C. diff (Clostridium difficile) is the most common cause of severe antibiotic-induced diarrhea. New research indicates that once an individual has C. diff, it never totally leaves their GI tract. New guidelines therefore, recommend lifelong use of probiotics.
The most common adverse affect from cephalosporin antibiotic (Keflex) is diarrhea. It is much more common than allergic reaction. Therefore, if taking this family of antibiotics it is wise to also take a probiotic.
It is hoped that recent research into expanding the use of a targeted, expensive drug could bring financial relief to many who share symptoms with those covered by the drug’s current restrictive application. At issue are serious symptoms caused by ACE-inhibitor-induced angioedema. The drug studied is Icatibant (brand name Firazyr), but its only approved application at present is for Hereditary Angioneurotic Edema, or HAE — a rare, but significant disease. People with HAE suffer repeated bouts of swelling (angioedema) of…
Dear Dr. K: I wheeze when I exercise. Does that mean I should stop aerobic activities? The unequivocal answer to your question is “no” — and I’m sure Roger Bannister would second my answer. Roger Bannister was the first runner to break the 4-minute mile. What many people don’t know is that he was a medical student when he performed that feat. (Pun intended.) In fact, in the 1950s when he broke four minutes the physicians at that time were…
Tough news reported in research results recently published in The Journal of the American Medical Association that persons with asthma were twice as likely to develop sleep apnea as non-asthmatics. The study was done at the University of Wisconsin and involved thousands of people over a 25-year period. Sleep studies were done every four years in order to observe the frequency with which sleep apnea developed. The striking outcome was compelling because asthma itself is a frequent cause of disturbed…
The University of North Carolina recently completed a study of the use of Xolair (Omalizumab) in pregnancy. Xolair is a monoclonal, anti-IgE antibody that is used as an add-on-therapy for moderate to severe asthmatics not adequately controlled with inhaled steroids. Asthma is a common condition affecting roughly 10 percent of pregnant women. It is well known that poorly controlled asthma during pregnancy increases the risk for congenital anomalies, perinatal mortality, low birth weight and prematurity. Xolair has been a welcome…
A recent study by the CDC (Center for Disease Control) reveals greater risk for death from smoking as related to diseases not previously tied to tobacco use: renal failure, intestinal ischemia, hypertensive heart disease and breast and prostate cancer.
Children living in homes where dishes are hand washed are half as likely to have allergies as children where dishes are washed in machines. The reason: Bacteria tend to adhere to hand-washed dishes and exposure to them strengthens the children’s immune system.
What’s known as the Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome was reviewed recently in the Allergy and Asthma Proceedings. The authors adroitly point out that even though physicians try to pigeon-hole diagnoses, many times people’s health problems don’t fit neatly into a single diagnostic category. This is especially true in the spectrum of chronic airway disorders. More and more people are being seen by physicians who have both asthma and COPD. The conditions are both similar and different. In general, asthma (also called…
Dear Dr. K: I’ve read about the newly available oral drops for allergy. Could that replace my current allergy shot? A quick answer for you is “no;” a longer answer to your question is “perhaps in the future.” The reason I say “no” is that your current allergy shot contains extracts for nine different grasses, including, Bahia; seven different molds, ragweed and three other Florida weeds; plus seven different trees, including oak. Right now drop therapy is only available for…