KUSP's Ask Doctor Dawn

Reprogrammed T cells cures an aggressive adult leukemia; College student invents a gel of extracellular matrix material that helps stop bleeding; Advice for treating a breast cancer tumor, including IV Vitamin C; More interesting research about breast milk including changes in content depending on sex of infant; New York bans receipt paper containing BPA; Review of the flaws in Woman's Health Initiative's conclusions about HRT and disease risks; The benefits of green tea and coffee in reducing strokes, diabetes, Parkinson's etc.; A thin woman developed osteoporosis when young and has no children has a higher risk of breast cancer; More about using HRT and cancer risks post menopause; Will my carpal tunnel problem at night progress with age? Research shows that smoking bans in public places does reduce rates of heart attacks and sudden death; Individualizing when to start hormone replacement therapy, especially after long term birth control use

The benefits of olive oil include increased satiety hormone and decreased glucose absorption; Dr Dawn applauds Whole Foods for demanding GMO labeling on food they sell; Does radiation treatment for breast cancer increases chances of heart attack? The effect of fish oil and aspirin on blood clotting — the biochemistry of clotting is explained; Aspirin worked better than pharmaceuticals in preventing migraine but there are gastrointestinal side effects; Tissue biopsy or liquid aspiration is needed to tell of a breast lump is cancer; Fish oil fatty acids are found to inhibit flu virus replication in mice; Microwave heating is the same as other methods, but don't microwave in plastic; Should I worry about titanium dioxide additive in many supplements? Natural supplements to support prostate health; New research tells how cells turn into white or brown fat cells; You can't diagnosis high blood pressure with one visit to the doctor and problems with using diuretics

What to do about a loose jaw joint; A baby is cured of HIV using 3 anti-retroviral drugs; Should I be worried about using Aldara for my actinic keratosis? Where can I find out about side effects of nutritional supplements? Another doctor helps explain perioral dermatitis; Thyroid tests will reveal if thyroid problem is cause of rapid heart rate; Data-mining internet searches reveals prescription drug side-effects and interactions before FDA reports them; Identifying food sensitivities is important in reducing arthritis flair ups; A newly-discovered pluripotent breast cell type is like stem cells and could be used for disease treatments; Paying people 20 dollars a month helps them loose weight; Small particles in the air can transmit flu virus — filter masks do prevent this; A new killer virus like SARS is looming in the Middle East; Details on how to stock up on medications and a comment on expiration dates

New research favors Mediterranean diet for reducing strokes and heart attacks; The complicated issues of gut bacteria, immune reactions to gluten and the benefits of breast feeding; An interesting question about hygiene; DHEA and estrogen may help bone loss from osteoporosis, but monitor hormone levels; Advice for a complicated case of colon restoration after a ruptured diverticulum; Complaints about getting information from his surgeon concerning post knee replacement pain; Hyberbaric oxygen treatment is useful for things like killing difficult anaerobic bacterial infections; Olecranon bursitis that is draining fluid outside should be removed by surgery; Organic milk and spices were found to be heavily contaminated with phthalates, probably from containers; High BPA levels are found in urine of babies in intensive care because of all the plastic around them

New research shows higher antioxidants and vitamins in organic foods; 3D printing used to form artificial external ears from stem cells; Hydrogel with heart stem cells are injected to rebuild heart muscle after a heart attack; Supposedly inert lab plastic is found to release BPA, an estrogen mimic; Proteomics research reveals that mice responses to trauma are not the same as in humans and are not a good research model; Causes of perioral dermatitis, such as eating mangoes; Bone marrow transplant for leukemia cured a man of AIDS; Will taking both aspirin and Omega 3 fish oil increase risk of GI bleeding? A nurse writes about difficulties interpreting hand-written pain drug prescriptions; Why does hot water relieve itching in my fingers that have eczema? Decongestants are a good first step to address vertigo in a 6 year old; A morning burst of cortisol and adrenaline raises blood sugar levels; Does brain wave biofeedback help for depression? Details of Omega 3 fatty acid doses and EPA-DHA ratios for various purposes; Amount of sugar in soft drinks — Are artificial sweeteners bad? — Low-fat foods often have extra sugar; Worms with probiotic bacteria have higher nitric oxide and live longer; An elder with tremors should be checked for Parkinson's disease

Commonly-used drugs that have recently been produced as generics; Adequate protein intake is very important in elders to prevent muscle loss — B12 is important for a healthy brain; Warnings about using the new OTC patch version of Oxybutynin for irritable bladder; Different types and appropriate use of vitamin B12 supplements; Monitoring bone lose to assess side effects of anti-osteoporosis drugs — stopping before dental work is important; How Lupron works to suppress prostate cancer and why it looses its effectiveness over time; New technique to improve accuracy of prostate biopsies; Should I get off bisphosphonate before getting tooth implants? Advice for kidney health at various stages of kidney damage; More about Dr Dawn's criticism of the proposed FDA rules for pain medication prescriptions; How do I avoid feeling depressed by the afternoon every day? Tramadol is a pain medicine that is less regulated but doesn't work for everyone; Try a mucus thinner to remedy ringing in the ears possibly caused by congestion; Toradol is an injectible NSAID sometimes confused with Tramadol; Alternatives to chronic use of pain drugs such as meditation that reduce the emotional aspect; Knee debridement is a temporary procedure — when to go to the doctor after reinjuring the knee; A chronic kidney stone producer describes how he treats his pain

Probiotics are just as good as antibiotics in treating bladder infections; Probiotics and a chemical in coffee also help with loosing weight by inducing a satiation hormone; Why gluten causes immune problems in the gut, especially if you have irritable bowel syndrome; Does melatonin have any side effects? Comments by listener supports Dr Dawn's concerns about proposed FDA rules for pain medication prescriptions; More about the effects of the Affordable Care Act; Woman with very deep sleep in the morning needs a sleep study; Probiotics for irritable bowel syndrome; A caller's hand tingling at night is diagnosed as thoracic outlet syndrome; Woman with tingling in the hands was helped by physical therapy for the spine; The controversial issue of the dangers of soy milk; Help with alcohol detoxification — supplements to help heal the liver; Follow up from woman with neck and shoulder pain related to a fibroid

Proposed FDA rules will make it harder to prescribe pain medicine; The consequences of poor gut bacteria in malnourished babies or infants with colic; Changes in sexuality with age are based on healthy eating and hence blood vessel health; Caller relates difficulties in getting pain medication; Does 5-HTP supplement help with weight loss and/or depression? Claims that regular aspirin use correlates with macular degeneration doesn't prove causality; The bioelectrical potential across cell membranes can reveal cells that will become cancer; Quitting smoking and good diet advice for fighting cancer; Sources of omega 3 fatty acids; Is statin exacerbating my friend's Parkinson's disease? Buy only ionic air filters that do NOT emit ozone; Prolotherapy would probably not help the joint condition hallux rigidus — avoid joint fusion if you can; How changes in sleep patterns affects our memory consolidation

Flu epidemic hits California — bird flu research restarts; Amgen gets special treatment in the "fiscal cliff" bill — seems like bribery; Vegetarian vs. Paleo diets are compared — genetic individuality prevents a best for all answer; The effects of over-reaction to estrogen and how to modify them; DNA methylation, folate metabolism and possible links to colon cancer; Using magnetic nanoparticles to coax stem cells into a cloned bronchiole for toxicology testing; Cell membrane proteins have a zipper structure that opens to let proteins into cells; Can I get my iodine supplementation from kelp? Lowering a rapid heart rate is complicated by thyroid and high blood pressure issues; Causes, symptoms and treatment of diarrhea are outlined; Five high-fat foods that can help you loose weight

Comments on responsible gun ownership and safety in the home; Improved technique to induce stem cells to build new knee cartilage; Tips to avoid getting the flu from public transportation; Can my thyroid medicine or antidepressant cause bruising on arms and legs? More research supports benefits of fecal transplants to combat Clostridium difficile; Ovarian cancer rates are higher in celibate woman and the effect of birth control pills on cancer rates; Vitamin K2 for osteoporosis is okay when also taking estrogen, and the use of strontium as a preventative; A rare case of losing the sense of smell but not taste is probably related to allergy treatment; More about flu shot effectiveness, flu symptoms and ibuprofen toxicity; Access to genome sequences can lead to privacy issues in online databases; Did taking beta-carotene cause my PSA level to rise? More about the confidentiality issues with genome sequences; A conversation about hospital acquired infection and genetic individuality topics

Influenza has reached epidemic levels in the US this winter; Good administration and doctor stories at the Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz; Short term use of antihistamines and nasal steroids is not a problem; Should a woman with vaginal atrophy and cervical stenosis get estrogen therapy? A teenager with intestinal problems should try an elimination diet to detect food sensitivities; Caller has success with lysine for treating a variety of virus infections — how to design an experiment to investigate this; Does caller have true sciatica or piriformis syndrome instead? Does a fruit from South America kill cancer cells? Good discussion of the symptoms and treatments of influenza virus; New study details the bad side effects of statins on muscle physiology; New DNA probes done with a Pap test can detect uterine and ovarian and cancers in addition to cervical cancer; How to confirm and treat a rotator cuff injury; A case of ascites caused by cirrhosis of the liver from too much alcohol; The bad side effects of doctors becoming employees of big corporations

Breast milk has hundreds of probiotic bacterial species that help develop a baby's immune system; Faults in a meta-analysis claiming overweight people are less likely to die suddenly; Could an alleged email from mymedicare.gov be a phishing scheme?; Friends have chronic urinary tract infection — how long should one take antibiotics? Are health shakes digestible when no chewing is involved? Dr. Dawn supports the Paleo diet; Osteoporosis are being oversold without recognizing the effects of bisphosphonates; A caller's staph infection might be the Methicillin-resistant variety (MRSA); FDA announces new rules to reduce bacterial contamination of food growers and processors; MRI scans can reveal the risks of bipolar disorder; A new form of cell division is discovered! The sad truth that Multiple Sclerosis is difficult to diagnose and can be missed early on; Drug use is probably a symptom rather that a cause of schizophrenia; American Association of Pediatrics recent report warns against contact with pesticides, which are associated with cancer and adverse neurodevelopment

Review article summarizes the various bad effects of long term Proton Pump Inhibitor use; Imbalance in muscle strength is probably causing upper back pain; Soy drinks causing bloating and flatulence — maybe a change in intestinal flora? An anaesthesiologist tells someone they have a "difficult airway"; Protein in urine can cause foam; Avoiding alcohol and caffeine is important in preventing atrial fibrillation; Meditation increases vagal tone and reduces inflammation; Should I be worried about higher blood pressure after I wake up? Cortisone injected into a joint does not raise blood sugar levels; Building a collagen scaffold to guide stem cell growth; Off label use of Ketamine shows promise for depression — the difficulties in understanding the physiology of antidepressants; Does microwaving reduce the nutritional value of food? Preparation for arthroscopic shoulder surgery

More about fracking for oil and gas in Monterey CA — Fracking regulations are a joke; Niacin study stopped because it doesn't reduce heart attacks — comments on drug company advertising; Is a replaced knee out of alignment causing crepitus? A caller doesn't like the beta blocker prescribed for her a trial fibrillation - the chaos model for afib; How long am I contagious with my cold that has moved into my throat? A New York Times editorial promotes using pharmacists to do primary care activities; A circulatory problem is probably the cause of a woman's hand turning blue; Stress reduction should be tried instead of more drugs for a teenager with depression, ADHD etc; Do needle biopsies possibly cause the spread of cancer cells? New test to detect lymphedema, a bad side effect of impaired lymph drainage from cancer; Peritoneal dialysis is a more comfortable treatment for kidney failure; A woman describes how treating leaky gut and food allergies cured her cognitive problems; Factors such as humidity and temperature affect the transmission of the common cold

Glutamate neurotransmitter is linked to depression and suicide — Ketamine can reverse suicide tendencies; Dr Dawn and callers discuss the issue of "fracking" shale for oil and gas, especially in the Monterey area; Niacinamide can help arthritis in just some people because of genetic differences; Biochemical individuality also explains different vitamin requirements in treating conditions like neuropathy; Different treatments for gallstones; Caller did a gallbladder cleanse that worked well for removing the "sludge"; Caller asks for a thorough explanation of the biology of hypertension; Blood vessel leakage in the retina causes a condition called central serous retinopathy; Why Dr Dawn likes Forteo for the treatment of osteoporosis, but watch for calcium in the arteries; Magnesium helps leg cramps at night; Brominated vegetable oil additive is another reason not to drink many common sodas and other drinks