Natural Alternative to Opioid Use

I firmly believe there is something to be gained from all of life’s experiences — even the difficult ones. What I’d like to share with you certainly illustrates that truth.

As I’m sure you are aware, there has been an enormous amount of news regarding the “opioid crisis” in America. Too many people are getting addicted and even dying from the use of these drugs. Unfortunately, the medical world is limited in what they have to offer for pain relief. Therefore, I think this information is invaluable.

First a bit of background: You may know that I had a severe fall back in September. I tripped and fell forward onto cement and hit a big rock with my chin. My sister said I was practicing flying. Unfortunately, I flunked! As a result, I had pretty terrible pain in my neck, shoulders and low back. Despite regular adjustments, I was having trouble sleeping. For a while, I took 400 mg ibuprofen a couple times a week, but that soon threw me into heart failure. {I do not tolerate pharmaceuticals well.)

The experience prompted me to remember the options available to me. Karuna Corporation manufacturers a product called P.T.I. (aka Post Traumatic Injury, duh! I had forgotten.) It replaces non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS), which is the class of drugs ibuprofen falls into. Not only do NSAIDS inhibit the healing process, they also mildly inhibit the Cox 2 enzymes. You may remember Vioxx and Celebrex, which were briefly taken off the market because they were killing people. (Yes, Celebrex is back, with a warning label.) Well NSAIDS do much the same thing, and in susceptible people can also cause heart failure.

I also have available from Medi-Herb a product called Nervagesic. It is the strongest herbal pain reliever available, designed to combat the kind of pain cancer patients get in the night – with no side effects! My pain was severe enough that I took both for a while.

However, the really amazing part of this is that my friend had her foot reconstructed surgically, and the doctors gave her oxycontin for pain. She had the whole array of negative side effects, nausea, severe constipation, headaches, insomnia. Although it helped her pain, the side effects were unbearable. Based on my recent experience, I sent her a bottle each of P.T.I. and Nervagesic, with instructions to take 4 P.T.I. and 3 Nervagesic at bed time. After seven days, she was able to substitute this protocol for the opioid with excellent results; and, there is no danger of addiction.

Her experience made me realize I needed to share this information for those of you who suffer from chronic pain. It is truly an excellent alternative to dangerous and addictive opioid drugs.

So, for those of us who struggle with pain, I can highly recommend this combination. During the day, if you need the relief, the dose is 2 P.T.I. and 2 Nervagesic every 4 to 6 hours, as needed. If you get too sleepy, you can adjust the dose to a lower level. If you wish to order a supply, simply email me at frontoffice@richardsfamilyhealth.com.

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Let’s Talk Flu Vaccine

If you’ve been listening to the news, I am sure you have seen the PR campaign promoting flu vaccine. The message is: “You owe it to friends and family to get the vaccine. You need to protect them.” “Thousands of people die every year from being unvaccinated.”

The newest push is for the “senior vaccine.” It’s supposedly “better” for seniors.

There are major problems with all of this and I would like to share the unreported truths with you and give you much safer options than the vaccines.

First of all, let’s address the issue of the number of people who die due to influenza.  In 2005, Peter Doshi, a Harvard graduate student, published an analysis in the British Medical Journal entitled “Are US flu death figures more PR than science?” In this article, he points out that the quoted statistics conflate flu deaths with flu-related deaths, which are quite different. Most of what are called “flu-related deaths” are actually from pneumonia. And, it isn’t viral pneumonia either. It’s a secondary bacterial pneumonia not directly caused by the flu. { BMJ 2005;331:1412}

To quote his article: “[The CDC claims that] influenza and pneumonia took 62,034 lives in 2001; 61,777 of which were attributable to pneumonia and 257 to flu; and in only 18 cases was the flu virus positively identified.” (emphasis added)

Please note: This article was published in the British Medical Journal, not in America. His follow-up article in 2013 was also published in the BMJ. Apparently, the American medical journals simply weren’t interested.

In his second article, he points out that in 2013, 130 million doses of vaccine were sold in the U.S. (up from 90 million in 1990). Of course, there are 315 American residents. If vaccination were so vital, this shortage could be called “medical malpractice.” In that same article he points out that mandatory vaccination laws are popping up all over the U.S. because so many people don’t want the shot.

So, now, let’s examine just how effective the vaccine is; then, I’ll talk about side effects. Finally, I’ll share natural alternatives to protect your immune system. [By the way, I haven’t had the flu in more than a decade, despite treating many patients with influenza, so I am confident the protocol works!]

In the face of aggressive PR campaigns to “get your flu shot,” you may think the flu vaccine is the ultimate solution. “What’s not advertised, however, is just how lackluster the vaccine is. The most commonly used flu shots protect no more than 60% of people who receive them; some years, effectiveness plunges to as low as 1%.” {Science Mag}

So, what is going on? Seasonally, manufacturers produce a vaccine against the strains of flu they expect to circulate that year. This is an “educated guess;” actually, it’s a crapshoot. No one can accurately predict what strains may pop up. An additional problem has been uncovered by more modern genetic testing.

For decades, tests suggested the flu vaccine worked extremely well. However, a better genetic test polymerase chain reaction (PCR), revealed many infections in vaccinated people who would have previously been deemed protected. {Med J Aust} The actual efficacy proved to be between 60% (high) and 10% (low).

Another study conducted in British Columbia suggested that the problems with the vaccine arise in the production process. For years, it was assumed that mutations in the virus caused the vaccine to be ineffective. However, Danuta Skowronski, an epidemiologist at he BC Center for Disease Control in Vancouver, Canada  blames mutations during the culture of the vaccine. The most common vaccine contains an “inactivated” virus, which manufacturers grow in chicken eggs. As Skowronski’s team first reported in 2014, the virus can mutate while it is growing in chicken eggs, resulting in a vaccine that is unable to block circulating strains.

Again, please note that ALL of this information is being researched and published in foreign countries. Access to information in the U.S. is controlled by the pharmaceutical companies.

So, in an effort to boost efficacy, Big Pharma has come up with a “senior” vaccine, which is a “high dose” vaccine that contains four times the antigens of the regular vaccine. The theory is that the extra antigens will boost your immune response and provide extra protection. {source)

However, this increased potency is not without cost. Very common side effects include: myalgia; headaches; tenderness, redness, itching and swelling at the injection site; abnormal crying, malaise and fever; runny nose and nasal congestion; upper respiratory infection; vomiting, nausea and diarrhea; loss of appetite; and irritability. Some of these occur at the rate of 78%!

Merely common side effects include: hemorrhage, chest tightness, chills, shivering, back pain, migraine, sore throat, cough, oropharyngeal pain, rhinorrhea, wheezing, nasopharyngitis, infection and flu-like illness. {source: www.drugs.com re Fluzone} Please tell me how this is different from actually having the flu?!?

Recently, one of my long-time clients had the senior vaccine. She wanted to see her newborn niece. (You are probably aware of the new tactic; family members must receive vaccines in order to visit newborns.) She had a severe reaction, including the central nervous system effects. I recommended she return to her primary care doctor and inform the doctor of the reaction, so it could be noted in her medical records. The M.D. took swift action and specified that my patient should never have any flu vaccine again.

Standard flu vaccine is also a problem. It comes with unrevealed side effects, including: soreness, redness and/or swelling from the shot; headache; fever, nausea and muscle aches. There are also severe allergic reactions, which include: difficulty breathing, hoarseness or wheezing, swelling around the eyes or lips, hives, paleness, weakness, fast heart rate and dizziness.  More seriously, is Guillain-Barre´ Syndrome (GBS), which results in progressive paralysis of the motor nerves, including the nerves that control the muscles of respiration. This information comes from the CDC.

What I found shocking was the extent to which the impact of this life-threatening condition is being minimized. I clearly remember 1976, when the swine flu virus paralyzed 565 infants with GBS; hundreds more suffered major side effects. Eventually the U.S. government paid out $400 million in damages to victims’ families when it was proven that the government had foreknowledge of the risks. {Source: Coulter H, Fisher B, A Shot in the Dark, Avery 1991}

The facts of the case are as follows: The federal agency, the Division of Biologic Standards, is in charge of vaccine safety. Just before the vaccine was released, one of their top research scientists, J. Anthony Morris, was fired by the agency for warning the public that there was no evidence that a swine flu “epidemic” was coming and also that the vaccine had serious side effects. {Ibid}

However, there is an even more serious effect — one that is being not only ignored, but ridiculed by the CDC. The gentleman who revealed this adverse effect, Dr. Hugh Fudenburg, has impeccable credentials in immunology. He published some 850 peer-reviewed papers (the gold standard in medicine). He was a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and an associate professor of immunology at the University of California, Berkeley. He also was the editor of the peer-reviewed journal Clinical Immunology and Immunopathology for 15 years, as well as serving on the World Health Organization’s expert committee on immunology for 20 years. Now, however, he is being demonized for making the following public at the first National Vaccine Information Center International Conference on Vaccination and Vaccine Risks. “If an individual had 5 consecutive flu shots between 1970 and 1980, the chance of Alzheimer’s Disease was 10 times greater than for those . . . getting no shots.” If you Google his name, you will immediately see the attacks against him. Such is the cost of opposing established medical dogma.

So, what is a person to do? Since Medi-Herb’s St. John’s Wort (SJW) is the specific for all encapsulated viruses, it is effective against the influenza virus. For more information, you can read my prior article on St. John’s Wort.

For prevention, the dose is 2 tablets, twice a day, of SJW. They are best taken approximately 12 hours apart. At the first sign of a symptom, increase to 2 tablets, 3 times per day.

To improve your resistance to bacterial pneumonia, you have 2 choices; either Echinacea Premium or Thymunose. (Thymunose is slightly less expensive.) The dose is 1 tablet, morning and evening, of either. Increase the dose to 2 tablets each time if you start feeling ill.

Side effects of this protocol include: alleviation of mild to moderate depression; alleviation of symptoms of SAD (seasonal affective disorder); protection against other encapsulated viruses, including the entire herpes family – oral and genital herpes, shingles, Epstein Barr and cytomegalovirus; also West Nile Virus. Thymunose and/or Echinacea Premium provide protection against secondary bacterial infections by boosting the efficiency of your immune system.

So, it’s really your choice: Take the risk of the toxic pharmaceutical approach; or choose botanicals that provide a host of additional benefits unavailable from the vaccine.

I have stocked up on both SJW and Thymunose, so feel free to place an order if you want to be protected from influenza. You can reach me at frontoffice@RichardsFamilyHealth.com.

Microcirculation Protocol for Heart Disease, Erectile Dysfunction,Venous Insufficiency and Kidney Failure

Health – or disease – begins at the level of the microcirculation. The following is presented with thanks to Dr. Kerry Bone:

1. Microcirculation consists of the small arteries, leading into the arterioles, then to the capillaries and back out the venules and small veins.
2. This is the level at which Neurovascular Dynamics (NVD) operates via the pre-capillary sphincters. NVD is the reflex technique that I teach which directly addresses organ function. However, this protocol nutritionally supports the correction(s) provided by NVD.
3. Recent research has elucidated the importance of the microcirculation to a variety of disease states. The medical research has focused on nitric oxide.
4. “The fundamental role of microvessels is to supply target tissues with oxygen and nutrients; therefore, it appears logical that microvascular disorders will impact on tissue function, given the close coupling between flow and metabolism.” (Ref: Wiernsperger N, Rapin JR. “Microvascular Diseases: Is a New Era Coming?” Cardiovasc Hematol Agents Med Chem 2012; 10(2): 167-183.) In summary, any disease problem comes down to the tissue state. (i.e., ischemia is the root of all pathology)

 

Conditions that are related to poor Microvascular Function

Overweight/obesity	Cardiometabolic syndrome
Diabetes	Non-alcoholic steatotic hepatitis*
Hypertension*	Polycystic ovarian syndrome*
Low birth weight	Gestational diabetes
Sleep disorders	Acromegaly
Alzheimer’s disease	Rheumatoid arthritis*
Gout*	Scleroderma*
Erythromelalgia	Behcet Disease
Venous insufficiency*	Hyperdynamic circulation (RSD)*
Lupus	Mycardial infarct, stroke*
Hemochromatosis*	Beta-thalassemia*
High ferritin	HIV
Liver disease, generally*	Kidney disease*
Neuropathies, neuralgias	Restless Leg Syndrome*
Retinal disease*	Poor tissue healing, including arteriosclerosis*
Erectile dysfunction*

You will notice that NVD treats several of these conditions. (see *, as the ones I have had personal experience with treating.)

A key factor in the health of the microcirculation, in addition to working with the pre-capillary sphincters, is the quality of the blood, which includes: hematocrit, blood viscosity and RBC deformability and aggregation. Essentially, thin blood is good and elastic RBCs are good.

So, the following 5-point nutritional protocol is helpful in supporting the health of your microcirculation and optimizing your NVD treatments.

I have included the herbal options if the you don’t want to change your dietary habits. However, the only herb that is absolutely essential is Medi-Herb Gotu Kola Complex, 3 to 4 per day.

Gotu Kola Complex contains gotu kola, grape seed and gingko biloba. This combination strengthens connective and epithelial tissue, promotes tissue healing, supports blood vessel health, provides anti-oxidant activity and promotes lymphatic drainage from the tissues. In particular, gingko works at the level of the capillaries, by improving RBC deformability, allowing better transit of red blood cells through small vessels.

5-POINT DIETARY PLAN

1. Boost dietary nitrate: green leafy vegetables and especially beets. With regard to beets, they may be juiced, eaten raw or baked. Steaming or boiling removes the nitric oxide; however, they can be cooked into a soup because the nitric oxide is stable in the broth. Portion size: 8 oz. For diabetics, whole beets contain a lot of sugar. An excellent option is the powdered product Super Beets; it has an excellent effect on increasing nitric oxide without raising blood sugar. It is what I use myself.
2. Raw, freshly crushed garlic: ½ to 1 clove per day. Swallowing the clove whole is useless. Deodorized garlic is useless. Alternate: 1 Medi-Herb Garlic Forte tablet is the equivalent of 1 clove of garlic.
3. Eat 2 to 3 oz per day of berries with high anthrocyanin: blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. Alternate: Bilberry tablets, 4 per day (particularly important in eye disorders)
4. Increase intake of herbs and spices; especially, green tea, turmeric and ginger. Use Japanese green tea, which is steamed, not fermented (3-4 cups per day). (N.B.: in hypertension, add hibiscus tea, as well.) Use chopped ginger, not the tea, and only cook lightly. Lots of yellow curry. Alternate: 2 Medi-Herb Vitanox tablets per day.
5. 2/3 oz 85% dark chocolate per day. Green & Black organic chocolate is best.

In addition, the patient needs to STOP refined sugar and refined carbohydrates; and s/he needs to STOP smoking. Add 5-10 minutes of aerobic exercise daily.

With regard to erectile dysfunction: Use the above protocol, PLUS the following herbs (all Medi-Herb):

Rhodiola & Ginseng, contains Panax ginseng, 2 to 4 in the a.m.

Tribulus, 3 to 4 throughout the day

Additional Gingko, if needed

 

With regard to venous insufficiency: the above protocol PLUS Horsechestnut Complex (2-3 per day).

In extreme cases, with ulceration, add 2 to 4 Echinacea Premium per day.

The primary symptom of venous insufficiency is brown discoloration around the ankles.

 

For chronic kidney failure, the following protocol has proven helpful: The above protocol, PLUS

Echinacea Premium, 4 per day

Vitanox, 2 per day

High potency fish oil (2 gms of omega 3 per day)

 

In the case that Dr. Bone shared, the patient went from an eGFR of 35 (kidney failure) to 74 after 18 months. A medical miracle! Two years later, his kidney function is still normal. His nephrologist said that he had never seen anyone recover like that in 20 years of practice. I add diathermy and NVD to the protocol. Remember: natural health care has much more to offer this condition than the medical profession does.

If you suffer from any of these problems and need help, please call for a consultation, so that I may assess your condition with appropriate lab testing and get you started on the road to recovery. Visit my web site for contact details:  http://www.RichardsFamilyHealth.com.