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Peripheral Neuropathy Associated with Cipro

Peripheral Neuropathy Associated with Cipro Posted By

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/11/21/peripheral-neuropathy.aspx

Drug for Diabetic Neuropathy Doesn't Work 12/10/00

Drug for Diabetic Neuropathy Doesn't Work Posted By … who have diabetic neuropathy do
not appear to benefit from a synthetic versio …

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/12/10/diabetes-drug-part-one.aspx

Cholesterol Drugs Increase Risk of Nerve Damage 6/1/02

… the risk of neuropathy, which remains very low. … Peripheral neuropathy occurs when
nerves in the peripheral nervous system -- those outsi … can all lead to neuropathy, but the
nerve damage, known as polyneuropathy when it affects …

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2002/06/01/cholesterol-drugs-part-three.aspx

* Alpha Lipoic Acid: Standard of care therapy for neuropathy in Europe. In fact, in Germany, it's
malpractice NOT to prescribe Alpha Lipoic Acid for a patient with neuropathy.

* Adaptrin (also available as Padma-Basic): This is an ancient blend of 18 herbs which has a
remarkable effect on the microcirculation. In other words, it works in the capillaries themselves
to improve blood flow and oxygenation. Among its numerous benefits, many neuropathy patients
have all feeling returned to their feet after two weeks on this stuff.

Special Test Needed For Vitamin B12

Deficiency
Posted By Dr. Mercola | November 24 2004 | 8,131 views

Getting tested for vitamin B12 deficiency is extremely

important; however, scientists have indicated that the standard
test -- measuring blood levels -- may not be sensitive enough
to detect a deficiency. Due to this insensitivity, scientists have
discovered an alternative way to detect vitamin B12
deficiency.

It seems that elevated levels of the body's natural

compound, methylmalonic acid (MMA), indicate low levels
of vitamin B12. Low vitamin B12 levels have been linked to several neurological conditions,
such as:

 Dementia
 Spinal cord disease
 Peripheral neuropathy

While vitamin B12 deficiency is most commonly found in the elderly, it can affect people of
all ages. Other high-risk groups include:

 Vegetarians and their newborns

 Those who have undergone stomach stapling bariatric surgery
 Those exposed to laughing gas anesthesia or nitrous oxide

Nitrous oxide, a general anesthetic commonly used in dental offices and hospital operating
rooms, can inhibit the action of B12 when tissue stores are low. This has become a major health
problem particularly for the elderly undergoing surgery that have been either undiagnosed or
untreated for a deficiency. For this reason, doctors are strongly encouraged to check for vitamin
B12 deficiency by measuring both vitamin B12 as well as MMA in patients prior to surgery.

Another problem that stems from nitrous oxide: Nitrous oxide abuse. This remains a concern
among certain medical personnel, teenagers and young adults who use it for its euphoric effects.
Such abuse can lead to severe neurological damage to the spinal cord or peripheral nerves.

Science Daily November 5, 2004

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

About 40 percent of the United States population is deficient in B12. With such an
enormous number of people suffering from this deficiency, I have made special efforts to
research information on this incredibly common condition

For those of you who are suffering from vitamin B12 deficiency, it is important to know
that most oral vitamin B12 supplements do not work well at all. Vitamin B12 is the largest
vitamin known; it is a very large molecule, and it is not easily absorbed. Your body has
developed a very sophisticated system to absorb B12, which involves the production of
intrinsic factor in the stomach that attaches to the B12 and allows it to be absorbed in the
end of the small intestine.

If your stomach lining is damaged from an ulcer or a Helicobacter infection, you will not
produce intrinsic factor very well, and you will not be able to absorb B12 very well, if at all.
An imbalance of bacteria in the small intestine can also produce impaired absorption, as
would removal of a portion of the small intestine (commonly done in Crohn's disease).
Vitamin B12 deficiency is quite common in vegetarian and vegans who do not supplement
with B12 or use fortified foods, since B12 is not readily available, if available at all, in
plants. If you are a vegetarian who eats eggs or fish, the risk for B12 deficiency is
considerably reduced, though you should still consider B12 supplementation. If you are a
vegan avoiding all animal products, and you do not already supplement with B12 (it seems
many already do), you should seriously consider it.

So, if you suspect you are deficient in vitamin B12, I would encourage you to obtain your
B12 in a more absorbable form. The common recommendation is to use injections. My
recommendation for that would be to use 1 ml once a day for two weeks and then three
times a week until the 30-ml bottle is finished.

An alternative to the injections would be to use DMSO and vitamin B12. The DMSO causes
the B12 to be absorbed very similarly to an injection without the cost or pain of a needle.
Intranasal B12 is also available, but unless you have a prescription card I would not
recommend it, as it is VERY expensive.

One strong inhibitor of vitamin B12 absorption is the very popular drug Prilosec, which
has been clearly shown to decrease B12 absorption.

Aspartame's Hidden Dangers

If a product is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and composed of natural
ingredients, would you assume it is safe to consume?

If the same product is an artificial sweetener, would you assume it helps control your weight?

Millions of people use aspartame, the artificial sweetener known as NutraSweet™, with these
assumptions in mind.

Aspartame can be found in thousands of products such as:

 instant breakfasts  pharmaceuticals and supplements,

 breath mints including over-the-counter medicines
 cereals  shake mixes
 sugar-free chewing gum  soft drinks
 cocoa mixes  tabletop sweeteners
 coffee beverages  tea beverages
 frozen desserts  instant teas and coffees
 gelatin desserts  topping mixes
 juice beverages  wine coolers
 laxatives  yogurt
 multivitamins
  milk drinks

However, aspartame's tainted history of approval and potentially toxic ingredients cast serious
doubt on the safety of this sugar substitute. Furthermore, aspartame may actually increase your
appetite (Farber 52).

While the FDA approval may signal the green light for safe consumption, 85 percent of all
complaints registered with the FDA are for adverse reactions to aspartame, including five
reported deaths. A closer look at the unscientific studies, suspicious approval methods, and its
harmful ingredients, reveal the hidden dangers of this artificial sweetener. In reality, aspartame
poses a public health threat.
 

Ailments Resulting From Aspartame

The components of aspartame can lead to a wide variety of ailments. Some of these problems
occur gradually while others are immediate, acute reactions.

A few of the many disorders associated with aspartame include the following:

 Birth Defects

A study funded by Monsanto to study possible birth defects caused by consuming aspartame was
cut off after preliminary data showed damaging information about aspartame. Additionally, in
the book, While Waiting: A Prenatal Guidebook, it is stated that aspartame is suspected of
causing brain damage in sensitive individuals. A fetus may be at risk for these effects. Some
researchers have suggested that high doses of aspartame may be associated with problems
ranging from dizziness and subtle brain changes to mental retardation.

 Cancer (Brain Cancer)

In 1981, an FDA statistician stated that the brain tumor data on aspartame was so "worrisome"
that he could not recommend approval of NutraSweet.(14)

In a two-year study conducted by the manufacturer of aspartame, twelve of 320 rats fed a normal
diet and aspartame developed brain tumors while none of the control rats developed tumors, and
five of the twelve tumors were in rats given a low dose of aspartame.(15)

The approval of aspartame was a violation of the Delaney Amendment, which was supposed to
prevent cancer-causing substances such as methanol (formaldehye) and DKP from entering our
food supply. A late FDA toxicologist testified before the U.S. Congress that aspartame was
capable of producing brain tumors. This made it illegal for the FDA to set an allowable daily
intake at any level. He stated in his testimony that Searle's studies were "to a large extent
unreliable" and that "at least one of those studies has established beyond any reasonable doubt
that aspartame is capable of inducing brain tumors in experimental animals ... " He concluded his
testimony by asking, "What is the reason for the apparent refusal by the FDA to invoke for this
food additive the so-called Delaney Amendment to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act? ... And if
the FDA itself elects to violate the law, who is left to protect the health of the public?"(16)

In the mid-1970s it was discovered that the manufacturer of aspartame falsified studies in several
ways. One of the techniques used was to cut tumors out of test animals and put them back in the
study. Another technique used to falsify the studies was to list animals that had actually died as
surviving the study. Thus, the data on brain tumors was likely worse than discussed above. In
addition, a former employee of the manufacturer of aspartame told the FDA on July 13, 1977
that the particles of DKP were so large that the rats could discriminate between the DKP and
their normal diet.(12)

 Diabetes

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is actually recommending this chemical poison to
persons with diabetes, but according to research conducted by a diabetes specialist, aspartame: 1)
Leads to the precipitation of clinical diabetes. 2) Causes poorer diabetic control in diabetics on
insulin or oral drugs. 3) Leads to the aggravation of diabetic complications such as retinopathy,
cataracts, neuropathy and gastroparesis. 4) Causes convulsions.

In a statement concerning the use of products containing aspartame by persons with diabetes and
hypoglycemia, the researchers says:

"Unfortunately, many patients in my practice, and others seen in consultation, developed serious
metabolic, neurologic and other complications that could be specifically attributed to using
aspartame products. This was evidenced by the loss of diabetic control, the intensification of
hypoglycemia, the occurrence of presumed 'insulin reactions' (including convulsions) that proved
to be aspartame reactions, and the precipitation, aggravation or simulation of diabetic
complications (especially impaired vision and neuropathy) while using these products ...
Dramatic improvement of such features after avoiding aspartame, and the prompt predictable
recurrence of these problems when the patient resumed aspartame products, knowingly or
inadvertently."

Another researcher stated that excitotoxins such as those found in aspartame can precipitate
diabetes in persons who are genetically susceptible to the disease.(5)

 Emotional Disorders

In a double blind study of the effects of aspartame on persons with mood disorders, findings
showed a large increase in serious symptoms for persons taking aspartame. Since some of the
symptoms were so serious, the Institutional Review Board had to stop the study. Three of the
participants had said that they had been "poisoned" by aspartame. Researchers concluded that
"individuals with mood disorders are particularly sensitive to this artificial sweetener; its use in
this population should be discouraged."(18) One researcher stated about aspartame, "I know it
causes seizures. I'm convinced also that it definitely causes behavioral changes. I'm very angry
that this substance is on the market. I personally question the reliability and validity of any
studies funded by the NutraSweet Company."(19)

Additionally, there are numerous reported cases of low brain serotonin levels, depression and
other emotional disorders that have been linked to aspartame and often are relieved by stopping
the intake of aspartame.

 Epilepsy/Seizures
 

With the large and growing number of seizures caused by aspartame, it is sad to see that the
Epilepsy Foundation is promoting the "safety" of aspartame. At Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, 80 people who had suffered seizures after ingesting aspartame were surveyed.
Community Nutrition Institute concluded the following about the survey:

"These 80 cases meet the FDA's own definition of an imminent hazard to the public health,
which requires the FDA to expeditiously remove a product from the market."

Both the Air Force's magazine, Flying Safety, and the Navy's magazine, Navy Physiology,
published articles warning about the many dangers of aspartame including the cumulative
delirious effects of methanol and the greater likelihood of birth defects. The articles note that the
ingestion of aspartame can make pilots more susceptible to seizures and vertigo. Twenty articles
sounding warnings about ingesting aspartame while flying have also appeared in the National
Business Aircraft Association Digest (NBAA Digest 1993), Aviation Medical Bulletin (1988),
The Aviation Consumer (1988), Canadian General Aviation News (1990), Pacific Flyer (1988),
General Aviation News (1989), Aviation Safety Digest (1989), and Plane & Pilot (1990) and a
paper warning about aspartame was presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Aerospace
Medical Association (Gaffney 1986).

A hotline was even set up for pilots suffering from acute reactions to aspartame ingestion. Over
600 pilots have reported symptoms including some who have reported suffering grand mal
seizures in the cockpit due to aspartame.(21)

Why don't we hear about these things?

The reason many people do not hear about serious reactions to aspartame is twofold: 1) Lack of
awareness by the general population. Aspartame-caused diseases are not reported in the
newspapers like plane crashes. This is because these incidents occur one at a time in thousands
of different locations across the United States. 2) Most people do not associate their symptoms
with the long-term use of aspartame. For the people who have killed a significant percentage of
their brain cells and thereby caused a chronic illness, there is no way that they would normally
associate such an illness with aspartame consumption.

How aspartame was approved is a lesson in how chemical and pharmaceutical companies can
manipulate government agencies such as the FDA, "bribe" organizations such as the American
Dietetic Association, and flood the scientific community with flawed and fraudulent industry-
sponsored studies funded by the makers of aspartame.

Erik Millstone, a researcher at the Science Policy Research Unit of Sussex University has
compiled thousands of pages of evidence, some of which have been obtained using the freedom
of information act 23, showing: 1. Laboratory tests were faked and dangers were concealed. 2.
Tumors were removed from animals and animals that had died were "restored to life" in
laboratory records. 3. False and misleading statements were made to the FDA. 4. The two US
Attorneys given the task of bringing fraud charges against the aspartame manufacturer took
positions with the manufacturer's law firm, letting the statute of limitations run out. 5. The
Commissioner of the FDA overruled the objections of the FDA's own scientific board of inquiry.
Shortly after that decision, he took a position with Burson-Marsteller, the firm in charge of
public relations for G.D. Searle.

A Public Board of Inquiry (PBOI) was conducted in 1980. There were three scientists who
reviewed the objections of Olney and Turner to the approval of aspartame. They voted
unanimously against aspartame's approval. The FDA Commissioner, Dr Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr.
then created a 5-person Scientific Commission to review the PBOI findings. After it became
clear that the Commission would uphold the PBOI's decision by a vote of 3 to 2, another person
was added to the Commission, creating a deadlocked vote. This allowed the FDA Commissioner
to break the deadlock and approve aspartame for dry goods in 1981. Dr Jacqueline Verrett, the
Senior Scientist in an FDA Bureau of Foods review team created in August 1977 to review the
Bressler Report (a report that detailed G.D. Searle's abuses during the pre-approval testing) said:
"It was pretty obvious that somewhere along the line, the bureau officials were working up to a
whitewash." In 1987, Verrett testified before the US Senate stating that the experiments
conducted by Searle were a "disaster." She stated that her team was instructed not to comment on
or be concerned with the overall validity of the studies. She stated that questions about birth
defects have not been answered. She continued her testimony by discussing the fact that DKP
has been shown to increase uterine polyps and change blood cholesterol and that increasing the
temperature of the product leads to an increase in production of DKP.(13)

Revolving Doors

The FDA and the manufacturers of aspartame have had a revolving door of employment for
many years. In addition to the FDA Commissioner and two US Attorneys leaving to take
positions with companies connected with G.D. Searle, four other FDA officials connected with
the approval of aspartame took positions connected with the NutraSweet industry between 1979
and 1982 including the Deputy FDA Commissioner, the Special Assistant to the FDA
Commissioner, the Associate Director of the Bureau of Foods and Toxicology and the Attorney
involved with the Public Board of Inquiry.(24)

It is important to realize that this type of revolving-door activity has been going on for decades.
The Townsend Letter for Doctors (11/92) reported on a study revealing that 37 of 49 top FDA
officials who left the FDA took positions with companies they had regulated. They also reported
that over 150 FDA officials owned stock in drug companies they were assigned to manage.
Many organizations and universities receive large sums of money from companies connected to
the NutraSweet Association, a group of companies promoting the use of aspartame. In January
1993, the American Dietetic Association received a US$75,000 grant from the NutraSweet
Company. The American Dietetic Association has stated that the NutraSweet Company writes
their "Facts" sheets.(25)

What is the FDA doing to protect the consumer from the dangers of aspartame?

Less than nothing.

In 1992, the FDA approved aspartame for use in malt beverages, breakfast cereals, and
refrigerated puddings and fillings. In 1993 the FDA approved aspartame for use in hard and soft
candies, non-alcoholic favored beverages, tea beverages, fruit juices and concentrates, baked
goods and baking mixes, and frostings, toppings and fillings for baked goods.

In 1991, the FDA banned the importation of stevia. The powder of this leaf has been used for
hundreds of years as an alternative sweetener. It is used widely in Japan with no adverse effects.
Scientists involved in reviewing stevia have declared it to be safe for human consumption--
something that has been well known in many parts of the world where it is not banned. Some
people believe that stevia was banned to keep the product from taking hold in the United States
and cutting into sales of aspartame.(26)

What is the U.S. Congress doing to protect the consumer from the dangers of aspartame?

Nothing.

What is the U.S. Administration (President) doing to protect the consumer from the dangers of
aspartame?

Nothing.

Aspartame consumption is not only a problem in the United States--it is being sold in over 70
countries throughout the world.

Related Article: Aspartame: What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You