Prescription Alternatives Read online

  Pesticides aren’t the only toxins that can cause heart disease. Other toxins found in the workplace and in the garage include solvents, glues, and other binding materials, dyes, lacquers, paints, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), metals, and vinylchloride. In many cases, workers only need to be exposed to fumes or dust from these materials to increase their risk of heart disease. For women, nail polish and

  Reduce Your Exposure to Toxins

  Here are some tips for reducing your exposure to pesticides and other environmental toxins:

  • Control fleas on your pets and in your home with substances such as boric acid compounds (now found in most pet stores, or contact Fleabusters) and aromatic oils such as pennyroyal, rather than flea powders. (Women who are pregnant should not have direct contact with pennyroyal oil.)

  • If you’re a gardener, do it the organic way. There are plenty of books and magazines on the subject, and local classes are easy to find. You can create a beautiful lawn and garden without chemicals, and in the long run you’ll have far fewer pest problems.

  • Don’t drink tap water if you have a city or county water supply. Get a good water filter, at least for the tap, that will remove heavy metals and pesticides.

  • If you are exposed to pesticides, take a cool shower and drink plenty of clean water to help flush out the poisons.

  • Wash, peel, or even scrub fruits and vegetables well, and eat organic produce whenever possible.

  • If you think something at work is making you sick, pursue it. It could be mold or fungus in the heating or cooling system, fumes from wall paneling or carpets, or a coworker’s liberally applied cologne or perfume. Virtually all perfumes and scented products, which we refer to as “fake-grances,” are made from a nasty brew of chemicals, many of them toxic.

  • Stop using fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides. Get out of the habit of blasting indoor and outdoor pests with a can of spray. Learn how to control pests naturally.

  • Don’t move in next door to an agricultural field or orchard unless you know it’s organic and likely to stay that way.

  nail polish remover are common and little-recognized sources of potentially damaging toxins.

  Don’t take it for granted that just because you buy a pesticide, herbicide, fungicide, cleaning solvent, paint, or other chemical from the hardware store it’s safe. The industries that use these substances are largely unregulated. Thousands of these products on the shelves have never been tested for safety. In fact, you should assume they are harmful unless you find out otherwise, and avoid contact with skin and avoid breathing the fumes. Even such simple household chemicals as ammonia and chlorine can be harmful.

  Try Not to Use Combination Drugs

  Some drugs combine different types of heart drugs. It is not advisable to take the combination heart drugs; they have a terrible track record for dangerous side effects. It’s difficult enough to combine and track the effects and side effects of heart drugs without putting them all in one pill. If they come in separate pills, you can take more or less of one (with your physician’s supervision), and if you’re experiencing side effects, it’s easier to track down a cause. Remember, side effects are never your fault, and you should never feel you just have to suffer them. Furthermore, treating side effects with more drugs is a dangerous practice that conscientious doctors do not engage in.

  A perfect example of this is Vytorin, a combination pill of the cholesterol-lowering drugs ezetimibe (Zetia) and simvastatin (Zocor), which lower cholesterol through different mechanisms. Recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that although this drug combination does lower cholesterol, it doesn’t reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke and may even speed up the buildup of plaque in the arteries. Other research shows that Vytorin may increase the risk of cancer. This information was not released by the drug company until two years after it was discovered, giving the manufacturers plenty of time to aggressively promote it on TV and rake in nearly $5 billion in sales of Vytorin in 2007 alone. This is a good example of a drug that was approved because it lowers cholesterol—without the long-term studies that would have shown whether it reduces the risk of heart disease.

  Drugs for Arrhythmia, Angina, and CHF

  Arrhythmia and angina (pain in the chest area) are symptoms of heart disease. They are together here because the drugs used to treat them are often the same.

  Examples of Cardiac Glycosides (Digitalis Drugs)

  Digoxin (Cardoxin, Digitek, Lanoxicaps, Lanoxin)

  What Do They Do in the Body? The digitalis drugs are derived from the plants Digitalis purpurea and Digitalis lanata, otherwise known as foxglove. Although an exact description of their action on the heart is complicated and technical, in essence what they do is make the heartbeat strong and increase the heart’s ability to pump blood.

  What Are They Prescribed For? CHF and irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).

  What Are the Possible Side Effects? Although the digitalis drugs are used to treat irregular heartbeat, they can also cause it. Other adverse effects can include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and stomach pain.

  The primary danger of these drugs is too high a dose. The optimal dose and a toxic dose are not far apart with these drugs. Since the dosage can be inadvertently increased in many ways, overdosage is a very real concern. A long list of drugs can slow the clearance of digitalis drugs from the body or increase the effects of digitalis drugs. People taking this medication need to be very alert to what they are eating and drinking.

  The early symptoms of an overdosage are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and loss of appetite. Other symptoms include headache, weakness, fatigue, sleepiness, confusion, restlessness, visual disturbances such as blurred vision, depression, skin rash, hives, irregular heartbeat, and gynecomastia. Your physician should be notified if you have any of these symptoms.

  What Are the Interactions with Other Drugs? To be on the safe side, those who take the digitalis drugs should not take any prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal medicine without first checking for possible interactions.

  What Are the Interactions with Food? Food in general slows the absorption rate of digitalis drugs but doesn’t necessarily decrease levels. In other words, you’ll get the same dose, but it will be delivered more slowly. However, a high-fiber meal can actually reduce the dose of a digitalis drug by carrying some of it through the intestines unabsorbed. High-carbohydrate meals may slow absorption more than balanced meals. High-fat meals may cause the body to reabsorb the drug, slightly increasing levels.

  What Nutrients Do They Throw out of Balance or Interact With? The digitalis drugs increase the excretion of magnesium and potassium.

  What Else to Take While Taking These Drugs. Be sure to take a good mineral supplement if you’re taking digitalis drugs. Low potassium combined with high digitalis can be a deadly combination, causing irregular heartbeats, so it’s especially important to keep your potassium levels high by eating potassium-rich foods such as bananas, nuts, avocados, figs, prunes, tomatoes, and meat.

  Along with diuretics, laxatives and licorice root can also deplete potassium.

  Examples of Nitrates/Nitrites

  Amyl nitrite

  Isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil, Sorbitrate, Isosorbide, Dilatrate)

  Isosorbide mononitrate (Monoket, ISMO, Imdur)

  Nitroglycerin (Nitrostat, Nitrolingual, Nitrogard, Nitrong, Nitro-Bid, Nitrocine, Nitroglyn, Minitran, Nitrodisc, Deponit, NitroDur, Nitrol)

  There are no specific natural alternatives to these drugs. In other words, if you have such severe angina that not taking one of these drugs could put your life in jeopardy, it’s important to keep taking it while you work to reduce your angina symptoms naturally. Since these drugs are most often taken only when an angina attack occurs, you’ll naturally wean yourself off them as your angina is reduced. These drugs are somewhat outdated as heart attack and angina preventives; if you’re taking daily doses whether or not you have
an angina attack, ask your physician about switching to a safer drug.

  What Do They Do in the Body? Reduce or relieve spasms in the heart muscle, thereby dilating blood vessels and lowering blood pressure.

  What Are They Prescribed For? Angina attacks.

  What Are the Possible Side Effects? Postural hypotension (feeling dizzy or faint when you stand from a sitting or lying position) can be a dangerous and possibly fatal side effect. These drugs can also damage organs. Other side effects include aggravation of some types of angina (chest pain) and some types of glaucoma, and they may cause severe headaches, blurred vision, and dry mouth.

  Adverse reactions can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, heartburn, involuntary passing of urine and feces, impotence, urinary frequency, anxiety, restlessness, agitation, weakness, dizziness, fainting, rebound angina and hypertension, irregular heartbeat, insomnia, pounding heart, rash, flushing, twitching muscles, joint aches, bronchitis, sinus infection, sweating, and water retention.

  CAUTION!

  Think Twice About Taking These Drugs If . . .

  • You have existing hypotension.

  • You have kidney or liver disease.

  • You have glaucoma.

  What Are the Interactions with Other Drugs? Nitrates may reduce the effects of heparin, an antiocoagulant. Nitrates may interact dangerously with Viagra and other drugs for erectile dysfunction.

  Alcohol, aspirin, and calcium channel blockers may increase the effects or prolong the action of nitrates.

  Drugs for Preventing Strokes and Blood Clots

  Examples of Blood Thinners

  Coumarins: warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven), anisindione (Miradon)

  Heparins: enoxaparin (Lovenox), dalteparin (Fragmin)

  Thienopyridine derivatives: clopidogrel (Plavix), ticlopidine (Ticlid)

  What Do They Do in the Body? They are known as anticoagulants or blood thinners, and although their actions are complicated, in essence they thin the blood, reduce its stickiness, and reduce its tendency to clot.

  What Are They Prescribed For? To reduce the risk of stroke or blood clots, for treatment after a stroke or heart attack; they are sometimes prescribed during or after surgery. Anticoagulants have been in the news because of overdoses of heparin given to premature infants prescribed anticoagulants to flush out IV catheters, and because a tainted batch of heparin from China was linked to multiple deaths and hundreds of allergic reactions.

  What Are the Possible Side Effects? The major risk in taking the anticoagulants is that they will work too well and not allow the blood to clot when it needs to, causing a hemorrhage or uncontrolled bleeding. This can happen internally or externally. The anticoagulants are also affected by a wide range of other drugs, making dangerous drug interactions common. Easy bruising, nosebleeds, dark urine, and tarry or red stools may be the first signs of too high a dose or uncontrolled bleeding. People with bleeding ulcers can die if given anticoagulants.

  A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that compared patients taking aspirin and esomeprazole (Nexium, which blocks stomach acid) with those taking clopidogrel (Plavix) and esomeprazole found significantly more bleeding ulcers in the patients taking the clopidogrel.

  CAUTION!

  Think Twice About Taking These Drugs If . . .

  • You have a bleeding ulcer.

  • You have adrenal insufficiency.

  • You have heavy bleeding during menstruation.

  • You have liver or kidney problems.

  • You have diarrhea.

  Women and the elderly are more sensitive to these drugs.

  What Are the Interactions with Other Drugs? If you are taking anticoagulants, do not take any new drug, even over-the-counter drugs, or supplements of any kind without checking first with your physician or pharmacist. Especially avoid NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), which can cause gastrointestinal bleeding that can quickly spiral out of control under the influence of anticoagulants. Any product that contains salicylates should be used only with the supervision of your doctor, including aspirin, Pepto-Bismol, arthritis rubs that contain wintergreen oil (methyl salicylate), and wine. Specific supplements that may interact dangerously with anticoagulants include St. John’s wort, gingko biloba, feverfew, fenugreek, chitosan, and nattokinase.

  Vitamin K can also increase the effect of these drugs, and some doctors will warn patients to be careful about foods that contain vitamin K, especially dark, leafy greens such as kale, spinach, collards, and beet greens. This is backward! You should be encouraged to eat these foods, and the drug dose should be lowered.

  The list of specific over-the-counter and prescription drugs that can interact dangerously with anticoagulants is pages long. The bottom line is that if you’re taking an anticoagulant, make sure all health care professionals you’re working with are reminded of this fact when they recommend you take any medicine, herb, vitamin, or other supplement.

  What Are the Interactions with Food? Alcohol can increase the time it takes to clear anticoagulants from the body, increasing the risk of bleeding. Over time, the opposite can happen: the drug may be cleared out faster than usual.

  Cooking oils that contain silicone additives, such as sprays, may bind with these drugs and decrease their absorption. Eating a lot of foods very high in vitamin K could theoretically block the actions of these drugs. Foods high in vitamin K include dark, leafy green vegetables, lettuces, potatoes, fish and fish oils, fruits (especially citrus fruits), egg yolks, dairy products, and the cruciferous family of vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and brussels sprouts. Onions, garlic, and soy foods may increase the action of anticoagulants. If you eat lots of vegetables, don’t stop just because you’re taking this drug! Have your physician adjust the drug levels accordingly.

  Don’t drink tonic water if you are taking an anticoagulant. It contains an ingredient called quinine that can enhance the action of anticoagulants.

  What Nutrients Do They Throw out of Balance or Interact With? Anticoagulants may attach to the metals in mineral supplements and not be absorbed. Take them separately from mineral supplements. Vitamin C interferes with the action of these drugs, reducing their effects. Vitamin E, which by itself “thins” the blood, may increase the effects of anticoagulants, although to date no studies have shown that it’s harmful to combine vitamin E and anticoagulants.

  Natural Alternatives to Drugs for Treating Strokes and Blood Clots

  Your foundation for preventing strokes and blood clots is to follow the Six Core Principles for Optimal Health and the guidelines earlier in the chapter for a healthy heart. Especially important are getting plenty of exercise, drinking plenty of water, avoiding “bad” fats and oils, and keeping blood pressure moderate.

  A stroke can be caused by either a blood vessel breaking or a blood clot blocking a blood vessel. Estrogens, including those used in birth control pills and for HRT, greatly increase the risk of some types of strokes. See Chapter 19 for natural approaches to HRT.

  Garlic, onions, berries, and fish are foods that keep the blood and blood vessels healthy. The most important supplements for strong blood vessels are the bioflavonoids, including grapeseed extract, rutin, hesperidin, ginkgo biloba, green tea, and bilberry. Supplements important for healthy, “slippery” blood (follow dosage recommendations for daily vitamins in this book) include magnesium, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin E, selenium, N-acetyl cysteine, lysine, and garlic.

  If you have high levels of vitamin C, your risk of dying from a stroke may be half that of those with lower levels. This is according to a major study published in the British Medical Journal that tracked 730 elderly men and women for twenty years. Low levels of vitamin C were a strong predictor of death from stroke.

  Some Drugs Delay Stroke Recovery

  A stroke causes damage to the brain that can often be reversed with time and physical therapy. But it can be a long, slow, difficult road to healing, and those who are on that journey
should be given every advantage. That’s why you should know that some drugs can actually slow recovery after a stroke. The brain is particularly vulnerable after a stroke, and a recovering stroke patient shouldn’t be given any drugs that aren’t absolutely necessary.

  According to a study done at North Carolina’s Duke University that analyzed 96 stroke patients, 37 of them who were taking drugs such as benzodiazepines (Valium, Serax, Ativan, Xanax, etc.) took significantly longer to recover. In fact, even one dose of a drug such as the dopamine antagonist haloperidol (Haldol) can delay recovery by as much as two weeks. These human studies were a follow-up to animal studies that demonstrated the same result. Other drugs that appeared to delay recovery included prochlorperazine (another dopamine antagonist), antihypertension drugs such as clonidine and prazosin, and anticonvulsant drugs such as phenytoin and phenobarbital.

  Having a stroke can be a very frightening and disorienting experience, but sedatives should not be used unless it’s absolutely necessary. Before you resort to prescription drug sedatives, try some of the natural antianxiety remedies such as kava and St. John’s wort.

  Your first attempts at reassuring and calming a stroke victim should be the best sedatives of all: loving, supportive family and friends, gentle massage, humor, beautiful music, a good view out the window, good nutrition, and competent medical care and physical therapy.

  Drugs to Lower High Blood Pressure

  The dangers of high blood pressure (hypertension) have been extremely well publicized over the past decade. It’s the dreaded silent killer, with no symptoms until you’ve got CHF, drop dead of a heart attack, or suffer a stroke. According to Pharmacy Times, drugs to treat high blood pressure made up two of the four most prescribed drugs of 2006, with the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) at number one.