CONSTIPATION--problem with so many of our drugs
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Bird and M2, thanks, There are many recipes in the previous pages for apricots and prunes
I did a review of I think the first 8 pages along time ago. The food recipes won hands down as a means to create regularity. I was pleased and surprised. I too felt that margarine was trouble. It was invented around 1930. I figured butter was around for thousands of years.
Ask your docs about adding either fishoil or flaxseed oil to your diets(IMPORTANT see Birds Pm to me below). They contain Omega3/6/9 essential fatty acids. Omega3 is the really good guy. I call it the cavalry.
Omega6 produces about 30 Prostagladins. Roughly half are good. Half bad. Omega3 works on preventing the damage to the body by the bad effects of Omega6.
Not much is known about Omega9, but it is still considered an essential fatty acid. BtW Essential Fatty Acids(EFA's) term means our body has to have them for allot of cell/body functions. But we can't/don't make them in the body. We have to obtain them from an external source.
Omega3 has been processed out of our foods starting in the early 1900's and got progressively worse as time went on. Bird just as you have stated about processed food. The advent of significant increases in cancer, heart disease, diabetes parallels the change in our food production.
I take 2000 mg of fish or flax oil a day. It helps with keeping things moving. Plus, you can't believe what it does for your skin. Once you start taking it, it takes a few weeks to see the skin change. It's affect on every single cell in the body is important.
The benefits of the OMEGA3 have only been embraced by orthodox medicine in the last decade. It's been researched heavily for 60 years. The primary GURU was Udo Irasmus Phd. He wrote "Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill" If you read it, make sure you read the Forward. Irasmus will teach you what sections of the book to read based on your need. The first chapters are very technical. He wrote it that way b/c he wanted the science/medical establishment to understand the serious scientific research that he had done and compiled. For lay people if you look at the first chapter it'd be a "This is not for me reaction" LOL.
Historically, Irasmus identifies that Flaxseeds were found in Egyptian tombs for food in the afterlife. Empirically, flaxseed was used by many societies b/c they noted it 's benefits. Charlemagne decreed that his subjects have a serving a day.
Fish oil gained interest in the 70's when researchers picked up on the reduced cancer and cardiovascular numbers in Norwegian and Japanese societies.
They both entered the general population use in the USA around 2005. Now soooooo many things have Omega3 touted as being added to the food product.
If you use either oil, make sure it's from a reputable source. Heat can affect each one. Refrigerated oil is the most trustworthy IMO. Fish oil should be from a company that certifies that it has been tested for contaminants. For years I wouldn't use it b/c of this, but they're companies that do certify now. Our seas aren't that clean anymore. With the actual Flax seeds avoid commercially ground flax. Research has shown that the benefits are lost in less tin 24 hours. If you grind your own, use them right away.
BTW when I was reading and learning about the Omega's, I had come to the conclusion that Omega3 was the cavalry as I said above. Low and behold, I turned a page in Irasmus's book, there was a pic by Irasmus describing Omega3 as the cavalry.
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Great info post, sas-schatzi. Can you give me some reputable sources for Flax seeds? If not on the forum, can you pm me, please? My skin could sure use some help. Arimidex is rough on skin and hair. Thanks! Birdlady
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Bird
Barleans sassy0 -
Hi Bird has done some research. This is what she PM'd me. Absolutely important here. I did say ask your docs, But will go back and Bold it and Put a note to see Birds post below. Thanks Bird. Good job , you go girl. sassy
PM from Bird
"Hi! I have been looking at flaxseed oil, as you and some others recommended. I have a great friend who has used it for years. When I mentioned it to her she suggested that I read about it, and ask my doctor before taking it, as it can increase estrogen. Here is just one paragraph that I copied.
"Flaxseed may not be safe for women with a history of estrogen-sensitive cancer, such as breast or uterine cancer. A few test tube studies suggest that certain cancer cells can be stimulated by lignans such as those present in flaxseed. 52 Other studies found that lignans inhibit cancer cell growth. 53 As with estrogen, lignans' positive or negative effects on cancer cells may depend on dose, type of cancer cell, and levels of hormones in the body. If you have a history of cancer, particularly breast cancer, talk with your doctor before consuming large amounts of flaxseeds."
I know that everyone is different, and these "studies" are limited, but there were several web sites that mentioned that breast cancer patients may not want to take it. I think I will explore other options to use diet changes to wean myself off of Miralax. I am stage IV, so I take pain meds for mets, and I must avoid constipation. This darn disease offers us so many challenges. I want to try and take good care of myself, diet, exercise, and spiritual health. Thank you for the heads up about the Miralax. You reminded me to be more careful about reading labels.
Best Wishes, Birdlady"
Bird It brought back a distant memory as to why I hadn't put it on here before. If you can please, continue your search. Omega3 is essential to health. How we get there is the question. See if you can find anything on how to add it to the diet. Salmon, sea bass, herring, mackerel are some sources, nuts. I eat seafood. Your source may be why I switched to fish oil from flax oil.
The sentence about "talk with your doctor before consuming large amounts of flaxseeds." What the author of the article assumed was large amounts. All things in moderation. A totally absent or low diet in Omega3 will lead to all kinds of ill health things. It's trying to find a line to live by is the hard thing.
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Thank you, sassy! You said it in one sentence for me..."All things in moderation" I will continue to research. I don't eat much fish, so I need to look more at nutrition to get those Omega3 in. I think sometimes people go overboard with supplements, thinking that more is better.0 -
OH BIRD, you've sent me on a quest. Ohvay!. Someone a few pages back made a simple statement re:Senna couldn't be habit forming. I didn't know one way or the other. It sent me on several Sundays quest of reading to come to a conclusion. I was so tired of reading about poop.
I'm on an Omega3 quest. Do me a favor and link those resources to here, and I'll include them in my study. This is not going to be completed in a short time. It might take me a couple of weeks. So look back to see what I can put together. You can do a look back to see the senna material to see how I put the resources together.
OH GIRL, the outcome will be good. I just know how much work it'll be getting there. Really all I can think of is food right now LOL. Thanks.
Pm from Bird worried about contradicting me on the board, my answer follows
"Bird , Absolutely contradict me. Safety is a huge issue with me AND correct info is absolute. It will create great research. Keeping this short b/c I hate to write long PM's and then have them blocked.
Thanks sassy"
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Under construction --------research articles on Omega's and estrogen
Birds first & second & third links RE Flaxseed oil
http://www.med.nyu.edu/content?ChunkIID=21714
Bird, the above article is very well balanced. It is too technically written for the lay public. I found that interesting b/c it is a fact oriented article for the public made available by a hospital based medical center. Then I noticed at the end something that has lead me to Niravanha(sic). The flaxseed article available from NYU is a contracted publication from a company called EBSCO. EBSCO produces informational articles that are evidence based, peer reviewed, and update on a tiered basis(time sensitive --1 year to 5 years)
At the bottom where it says copyright and ebsco, click on editorial policy. This is the A_Z about EBSCO policies fro article production. It's an important read. It's a tedious read LOL. About 60% through I almost gave up. From a research point of view it takes allot of the work out of researching b/c per their policies they have established very tight criteria over what they produce.
This is sassy's link to http://www.ebsco.com/about
When you go to EBSCO's web site, you can't just plug in your search terms. Makes sense they are selling their product. Nice to know that an article with the EBSCO copyright, that is produced for lay public teaching, has gone through rigorous peer review and update in a set time period based on subject.
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/confirmed-flaxsee...
Bird, the above link is actually an exceptional site. BUT the author has a clear agenda. He is out to prove that flaxseed IS okay. The very first hyperlink goes to a very lengthy bibliography. The bibliography is also hyperlinked which allows the reader to read the original research. This allows the reader to evaluate in the context of the original research what the Green Med author supports. This will take significant amount of time to get through all the reading.
The good part is we don't have to spend time searching for articles that support the use of flaxseed in the breast cancer/cancer patient. The negative is not sure yet b/c I haven't gotten into the reading, is whether he included the flipside position of flaxseed being dangerous for breast cancer patients. I won't know until the reading is complete.
Bird, this link as you know is to the same green med web site. I did take time with this one to read through some of the bibs(bibliography). All that I read, support the authors position which is definitely antipharmaceutical/antiorthodox established medicine.
If I saw more balance on greenmed.com I could give more credence to his conclusions. He is definitely passionate about his topics.
The problem with sites such as these, is there is no balance. But as long as the reader realizes that articles that don't agree with his position aren't present, it's okay. The reader needs to take the next step and study the opposite point of view.
The reader then can make their own conclusion. Eventually that's what we will do.
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Data interpretation or whatever this becomes
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Conclusion re omega search
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Reserved for input from others on omega search
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Bird reserve a couple of boxes below me. One box just put under construction for research links. Another box for data, third box for conclusions. This way we can keep everything linked and work off each others info.
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Bird, I can't send anymore PM's today. You couldn't post it b/c it was too fast, you just need to wait a few more seconds and it will let you do it.
Birdlady yoohoo We can use thes boxes to communicate, saves using allot of space. Then when we want we can wipe them clean by editing. I didn't want to say delete. Delete will make the box useless. Editing keeps them active.
BIRD are you catching on LOL. I put your link in the box above. See ya off to dinner
BIRD YOOHOOO LOL I"M over HERE------I see your PM's , but I'm blocked from sending any more today.
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Bird in searching we will sift through maybe a couple hundred articles. The first thing to make the work go easier is use this phrase in the search box."Evidence based research Flaxseed oil and breast cancer" That will pull scientific articles/studies. We won't put all articles here way too cumbersome. That's why it will take awhile. Lots of reading. For the subject at hand look at article publication date. It's not that older publications don't have value, it depends on the subject and the goal of the research.
In this case we want to know the most recent research on flax and fish oils with breast cancer, then secondly all cancers.
The second link that I put up above from your PM. Is what's referred to as an anecdotal article. I didn't read the who;e thing. but the bibliography wasn't immediately present. Articles without bibliographies have limited value b/c you can't verify the source that the info is taken from.
I use them sometimes, but only to generate more questions to research. Plus, I like to see what's out there in the non scientific world.
Be patient, it will take a several weeks to do this right. We have lives that we have to work around. Plus, do too much and you will get burned out.
I LOVE the idea of doing this with you -------YAY ------fun ------------studying to the max. LOL. I'm weird.
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I am trying to catch up with reading this thread, and maybe already been covered. The only thing that really works for me is magnesium. Should I be worried about my kidneys? My blood test showed a low GFR count. So, Miralax is hard on kidneys? If I continue to take magnesium, how much should I take? Any information appreciated.
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Stage1, I'll take the fifth on that one. Please talk with your PCP or GI doc. It. is an OTC drug. But as I have said before "All drugs have consequences". You may discuss with the PCP a consultation with a Nephrologists to address your concern re: GFR.
Your Question " So, Miralax is hard on kidneys? " isn't actually what I wrote The drug info says to be used with caution by anyone with kidney disease. It's not defined. Google --keywords. "how does miralax affect the kidney" or use " miralax and kidney" or "Microabsorption of polyethylene glycol absorption and kidney" Keep using a play on those words to pull the info.
Please Stage come back and let us know what you find
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thanks, Sassy. Yes, I must have some further communication with my PCP. What he recommended did not work well for me. I will recheck with him about magnesium. I will let u know what I find out.
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Stage 1---I would definitely ask for a Nephrologist appointment. Do some reading about GFR. If I had a change in GFR, I would not take any drug unless I had the input of my nephrologist. With all the meds that BC subjects us too, protecting the kidney's are important. Good Luck
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thanks for the advice, Sassy. Gosh, seems we have to do a study ourselves to know what care we need. I would love to rely on my doctors, tho.
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Stage1, sadly not all docs keep up as much as others. Without doing some of our own learning, we don't know if they are up to date or not. I learned that very early on in nursing thank goodness. I study whatever it is I need to know that's the latest in whatever. Look above I just added in the Omega research box what I learned today.
I had uncomplicated what I thought minor thyroid issues until fall of 2012. I did leave trust in my doc of 6 years. Then I started having major symptoms, that I knew were thyroid related. Endocrine doc kept saying all was normal b/c my TSH was normal. May of 3013, routine yearly f/u for BC cat scan, Goiter noted. Long story short, I now know a great deal more about thyroid, thyroid cancer, radioactive iodine, and post-thyroidectomy management. LOL more than I ever cared to know.
I knew the standard stuff about thyroid. Never felt compelled to do more searching than I knew. Odd b/c I love to do mini searches as I call them, to look at familiar subjects just to see whats new. We all make up our own life rules
One of mine was "Just when you think you know something, look at it again". The point being b/c of the seriousness of the thyroid issue. I have now concluded that orthodox medicine hasn't got a clue about how the thyroid impacts the body. This will not become general knowledge for another few years. Could be a few years, maybe as long as ten years. IT will happen though. The hours and days of searching and reading has allowed me to say this. LOL, I could go on for hours discussing this --I won't. As a result of what I now know, my Endocrine doc and I have parted ways. His depth of knowledge on one of the major organs under his specialty, is woefully lacking.
I just didn't presume my learning was absolute. After I learned all kinds of new things, I sought out the best endocrine doc. He is in the top tier of thyroid specialists in the world. He confirmed my new learning as correct, corrected some, raised more questions, smiled at some, admitted what he didn't know. He wasn't dogmatic, to me, that's the trademark of a true scientist.
We had an exchange of knowledge. That can't be done without doing a "learning selfie"(just made that up)
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I admire you Sassy! I, too, have an interest in figuring this all out. I have commented more than once that too many women here, have thyroid disease and become BC patients. There has to be a link between these diseases. I, along with other women in my family have BC and thyroid disease.
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Stage the concentration of my study was on Thyroid function and cancer of the thyroid. But there isn't much written on the connection between the two. BC and thyroid problems may/do have a familial connection. Since I'm past the prevention side of both, I didn't focus on that much. A few points that stayed with me re: BC & Thyroid. With the element Iodine, the thyroid uses the most iodine. The second highest tissue in the body that uses iodine, is breast tissue. Interesting?
Why breast tissue uses iodine is totally unknown. The use of iodine isotopes (diagnostic and cancer treating RAI-131) have all kinds of cautions when breast are intact i.e scans, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. Interesting? An interesting web site is "stopthethyroidmaddness.com" STTM and another web sit by a Dr Rind(use his name for the keyword, I forget the name of his web site).
Since I have to be regulated on a much higher dose of thyroid med now b/c the thyroid is gone. I realize all the things that are now starting to correct themselves at a higher dose than I was previously on. The man made parameters of TSH lab test which is considered the gold standard by orthodox endocrine docs, is not addressing the signs and symptoms(s/s's) being shown by patients. If you study the management of all the symptoms that were treated for a hundred years by porcine thyroid and patients descriptions of improvement where dose was related to symptom improvement, we have a pre mid 70's approach and a post mid 70's approach. The change was the introduction of TSH as a measurement of thyroid function.
If I'm having such significant changes on a higher/different level that I can observe, what was happening within my body that I can't observe?
How much affect did thyroid have on breasts? Was my diet lacking in iodine? Was iodine the reason? How are they genetically linked? Is their a link? LOL, the research raised more questions per usual than it answered
, but it certainly answered allot.I know this is long, BUT many of these s/s's were present for a very long time, even decades for fatigue, constipation, pain, sinus, smell some others. Certainly not improved with the small 25 mcg dose of thyroid med I was put on in 2007. The stark changes that occurred before the goiter dx. Then all that happened after and until the thyroid med after treatment. Plus, the improvements since increased dose from 125mcg to 137mcg. Now the switch to porcine thyroid. I now believe, TSH measured nothing for me. Remember TSH normal value is a man made level determined by a scientific study. I would bore you with how often in my nursing lifetime beginning in 1969, that science has change an accepted parameter. The joke with us that were teaching at one point was "What are we teaching this year".
How does thyroid relate to breast and Breast Cancer? The story hasn't been written yet.
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Okay, I'm done pontificating for the day LOL. Hope you can sift through the soap boxing. Going to go play. BIRD YOOHOOO All things in moderation.
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Sassy, thank you for sharing... I like your last sentences on you post..."the story hasn't been written yet"....just sayin, if doctors just admitted what is not known yet, we would be much more content and not searching for answers that are not there. It's like I must have asked six drs, including a RO, how much radiation is too much radiation?....no one told me the answer until I asked my PCP for the second time..."we just don't know". I like that answer better than no answer. Well, we are far from topic...One question Sassy, with all this studying, do you have any FUN??? LOL
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Stage1, The studying is the fun
LOL-------------depends though if I'm the focus or the searcher for some on else. If I'm the focus , it kind of pisses me off if I think I should have done a more in-depth study i.e thyroid. I took a thyroid pill. Depended on an Endocrinologist. I didn't do a search for myself that I would have done for someone else. But that isn't true for all circumstances related to me. JUST happened I did it with the Endocrin guy. Bummer. Way bummer..............what I have lost b/c I believed in him.............I will never knowAND if I'm right that orthodox medicine has no clue about what thyroid management entails b/c of a man made lab value that doesn't relate to humans.. I'm not going to be happy.
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Hi , haven't been in the mood to research, maybe on the week end.0 -
Nope still not interested inresearching on Omega'sBut for those needing constipation help, please, scan from the beginning. Members have offered so much help
Edit April 14th 2015: I was searching for something else and came across this web page. Dr. Mercola Takes a very confusing subject and does well at defining the Omega's. However, it will take some study to solidly understand the information.
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Me either, Sassy. It's been a sad week. My daughter's friend lost her mom suddenly to bowel impaction. They were unable to save her with surgery, as the intestine had torn and she was septic. She passed during the surgery. I am so devastated for this family.I had my monthly treatment Monday, but didn't get to see my onc...just the FNP. I have never seen her before, and she wasn't good at answering my questions regarding Miralax and alternatives. She told me just to keep taking it and talk it over next month with my onc. OK. I can do that. I still would like to do some research, not just for myself, but for all of us that face the possible complications of constipation vs. it's prevention.
I usually don't feel like much for about a week after treatment, so I will try to focus next week and see what I can find.
Gentle hugs to all, Birdlady
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