Tell Mayo about my supplements?
 

Should I tell Mayo about my supplements or will that impact how they treat me?

Absolute candor is imperative in any doctor-patient relationship, and should have no impact on treatment.

If anything I would think it would demonstrate interest/willingness/determination to be proactive in your care.

Doc

Mayo continues to use the old ranges for B12 going down to 200.
:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

This is the new medical advice on the AAFP website to doctors written in 2003: enlarge figure 3.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/2003/0301/p979.html

Yes, do make a list of what you take and for how long.
But don't expect Mayo to care a whit about it... their website
is mostly anti-supplement, with a few exceptions.

I think your evaluation of the anatomical problem in your spine
would be the focus of their opinion.

Thank you so much. Yes, I found the supplements lacking there too.

Hopkins told me to stop taking all my supplements. They said it was a waste of my money!

Really??? How archaic and awful!

Anyone who wants to see how doctors have behaved historically about pernicious anemia, and other blood testing would find
Drawing Blood highly revealing and interesting. This book is very good. I found it on a general search on Ebay for "drawing" which I had hoped to find some affordable art supplies. Instead this book came up and I researched it and bought it. I read it 2 summers ago and it was a real eye opener. Don't know if it is still on Ebay, but it is on the "used book" function at Amazon.
I believe I was "led" to it by Karma, or angels or whatever is out there guiding us sometimes! It is quite the education!
The historical data on Mayo alone is worth getting this book!
You will be surprised at the revelations about doctors back
then.

http://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Blood-...=Drawing+blood

It is on Google books too.
Please note that there are many vampire books out now with this same title. The medical book is authored by Keith Wailoo.

It also contains quite a bit about the trivialization of women and minorities. Doctors still do not understand today, about B12 and some other nutrients that support the nervous system.

That wonderful B12 YouTube was pulled after several months I am sorry to say. So I can no longer link to it.
edit.... it is back... here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvEizypoyO0
It was pulled into private status for several months. So maybe it was updated or edited?

Lucky for us... B12 information is documented on the net by some knowledgeable doctors, The DNA methylation testing is growing more common and helping those with MTHFR polymorphisms and it remains OTC for patients to buy inexpensively and self medicate after testing. I certainly don't know of many pennies a day cures out there. B12 and now, Vit D3 are pennies a day! And Methylfolate is back OTC after the greedy Merck company tried to make it RX only (they stopped selling it to OTC suppliers for a few years)!

in my opinion John Hopkins has lost all its credibility. this is but one example

http://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/...ndustry-defeat

I am not surprised.... The medical schools continue to be run by old and politically poisoned greedy men. That article is horrific!

Thanks for putting it up.

You should tell them. It CAN affect how they treat you; they just would want to monitor for you drug/supplement interactions. Too much or too little of a supplement can be harmful or interact with your natural diet, or your medications.

That is terrible. My dermatologist asked me why I was going down there for an evaluation. I said I assumed they were the best. She didn't seem to agree. She studied there and didn't seem very impressed.

I guess it depends on what you're gong there for. John spent 5 months there and received excellent care. And when we compare it to the other three hospitals he had the misfortune to experience, Hopkins still came out on top. But as good as they are, they have their biases, issues and glitches. But you would be hard pressed to find a major medical institution that doesn't.

We had a terrific Doc but not all docs are created equal. Every three weeks a new Attending was in charge and clearly, some were better than others. But our doc was involved throughout. It was an intense time.

Every year when we go back for a follow-up, we do tell them the supplements John is on. They can say what they want about them. If they have any objections to them, we will take that into consideration as to whether or not to continue with them. Since John is no longer on any medicines, it make this discussion a lot easier.

I don't think discrediting an entire institution is appropriate when it really comes down to the doctor you see. Just as Marlene said, every major institution will have some bias, glitches, and issues.

There are good and bad doctors everywhere. I see a several great ones at Hopkins, but I have also had a not so good one there as well. I have also been to Mayo and frankly, they have a great logistical system for patient care and many great doctors, but the one neurologist I saw was horrible...just down right horrible. But that doesn't reflect the entire system.

Sometimes you can find the best doctor right in your own back yard...one that is willing to read up on news things, explore the benefits of supplements, and take the time needed to provide you with quality care.

There is NO perfect institution...and no perfect doctor either. But there are good ones (and bad ones) at every facility.

I bet you can find a story like Echo posted for every facility...they have all had some problem at some time.

Just my two cents.

At Hopkins it wasnt a glitch, or a problem at some time. it was 4 decades of institutionalied fraud and corruption for personal and institutional gain at the expense, ruin and deaths of legitimate victims of black lung disease. Hopkins as an institution knew what was going on and did nothing about it except benefit financially.

No, it doesn't sound like a glitch, but I can't believe you are bashing an entire institution for this. I sure hope you don't use them for ANY of your care. But it sounds like you have...and also encourage people to do so for skin biopsies...even if indirectly. Because it was Hopkins that developed this test, and where most other hospitals send them to for reading/evaluation.

There is DIRT on every hospital out there. I'm not sure why you even singled out Hopkins on a thread about Mayo...that had nothing to do with the original question of this thread...supplements, not black lung.

The bigger problems in hospitals (all of them) does NOT start at the doctors (they are just either good at what they do or bad), but the bigger issues are from the "politically poisoned greedy men" as MrsD refers to them...and of course the direct ties of them to FDA and big pharma....this is what drives the health care (or lack there of).

As for the point of the thread:

Baba, I would tell them about ALL your supplements, as many might have a contraindication to medications they might prescribe. If they don't offer supportive thoughts on your use of supplements, then just chalk it up to their lack of education (because they really don't get taught about there uses and potential help). But brush that aside, and just know that you are doing more for your health and that in most cases a combination of medications and supplements can be quite helpful. Just be sure to mention for interactions...and look them up yourself to be sure.

Definitely look them up YOURSELF... don't expect any doctor to know about interactions. They certainly don't know about the DRUG interactions most of them prescribe! Many don't even know about Cytochrome-450 metabolism either. :rolleyes:

Drugs.com has a good drug checker that includes food and supplements:

http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html

I too feel disgust for this doctor. However, i do feel there are more good doctors there and this guy is one of few arrogant bad ones. The bigger and more disturbing issue is that miners are still getting black lung and other lung diseases. I wish things like this did not happen but it does. Money drives the behavior of many and I don't think anyone is immune to it's draw. I saw where the University received the money from the coal companies but the doctors did not. That sounds off. Why would a doctor continue this approach other than his arrogance/pride. There must be more to his involvement. Todays coal is not as clean as the stuff of today. Many of the mines have high levels of silica mixed in. Hopkins did not cause their disease nor their deaths. They did have a hand in wrongly denying black lung benefits and that too is criminal.

Will I stop going to Hopkins? No. We have a caring and compassionate doctor there.

Will I stop using fossil fuel? Would love to but doesn't seem I can choose or afford to stop completely.

It is a complicated situation and many are complicit in the ongoing support of poor mining condition. We see this type of fraud and corruption time and time again across multiple industries. The bulk of the blame rests with the coal companies for creating a workplace that is unsafe and an environment where worker are in fear of losing their job if they get ill or complain. And shame on Hopkins for their role in this.

\

Hopkins came up because Hopeful was told by Hopkins not to take any supplements. " Hopkins told me to stop taking all my supplements. They said it was a waste of my money!"

So my comment was to the point of the thread. I wouldnt use Hopkins opinion as a standard to use when taking supplements.

Hopkins does deserve a bash to their reputation. they had knowledge of, condoned and profited off of this behavior for four decades. It would make me question what they are doing in other areas also. Hopkins is the one that needs to rebuild any trust in them as an organization. Some of the same administrators and doctors are still there. They should be doing time in prison.

While they did not cause their disease they certainly contributed to the deaths by issuing fraudulant medical testing and opinions used to deny them medical benefits and disability. There is no way to sugarcoat that.

Hello all

Just to add in the discussion about The Mayo Clinic.

I went there. They did not do anything there for me other than my local doctors had already done.
In their medical notes, they just regurgitated all that was in my medical history that was provided to them.

They did not seem to be interested in trying to reach further to try to find the underlying cause of my neuropathy, and called it idiopathic. The neurologist I saw there actually also thought one of my symptoms was due to panic attaches. So, so much for that.

Now, more than a year later, I have had more testing done locally, and I am praising my rheumatologist for doing all she does for me. She has actually now come up with what she thinks is the underlying cause and is treating me for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Oh no. Another one who impacts your further treatment by looking at the result of the illness (questionable panic attacks) rather than the cause).

Thanks for taking the time to post.

I am trying to keep a logical focus about all this.

a story about one miners experience with fraud at johns hopkins

http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrishamby/h...2ddbt14#33oj3i

Lipoic Acid as a supplement does not work?
 

So, guess what?
Mayo neurologist said to my face, "Alpha Lipoic Acid" does not work.":confused:
So much for being progressive, or it just be my continued back luck of the draw with my journey?