Always in A/C, never hot before falling asleep.

From personal experience, certain medications, especially opiates tend to make one sweat a lot while sleeping. your body is probably trying to rid itself of some toxins if this is the case with you.

What is chronic kidney disease (CKD)?

Healthy kidneys function to remove extra water and wastes, help control blood pressure, keep body chemicals in balance, keep bones strong, tell your body to make red blood cells and help children grow normally. Chronic kidney disease occurs when kidneys are no longer able to clean toxins and waste product from the blood and perform their functions to full capacity. this can happen all of a sudden or over time.

what is acute renal failure?

“Renal” means related to the kidneys. “Acute” means sudden. So acute renal failure means the kidneys have failed suddenly, often due to a toxin (a drug allergy or poison) or severe blood loss or trauma. Dialysis is used to clean the blood and give the kidneys a rest. If the cause is treated, the kidneys may be able to recover some or all of their function.

what are the main causes of kidney disease?

Diabetes is the number one cause of kidney disease, responsible for about 40% of all kidney failure. High blood pressure is the second cause, responsible for about 25%. Another form of kidney disease is glomerulonephritis, a general term for many types of kidney inflammation. Genetic diseases, autoimmune diseases, birth defects, and other problems can also cause kidney disease.

I have diabetes. will my kidneys fail?

Diabetes is a risk factor for kidney disease, but this does not mean your kidneys will fail. You can care for your kidneys by controlling your blood sugar and getting regular microalbumin urine tests to see if you are spilling even tiny amounts of protein. even if you develop diabetic kidney disease, you can work with your doctor to keep your kidneys working as long as possible.

Can I catch kidney disease from someone who has it?

No. Kidney disease is not contagious. You cannot catch it from someone. most kidney disease is caused by diabetes and high blood pressure, conditions that can run in families. If you are a family member of someone who has diabetes, high blood pressure, or kidney disease, it is a good idea to ask your doctor to check your blood pressure and kidney function at your checkup.

what are kidney stones?

A kidney stone occurs when substances in the urine form crystals. Kidney stones can be large or small. Large ones can damage the kidneys; small ones may be able to pass in the urine. Because crystals have sharp edges, passing even small stones can be very painful. Treatment depends on what the stones are made of.

what is PTH?

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is produced by several small, bean-like parathyroid glands in your neck. its “job” is to tell your bones to release calcium into your bloodstream. too much PTH can become a problem in people with kidney disease.

Healthy kidneys convert a hormone called calcitriol to its active form of vitamin D. Calcitriol lets your body absorb calcium from food you eat. when your kidneys are not working well, they start to make less calcitriol-so even if you eat calcium, your body can’t absorb it. PTH kicks in to make sure you always have enough calcium in your blood. over time, this can weaken your bones.

A blood test can show if your PTH levels are above normal. If they are, your doctor may prescribe a form of active vitamin D.

I have a family member with polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Should I be tested?

Since 60-70% of people with PKD have a family member with PKD, asking your doctor about being tested seems like a good idea. the first test used for PKD is an ultrasound to look at the kidneys and see if there are cysts. No contrast dye is needed, so this is a non-invasive test. Learning more about PKD may help you to take better care of your kidney health. the PKD Foundation has free information that can help you. You can reach them at: 1-800-PKD-CURE, or visit their website ( pkdcure.org).

what are the symptoms of chronic kidney disease?

Knowing the symptoms of kidney disease can help people detect it early enough to get treatment. Symptoms can include:

• Changes in urination — making more or less urine than usual, feeling pressure when urinating, changes in the color of urine, foamy or bubbly urine, or having to get up at night to urinate.
• Swelling of the feet, ankles, hands, or face — fluid the kidneys can’t remove may stay in the tissues.
• Fatigue or weakness — a build-up of wastes or a shortage of red blood cells (anemia) can cause these problems when the kidneys begin to fail.
• Shortness of breath — kidney failure is sometimes confused with asthma or heart failure, because fluid can build up in the lungs.
• Ammonia breath or an ammonia or metal taste in the mouth — waste build-up in the body can cause bad breath, changes in taste, or an aversion to protein foods like meat.
• Back or flank pain — the kidneys are located on either side of the spine in the back.
• Itching — waste build-up in the body can cause severe itching, especially of the legs.
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• More hypoglycemic episodes, if diabetic

If you believe you have any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor about your concerns. this is especially important if you have a close family member who has kidney disease, or if you have diabetes or high blood pressure, which are the main causes of kidney failure.

How can I find out if I have kidney disease?

Kidney disease can be found through lab tests or by symptoms. High blood levels of creatinine and urea nitrogen (BUN) or high levels of protein in your urine suggest kidney disease. Diabetics should have a yearly urine test for microalbumin, small amounts of protein that don’t show up on standard urine protein test.

If I have signs of kidney disease, what should I do?

After you have basic screening tests done, if you have signs of kidney disease, you should ask for a referral to a nephrologist, a specialist in treating kidney disease. a nephrologist will perform an evaluation then suggest medications or lifestyle changes to help slow the progression of kidney disease.

where can I learn more about kidney disease?

It’s great that you want to learn more about kidney disease and dialysis so you can make more informed decisions. DaVita offers a class for people who have kidney disease as well as their families. Depending on where you live in the U.S. , there may be a class near you. Call DaVita Guest Services at 1-800-244-0680 (operating hours: 5:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. PT / 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. ET). Learn more about DaVita education classes.

External links

• Discover more about kidney disease signs and causes – YourKidneys.com

Antibiotic-Associated Colitis is a medical condition, in which large intestine’s inflammation caused by using antibiotics, occurs.

Various antibiotics alter the balance among the bacteria’s quantity and types in the intestine, allowing specific disease causing bacteria to multiply. the bacterium called Clostridium Difficile most commonly results in problems; it produces 2 toxins that may injure the large intestine’s protective lining. the antibiotics that most frequently result in Antibiotic-Associated Colitis include Cephalosporins (for example, Cephalothin), Ampicillin, and Clindamycin. Other antibiotics may include Tetracycline, Penicilines, Chloramphenicol, Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole, and Erythromycin.

Overgrowth of Clostridium Difficile may happen whether such antibiotic are used by injection or taken by mouth. the risk of having Antibiotic-Associated Colitis increases with age, although, children and young adults may be affected. In mild cases of the disease, the intestine’s lining can become slightly inflamed. In severe cases, an inflammation is extensive and the intestine’s lining is ulcerative.

The symptoms of Antibiotic-Associated Colitis starts while an individual takes the antibiotic. however, in 1/3 of the people, symptoms do not occur until one to ten days after treatment is discontinued, and in some patients, symptoms do not occur as long as six weeks after treatment with antibiotics has stopped. Usually, the symptoms range from mild to bloody diarrhea, fever, and abdominal ache. In some cases, severe dehydration, small intestine perforation, toxic megacolon, and low blood pressure occurs.

Diagnosis of Antibiotic-Associated Colitis is made by examining the large inflamed intestine by using Sigmoidoscope. A Colonoscope can be used if the Sigmoidoscope can not reach higher diseased intestine’s part. Antibiotic-Associated Colitis diagnosis is confirmed, when bacterium Clostridium Difficile is found by performing a test from patient’s stool sample culture or if its toxin is found in the stool. the toxin may be identified in 20% of people with Antibiotic-Associated Colitis and in about 90% of people with severe colitis. during severe attacks, laboratory tests can detect abnormally large count of white blood cells.

Antibiotic-caused diarrhea often relieves within ten to twelve days after antibiotic has been discontinued. In this situation, no other therapy is needed, but if mild symptoms persist, a drug Cholestyramine can be helpful, possibly because it binds itself to the toxins. for severe cases of Antibiotic-Associated Colitis, the antibiotic called Metronidazole is considered to be effective against bacterium Clostridium Difficile. the antibiotic Vancomycin is used for most resistant and severe colitis.

this entry was posted on Thursday, April 7th, 2011 at 1:04 am and is filed under Diseases and Conditions.

Tags: colitis, disease causing bacteria, large intestine, small intestine

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Lois Fischer of Wenham said that when she was diagnosed in March of 2009 with Stage 4 rectal cancer, she had a 50 percent chance of survival over five years.

almost two years later, Fischer is beating those odds, using alternative treatments to standard procedures of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

However, her road to recovery has not been free of obstacles – finding alternative treatments, paying for them, and then adhering to a rigorous protocol of diet, supplements and detoxification.

In the midst of her own journey to recovery, she wants other cancer patients to know that alternatives exist, should they want to use them.

by standard definitions, Fischer is “cancer-free,” meaning her tumors are gone and her lymph nodes are clear. Her local oncology team is impressed. by the numbers used by her practitioner in new York City, she has at least another year of treatment to finish flushing toxins from her system and building up a healthy immune system. In her interview with the Chronicle this week, she looked great: trim, with good color, clear skin, and great hair.

at the time of her diagnosis in 2009, Fischer was offered aggressive treatments involving surgery, including a colostomy, radiation and chemotherapy. none of these options pleased her because of their radical and negative impact on her body and her life, both short-term and long-term. for the first two months after her diagnosis, she researched her type of cancer and looked for less invasive options.

Her first focus was acupuncture, the art of Tong Ren, as offered by Tom Tam of Haverhill, who has written a book, “Tong Ren for Cancer.” the treatments reduced her pain but did not inhibit the growth of tumors. She admits, “I was scared. There’s a lot of conflicting information out there on the internet, especially about diet and nutrition.”

Four months after her diagnosis, she found “Cancer-Free, Your Guide to Gentle Non-Toxic Healing,” by Bill Henderson. This book and Henderson’s website, beating-cancer-gently.com, detail his search for gentle treatments for his wife’s cancer, and what he found for non-invasive protocols.

Fischer started researching cancer treatments available in Mexico. by then, she was weak and had lost weight and energy from her cancer symptoms and couldn’t stand or sit for long periods. She spent a month as an outpatient at the Stella Maris Clinic in Tijuana, Mexico run by Dr. Alvarez, who she said is called “the Marcus Welby of Tijuana.” She selected this clinic out of the several in Mexico because of its focus and success rate with her type of cancer.

Treatments at the clinic included “daily IVs,” said Fischer, of Vitamin C and other minerals, Laetrile, and DMSO (Dimethylsulfoxide), a chemical used in PET scans to target cancer cells and is less destructive to surrounding tissues than standard chemotherapy. She also had hyperthermia treatments, heating the whole body, and 15 treatments of low-level radiation, much lower than protocols in the United States. these and other protocols such as Insulin Potentiation Therapy (IPT, iptq.com) are not approved in the United States and some practitioners who offered similar treatments were shut down. according to Fischer, established USA medical groups are now attempting to eradicate the USA option for IV Vitamin C treatments as well.

Fischer’s treatment in Mexico included a radical diet of juices and supplements and various flushing and cleansing procedures. “it was expensive,” said Fischer, “About $4,000 a week for outpatient care, plus hotel and travel costs. Insurance doesn’t cover any of it.”

Apparently, it was worth it, as she returned to the United States with the tumors gone.

Her next step was to find a maintenance program closer than Mexico for follow-up treatments and the purchase of nutritional supplements. After reading Suzanne Somers’ book “Knockout,” in which the author interviews doctors who are curing cancer, Fischer identified resources appropriate for her needs in Arizona, Texas and new York. She credits Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez and Dr. Linda Isaacs of new York (dr-gonzalez.com) as “the people who are keeping me cancer-free.”

Gonzalez’ book, “one Man Alone: an Investigation of Nutrition, Cancer, and William Donald Kelley,” chronicles hisjourney to debunk the nutritional theories of Dr. Kelley, a dentist who developed pancreatic cancer. instead, Gonzalez found himself intrigued by the possibilities of nutritional treatments for cancer.

Fischer said frankly, that after she started nutritional treatments, especially using pancreatic enzymes, she “had more energy, my eyesight improved, and my hair got thicker.” Fischer recommends Gonzalez’s web site as a great source of links to additional resources and reading material. Other patients have blogs on their treatment with Dr. Gonzalez and Fischer recommends one by Montye Gardner, allthisandmore.typepad.com/allthisandmore/2010/11/index.html, which demonstrates some similarities and differences from her own protocol.

Gonzalez’ current work uses the theory of metabolic typing. Fischer recommends a book by William Wolcott, “Metabolic Typing Diet,” for more information. Diets are structured to an individual based on the eating habits of their racial ancestors to determine a balance of meat, grains, vegetables, dairy, fruit, and other protein sources. Fischer eats a balanced diet; has given up sugar, refined flour, processed food, caffeine, and alcohol; and buys organic, grass-fed and free-range products when possible. “Dianne Rodgers at Green Meadows Farm in Hamilton has been very helpful with grass-fed and free-range meats and organic produce, and diets for healing,” she said. She also uses “Nourishing Traditions,” a cookbook by Sally Fallon.

In addition, Fischer takes approximately 60 pills a day of supplements, including vitamins and enzymes, on a fairly rigid schedule interspersed with her meals. for example, she takes pancreatic enzyme pills every four hours throughout the day and night. Her regime includes regular detoxing with enemas and flushes. Her practitioners monitor her progress through analysis of her hair to determine chemical levels in her body. Fischer commented, “Treatments vary for each individual.”

Fischer’s family, her husband Stephen and three children ages 25, 20 and 16, were initially concerned by her decision to avoid aggressive treatments. With her positive results, they are now happy with her choices. Fischer has taken up meditation and finds that and prayer to be the final elements to balance her holistic approach to treating mind and body. “With cancer, you need to be stress free,” she said. She recommends Louise Hay’s “You can Heal Your Life,” Kris Carr’s “Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips” – “She has a wonderful sense of humor,” said Fischer – and Jon Kabat-Zinn’s “full Catastrophe Living,” in addition to whatever spiritual elements appeal to the individual.

Fischer has not stopped doing research yet. She is looking into German new Medicine, the work of Dr. Ryke Geerd Hamer in Germany about the relationship between life-changing events and disease. She also recommends a book on dentistry and disease, “the Roots of Disease: Connecting Dentistry and Medicine” by Robert Kulacz and Thomas E. Levy, which explores the impact of oral bacteria in the blood stream and connections to other diseases, for example, bacterial endocarditis and non-Alzheimer’s dementia. Fischer found a dentist in Groton to remove her old mercury fillings.

She has found another pain-reducing product, an Earthing Mat, which she is willing to try. “A friend in Dr. Gonzalez’s protocol is using it to reduce pain and inflammation,” she said.

Overall, Fischer is pleased with her treatment. “It’s a huge commitment,” she said of her maintenance plan, “And costly – about $1,000 per month.” again, her insurance doesn’t cover any of the cost. “I have used up my retirement funds and 401K,” she said. She had a few recommendations for anyone seeking any kind of treatment: “Choose your doctors and specialists, believe that you can be cured, find the money for treatment. Cancer patients shouldn’t give up hope.”

Members of Austin’s music community turned out in force Sunday to support one of Austin’s finest.eight bands played an eight hour benefit concert at Antone’s for former Austin police officer Tom Owens.

“I’m glad we all showed up,” said musician Jimmy LaFave. “We’ve all had someone touched by illness. It’s time to pay back. My mom died of pancreatic cancer so I get what is going on. it is a very hard road.”

Tom Owens, 48, is in the fight of his life.

"it has taken everything away from me really,” said Owens. “I spend a lot of time in bed nauseous, in pain.”

He is battling chronic pancreatitis.

“He has no quality of life,” said his wife, Diana. “our life has changed so drastically from what we had. He’s not able to do much of anything.”

The illness occurs when digestive enzymes attack and destroy the pancreas and nearby tissues, causing scarring and pain.  while the disease is not fatal, the enzymes and toxins can enter the bloodstream and injure the heart, lungs, kidneys and other organs. next month Owens will travel to Minnesota, where he will undergo a 15-hour surgery to help relieve his symptoms.

“I watched him go in and out of the hospital several times,” said Melissa Anderson, Tom’s sister. 

Anderson was tired of seeing her brother suffer.  she arranged the benefit concert and silent auction to help raise money to pay for the high risk surgery in Minnesota.  

His brethren in the police department are helping him every step of the way in his fight.  Austin Cops for Charities presented Owens a check for $5,000, but that is not all.

“We’re sending you our positive thoughts, love and prayers,” said Wuthipong Tantaksinanukij, with APD Air Operations Unit.

For Owens, he is hoping to get his life back so he can go back to chasing bad guys.

For more information, visit supporttom.com.

If the white part of your eyes start turning yellow

If you feel like you have no energy.

After all the liver filters out blood.

Liver cancer causes ascites, which is fluid on the abdomen.
It can also cause jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), loss of appetite, weight loss as a result of no appetite, confusion (due to the toxins that are not being filtered out of your body).