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Questions and Answers Segment
Your questions answered
every 2 weeks. If you have a question for Dr Elstein,
click here.
QUESTION 1:
I have been taking the contraceptive pill dianette for
my acne for about 3 years now. I have heard people say
it is dangerous to be on dianette longer than 18 months
but others say it is fine and no different to any other
contraceptive pill. Is this true or should I try another
pill for my acne which has cleared up but comes back
when I stop taking dianette.
I also use it for contraception.
Answer:
There are studies linking high dose
contraceptives with a slightly increased incidence of
breast cancer and blood clots.
The dose of hormones used in these studies was
higher than those found in the contraceptive formulation
to which you refer however it would be a good idea to
discuss these risks with your doctor.
On the positive side the risk of ovarian cancer
and osteoporosis decreases with oral contraceptive use.
QUESTION 2: Can you get pregnant by
taking plan B and by taking both pills at the same
time?
Answer: I
think you are referring to the utilization of 100mcg of
ethinyloestradiol which is usually three contraceptive
pills to bring on a period.
This is one way of inducing contraception after
you’ve had intercourse.
To be safe my advice in this kind of scenario is
to bring your concerns to the immediate attention of
your doctor.
QUESTION 3: For some years now I have
suffered neck pain which induces awful headaches which
can go on for days. I have had all sorts of treatments
and nothing has really helped. The muscles at the back
of the neck are always sore. Now over the last six
months I have started to get ear pain. (like an
intermittent shooting pain) My ears sound continually
like they are in a 'power station' with this constant
ringing. There are also times when I feel an intense
pressure in my face and head and it becomes quite
flushed and thumps, (often when I get up off a
chair) my ears are louder then also. (I have a normal
blood pressure.) I am wondering whether the cause
of my neck problems is also now causing the others.
I work on a computer (10 years) but am always very aware
of my posture
Answer: Tension
in your neck muscles can certainly precipitate this type
of problem and I would suggest that you have regular
massages to relieve this discomfort.
Magnesium is a nutrient that can really help in
this scenario and you would need to take 400mg of
magnesium orotate at least three times daily.
You should also have this problem evaluated by
your doctor to ensure that there is no underlying reason
for your intense discomfort.
Once your doctor has given you the all clear and
you do not have any form of arthritis in your neck you
might find that chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation
is very useful.
QUESTION
4: I wish to slow down the aging process
by laser or some method of plastic surgery, who and what
do you recommend?
Answer: My suggestions for targeting the aging process are via
the use of diet, vitamins, antioxidants and hormones as
well as natural creams applied to the skin.
These are detailed in my book ‘Eternal
Health’ which is described on this site and my new
book: ‘ Why didn’t my doctor tell me about this’
which is soon to be released.
QUESTION 5: About
3 years ago I lost 200 pounds (91 kilos) - and this is
great, with the exception of the sagging skin and
stretch marks. I have spent a fortune on laser
treatments which have faded my stretch marks, somewhat,
but I am still left with substantial skin sagging.
I have visited a plastic surgeon and had a quote of
around $40,000 to have the skin removed but was told
that this would not guarantee good results, and also I
would be left with a lot of serious scarring. I
want to find a way to vastly improve my skin - and
therefore this is my question. Can DHEA, melatonin
and HGH improve my skin sagging and scarring? I
cannot find anyone in NZ who deals with these, and so
would need to find a way to use them if they would
indeed be helpful.
Answer:
I congratulate you on your weight loss
achievements. Unfortunately I’m not aware of any studies which show
that the hormones you mention will have much impact on
your stretch marks or sagging skin.
If you go to the website www.acnem.org.au
you might find a doctor in New Zealand who can provide
you with assistance in this regard.
QUESTION 6: I
have just had an emergency total hysterectomy and have
been given Estrofem to take, after reading all the side
effects on the package insert I am a bit concerned about
taking this therapy. Is there no other natural
alternative?
Answer:
I suggest you find a doctor who can assess
all your hormonal levels including thyroid hormones,
DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), oestrogen, testosterone
and progesterone and can prescribe the appropriate
hormone treatments based on your levels of these and the
symptoms indicating that you are deficient in specific
hormones. I
use hormonal treatments that are formulated by a
compounding chemist which are different from
conventional hormone replacement treatments.
Once again these are described in my new book
‘Why didn’t my doctor tell me about this’ which is
soon to be released.
QUESTION
7: I'm 7 months post partum and have been
eating a low carbohydrate diet and exercising for 2
months and have not lost any weight.
My hair has been falling out for 6 months and I
have acne all over my body.
I have had TSH, FT3, FT4, estrogen and
progesterone tested along with sugar. These came back
normal. I'm
taking supplements thinking that yeast may play a role
because I was getting an infection every month right
before my period. This
month I have not had a period yet and I have not had a
yeast infection. I
had to take progesterone 2 months post partum to start
menstruation. I'm
wondering if you know of anything that could be wrong
with me. I
have tried it all and I feel like giving up.
My hair keeps getting thinner.
I'm so moody. I don't know what to do.
The levels of my TSH was .847, the FT4 was 1.1.
Answer: I
suggest you look at the tips for weight loss described
this week and on the last ‘What’s new update.
A good way to assess thyroid function is via a
morning temperature evaluation.
If this is constantly below 98.4 or in the low
98’s this could mean that your thyroid hormone is not
working effectively despite the fact that your blood
tests indicate that your thyroid hormone levels are not
especially low. You
might need to take extra thyroid hormone to get your
thyroid hormones working effectively. It also sounds like you are suffering from insulin resistance
even though your blood sugar levels are normal. Cinnamon, alpha-lipoic acid and fish oil can assist with
insulin function.
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