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Lucid Dreams.

May 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Am I dreaming or am I awake?

On one of my recent clinic shifts, this is what a patient was wondering. To be honest, this question is quite scary at its core: not knowing whether you are awake or asleep.

We’ve all, at some point, have had some type of insomnia and are desperate to fall asleep. Sleep is an essential function normal everyday life, essential to reseting the body and optimizing metabolism and immune function, as well. So what do you, as the patient, do? You go to your primary care physician (PCP) and tell them about your sleeping problems, naturally. Well, there are two types of insomnia: the type where you cannot fall asleep (either mind racing, running thoughts, or you are just physically not tired), and there is the type where you wake up in the middle of the night (either to go to the bathroom, because you are in a lot of pain, whatever whatever).

So what does your PCP do in this situation? Well, the common response would be to prescribe you a sleep aid, either Ambien, Cymbalta, or some other TV commercial sleep aid that we hear about all the time. (Which might be part of the problem – pharmaceutical companies directly marketing to the general public, which in turn puts pressure on doctors to prescribe a medication, since the patient has “seen it on TV”. But that is a WHOLE other topic that gets me pretty heated, so I’ll write about that at a later date).

I’ve heard way too many stories about Ambien (in particular), in which patients have ended up sleep walking, sleep talking, showering, getting ready, cooking, DRIVING, working, or some other typical during-the-day activity. These people function as if they are awake, when really they have no recollection of the event at all. This is what a lucid dream is. And what’s even worse, is combining other prescription drugs on top of the sleep aid. I guess these pills do not come with a padlock to chain a person to the bed while on Ambien, or whatever other prescription. I should probably write them a letter suggesting this. Or maybe you can.

What would you do if you were having lucid dreams? Or someone you knew was having these? I know it would freak me out. Altering the brain’s neurobiology of neurotransmitters is something I do not want to mess with. Especially the ratios of serotonin, dopamine, and melotonin, and cortisol, which high affect sleep-wake cycles. Please see a licensed medical professional if you have concerns about experiencing lucid dreams. This information is not intended to replace professional medical advice.

Filed Under: Controversial, Health Topics, Personal Messages

Happy 100th Birthday to Dr. John Bastyr!

May 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Filed Under: Accredited Naturopathic Medical Schools, Naturopathic Philosophy, Personal Messages, Videos

Practicing Naturopathic Medicine In an Unlicensed State

May 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Currently, 16.5 states (16 full states, and Washington D.C.) are licensed for Naturopathic Medicine. The rest of the 33.5 states are unlicensed for practicing Naturopathic Medicine, which can mean some sketchy things about prescribing medicine within these states. There are even a few where it is illegal to practice Naturopathic Medicine, in which Tennessee comes to mind, although I will have to double check my sources and update my statistics if incorrect. There is an old school Naturopathic saying which states, “If you have not been to jail for practicing Naturopathic Medicine, you are not a real Naturopath.”

Although there is a long, tumultuous, history of the American Medical Association (AMA) vs. Naturopathic Physicians in the United States (Wikipedia gives a pretty concise summary of what happened, although do your research if you’d like to know more), this is not what the post is intended for. It is intended to bring awareness that by contacting your senators and legislature in D.C., we can make a positive change towards promoting health, rather than treating disease. This is exactly what DCFli, a group at Bastyr, promoted when they lobbied at Congress in the beginning of May. This post is also to bring awareness and thanks to all of the students that have dedicated their time, energy, and resources into flying across country for such a great cause.

Today, I went to a talk by Dr. Peter Bongiorno and Dr. Pina LoGiudice, both Naturopathic Doctors and Acupuncturists working in New York State (at Inner Source Health in Manhattan and Long Island, to be exact). You might know Dr. Pina, as she has guest featured on the Dr. Oz show many times, giving advice as a Naturopathic Physician. It was an extremely inspiring talk based on practicing Natuorpathic Medicine in an unlicensed state. Dr. Peter and Dr. Pina shared with the audience their pitfalls, their successes, and their business tips for newly graduating Naturopaths, which was something that lacks at the business classes at our school. So I thank them, as well as from the rest of the Bastyr Community, for coming to speak at our school. It was invaluable to have them here today.

I later was speaking with a fellow colleague, who mentioned that a well-respected Naturopath in the profession explained: “The best naturopathic medicine is practiced in unliscenced states. And the worst Naturopathic medicine is practiced around the accredited schools.” Which holds some, but not all, weight. In an unlicensed state you are not allowed to administer supplements or “professional medical advice” without a medical license from that state. Which leaves options like physical medicine, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, and lifestyle factors, as well as a few others for working with. This type of naturopathy goes back to the roots of our medicine, with the founding fathers such as Dr. John Bastyr, Father Kneipp, and Benedict Lust. The same roots that many naturopaths might have strayed from, in my opinion.

But in the end, it is all what you feel comfortable with. If you would like full prescriptive rights as a Naturopath, states like Washington, Oregon, or Vermont might be your cup of tea. Other licensed states have various different laws for each Naturopathic Physician, so education on each is key. In unlicensed states, the stakes get a little dicier, and it is important to talk to a local state representative, or do some extensive research to make sure that the laws are understood. Unless of course, you want to uphold that old-school Naturopathic saying about going to jail. I mean, it does sound pretty bad-ass. Help keep our profession alive – fight for state licensure to include Naturopathic Medicine.

For those of you who are in the “red zone” states (or who have friends or family in these states), please take the time to contact your local state representative and let them know that Naturopathic Medicine is important to you, your health, and future generations:
- New York: http://capwiz.com/naturopathic/issues/alert/?alertid=44372501
- Pennsylvania: http://www.panp.org/take_action
- Illinois: http://www.ilanp.org/licensure.html
- Massachusetts: http://www.msnd.org/licensure/
- North Carolina: http://www.ncanp.com/Licensure.html
- Florida: http://www.fnpa.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=69&Itemid=60

Filed Under: Controversial, Health Topics, Naturopathic Philosophy

Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS)

May 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Bastyr is a fragrance free school environment. Of which I thought was a completely foreign concept coming from the Tri-State Area of New England, where cologne, perfume, and hair gel apparently seeps out of your pores (I had to resist the urge to fist-pump as I wrote that sentence). I attribute the east coast to being a place that is completely laden with scents, perfumes, hair gel smells, sun tan smells, shampoo/conditioner smells, bar of soap smells, cosmetic smells, Long Island Sound smells, laundry detergent smells….I mean you name it, it smells. And it doesn’t exactly smell like fresh air most of the time. I might have even worn my favorite perfume the first day of school, just out of habit of wearing it so often at home, and it was obviously a no brainer. Actually, the no brainer turned into a major no-no.

I met a 68 year old woman at my preceptorship (another name for a Naturopathic Medicine internship) today that had a severe case of Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (also known as MCS). She described having symptoms of irritability, headache/migraine, skin rashes, shortness of breath, numbness, tingling, joint pain, sneezing, fatigue, and overall body aches. Wow, how many more non-specific symptoms could we get on board here? That pretty much could be: hayfever, seasonal allergies, fibromyalgia, stress, lack of sleep, food allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, neuralgia, cancer, mental/emotional problems, well, you get the point: the list is super long.

She described the frustration of searching her whole life for the cause of her general ill-health, and only very recently came to realize that it was her Tide laundry detergent and perfumes. What is exactly in tide? Check out the laundry list (bahah, pun definitely intended) of ingredients and try to pronounce some of them. I can guarantee that about 50% of that list does not occur in nature. No wonder why so many people are experiencing these vague symptoms – they are on so many chemical overloads, their body doesn’t even know where to start to get rid of and detoxify these chemicals. And that is just one exposure, think about all the different types of chemicals you are exposed to on a daily basis. Scary.

I’d like to preface this by saying that neither I, nor my roommates, get any monetary reinbursement from the company I am about to share with you. I only get the satisfaction that I can help share the love on such a great product, who is environmentally friendly as well as fragrance free. One of my favorite frangrance/allergy-free laundry detergents that I use is BioKleen. It’s not only really gentle on your clothes, but clothes can be washed using a cold cycle, which reduces environmental impacts as well (doubly great in my book). And what is even better is that if you have a Chinook Book, you can get a coupon for it! (Chinook Books are mostly used on the west coast – Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, and San Francisco, CA are 3 cities that are Chinook-Book friendly – make a push for some east coast cities to get it, its worth it).

I made a point to mention my laundry detergent, mostly because the patient and I bonded over laundry detergent today (Love special moments like these). It was important to me to be able to accommodate the environment and people who suffer from MCS, which may be more than we actually know. You never know who you are going to come in contact with on a daily basis, that might have a sensitivity to a scent you may be wearing, even if it is from your laundry detergent.

I think that a lot of licensed medical professionals forget to include MCS on their differential diagnosis for symptoms as the ones listed above. But it is important to keep in mind, particularly for really sensitive patients. If you suspect that you or someone that you know may have MCS, please contact a licensed medical professional in order to get appropriate treatment. This post is not intended to replace professional medical advice. It is intended for informational purposes only.

References:
- http://www.multiplechemicalsensitivity.org/#multiple chemical sensitivity

Filed Under: Naturopathic Philosophy, Organic and Sustainable, Personal Messages, Try it before you prescribe it

Happy Mama’s Day

May 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I’d like to take the time this beautiful sunny Seattle weekend and dedicate a post to mother’s day. I of course would like to dedicate this post to my own mother, who spent more than 24 hours in labor to birth this beast of a child (myself), but I would also like to make sure that my step mom gets recognized, because she too treats me like one of her own, natural-born, children. So I can say that I am really lucky, in that I have 2 women in my life that care about me: I have two moms (and two dads, as well).

My mom is seriously my best friend. We fight together, we cry together, we laugh together, we joke together. We go out dancing together. We watch “The Money Pit” together. We make home-made popcorn together. She will be there for me at any moment of the day, no matter what time I call, no matter what day. Although my mom lives in Florida, and I am in Seattle (probably as far away you can get from one another within the United States), I do not stop thinking about her for a second. I hope that once I finish the ND/MSAOM program I can be closer to her (location wise), because I really value her in my life. She is my rock, she is my stability, she is my hero and my inspiration. My mom is a really amazing person. She has overcome so much, and even though she has had some hardships in her life, she has never made it feel as if I was unimportant or a burden to her. And for that, I thank her. I love you so much mom, I do not know what I would do without you :)

For my “second mom”, my step mom has been wonderful. I honestly cannot not imagine being a step parent. It must be pretty hard to come into someone’s life (especially a teenager) and not make it seem as if they are imposing or trying to take the place of your real parent. If anything, they want to let you know that they care and they are also there for you, no matter what. My parents divorced when I was a teenager, which, as you could imagine was hard for both of my step parents to be let into my life. I would like to thank my step mom for everything she has helped me, and my dad, over the years. I want to thank her for not giving up on me as a nightmare of a teenager. She truly is a giving and selfless person. The more that I mature and age, the more that I value my step-mom’s advice and relationship. She definitely is an invaluable part to our large family. And for that, I love her!

Mother’s day should not be the only time that you express your love and gratitude for your mother or the mother figures in your life. It should be expressed at every opportunity possible. I myself am at fault for this as well. Hopefully this post will be the beginning of expressing appreciation for the influential women in my life, but for others as well.

Make sure to tell the important women in your life how much of a positive impact they have made on you :)


Here is a picture of my roommates and I planting a lilac bush in front of our house to celebrate mother’s day, for all of our mothers. We love and miss them very much!!

Filed Under: Personal Messages

Vulnerability is the Most Accurate Measure of Courage

May 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

We all have known shame at some point in our lives. Take a moment to watch Brene Brown’s talk on Vulnerability, if you haven’t already.

“Empathy is the antidote to shame.” – Brene Brown

Filed Under: Health Topics, Personal Messages

Big Brothers Big Sisters.

May 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A common theme in my life recently has been “giving back”. Either through random acts of kindness, offering a friend a ride home from SeaTac airport, volunteering for Earth Day with 3 of my best friends, forgiving those who have wronged me in some way, expressing my love for someone who is dear to my heart, or making an extra effort with patients in the clinic, this theme pops up all the time for me. And I am happy to be able to put it into practice at least once a week, if not every day.

One of the more recent endeavors in my life that I am taking on is becoming a Big Sister, with the organization Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of the Puget Sound Area. I have actually wanted to do this for quite some time, although my schedule has not permitted the extra time commitment (I mean come on, getting a Doctorate and a Masters degree, you totally have free time, right?). Ha, I can’t help myself from laughing out loud at that comment.

As I am closing out my 3rd year as a ND/MSAOM student, I think I have finally (better late than never) grasped the concept of managing free time, prioritizing people and things that are most important to me, and making sure to allow myself at least 20 minutes of “me” time per day. Which, as I have learned over the years, is quite important to keeping your sanity :) I would probably lose my mind without my planner on a minute-to-minute basis. Wait…did I forget to do something? My roommates might laugh at this post since I have a seriously consistent tendency to lose my keys, wallet, or phone at any given moment, conveniently before leaving the house! It’s all about the consistency…

So I decided to finally apply to BBBS this past March/April. It has been a long application/screening process, as there is much more opportunity and demand for men to be Big Brothers than females to be Big Sisters (So I highly suggest that if you are male, and if you are reading this blog post, to act on this great opportunity). An intensive interview, training, and selection screen is what anyone should expect when applying to the BBBS program.

On a daily basis, I find myself missing my little sisters quite often as I live more than 3,000 miles away from my family. I wonder at times if they ever remember or think about me, like I think about them during the day. There are plenty of times that I think to myself, “Aww, that reminds me of my little sisters” or “I wish I could have my little sisters here to go to the zoo, aquarium, etc”. I love them with all my heart. They are balls of energy that often tire me out, but they are a breath of vitality and innocence that so many “grown-ups” lose along the path to adulthood. That is the great advantage of working with children – everything is exciting, new, and amazing, always.

Although I have not been placed with a “little” yet, I do look forward to the day where I can make a positive impact on a little girl’s life. Despite what her background has been, I want to be an inspiration to her. I would assume that teachers have similar experiences to this, as they go to work everyday. I would assume that most doctors want to be an inspiration to their patients to live a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. I would assume that most professions would have similar experiences of having an importance of making a positive impact for society, their community, and specific individuals on a daily basis.

I want my little to look forward to us hanging out and spending quality time together. I want to build an everlasting friendship, where she can turn to me to talk about various subjects, if not for advice, then for someone just to listen. I want to be someone that a young individual can look up to, and see potential in their own lives. I want to support her to become the best person that she can, so that she too can give back to her community one day.

Filed Under: Personal Messages

Reason enough to believe that each and every one of your patients will heal.

May 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Words carry a lot of weight. They can be hurtful, they can be rude, they can break a person down. Or, they could be uplifting, they can be inspiring, and they can contain love. How do you want to talk to someone?

All the more reason to choose your words wisely, because chances are, someone will take it to heart. All it takes is one person to show you kindness, and it could make all the difference. Be that one person to someone, it could change their life.

Filed Under: Personal Messages

#EqualLoveEqualRights

May 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Equal Love Equal Rights
“It Could Happen To You”

Stand up for Equal Marriage Opportunity.

Stop the hate.

Filed Under: Personal Messages

Clove (Syzygium aromaticum)

May 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I recently read a Medscape article entitled, “A Lesson in Empathy,” which relayed a student’s story about having a toothache, and alternating pain medications of acetominophen, ibuprofen, and benzocaine topically. After reading this, I was concerned with the dosages of pain killers, as well as the alternation of different types, that was necessary to manage the pain. Not to mention the extreme stress she just put her liver through to try to detoxify all those chemicals. Eesh. I was trying to think of what naturopathic herb may be useful in treatment of tooth pain, when I cam across my notes on cloves.

The scientific name for cloves is Syzygium aromaticum, which is in the Myrtaceae Family of Plant classification. Other variations of syzygium include S. cumumi and Eugenia jambolana. Some common names for this plant include: Jambul or java plum (for the cumuni species, specifically). The part of the clove plant that is used, is the flower or seeds, typically.

The major constituents of the plant include phenols, tannins, essential oils, Jambosine (alkaloid), to name a few. Eugenol is the main constituent, which is a phenylpropanoid, constituting the characteristic “clove” smell. Two of the other important constituents include: the tannins, which are astringent, meaning they help with coagulation and stop bleeding, and alkaloids, which have pain reducing qualities, and can be used as a local anesthetic. The essential oil is also an important part of the constituent of cloves, due to the antimicrobial nature. These properties of clove may be helpful in considering a local anesthetic for tooth pain. Please consult a licensed medical profession to deem if this treatment is appropriate for you.

When cloves are used in cooking and baking, they also have hypoglycemic effects, making it beneficial in regulating blood sugar, and can even be used as an insect repellant when applied topically to skin. Do not ingest clove, or any other type of, essential oil. They are directly toxic to internal organs and mucosal tissues. Essential oils are to be only used topically, and can be weakened by putting 1-2 drops in olive oil or another type of oil-based carrier. .

Please be aware that some individuals have a hypersensitivity (allergic) reaction to eugenol. Please take care to speak with a licensed medical professional before self-administering (or administering to another individual) clove oil to mucous membranes within the mouth or applied topically to an area of the body. This post is in no way intended to replace professional medical advice, it is intended for informational purposes, only.

References:
- Botanical Medicine Class Notes, Bastyr University, 2011.
- http://boards.medscape.com/forums?128@974.zq4sajC0bSM@.2a312d48!comment=1

Filed Under: Health Topics, Try it before you prescribe it
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