June 2003
Six Ways To Save On Drug Costs
Subscribers Only Split Pills. Ask you doctor to prescribe your pills in double strength. Then, using a plastic pill-cutter (available at any pharmacy), split them in half. Note: Some medications—time-release pills, capsules, and tablets coated to reduce stomach irritation—lose their effectiveness when split. Buy Generics. Once a patent runs out on a well-known drug, others made of the same chemicals hit the market with a different name, at a lower price. Ask your doctor if there's a…
Ask Dr. Marks: 06/03
Subscribers Only What is “reactive” arthritis? What causes it? The symptoms? How is it treated? The term “reactive” arthritis usually pertains to a group of inflammatory diseases that are triggered by an infectious agent. The most important disease in this group is Reiter's syndrome. The triggering agents are usually Salmonella or Shigella organisms. The organism does not infect the joint but triggers an immune response which causes inflammation of the joint. The syndrome can involve any joint but…
Fairway Flexes Loosen Stiff Joints
Subscribers Only Golf is a great game—and great exercise. If it’s something you enjoy, you’re no doubt itching about this time of year to get back on the tee. But the golf swing involves a very unnatural motion that requires an enormous amount of rotation of the lower back. If you suffer from arthritis, the problems are compounded. The antidote: flexibility exercises, which increase the amount and quality of motion your joints allow. The greater your shoulder…
When OA Strikes Hands And Feet
Subscribers Only While osteoarthritis often affects knees and hips, OA can also occur in the hands and feet—particularly among women. Typical risk factors include repetitive stress, overuse and poor circulation. While OA in women has a tendency to develop after menopause, a study of 1,053 women under age 45 found evidence of osteoarthritis in their hands and knees by age 40. Almost 70 percent of people over 70 have X-ray evidence of OA, but only half of…
Mediterranean Diet: A Tasty Way To Ease Arthritis Pain
Subscribers Only The evidence is in.The Medi-terranean diet is not only healthy for your heart. It also lessens the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. But it can take up to three months for the diet to take effect. Not a “diet” in the strictest sense, but a loose term that describes the eating habits of people in the Mediterranean region, the easy-to-follow plan consists largely of fruits, beans, vegetables, olive oil, canola oil and fish, the latter containing omega-3…
In the News: 06/03
Subscribers Only Arthritis Plus Ulcers? Pricey COX-2 Inhibitors Not Your Only Option If you suffer from arthritis and have a history of ulcers, stomach-friendly but expensive COX-2 inhibitor drugs (Vioxx, Celebrex, Bextra) aren't your only option, according to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine. A traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), when paired with an ulcer drug, may prevent bleeding just as well. The study involved 287 patients who had used NSAIDs for their arthritis…
Worn Out Knees: Repair Or Replace?
Subscribers Only When the arthritis in your knees becomes serious enough to disrupt your daily life, and pain relievers no longer provide relief, surgery is often the next option. But as we explained earlier (“Surgery Options For Arthritis,” Feb. 2003), joint surgery comes in many flavors, from removal of the joint lining, to arthroscopy, to partial implants, to total knee replacement. How do you know which makes sense for your ailing knees? …