by Eugene Papantoniou | May 29, 2015 | Compounded Medications
For most patients, battling Lyme Disease can be an exhausting process during their treatment phase, with the hope that life will return to normal as soon as they complete a regimented course of antibiotics. The CDC, however, estimates that up to 20% of patients who have experienced Lyme Disease may develop what is known as “Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome”, or “Chronic Lyme Disease”. Given current rates of Lyme Disease, this essentially means that tens of thousands of patients suffer from Chronic Lyme Disease symptoms each and every day. Symptoms of Chronic Lyme Disease or Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome can include chronic fatigue, joint pain or stiffness, insomnia, headaches, depression, memory problems, and muscle weakness. As you can imagine, this can absolutely decrease one’s quality of life and limit their ability to function each day. To make matters worse, many patients suffer due to the fact that Chronic Lyme Disease can be seen as a controversial topic by many practitioners, with lack of knowledge on the topic leading to under diagnosing or misdiagnosing patients. Many of the symptoms that present in a CLD patient are generalized and present in other conditions as well, such as Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Multiple Sclerosis. When a patient presents with many of the symptoms listed above, clinicians would be wise to rule out all other possible diagnoses that may be responsible. The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) provides information for patients as well as clinicians seeking more information regarding treatment options. For patients that suffer from Chronic Lyme Disease or Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, Trinova Health can help. We’re skilled in...
by Eugene Papantoniou | May 28, 2015 | Compounded Medications
What is Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)? Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy, or BHRT, is the replacement of the bodies normal hormones with natural, plant derived hormones that are identical to what the human body already produces. Through BHRT, we are able to replace the hormones that that body now lacks due to age, menopause, hormonal imbalances or fluctuations, or a number of other scenarios, such as a hysterectomy. Many practitioners feel that bioidentical hormones are a better choice than using hormones that are synthetically derived, or derived from horses. Some examples of hormones that we work with include Estradiol, Estriol, Progesterone and DHEA. Why would a patient receive BHRT? As we age and experience life, the levels of our bodies hormone production tend to drop, or undergo extreme fluctuations. For women, this is often due to decreased production of Progesterone, Estrogens and Testosterone and DHEA. In men, this is often seen as a decrease in Testosterone. As the body undergoes these hormonal changes. Many women often report symptoms such as hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, difficulty concentrating, decreased energy levels and decreased libido. In men, we see changes such as decreased energy, decreased libido, and difficulty concentrating or focusing. Many of these signs and symptoms can be traced back to hormonal imbalances. Luckily, these hormonal changes can easily be diagnosed and corrected by replacing the hormones that have been depleted and correcting hormonal imbalances! How can I obtain BHRT? Bioidentical hormones are only available by prescription from a licensed practitioner, such as a physician, physicians assistant or an ARNP. Once obtaining a prescription, a compounding pharmacist, like those at...
by Eugene Papantoniou | May 27, 2015 | Compounded Medications
If you were to conduct a search online for “Naltrexone”, you’d likely find quite a bit of information on the many uses of this medication (and quite a bit of misinformation as well – more on that later). The labeled, primary uses for naltrexone are in the treatment of alcoholism and opioid dependence. Scientists don’t know exactly how naltrexone works to reduce these cravings, but it’s well known that naltrexone is an opioid receptor antagonist – this means that the medications works to block receptors in the body called opioid receptors. In doing so, naltrexone also blocks the receptors that chemicals in the brain and adrenal glands produce: beta-endorphins and met-enkephalins. These receptors are found all over the body, including nearly all of the cells of our immune system. The typical dose of naltrexone taken for the labeled uses above is 50mg by mouth each day. Over the past few years, scientists have begun to research more about naltrexone – specifically, “Low Dose Naltrexone”. In 1985, Dr. Bernard Bihari discovered some remarkable effects of giving patients only 3mg of compounded naltrexone each night at bedtime in patients he was treating with HIV/AIDS. It appeared as though this low dose of naltrexone was somehow enhancing a patients immune system. As time progressed, clinicians began to research possible uses of low dose naltrexone in other immune related conditions – Crohn’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, and Fibromyalgia were considered possible conditions that low dose naltrexone could possibly be helpful in. Through years of research and anecdotal reports, it’s been found that 4.5mg of naltrexone each night at bedtime has become the “gold...
by Eugene Papantoniou | May 21, 2015 | Compounded Medications
Compounding is the art and the science of preparing tailor made medications based on an individual health practitioners exact orders for a patient. While compounding at one point in time was the norm in pharmacies, it has long since become a “lost art”, with many pharmacies lacking the knowledge and training needed in order to prepare compounded medications. Additionally, many pharmacies simply lack the time necessary to prepare compounded medications, which require time and strict attention in order to ensure they are prepared properly. In recent years, there has been a resurgence in the art of compounding as research continues to reveal that when it comes to medicine, “One Size Fits All” is hardly beneficial! Compounded medications fill an important need in health care, in that they are able to fill unique gaps in pharmaceutical care that are otherwise unmet by commercially available medications. For example, many patients suffer with chronic pain, and rely on oral pain medications in order to perform their normal daily functions. Often times these medications can cause unwanted and sometimes serious side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and drowsiness. Many medications for pain also carry the unwanted risk of addiction and tolerance. Through the power of compounding, our clinical compounding pharmacists are able to formulate topical solutions for pain management that can reduce the risk of systemic side effects, while nearly eliminating the risk of addiction and tolerance. For some patients, there are simply no commercially available drugs that meet their healthcare needs. This may be because they suffer from a condition that is relatively rare, or they require a medication that a commercial drug...
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