Are our Medicines Killing us Faster than Our Diseases?
A look at the drug Metformin, and what you need to know.
Over the years I have found that the majority of patients who come to my clinic tend to be 5-10 years older or younger than me. I seem to attract patients around the same age as me.
When I began my Chiropractic practice, I was in my early 30’s. Most of my patients were in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. I saw mostly people who were weekend warriors with sore backs, neck pain and headaches. In my 40’s, many of my patients were women who were beginning to go through menopause with the uncomfortable symptoms this could bring. I also began to see many people who had been living a very sedentary lifestyle in Silicon Valley as engineers, managers, etc. These patients suffered from Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity (as a group, these conditions are called metabolic syndrome). The number of these patients in my office just kept increasing as time went on and my Human Engine Approach™ to treatment was very effective in handling all of the conditions just mentioned. I knew that metabolic syndrome was going to be the main threat to the health of the older patients I was seeing and I eventually ended up writing a book, The Ultimate Type 2 Diabetes Solution, in an attempt to warn people of the dangers of traditional care alone.
In America, by the time we are 65 years old, 1 in 3 of us will be diabetic. In India, after age 65, 1 in 2 adults will be diabetic. This is a worldwide epidemic.
Most Type 2 diabetics (more than 90% of our nation’s diabetic population) are prescribed the diabetes drug Metformin (Glucophage). Many people consider this drug completely safe. This is quite far from the truth. “Metformin has a long list of nasty side effects such as: dizziness; fatigue; cardiovascular reactions; acute infections of the eyes, ears and throat; flu-like symptoms and anemia.” From Al Sears, MD newsletter. Dr. Sears did not even include the most common side effects of diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
Another problem that results from Metformin use without proper nutritional supplementation is an increase in homocysteine* levels. High homocysteine levels are one of the best indicators for increased risk of blood clots, dementia, heart attack, heart disease, osteoporosis and stroke.
This is very bad news for diabetics because, “At least 68% of people with diabetes ages 65 and older will die from some form of heart disease,” according to the American Heart Association.
This is not the only example of how medications we take to help us with our modern-day health problems can actually do more harm than good. We will talk more about this in future blogs.
If you are concerned about your health and the number of medications you are taking, call and schedule a FREE 15 minute consultation - 408-984-7444. I look forward to speaking with you.
To life without drugs,
Richard F. Gringeri, DC
* Homocysteine is an amino acid that is a breakdown product of protein digestion. Elevated amounts of homocysteine in the blood is a predictor of blood clots, heart disease, strokes, etc.
