will show up within the first week of taking it, maybe even after just a couple of days. Contact your doctor immediately if you get any or a combination of these symptoms:

Suicidal thoughts
Sudden nosebleeds
Sudden, unexplained bruising
Black, grey or tar-like stools, which usually indicate blood in the stool
Loss of coordination or inability to stand up
Vomiting (although some nausea is common, vomiting isn't)
Hallucinations or mania
Intensification of anxious symptoms (if you are taking Cymbalta for GAD)
Seizures
Shallow breathing or problems breathing

Since you may not be aware if you are hallucinating, it's good to let a trusted person like a parent or friend know that you have started taking Cymbalta. Sometimes the doctor's office will act in this capacity. All they need to do is check up on you once a week to see how you are doing. If you start talking about demons out of the wall, then they can let you know that you are hallucinating and you need to get in contact with your doctor.

Don't Just Stop

You shouldn't stop taking Cymbalta cold turkey, unless you've only been taking it for a week. But over a week, the body starts getting used to Cymbalta and can give you painful withdrawal symptoms if you suddenly quit. You may just need a reduction in dose. Eventually, years down the road when your doctor says the time is right, you can wean yourself off of Cymbalta by gradually reducing your dose. But that's a subject for another article.

Withdrawal symptoms include, but are not limited to:

Migraines or headaches
Vomiting
A strange tingling or burning sensation
Sweating
A return of all the symptoms you had before you started taking Cymbalta
Changes in sleep patterns (too much or too little)
A marked increase in irritability
Trembling or shakiness
Nightmares

These can last from three days to three weeks. Being dependent on Cymbalta or any medicine that helps better your quality of life is not a sign of moral weakness.

References:

The Family Intervention Guide to Mental Illness: Recognizing Symptoms & Getting Treatment. Bodie Morey & Kim T. Mueser, Ph.D. New Harbinger Publications; 2007.

US Food & Drug Administration. "Cymbalta (Duloxetine Delayed-Release Capsules) Medicine Guide."

Wikipedia. “SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome.”

My Mom has also been taking Cymbalta for yonks.

Image: "A woman diagnosed as suffering from melancholia" Colour lithograph, 1892, after J. Williamson, 1890. Wikimedia Commons.

Causes of Charley Horses or Nocturnal Cramps

2016-06-13T16:44:00.002-07:00

Charlie (or charley) horses are also known as nocturnal cramps or simply muscle cramps. They are mostly located in the arch of the foot, the calf and up the leg. Medical science doesn't agree as to their causes but they do agree that charlie horses can be prevented.

The main triggers for charlie horses include too much exercise and certain drugs. The most serious cause is increasingly poor blood circulation (or intermittent claudication), so muscle cramps in the legs and feet should be checked out by a doctor.

Exercise

Since the cramps are commonly associated with vigorous or prolonged exercise, it's thought that there may be a chemical imbalance that causes muscles to contract and then refuse to relax. Various theories have been batted about that the muscles loose too much electrolytes or that circulation has been somehow damaged during dehydration or muscle strain which then causes the body to be unable to properly flush away toxins.

Whatever the true reason, fear of intensely painful nocturnal cramps may keep some people from engaging in regular exercise. They may begin an exercise program and do too much at once, causing not only charley horses but other pains. This is why it is important to talk to your doctor before you start on an exercise program and to begin slowly.

Adventure Vacations

Although charley horses may be seen most often in children, the elderly and athletes at the beginning of their sports' seasons, there is another section of the population very prone – the vacationer. This person has sat at a desk job for 50 weeks of the year and wants to have an active, sports-filled vacation, such as riding at a dude ranch.

However, his muscles are not used to the sudden burst of activity. A few hours in the saddle leads to charley horses and a miserable rest of the vacation. If planning an adventure vacation, it is best to begin regular exercise at least three months before the vacation starts. During exercise, be sure to drink plenty of quality fluids like water. This at least gets the muscles used to activity. It may not prevent all charley horses, but it may lead to less painful charley horses.

Medications

But this does not explain all causes of severe leg and feet muscle cramping. Certain medications can also trigger charlie horses. These include antipsychotic drugs like amytriptaline; blood pressure medications like statins; drugs for diabetics and corticosteroids like prednisone. Addicts of drugs such as heroin may also suffer from charley horses and not do any exercise, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

One theory is that these medications (as well as illegal drugs) take out fluids that the body needs to properly maintain the endocrine and circulation systems. But just exactly why these drugs cause cramps and not others is unknown.

References:

Women’s Health & Wellness 2003. The Editors of “Health” Magazine. Oxmoor House; 2002.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. “Your Orthopedic Connection: Muscle Cramp.”

ABC News. “The Mysterious Pain of ‘Charley Horse’.” Lauren Cahoon. April 1, 2008 (no joke).

Image of New Forest Pony by Saffron Blaze for Wikimedia Commons.

Killing Bed Bugs in Electronics

2016-06-04T11:48:00.003-07:00

Yes – they can hide in electronics.

Your home has bed bugs. Your home will need at least two treatments from professional pest managers in order to kill the bed bugs.

Unfortunately, adult bed bugs can last up to one year between meals. What do they do all of this time when they are fasting? Hiding. The nearly flat bodies of bed bugs make them insect Houdinis, escaping from insecticides into the narrowest of cracks – including those in your electronics.

How Valuable is the Electronic?

Bed bugs tend to stay in rooms where ever a person sleeps, so unless you sleep in the kitchen, the kitchen electronics should be fine. A professional exterminator may concentrate his or her energies on checking for infestations in places where people sleep or nap.

Is this a clock radio or a laptop? When your home or business is infested with bed bugs, assume that everywhere that a bed bug can fit into is home to adults, larvae (called nymphs) and eggs. If the item can be easily replaced, place it in a resealable plastic bag and throw it out.

Outside Electronics

More valuable items like televisions or personal computers cannot be easily replaced unless you are really rich. Exterminators will check these items, but you can, too, if you have a magnifying glass, a knife and a vacuum. Always wrap up an electronic item in plastic before moving it out of a room, or you may wind up giving bed bugs a free taxi ride to infesting yet another part of your home.

The object is to sweep the bugs out of the cracks and vacuum them up immediately. This works best on light-colored floors, although nymphs are mostly transparent unless they have recently fed. With the magnifying glass, check screws, seams and ridges for adults or for fecal deposits, which look like rusty-brown or black spots. If you see them, pass the knife in the crack and force the bugs out. Zap them up with the vacuum. Immediately empty the bag into an outside garbage container.

Fumigating Electronics

Exterminators use cans of compressed air to blast bugs out of electronics, notes board certified entomologist and author of The Bed Bug Book (Skyhorse; 2011) Ralph H. Maestre. Compressed air cans are sold in computer stores, often labeled as a safe way to remove dust from sensitive screens.

If the bugs have gotten into the electronic, things get more complicated. The item needs to be fumigated by deep-freezing. The only safe method so far is pressurized carbon snow, best known under the brand name Cryonite. Not all exterminators will be able to use pressurized carbon snow, so ask beforehand.

Warning

Never spray over the counter insecticide aerosols into electric outlets or electronics! This can cause fires. Never use total release aerosols or “bug bombs.” Bug bombs do not penetrate into bed bug hiding places. Over-the-counter insecticides will NOT kill bed bugs, even if they are labeled as killing bed bugs, warns Cornell University’s New York State Integrated Pest Management department.

Pesticide sprays and dusts that do kill bed bugs are regulated, but still may not kill bed bug eggs. You will need a second or third treatment in order to kill newly hatched bugs.

References

The Bed Bug Book. Ralph H. Maestre. Skyhorse Publishing; 2011.

Cornell University New York State Integrated Pest Management. “How to Deal with BedBugs.”

University of Minnesota Extension. “Prevention and Control of Bed Bugs in Residences.” Dr. Stephen A. Kells & Jeff Hahn. 2011.

Image of woman with bed bug bites by Andy Brookes for Wikimedia Commons.

Bulimia: Symptoms, Types and Treatments

2016-06-04T11:32:00.003-07:00

NOTE: Many people with bulimia also suffer from sleep problems. The best way to treat the sleep problems is to treat the bulimia. Talk to your doctor in the meantime about treating sleep problems caused by the eating disorder as you work on managing your bulimia.

When you discover that someone you know has bulimia, it can be hard to believe. Often, bulimics seem to be the envy of everyone they know. That is one reason why bulimia is so hard to recognize and treat in others.

Dangerous Symptoms

Although bulimia is often considered a teenage girl's affliction, baby boomers, young boys and grown men turn to bulimia to help them with their self-image. Symptoms of bulimia in either sex include:

· Mood swings

· Problems with teeth, cheek glands, and/or heartburn (see image)

· Preoccupation with food, even if you never see them eat

· Fears of getting fat

· Use of the bathroom soon after meals

· Irregular to no periods in women.

Types of Bulimia

We tend to think of bulimia as someone stuffing themselves with a refrigerator full of food and then throwing it all back up. There are actually different types of bulimia eating disorders which all showcase a person's self-hatred by their unhealthy relationship with food. Here are the three types of bulimia:

· Anorexia bulimia: This is when someone alternates between anorexia (not eating) and bulimia.

· Bulimia nervosa: This is the "usual", where the victim is obsessed about their looks and usually does not eat in public. They then binge eat and purge through vomiting or taking a lot of laxatives. This can go on for years until physical affects are eventually seen.

· Pro Bulimia, Pro Ana or Pro-Mia: This is when a bulimic is in a state of denial about the damage they are doing to their health. They refuse to see bulimia as a problem, but instead call it a "lifestyle choice." As a consequence, they refuse treatment and resent being told they have a problem which could eventually kill them.

Treatment Options

You don't really need a doctor or therapist to diagnose bulimia (especially if you catch the bulimic in the acts of binging and purging), but a professional diagnosis can greatly help the patient face the problem. Any doctor or therapist should be able to diagnose bulimia.

There are many treatment options available, especially if there are any other issues like addiction or depression in addition to bulimia. The patient might not need to do all of them or do a combination in order to feel better about themselves and about food. Bulimia treatments include:

· Therapy: This could be for the patient or for the whole family as ongoing treatment or an intense rehabilitation retreat.

· Medication: Bulimia brings on secondary symptoms that need medical attention, such as loss of menstruation or getting tooth damage. The triyclic antidepressant Elavil (amitripyline) is often prescribed for bulimia. Other antidepressants are used when a patient cannot take amitripyline. Another promising drug is Topamax (topiramate.)

· Support groups: This is essential for ongoing treatment, just to let the patient know they are not alone and don't have to fight alone. Social interaction is also helpful in breaking self-destructive thoughts and to think about something else other than when to binge and purge. You can find anorexia and bulimia support groups online as well as through your doctor or your Yellow Pages.

· Hospitalization: This is for emergencies, such as collapse or a suicide attempt. Although it might seem drastic, it may serve as a needed wake-up call.

References:

eMedicine. “Bulimia.” Rebecca Barth, MD, et al. Oct. 8, 2010.

Mayo Clinic. “Bulimia Nervosa.”

National Alliance on Mental Illness. “Eating Disorders.”

Image of teeth damaged from bulimia nervosa By Jeffrey Dorfman for Wikimedia Commons

What are the Causes of Cluster Headaches?

2016-05-22T17:31:00.001-07:00

Women that have both given birth normally and experienced cluster headaches claim that giving birth hurt less. But unfortunately, the exact cause of these crippling attacks remains unknown. However, attacks often begin during sleep.

Image: "The Headache" by George Cruikshank (1819)

Cluster or suicide headaches are one of the most painful types of neurological conditions that can happen to a human being. Women that have both given birth normally and experienced cluster headaches claim that giving birth hurt less. But unfortunately, the exact cause of these crippling attacks remains unknown. More research needs to be done in order to determine why some people get cluster headaches and not others.

Gender

For an unknown reason, men are far more likely to get cluster headaches than women. Women aren’t completely lucky because they are three times more likely to suffer from migraines than men. This may have something to do with hormones, but just how they play a part is still unknown.

Being a black man over the age of twenty that smokes, drinks and has someone else in the family that also suffers from cluster headaches is the most likely person to develop cluster headaches. Just why is still unknown.

Theories For Causes

One theory is that people are born with a genetic predisposition for headache problems, including migraines and cluster headaches. A variety of conditions have to come about in order to trigger a cluster headache attack. One of these conditions is the brain not being able to properly absorb the neurotransmitter serotonin. Perhaps not coincidentally, serotonin problems are also thought to be the blame for migraines, major depression and epilepsy.

One major trigger seems to be a lack of oxygen caused by sleep apnea. Breathing high-flow oxygen has shown to help many patients that suffer from either migraines or cluster headaches. Lack of oxygen may also explain why many attacks begin one or two hours after a patient falls asleep. The pain becomes so bad it wakes him or her up.

What About Brain Activity?

The Mayo Clinic reports that MRI scans of cluster headache sufferers had significant activity in the parts of their brains known as the hypothalamus. Just why is, again, unknown. Could it be the hypothalamus is malformed or have become damaged in some way? According to Lori K. Sergeant, MD and Michelle Blanda, MD, sometimes people suffering from cluster headaches did have a head injury in their past. But not all cluster headache sufferers have had head injuries.

Could the rise or drops in natural hormones produced by the body such as melatonin or cortisol? Again, we just don’t know.

References:

Migraines For Dummies. Diane Stafford and Jennifer Shoquist, MD. For Dummies; 2003.

ABC News. “Oxygen Therapy Can Help Cluster Headaches.” Lauren Cox. December 9, 2009.

Mayo Clinic. “Cluster Headache.”

eMedicine. “Headache, Cluster.” Lori K. Sergeant, MD and Michelle Blanda, MD. May 20, 2010.

Bed Bugs and Insect Growth Regulators

2016-05-22T17:16:00.002-07:00

I wrote this article a few years ago, but the information is still valid. I see that some folks have reprinted it for their blogs without my permission. May you get bed bugs, Scrapers.

The only known IGR for bedbugs is hydroprene

Bedbug infestations are not only creepy, they are expensive to treat. One type of chemical used to kill bedbugs is the insect growth regulator or IGR called hydroprene.

What Is An IGR?

Insect growth regulators or IGRs do not kill insects. But they can help prevent insect larvae from maturing. Remember that only the adult phase of many insects such as bedbugs can breed. If a population stops breeding and no new breeding insects are introduced, eventually the insect population dies out.

IGRs can be used separately, but more often they are combined with pesticides. But you cannot find IGRs on the store shelf. These are regulated chemicals, which means that only a licensed exterminator can (or should) get a hold of them and use them.

Which IGR Is Which?

IGRs can be easily confused. The same company that manufactures Precor with methoprene, Zoëcon, does make an IGR product for bedbugs called Gentrol. Its IGR ingredient is hydroprene, the only IGR affective against bedbugs, according to Virginia Tech entomologist Dini M. Miller, PhD. But unfortunately, some exterminators have been reported using methoprene in the belief that it worked like hydroprene. Also, some people may have done a quick Internet search and picked up information about IGRs and bedbugs from dubious sources.

For example, one major typo on the otherwise highly respected articles by University of Nebraska-Lincoln entomologist Barb Ogg, PhD accidentally states that the brand name Precor is recommended for bedbugs. Later on in the article, hydroprene is identified as the brand name Gentrol. However, anyone skimming the article and not taking the time to read the entire thing may mistakenly think Precor is the product they need. If they have bedbugs, then chances are high that they haven’t had much sleep lately.

What Does Precor Kill?

Methoprene helps to stop severe flea infestations, not bedbug infestations. But it cannot be used alone to manage a flea infestation because it cannot infect adult fleas or fleas that are already breeding, only flea larvae and flea eggs. Since Precor is a combination of methoprene and two pyrethroid insecticides, it should be able to kill the adults, but not before they’ve bred.

Regular vacuuming, laundry and housecleaning can help to reduce both the populations of bedbugs and fleas, but housecleaning does not do the job all by itself. It needs to be combined with a chemical assault in order to eliminate these two blood-sucking pests.

How Effective Are IGRs against Bedbugs?

IGRs like hydroprene work much better under laboratory conditions than in real world conditions. As explained by Dini M. Miller, bedbugs are constantly exposed to hydroprene and therefore die in larger numbers. But how can you guarantee a constant exposure in the home environment? This can be a problem.

Miller also notes that some bedbug larvae exposed to hydroprene did survive to adulthood and mated once before they died. Although they died before their normal lifespan expired, they still were able to breed. So, do not expect miracles using hydroprene against bedbugs. It may take more than one application before the bedbugs are gone.

References

Zoecon Professional Products: Precor http://www.zoecon.com/precor.htm
Zoecon Professional Products: Gentrol http://www.zoecon.com/brochurerequest.htm
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: Bed Bug Treatment Using Insecticides; Dini M. Miller, PhD http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pesticides/pdffiles/bb-treatment1.pdf
Hawaii State Department of Health Vector Control Branch: Bed Bugs and Bed Bug Control http://hawaii.gov/health/environmental/vector/bedbugsflyer.pdf
University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “Managing Bed Bugs.” Barb Ogg, PhD. http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/res

“Insomnia”; By Stephen King: A Review

2016-04-28T10:31:00.001-07:00

I know the book isn't really about insomnia, but I couldn't resist sticking this old review of mine from Helium and Yahoo up here:

At first, it sounded like a great idea. The master storyteller of weirdness, Stephen King, writing a novel based on one of the weirdest conditions a person can have – insomnia. However, the result is disappointing. Only long-time Stephen King fans familiar with his Dark Tower series will find any worthwhile bedtime reading with Insomnia (Viking Press; 1994.)

The Good

A bad book by Stephen King is still a much reader read than a good book by most other pop fiction writers. Characters are well-drawn to the point where you do not need to be told who is talking in order to know who is talking. The fictional town of Derry, Maine is also familiar territory for King fans and for anyone who has lived in a small suburb. The dogs in the book even become fully detailed characters in their own right.

Perhaps the best thing about Insomnia is that it does highlight the problems of domestic abuse without ramming it down the reader’s throat. Although other issues like abortion, putting parents in old-age homes and insomnia are mentioned, but with as much finesse as King can do on the subject of abuse. This is a major theme in King’s entire body of work, especially in Dolores Claiborne (1993) and Rose Madder (1995) where both protagonists are abused women. As always, King shows that not only supernatural creatures are monsters.

The Bad

Insomnia is mostly made up of some good chunks stuck together with long expository passages. Mainly, it’s a minor book in the Dark Towerseries, even though it was never marketed as part of the series. However, if the reader is not familiar with the Dark Tower series, then a lot of small, seemingly out of place details in Insomnia is going to be baffling.

The main struggle in the book between good human verses bad Otherworld Creature gets far too long and complicated for even a King fan like yours truly. When the main reason why our protagonists have insomnia is revealed, it’s an anticlimax. The answer is just not satisfying enough.

The Ugly

There are some incredibly vivid moments in Insomnia that are far more haunting than the actual plot. A dog licks the hand of the monster that immediately afterwards kills her. A mother is plotted against by her daughter-in-law to place her in a senior citizen’s home. A battered woman with a screaming baby on her hip stumbles into a grocery store.

But the weirdest image is that of a two-person airplane is flown into a building here a major speech is being held and many are killed. Remember, this book was published in 1994, which, on reflection, makes that particular scene even more bone-chilling. Of course, King probably got the idea from when a B-25 bomber crashed into the Empire State Building in 1945.

Stephen King in 2007 by Pinguino image from Wikipedia

Iron Deficiency and Fatigue

2016-04-07T12:56:00.002-07:00

When you’re tired all of the time, live becomes very stressful. It’s hard to concentrate, make decisions or even do simple tasks. And it’s almost impossible to get any enjoyment out of the tasks you do manage to get done. If you’re tired all of the time and yet are getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night, you really need to go to the doctor. Although constant fatigue might not seem like a problem serious enough for the doctor, it is. It could be all you need is a simple once daily iron supplement.

And, as always, please don’t use this blog post in the place of your doctor’s diagnosis.

Signs and Symptoms

People who have iron deficiency (and this writer is one of them) tend to know because they’re tired all of the time. Now, unfortunately, this is also the symptom of more serious issues such as clinical depression (which I also have, which makes things nice and complicated). So, how did my doctor figure out that I had iron deficiency? I had these other problems, too:

I have very heavy periods
I was not having my menopause
I’m a tea drinker. Tea can interfere with iron absorption. So I'm screwed.
I can’t eat beef because it makes me ill (do not know why)
After a week of taking an iron supplement once a day, I felt better! (That sorta clinched it).

But this is just me. According to the Mayo Clinic, many people get other symptoms with iron deficiency besides fatigue. They include:

Brittle nails
No appetite or very little appetite
A craving to eat really, really weird things like candle wax, hair, dirt or pen caps
Sore or swollen tongue
Restless legs syndrome

Read The Directions

You don’t want to take too much iron. More is definitely not better with iron supplements! You risk liver damage by taking too much iron. Although my iron supplement’s label says to take three times a day, my doctor advised me to only take it once a day to see if that’s all my body needed — and to avoid overloading my body with iron.

Popping an iron supplement or switching to foods rich in iron will not automatically get rid of your constant fatigue. But it sure helps. You also need to exercise for a half hour at least five times a week. You also need to watch caffeine intake and learn how to relax without chemicals. All of this can help you get enough energy to get through the day.

Hope this helps.

Image from Wikimedia Commons.

The Stress of Getting Out of Bed

2016-03-17T11:28:00.002-07:00

"Scorpio: Stay inside. Don’t breathe." – Dennis Miller

I hate getting out of bed. It’s often the worst part of my day. It’s even worse when my dreams have been so fabulous that real life pales in comparison. So I get a lot of stress getting out of bed. I can’t be the only one. Over the years, I’ve been able (mostly) to deal with this stress. Here are some tips on how to cope with the stress of getting out of bed.

Don’t Drink A Lot Before Going To Bed

The bladder is your internal alarm clock, but it can backfire on you if you drink a lot of water or herbal tea or alcoholic beverages before going to bed, hoping a full bladder will help getting out of bed easier. Usually, all this means is you have to wake up a few times during the night, interrupting your sleep. The worst is when you wake up a half hour before you need to get up, dying to go. When you’re done, what’s the point in getting back in bed? And you’ve lost a half hour of sleep.

Get A Pet

Almost any pet except a scorpion will greatly encourage you to get out of bed. As soon as they suspect you are awake (but still have your eyes closed), they will whine, squeak, paw, bite the bars of their cages until you actually get up and feed them. This is a great way to cut down on the stress of getting out of bed. It leaves you with no choice.

Don’t Argue With Yourself

On the days you have off, or if you telecommute and really don’t need to use an alarm, you can still stress out before leaving your bed. It feels so nice and cozy and the world outside is cold and far too busy. What can you put off to stay in bed an extra ten minutes? The deliberation inside your head can quickly bring up feelings of guilt ("I should get up") to panic ("Can’t I fake an aneurysm today just to stay in bed?"). Your life is stressful enough without arguing with yourself. Just get up!

Have A Laugh

The first thing you think about in the morning when you wake up can help color your whole day. This is not to put any pressure on you. But it does help. Perhaps you could pin up jokes or cartoons where you can see them from your bed, or next to your alarm. (Like the Dennis Miller joke above for us Scorpios). This is another time having a pet can help you get out of bed. My dog will roll on her back for a belly rub when she knows I’m awake. It’s kind of hard for me to stay grumpy when I’ve got dog bellies to rub.

Hope this helps.

When You Have a Song Stuck In Your Head

2016-02-09T12:42:00.000-08:00

One sleep problem I have is being bothered by an earworm all damn night. Perhaps, you, too have suffered from earworms.

I have this theory that hell is being stuck with only three CDs of incredibly bad music. There’s probably more to hell, but the music is what really rubs the salt into your wounds. Whenever I come across a song that really turns my stomach, I think, "That’s on the 3 CD Soundtrack to Hell).

But it can incredibly stressful when you have one of these musical mutations stuck in your head for days on end. I remember when I had "Achy Breaky Heart" stuck in my head for about a week. I’d rather get a root canal than have that happen to me again.

The Pet Shop Boys

The song I currently have stuck in my head is the Pet Shop Boys’ "It’s A Sin." I figure it’ll go away when the Pet Shop Boys CD I bought will finally arrive in the mail. This isn’t as stressful as I happen to really like the song. But what do you do when you have a song stuck in your head that you abhor?

Substitute Another Song

This is the "fighting fire with fire" approach. Songs that get stuck in your head are often have incredibly simple melodies that keep on repeating. The only problem is that you have to find a song you like that fits these criteria in order to smother the original song. Songs I find useful to help break up "Achey Breaky Heart" from my head include:

Rugby songs (those in England know what I’m talking about. These songs have absolutely nothing to do with rugby.
"The Yellow Rose of Texas"
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
"John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt"
"On Top of Old Smoky"
"Bingo"
Meow Mix jingle (any commercial jingle will usually dislodge even your most cherished of songs)
"It’s A Sin" by the Pet Shop Boys

Chewing on Cinnamon Sticks

I just discovered this folk-lore remedy while researching this article, so I’m not sure how effective it is. But any port in a storm, I say!

Sing the Entire Dreaded Song Out Loud

This is another folk lore remedy for getting rid of horrible songs. This does sometimes work — but you have to know all of the lyrics. I can tell you right now that I haven’t brought myself to Google the lyrics to "Achy Breaky Heart". I’m afraid that in some horrible case of mistaken identity, my computer will be seized by the police looking for whatever it is they look for when they seize computers. They’ll find I’ve looked up the lyrics to "Achy Breaky Heart". I’ll never hear the end of it. It’ll go on my tombstone.

Listen to Running Water

It’s hard not to worry about a song stuck in your head, but worry only compounds the song’s hold upon your brain. What sometimes helps for me is to go listen to a fountain, a river, a rainstorm or my fish tank. I suppose you could listen to radio static, but that sound drives me mental, so I don’t use it. The running water sounds trigger a relaxation response in me. They also usually don’t have any rhythm to them, so I can’t match the song to the water.

Hope this helps.