Pfizer to pay $2.3 billion settlement

Well, this little headline was sort of swept under the radar...at least away from most major news media. A few smaller papers caught wind of it.

So, if you haven't heard, please let me be the one to spill the beans: Pfizer, one of the largest (correction - THE largest) drug company in the world has been found guilty of illegal prescription drug promotions - they "wined and dined medical doctors and sent them on exotic trips to induce them to prescribe its drugs, including the impotence treatment Viagra and cholesterol medicine Lipitor." (for notes on Lipitor, please take a look at one of our previous posts here - you will want to get off cholesterol drugs as soon as possible after reading it).

There's a blog about it here, on the News & Observer website...I can't seem to find a link to one of the published stories (most require a subscription). I'll keep looking, though.
** UPDATE - I found a great article in our very own Columbus Dispatch, viewable here!

So, I guess a lesson to take home from this is this: if you decide it is absolutely NECESSARY to take a prescription drug, ask the doctor to show you paperwork that the drug is FDA approved for the intention it is to be used. If everything is as it should be, the request should not be a problem to fulfill.

Don't be a sheep, blindly following anyone in a white coat - educate yourself on the drugs you and your family are taking...it could save your life.

In Health,
Dr. Scott

www.hilltopwellness.com

Swine Flu Vaccine Makers to Profit $50 Billion a Year!!

Do you feel bombarded with information on the impending doom from the fast-approaching Swine Flu? I say "YES!" (unfortunately)

Do you feel like your body was created with a shortage of swine flu vaccine? I say "NO."

Last question: did you know that Swine Flu Vaccine makers could stand to profit $50 billion a year from the sale of swine flu vaccines? FIFTY BILLION A YEAR! I didn't know that.

Take a look at this article from The Guardian, out of the U.K. It's interesting to point out that Relenza, the vaccine for the swine flu, isn't even marketed to cure or stop the swine flu....in most cases it simply states: relenza is an anti-viral treatment, which can relieve swine flu symptoms. Note that it doesn't say it WILL relieve symptoms.

It's not even addressing the problem (which isn't that big of a surprise to me), but is only covering and POSSIBLY easing the symptoms.

Here's my favorite quote from the article: "In a sign of how quickly GSK is working to make sure a vaccine is available from September, the company said that 'clinical trials will be limited, due to the need to provide the vaccine to governments as quickly as possible.

"Additional studies will therefore be required and conducted after the vaccine is made available.'"

Yes, you read that correctly - from the mouth of the manufacturer directly - "additional studies will...be required...AFTER the vaccine is made available." I would URGE you to thoroughly look into this vaccine before being injected with it - don't let your kids, grandkids, or grandparents get this injection. You will be signing up to be a human test subject.

Please call our office if you have any questions on this topic. I would love to help you find ways to avoid getting this potentially deadly vaccination.

In Health,

Dr. Scott

www.hilltopwellness.com

Gardasil Injuries & Deaths (from this vaccine and others)

It is a modern-day tragedy that millions of women in the U.S. have been scared by Merck’s powerful ad campaign to become “one less” victim to cervical cancer by getting vaccinated with Gardasil. Sadly, now an increasing number of formerly healthy girls are turning into “one more” victim of vaccine adverse reactions.

There have been a total of 47 deaths linked to Gardasil since it was brought to market in 2006, according to a press release issued by Judicial Watch, which says it has obtained records from the FDA. In 2008 alone 28 women and girls died after receiving Gardasil injections (up from 19 deaths in 2007).

In all the FDA documented 6,723 adverse events related to Gardasil in 2008, of which 1,061 were considered "serious," and 142 considered "life threatening,” the group reported.

Further, as Barbara Loe Fisher reported in the video above, by the summer of 2009 Gardasil had already caused more than 15,000 reports of vaccine reactions, including more than 3,000 injuries and 48 deaths.

However, it’s estimated that only between 1 percent and 10 percent of vaccine adverse events are ever reported, which means there could actually be anywhere from 150,000 to 1.5 million vaccine injuries related to Gardasil.

Get the Facts, Not the Fear

Merck has convinced millions of girls to get vaccinated with Gardasil by instilling in them a fear of the sexually transmitted disease human papilloma virus, or HPV. While it’s true that many women get HPV, and in a small number of cases HPV can progress to cervical cancer, this fear-mongering is only revealing a select assortment of facts.

Merck would like you to hear that 6 million women contract HPV annually -- but they do not tell you that most of those cases are harmless. Your body can clear up HPV on its own, and does so more than 90 percent of the time!

At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives, according to the National Prevention Information Network (NPIN). Most often, the infection causes no symptoms at all, and is easily cleared up by your immune system.

Even the National Cancer Institute says:

"It is important to note, however, that the great majority of high-risk HPV infections go away on their own and do not cause cancer."

In some cases the infection can result in genital warts, and much less often, cervical and other genital cancers. But cervical cancer actually claims less than 3,900 women a year -- most of which are due to not getting regular Pap smears.

So before you even think about getting vaccinated with Gardasil (or having your daughter vaccinated), realize that it’s for a virus that clears up on its own 90 percent of the time.

Further, this infection is sexually transmitted. It is not some big bad hairy virus that will cause you any harm if you are leading a healthy lifestyle. It is 100 percent preventable through lifestyle choices. Talking to your kids about HPV, and how it’s transmitted, is therefore the first step to prevention.

You should also know that Gardasil does not protect against all types of HPV, and you can still get cervical cancer even if you’ve been vaccinated. As the CDC states:

“About 30% of cervical cancers will not be prevented by the vaccine.”

Of course, you will also want to know that the safety of Gardasil has never been proven. As the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) writes:

“Even though Gardasil was only tested on about a thousand young girls before licensure in 2006, CDC officials told doctors to give three doses of the vaccine to millions of little girls at a cost averaging $165 per dose.

Because Merck did not test Gardasil in pre-licensure clinical trials in combination with all other vaccines routinely given to pre-teen and teenage girls, the CDC suggested that safety could be assumed and directed that Gardasil be given simultaneously with other vaccines.”

What this all boils down to is that Gardasil is largely ineffective, potentially very dangerous and a major waste of money.

If you have any questions about this, or any other vaccine, please feel free to give our office a call. I'd be happy to discuss better and healthier options than vaccines.

In Health,
Dr. Scott
www.hilltopwellness.com

Muscle Damage Caused by Statins (cholesterol lowering drug)

I would be very surprised if you see this on the front page of the newspapers or the headlining story of the 11 o'clock news: PERMANENT Muscle Damage Caused by Statins! Statins are a class of drugs used to lower cholesterol and have recently been implicated in cases of muscle damage; in many cases this damage was considered to be permanent.

PERMANENT!

Take a look at this article at Forbes.com - if you're a research buff, you can find the original research paper from the Canadian Medical Association Journal here.

If you'd like the cliff-notes summary, here it is: if you are taking a statin drug to lower your cholesterol there is a 53% chance you will suffer muscle damage because of the drug. If you are taking a statin there is an 18% chance you will suffer permanent muscle damage because of the drug!

Yes, you read that correctly, 1 of every 5 people taking a statin will have permanent muscle damage.

Did you know a statin called Baycol was removed from the market because of a high incidence of system-wide muscle destruction? That was in 2001, and it was only one drug. There are 5 other major statin drugs on the market: Zocor, Pravachol, Lipitor, Lescol, and Crestor.

Do you or someone you love take one of these drugs? Chances are good the answer is "Yes" as statins are the highest selling drug in the United States.

Known risk factors for muscle pain include old age, high doses of statins, exercising vigorously while on statins and certain medications (including warfarin (Coumadin), cancer drugs, oral medications for fungal disorders and certain antibiotics, which interfere with the removal of statins from the body). This means if you are taking a statin and exercise to better yourself, you are at a higher risk of damaging your muscles. And if you are taking other medications concurrently with the statin you are at a much higher risk of damage.

If you are currently taking a statin and are experiencing muscle pain or weakness, I would URGE you to consult your medical doctor with this information readily available. Print the Canadian study and bring it to him or her. Let the doctor know you demand a HEALTHY alternative to this garbage.

I get worked up talking about this stuff because it's so easy to prevent high cholesterol in the first place. If you have high cholesterol and would like an excellent alternative recommendation, please give our office a call. I will gladly sit down with you and help you improve your life!

Dr. Scott
www.hilltopwellness.com

*If you would like to read Dr. Mercola's commentary on this information (I did and the information was invaluable), you can read his article on statins HERE - and please feel free to use my email address if you are prompted to log in - hilltopchiro AT gmail.com)

Bathe Your Pet - How Often?

Good morning! I'm not a veterinarian, but I do like animals, and I found this video very interesting. You might notice that she mentions Omega 3 oil, which we have been talking about quite a bit in Hilltop WellNews and on the blog here.

Take a look at some of Dr. Becker's tips and let me know what you think! (If it asks to register with your email address, feel free to use mine at hilltopchiro AT gmail.com)

In Health,
Dr. Scott
www.hilltopwellness.com

Can Calcium Actually Make Your Bones Weaker?

One of the most common questions I get in the office is this: "what kind of calcium should I be taking?" And, as this video addresses, it's a complicated answer... (if you are asked to register, please feel free to use my email - hilltopchiro AT gmail.com)

First of all, most people aren't aware that MUSCLES need calcium as much as bones, but the TYPE of calcium is very different. That's one of the reasons why this is a tough topic to address quickly - the issue a person is facing (muscle cramps, muscle fatigue, joint pain, osteoporosis, osteopenia, etc...) can correlate to different recommendations of supplementation.

In the link, Dr. Mercola discusses many related topics, but the key point should be that "a person's diet DIRECTLY affects a person's bone density and health." (increasing omega 3 fats, calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K2; lowering omega 6 intake). The problem is most food is so void of nutrition, it's an impossible endeavor trying to get all the vitamins and minerals you need in a day's worth of food. I read a study the other day stating something along the lines of, "a person would have to eat 6 (or 9, I forget) apples to get the nutrition from ONE apple in 1960." I may have messed that up, but the point is unmistakable! Our food is depleted of nutrients, because of over-farming the soil, over-use of fertilizers, and over-use of genetic modifications.

Sorry if I'm rambling...I get a little worked up on this topic because people don't get it. We eat more than we have ever eaten and we are getting less nutrients than we have ever received. It's easily summarized as "calorie RICH, nutrient POOR."

Well, I'm off to celebrate our country's independence with about a bazillion other people in Columbus...I wish you all a wonderful holiday weekend!

Give our office a call if you have any questions about this topic, or post a response on the blog.

In Health,
Dr. Scott
www.hilltopwellness.com

ADHD Drug Warning!

Once again, we hear the warning sirens, which ring far too late for many who have been negatively affected - take a look at this link to CBS news: ADHD Drug Warning.

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, it's unfortunate that our country lives in this "crisis mentality" - American's prefer to take a pill over other (read: "safer, but involve work") options. I mean, why on Earth would someone want to get all sweaty with exercise when s/he could just sit, like a bump on a log, and pop an "exercise pill" (for those of you who think I'm making this up, take a look at this story from 2008...)?

Although she mentioned "dietary changes" as an option, I'm surprised the CBS doctor didn't mention the benefits of fish oil or restricting sugar intake, which have been shown to have equal, if not greater, benefits as ADHD meds....and that doesn't take into account all the other benefits a person would reap from utilizing these strategies.

Have a question about ADHD or how you or your child could benefit from chiropractic care, as mentioned by the CBS doc? Pick up a book called "Dr. Bob's Guide to Stop ADHD in 18 Days" by Dr. Robert DeMaria. If you have trouble finding it, give our office a call - we have a few copies in our office library, or we might have an extra you can purchase, if you'd like to go that route.

And feel free to give us a call - I love helping people take control of situations that feel out of control at times, and I'd be glad to partner up with you and give you my best.

In Health,
Dr. Scott
www.hilltopwellness.com