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Friday 27 February 2015

Tinnitus. Why Homeopathy? is the best treatment

Tinnitus is an ailment that produces sound emanating from within the body rather than from an outside source. The condition can cause enormous personal distress, leading to insomnia and depression. The most usual sounds heard are:
     buzzing
     cracking
     grinding
     hissing
     humming
     ringing
     roaring
     rushing
     singing
     sizzling
     wind
     whistling
     whizzing

Conventional Medical Treatment for Tinnitus
NHS Choices says that  most people learn to live with tinnitus , despite the fact that it can have a significant impact on day-to-day life. It says that  in most cases, tinnitus isn t harmful and will often improve over time . Moreover, it admits that the cause of tinnitus  can t be found so the aim of treatment will be to help manage the condition on a daily basis .

There is no drug treatment for Tinnitus, which at least means that conventional medicine is causing patients no harm. Instead, NHS Choices outlines the following 

               Correcting hearing loss, might involve surgery and the fitting of hearing aids
               Sound therapy, using neutral, repetitive sounds  to distract you from the sound of tinnitus .
               Tinnitus counselling, a talking therapy that  plays an important part in learning how to cope with the condition and manage it more effectively .
               Cognitive behavioural therapy, to treat mental health problems arising from Tinnitus, such as anxiety and depression.
               Tinnitus retraining therapy, trying to utilise you natural ability to  get used  to a sound so  it becomes apart of your subconscious, rather than part of your conscious perception .
               Self-Help measures, such as relaxation, listening to music, support groups

So if Tinnitus sufferers are looking to relieve the condition, conventional medicine has little to offer.

The Homeopathic Treatment of Tinnitus

Note. Homeopathy does not treat illness or diseases. It treats an individual who has been diagnosed with a particular illness or disease. The distinction is important. Click here to read more about  Illness Diagnosis . 

Homeopathy works by matching the symptoms of illness with the known symptoms of remedies. These short remedy descriptions may guide you to a remedy that can work for you, but consulting with a qualified homeopath will enhance the chances of a good match. When a close match is found the remedy will work successfully, without any side effects, or adverse reactions.

The following remedy descriptions have been taken from the Hpathy website, and a useful article by Robert Medhurst.

Baryta mur
Buzzing, Roaring.
Worse for chewing or swallowing
Better for sipping cold water

Chenopodium ant.
Buzzing, Roaring
No modalities known for this remedy

China
Humming,Ringing, Singing
Worse after eating, at night.
Better for warmth, open air

Chinin sulph
Ringing
Worse mid to late morning, cold
Better for pressure

Coccus
Cracking
Worse on waking, lying down, worse left side
Better for walking, cold drinks

Dulcamara
Buzzing
Worse for cold, damp air
Better for warmth and dry weather

Elaps
Buzzing, Crackling, Roaring
Worse from wet weather, worse at night
Better from rest

Graphites
Cracking, Hissing, Roaring
Sounds like gunshots
Worse for warmth, worse at night
Better from wrapping up

Kali iod
Ringing
Worse from heat, changing or damp weather, night
Better for motion, cold air, open air

Ledum
Roaring, Rushing, Wind
Worse at night, worse from heat
Better for cold, better for rest

Lycopodium
Humming, Ringing, Roaring, Rushing, Whizzing
Worse for warmth, early evening, right side
Better for motion, warm food and drink

Mag carb
Buzzing, Ringing, Roaring, Whizzing
Worse for warmth of the bed, temperature changes
Better for warm air, open air

Petroleum
Ringing, Cracking, Whizzing, Wind
Worse for motion, cold weather, eating
Better for warm air, dry weather, raised head

Salicylic acid
Ringing, Roaring
Worse for motion, night, cold
Better for dry heat

Silica
Roaring
Worse from cold air and drafts, in the morning
Better for warmth, for wrapping head

Thiosinaminum
Normally used clinically where there is scar tissue, or a thickening of the ear drum causes tinnitus

Medhurst says that these remedies should be used in 6C potencies, three times daily, only while the symptoms that relate specifically to the remedy are present. For any issues that don t resolve in a reasonable period of time or those that increase in severity, the services of a qualified and experienced homoeopath should be sought.


The information on this webpage represents the views and opinion of the author, based on his clinical experience, and the traditions of Homeopathy. This material is provided for information only, and should not be construed as medical advice or instruction. Always consult with a suitably qualified and registered Homeopath, or with a medical doctor for advice about the treatment they offer, especially in serious or life threatening medical conditions, or if you are already taking medical drugs. 


Tuesday 24 February 2015

The Dangers of Statin Drugs

Statin drugs are the most widely prescribed drugs in the UK, and indeed throughout the parts of the world dominated by conventional, drug-vaccine based medicine. They are supposed to lower the levels of cholesterol in the blood which drug companies have long considered to be a major cause of heart disease. 

Initially, we were told that all cholesterol was bad, and needed to be reduced. Then we were told that there is a 'good' and a 'bad' cholesterol. Now, increasing evidence seems to indicate that cholesterol, even 'bad' cholesterol, is not only necessary to our health, but beneficial. This evidence has been put together on 'The Cholesterol Truth' website.

For decades the conventional medical establishment have told us that Statins are entirely safe, that even healthy people should take them as a 'preventative' measure, even that they should be added to our water supply!

This is tremendous promotional material for the Big Pharma companies, and it has led to enormous profits for them. But these profits have been made to the detriment of the health of those people who have taken them.

There are many types and brands of Statin drugs, but they all work in much the same way. These are some of the more common names under which these drugs are sold to us.

Altoprev, Lovastatin, Crestor, Rosuvastatin, Lescol, Fluvastatin, Lipitor, Atorvastatin, Livalo,         Pitavastatin, Mevacor, Pravachol, Pravastatin, Zocor, Simvastatin, Advicor, Simcor, Vytorin.

The History of the Drug
Statins have been the wonder drug of wonder drugs in recent times, the anti-cholesterol drugs prescribed now to over 2.5 million patients in the UK alone. We have been repeatedly told that this miracle drug could significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, and that they are entiresy safe and 'well tolerated'.

The discovery of the effects of statin compounds led to the first experimental 'cholesterol inhibitor' drug in the 1970s, Lovastatin. Testing this drug in the 1980s showed it to be effective in reducing cholesterol levels in volunteers, leading to the drug companies making a link between cholesterold and heart disease, and then selling Statins to reduce heart disease.

Until recently, guidelines from NICE recommended that anyone with a 20% risk of cardiovascular disease over the next ten years should be eligible for them, which means the number of people on Statins soared to more than five million within a few years. The Department of Health somehow estimated that Statins were saving 9,700 lives every year! More recently, NICE have recommened that even more people, those with a 10% risk of heart disease, should be prescribed the drugs.

Indeed, until 2009-10 the main criticism about Statins was that they were not prescribed on a sufficient scale, and this argument was raised in a Guardian article (Sarah Boseley, 22 May 2006) which begins 

          "Virtually all middle-aged men and older women should be taking statins, the cholesterol-lowering drugs, if Britain is to have any real success in preventing heart attacks and strokes, experts say today"

The cost of the drugs was one concern in making this recommendation, with Statins costing on average £152.52 a year per patient, with the NHS bill for Statins being some £769m in 2004 alone.

Yet even at that time the dangers of Statins were beginning to emerge. A Daily Mail article (Jerome Burne, Daily Mail, 27 June 2006) referred to an article in the British Medical Journal, in which Swedish physician and cholesterol expert Dr Uffe Ravnskov claimed that too little is known about the side effects of taking statins at higher doses. The article claimed that there was a possibility of mental and neurological problems such as severe irritability and memory loss, and muscle weakness (myopathy), which can make walking difficult, cause aches and pains, and in rare cases leads to total muscle cell breakdown, and kidney failure. 

Yet the same article quotes one medical professor saying "there is almost universal benefit from statins for men over 55, regardless of their cholesterol level, and also for women over 60" . What this demonstrates is that ConMed is prepared to ignore warning signs about its drugs until the evidence is significant, and unavoidable. In other words, ConMed drugs are safe until proven otherwise!

On 15th January 2007, the Daily Mail published an article by Jenny Hope 'Do Statins raise the risk of Parkinsons'. The article referred to a study undertaken in the USA by Dr Xuemei Huang, of the University of North Carolina that found patients with low levels of LDL cholesterol (something Statins are designed to lower) are three times more likely to have Parkinson's disease. The article stated that researchers were planning larger scale trials to determine whether Statins were the cause. 

This is the route through which most drugs pass. Small research projects announce cautious findings, and these are refuted by the conventional medical establishment. Then, as time passes, further evidence makes such denial increasingly difficult.

Certainly, official figures, reported in the 2006 Daily Mail article, showed that the number of reported side effects and deaths linked with Statins had increased significantly. In 2005, deaths linked to Statins for the past 18 years was thought to be 92, with 7,000 reports of adverse reactions. Yet the annual figures released by the MHRA indicated 38 deaths, with 1,337 reported side effects.

Then, in 2009, research from the Iowa State university suggested that Statins, and other cholesterol lowering drugs, could cause a decrease in brain function. Yeon-Kyun Shin, who conducted the research, said 

          "If you deprive cholesterol from the brain, then you directly affect the machinery that triggers the release of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters affect the data-processing and memory functions. In other words - how smart you are and how well you remember things" 

One of the biggest studies of Statin drugs, (American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs 2008;8(6): 373-418) was reported in Mercola on 22nd February 2009. It described the study as "the most complete picture to date of reported side effects of statins, involving nearly 900 studies, and it gives powerful evidence of 'statin-induced injury' to the functioning of the body's energy-producing cells, called mitochondria". This, the study suggested it is underlying many of the 'adverse reactions' that occur to patients taking statin drugs.

Elsewhere I have described how conventional medical drugs have a life history that takes them from birth to death. Statins were now emerging from their 'childhood' stage, when they were considered to be safe and effective, and moving towards 'adolescence' - the stage when there is increasing evidence against the drug, but as yet the evidence is not accepted by the conventional medical authorities. An adolescent drug was once thought to be 'safe' and 'effective' but is proving to be neither! So guidelines begin to be tightened. Doctors are told that cholesterol levels, and levels of enzymes indicating if there are liver or muscle problems, should be checked before prescribing the drug, and periodically thereafter.

The need for Statin drugs had always been argued on the basis of the harmful effect of cholesterol levels within the body. This, in itself, should have raised two questions. First, was diet not be a better alternative to drugs? And second, should there have been a proper debate about whether cholesterol levels really were significant in the creation of heart disease.

What needs to be remembered is that several Statin drugs have already been withdrawn from the market.

      Mevastatin (Compactin) was never marketed because testing demonstrated in the late 1970's showed it had adverse effects of tumours, muscle deterioration, and sometimes death in laboratory dogs (Wikipedia).

      In 2001, Baycol (Cerivastatin) caused muscle damage so severe and widespread, and killed several hundred patients, that it was 'quietly' withdrawn.

Yet still massive numbers of patients were still being prescribed similar drug, and patients are not being told this information.  Dr Mercola reported on 19th February 2009 (quoting a study in the Journal of American Medical Association 2009; 301: 261-2) that doctors were discovering the dangers, and the ineffectiveness of Zocor, or simvastatin. 

Zocor (Simvastatin) has been one of the most widely used Statin drugs in the world over the past 20 years, but the report said "heart specialists are looking for better alternatives after discovering high-dose simvastatin can cause muscle weakness, or myopathy".  

In 2008 the FDA, America s drug regulator, warned that Simvastatin could lead to fatal kidney failure, especially if it is used with another drug, amiodarone .

Yet massive numbers of patients in Britain, Europe, the USA, and elsewhere, are still being prescribed Statin drugs, on the basis that they are 'well tolerated' and safe!

Known side-effects (DIEs)
The conventional medical establishment have long down-played the seriousness of Statin drugs, and they contine to do so, despite the growing evidence that these drugs are dangerous. For instance, this is a typical explanation of the 'side-effects' of Statins, taken from the British Heart Foundation website.

"Like all medication, statins have potential side effects. The most common are muscular aches and pains, but many people experience none at all. Statins are among the safest and the most studied medications available today.

This is a total deceptive and dishonest description of the damage these drugs are known to cause. The full enormity of the damage this drug is causing to patients now seems to be emerging.

In 2010, a Nottingham university study was published in the British Medical Journal, and reported here in Reuters. It found that people taking Statin drugs have a higher risk of liver dysfunction, kidney failure, muscle weakness and cataracts. The study was a large one, covering over 2 million people in Britain, but the author's of the report were reported as saying that the study was unlikely to affect of Statin drugs!

The link between Statin drugs and Diabetes is also strong. Diabetes is now at epidemic levels, and is usually dismissed as being the result of what we eat. But Statin drugs appear to play a significant role in this too.

Memory loss, confusion and dementia are now also linked to Statin drugs. The FDA, (US drug regulator) states on its website, dated 20th January 2015,  that "it has been been investigating reports of coagnitive impairment from statin use for several years" and that "the agency has reviewed databases that record reports of bad reactions to drugs and statin clinical trials that included assessments of cognitive function.
The FDA report talks about memory loss, forgetfulness and confusion that "span all statin products and all age groups"

Statins have been called the greatest medical fraud of all time, and perhaps in time this is how they will be recognised, and the conventional medical establishment will see itself able to tell patients, honestly and truthfully, about the DIEs of Statin drugs. However, despite all this evidence, it will still probably be a long time before the conventional medical estaboishment has the honesty, based on the scientific information available to it, to withdraw and ban the drug.

Friday 20 February 2015

Anxiety? Homeopathic Treatment, or Conventional Drug Treatment?


Anxiety is a feeling of worry, unease or nervousness about something with an uncertain outcome, or a strong desire or concern about doing something, or for something to happen. It is usually distinguished from fear. Anxiety can sometimes be a generalised feeling, although sometimes it can involve phobias, panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Conventional Medical Treatment for Anxiety
NHS Choices describes ‘generalised anxiety disorder’ as a long-term condition. It describes a number of treatment that ‘can help’, starting with some self-help strategies. It then move to psychology based treatments, such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, and Relaxation Therapies, both of which can certainly be helpful, and without the damaging side-effects of drug treatment.

Drug treatment is the next treatment used by conventional medicine, with NHS Choices outlining that many of these can only be used on a short-term basis, and the importance of keeping in touch with your doctor, particularly concerning the adverse reactions known to be caused by these drugs.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
These are antidepressant drugs, such a Sertraline, Escitalopram and Paroxetine, which seek to increase the level of serotonin in the brain. NHS Choices describe the main side effects of SSRI’s as
  • feeling sick, nausea
  • low sex drive
  • blurred vision
  • diarrhoea or constipation
  • dizziness
  • dry mouth
  • loss of appetite
  • seating
  • agitation (!)
  • insomnia
Patients are warned not to stop taking these drugs because they have ‘withdrawal’ effects.

Serotonin and Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
NHS Choices says that if SSRIs do not work, SNRIs are used. SNRIs are a different type of antidepressant drug, and mentions Venlafaxine and Duloxetine as examples. The common side effects of these drugs are described as follows.
  • feeling sick, nausea
  • headaches
  • drowsiness
  • dizziness
  • dry mouth
  • constipation
  • insomnia
  • sweating
  • low sex drive
  • raised blood pressure (monitored whilst taking SNRIs)
Pregabalin
This is an anticonvulsant drug, used to treat epilepsy. The side effects of this drug are described as follows:
  • drowsiness
  • dizziness
  • increased appetite and weight gain
  • blurred vision
  • headaches
  • dry mouth
  • vertigo
  • nausea and low sex drive (but not so much as SSRI and SNRI drugs
Benzodiazepine Drugs
NHS Choices describe these as “a type of sedative that may sometimes be used as a short-term treatment during a particularly severe period of anxiety…” They include drugs such a Chlordiazepoxide, Diazepam and Lorazepam. Although they are described as ‘very effective in treating symptoms of anxiety” the warnings attached to them indicate how dangerous to our health they are known to be. They cannot be used ‘for long periods of time  because they can become addictive is used for longer than four week’, after which, in any case, they ‘begin to lose their effectiveness’.

The side effects of Benzodiazepine drugs are very considerable although NHS Choices admits only to these.
  • drowsiness (affecting ability to drive, use machinery)
  • difficulty concentrating
  • headaches
  • vertigo
  • tremor
  • low sex drive
Yet the impact of Benzodiazepine drugs are known to be much more severe than this, and anyone considering taking them should do further research, and not rely on conventional medical practitioners telling you about them.

The Homeopathic Treatment of Anxiety

Note. Homeopathy does not treat illness or diseases. It treats an individual who has been diagnosed with a particular illness or disease. The distinction is important. Click here to read more about “Illness Diagnosis”. 

Homeopathy works by matching the symptoms of illness with the known symptoms of remedies. These short remedy descriptions may guide you to a remedy that can work for you, but consulting with a qualified homeopath will enhance the chances of a good match. When a close match is found the remedy will work successfully, without any side effects, or adverse reactions.

These useful remedy descriptions are taken from the Similima website.

Aconitum
A panic attack that comes on suddenly with very strong fear (even fear of death) may indicate this remedy. A state of immense anxiety may be accompanied by strong palpitations, shortness of breath, and flushing of the face. Sometimes a shaking experience will be the underlying cause. Strong feelings of anxiety may also occur when a person is just beginning to come down with a flu or cold.

Argentum nit
This remedy can be helpful when anxiety develops before a big event: an exam, an important interview, a public appearance or social engagement. Dizziness and diarrhea may also be experienced. People who need this remedy are often enthusiastic and suggestible, with a tendency toward peculiar thoughts and impulses. They often crave sweets and salt (which usually make their symptoms worse).

Arsenicum
People who are deeply anxious about their health, and extremely concerned with order and security, often benefit from this remedy. Obsessive about small details and very neat, they may feel a desperate need to be in control of everything. Panic attacks often occur around midnight or the very early hours of the morning. The person may feel exhausted yet still be restless—fidgeting, pacing, and anxiously moving from place to place. These people may also have digestive problems or asthma attacks accompanied by anxiety.

Calcarea carb
This remedy is usually indicated for dependable, solid people who become overwhelmed from physical illness or too much work and start to fear a breakdown. Their thoughts can be muddled and confused when tired, which adds to the anxiety. Worry and bad news may agitate them, and a nagging dread of disaster (to themselves or others) may develop. Fear of heights and claustrophobia are also common. A person who needs this remedy is often chilly and sluggish, has a craving for sweets, and is easily fatigued.

Gelsemium
Feelings of weakness, trembling, and mental dullness (being “paralyzed by fear”) suggest a need for this remedy. It is often helpful when a person has stage-fright about a public performance or interview, or feels anxious before a test, a visit to the dentist, or any stressful event. Chills, perspiration, diarrhea, and headaches will often occur with nervousness. Fear of crowds, a fear of falling, and even a fear that the heart might stop are other indications for Gelsemium.

Ignatia
A sensitive person who is anxious because of grief, loss, disappointment, criticism, loneliness (or any stressful emotional experience) may benefit from this remedy. A defensive attitude, frequent sighing, and mood swings are other indications. The person may burst unexpectedly into either tears or laughter. Headaches that feel like a nail driven into the side of the head, and cramping pains in the abdomen or back, are often seen when this remedy is needed.

Kali phos
When a person has been exhausted by overwork or illness and feels a deep anxiety and inability to cope, this remedy may help. The person is jumpy and oversensitive, and may be startled by ordinary sounds. Hearing unpleasant news or thinking of world events can aggravate the problems. Insomnia and an inability to concentrate may develop, increasing the sense of nervous dread. Eating, warmth, and rest often bring relief. Headaches, backaches, and nervous digestive upsets are often seen when this remedy is needed.

Lycopodium
Individuals likely to respond to this remedy feel anxiety from mental stress and suffer from a lack of confidence. They can be self-conscious and feel intimidated by people they perceive as powerful (yet may also swagger or be domineering toward those with whom they feel more comfortable). Taking on responsibility can cause a deep anxiety and fear of failure, although the person usually does well, once started on a task. Claustrophobia, irritability, digestive upsets with gas and bloating, and a craving for sweets are often seen when this remedy is needed.

Natrum mur
Deep emotions and a self-protective shyness can make these people seem reserved, aloof, and private. Even when feeling lonely, they tend to stay away from social situations, not knowing what to say or do. (Inhibitions sometimes leave completely if they turn to alcohol, which makes them feel embarrassed afterwards.) Easily hurt and offended, they can brood, bear grudges, dwell on unhappy feelings, and isolate themselves—refusing consolation even when they want it. However, they are often sympathetic listeners to other people’s problems. Claustrophobia, anxiety at night (with fears of robbers or intruders), migraines, and insomnia are often seen when this remedy is needed.

Phosphorus
People who need this remedy are openhearted, imaginative, excitable, easily startled, and full of intense and vivid fears. Strong anxiety can be triggered by thinking of almost anything. Nervous and sensitive to others, they can overextend themselves with sympathy to the point of feeling exhausted and “spaced out” or even getting ill. They want a lot of company and reassurance, often feeling better from conversation or a back-rub. Easy flushing of the face, palpitations, thirst, and a strong desire for cold, refreshing foods are other indications for Phosphorus.

Pulsatilla
People who need this remedy often express anxiety as insecurity and clinginess, with a need for constant support and comforting. The person may be moody, tearful, whiny, even emotionally childish. (Pulsatilla is a very useful remedy for children.) Getting too warm or being in a stuffy room often increases anxiety. Fresh air and gentle exercise often bring relief. Anxiety around the time of hormonal changes (puberty, menstrual periods, or menopause) often is helped with Pulsatilla.

Silicea
People who need this remedy are capable and serious, yet are also nervous, shy, and subject to bouts of temporary loss of confidence. Anxiety can be extreme when they are faced with a public appearance, interview, examination, or any new job or task. Worry and overwork can bring on headaches, difficulty concentrating, and states of exhaustion, oversensitivity, and dread. Responsible and diligent, they often overreact and devote attention to tiny details—making their worries (and their work) more difficult. They often have low stamina and come down with colds, sore throats, or other illnesses after working hard or being under stress.

Randomised Controlled Tests (RCTs)

Conclusion. This is the first controlled clinical trial of chamomile extract for GAD. The results suggest that chamomile may have modest anxiolytic activity in patients with mild to moderate GAD. Future studies are needed to replicate these observations.


The information on this webpage represents the views and opinion of the author, based on his clinical experience, and the traditions of Homeopathy. This material is provided for information only, and should not be construed as medical advice or instruction. Always consult with a suitably qualified and registered Homeopath, or with a medical doctor for advice about the treatment they offer, especially in serious or life threatening medical conditions, or if you are already taking medical drugs.’



Thursday 19 February 2015

Health Freedom in Britain. Mary Kidson

The threat to our basic human freedoms is most pronounced in the sphere of health, where the conventional medical establishment is trying to impose their drugs and vaccines on everyone, regardless of whether they want them or not. I wrote about it only a few days ago in a blog entitled "Health Freedom, Patient Choice. Why does our media not discuss this issue?

This article demonstrated that the threat to Health Freedom was a world-wide phenomina, but that concern focused particularly on what was happening in the USA. Yet the case of Mary Kidson demonstrates that conventional medicine is quite willing to ride rough-shod of our freedoms in this country.

Mary's story can be simply stated, and what has happened to her and her daughter can be found via a web search. There was an excellent feature on her case on Channel 4 News last night (18th February 2015) by Ciaran Jenkins.
  • Mary felt that her teenage daughter had a health issue. Although 14 years old she had not reached puberty, and she was constantly and chronically tired.
  • Her doctors disagreed, and told her that there was nothing wrong with her.
  • Mary disagreed, and did an internet search, where she found a Belgium doctor, who thought she had Chronic Fatigue, and recommended hormonal treatments.
  • The doctors accused Mary of inventing her daughter's problems, and told her that she did not need hormonal treatment, and was poisoning her. She was charged on 3 counts of 'unlawfully and maliciously administering drugs, endangering life, and inflicting grievous bodily harm'.
  • The Belgium doctor, Dr Thierry Hertoghe, who appeared on the Channel 4 feature, said that he was quite amazed that the matter was escalated, and the matter reached the courts. He said that in Europe "this could only happen in the UK". At the time he described the situation as a mess, and urged reform to give people the right to choose their doctor without fear of prosecution.
  • On 5th March 2013, Mary's daughter was removed from her, and placed in local authority foster care.
  • When Mary sought to keep in touch with her she was arrested and spent the next 6 months in prison. 
  • Mary Kidson was tried, and cleared by a jury after a three-week trial at Worcester Crown Court in October 2014.
  • Despite this, her daughter, now 16 years old, remains in local authority care!
Although there has been media coverage, both at local and national level on this situation, the Health Freedom aspects of the case have not been sufficiently highlighted. What we have here is a mother who is concerned about her daughter's health, who sought other opinions when her local NHS doctors told her there was not problem.

Was Mary Kidson expected just to accept this?

Was disagreeing with the opinions of NHS doctors, and eliciting a second opinion, sufficient grounds for removing her daughter from her care? Was it sufficient to insist that she had no contact with her daughter? Was it sufficient to throw the mother into prison?

The conventional medical establishment in Britain clearly thought that it was! In their arrogance, they insisted not only that they were right, and that the mother was wrong, but that solely based on their interpretation of the evidence, the daughter should be moved from her care, and the mother placed on remand in prison.

This situation is not unprecedented in Britain. I have commented, in another blog, about the case of Ashya King, whose parents found themselves at the centre of an international manhunt when they  removed him from Southampton General Hospital because they believed NHS treatment would have left the five-year-old deaf, blind and brain damaged. I said this in my blog about Ashya's case.

          "So this situation can and will happen again, unless and until we begin challenge the arrogance of the conventional medical profession, and the monopolistic ambitions of the Big Pharma drug companies. We can be certain that they will continue to insist that we all take their dangerous drugs and vaccines."

The medical profession appears to be alone amongst professions in believing that they have a monopoly of understanding and insight into the issues that affect our lives. Teachers don't do it. The police don't do it. Social work staff don't do it. But our doctors do, regularly, and there appears to be a reluctance to challenge their 'expertise'. Certainly, the mainstream media generally conforms to conventional medical opinions. So, in these cases, did social workers, the police, and the courts.

Even 'Liberty' turns a blind eye to this medical arrogance, which some people have described as 'medical fascism'! The organisation claims to champion our human rights. On their website, Shami Shakrabarti is quoted as saying, 

          "Liberty campaigns for civil liberties and human rights in the UK. Our members have been holding the powerful to account, changing the law and making the news for 80 years

But not, it would appear, if our civil liberties, and human rights, concerns our ability to choose our own medical treatment, and to refuse treatments the NHS tells us that we need!

All of us have a responsibility to stand firm against the conventional medical establishment. If we do not do so, and soon, mandatory vaccines and drugs will soon be part of our reality. And many of us will find ourselves incarcerated because we believe we have a right to 'Patient Choice'.

Incidentally, all the major political parties in Britain support the concept of 'Patient Choice' in medicine. Perhaps they all need to make it a reality in this country!

Wednesday 18 February 2015

Press Freedom. Do we have it? Who controls our media?

Peter Oborne's resignation from the Telegraph (18th February 2015) poses questions we should all be asking about our Media, our 'Free' press, and our public service broadcaster, the BBC.

     WHO OWNS AND CONTROLS OUR MEDIA?

     WHO DECIDES WHAT INFORMATION SHOULD BE PASSED ON TO US, AND WHAT INFORMATION IS KEPT SHROUDED, OR EVEN SECRET?

     WHAT INFORMATION IS CENSORED BY OUR 'FREE' PRESS AND WHY?

     CAN WE BELIEVE ANYTHING OUR 'FREE' PRESS TELLS US?

     CAN WE BE SURE WE ARE BEING TOLD THE WHOLE TRUTH?

Our 'Free' press is not under the control of politicians and governments - hence we call it 'free' and are  proud of this when we compare what happens in countries that are more autocratic.

What Oborne has brought attention to is that there are other forces within society that makes our 'free' press less free than we assume. He talks of the power of advertisers. But advertisers are big, powerful, wealthy, multilateral, organisations - Big Corp. No major news organisation, perhaps with the exception of the BBC, could survive without them. If Big Corp threaten to withdraw their advertising, most news organisations would not be viable.

It remains to be seen how much HSBC Bank payrolls the Telegraph, or how much its wealthy owners are in league with the bank. Oborne complains that democracy itself was being undermined by “shadowy” media executives “who determine what truths can and what truths can’t be conveyed” by news organisations.

This blog has been making this point, and asking these questions for many years now, specifically in relation to the information the public is given about the Conventional Medical Establishment, that controls our national health service (NHS), and similar services throughout the world. In particular, it asks important questions about the activities of the pharmaceutical industry, Big Pharma.
  • Why is it the new Big Pharma drugs are regularly and routinely presented as 'new breakthroughs', as 'wonder drugs', as developments that will 'change our experience' of serious illness - all without serious question?
  • Why is it that when Big Pharma drugs and vaccines are found to be ineffective, harmful, or downright dangerous our Media regularly and routinely fail to tell us? 
  • Why is it when drug companies are found to be fraudulent, in their commercial activities, in their drug testing, in their drug marketing, in their refusal to share full information, they are not taken to task by our Media?
  • Why do Alternative Medical Therapies, such as Homeopathy, receive nothing but derision and dismissal from our mainstream media?
  • Why is there not more attention paid to comparison about the 'outcomes' of medical treatment as opposed to RCT's (randomised controlled tests) which is the favour domain of the drug companies?
To demonstrate this, one important medical story broke during September 2014 and it has been almost totally ignored by the mainstream media. The story can be simply outlined:
  1. The link between the MMR vaccine and the rising epidemic of Autism was widely discussed during the late 1990's and early 2000's. The result was a reduction in the number of parents who had their children immunised with this vaccine.
  2. Andrew Wakefield was pilloried by the mainstream media for drawing attention to this possible link, and eventually lost his job, and moved to the USA.
  3. In 2004, a major study was published that found no evidence of any link between MMR and Autism. As a result of this all further discussion about the link has been stopped within mainstream Media.
  4. In September 2014, 10 years after the study, one of the co-authors admitted that important evidence that should have been included in the 2004 study had been excluded, information that would have indicated that the link did exist.
Is this a newsworthy event. Is it not in the public interest for this information to be thoroughly investigated? Have thousands of children been vaccinated for the last 10 years and contracted Autism as a result?

Not for the mainstream media, either in the USA, Britain, or Europe where it has been completely and utterly ignored. Even the BBC, our public services broadcaster, not funded by advertising, but directly by the public via the licence fee, has not told its paymasters about the story. Indeed, the BBC has been one of the most serious offenders during the last 10 years in its failure and refusal to debate the MMR-Autism link.

So Peter Oborne has raised an important issue about our 'free' press. However, it is likely that he will now be pilloried by the Media he will have offended. Worse, he will be ignored. Worse, the questions he has asked will not be seriously addressed because Big Corp will not want them to be addressed.

The question he has asked is not one that concerns the Telegraph and HSBC. He asks a much bigger question than this, and it is this.

Can we believe anything, on any subject, that our 'Free Press is telling us?


Monday 16 February 2015

The Common Cold. Try Homeopathy for quicker, safer relief


The common cold is a mild viral infection that affects the nose, throat, sinuses and upper airways. The nose is often blocked or running, and there can be sneezing, sore throat, and a cough.

Conventional Medical Treatment for the Common Cold
It is usually stated that there is ‘no cure’ for the common cold. However NHS Choices says that we should be able to treat cold symptoms by ourselves with ‘over-the-counter’ drugs, although these treatments are not suitable for children under 6 years of age, and are only used to ‘relieve symptoms’ rather than treating the cold. They all come with use restrictions which underline that they are not entirely safe to use. Users are warned to read the patient information leaflets before taking them, and not to exceed the dosage instructions.

Painkillers
Painkillers such as ibuprofen, paracetamol and aspirin are said to be “the only type of medication known to be effective in treating colds” by helping to reduce fever, with a warning that children under 16 years old and breastfeeding women should not take aspirin, and there are warnings about ibuprofen and paracetamol too. Owing to the dangers of painkillers users are recommended to follow guidelines about the ‘correct dose’

Decongestants
These drugs are suppose to reduce nasal congestion but NHS Choices says that they have “limited effectiveness against colds”, and should not be used for more than seven days because overuse can make the symptoms of congestion worse, and that children under six years old should not use decongestants at all, and children under 12 should use them only under the guidance of a doctor. Oral decongestants can also cause sleeping problems, and can react to some other drugs.

Many people will correctly be uncertain about the value of taking drugs that doctor’s admit have limited effectiveness, come with known dangers to our health, in order to treat a condition that is not serious!

The Homeopathic Treatment of the Common Cold

Note. Homeopathy does not treat illness or diseases. It treats an individual who has been diagnosed with a particular illness or disease. The distinction is important. Click here to read more about “Illness Diagnosis”. 

Homeopathy works by matching the symptoms of illness with the known symptoms of remedies. These short remedy descriptions may guide you to a remedy that can work for you, but consulting with a qualified homeopath will enhance the chances of a good match. When a close match is found the remedy will work successfully, without any side effects, or adverse reactions.

The remedies, taken from ‘Homeopathy and the common cold’ on the Homeopathy Plus website suggests some useful remedies that that quicken recovery, and aid recovery in colds that have proven to be difficult to shake off. It also has other useful self-help strategies.

Aconite
Sudden onset and early stage of a cold, brought on by exposure or being chilled by a cold wind.

Allium Cepa
A streaming cold with much sneezing and watery eyes. The eyes may be burning and sensitive to light but the discharge is bland and does not burn the cheeks, whereas the discharge from the nose is burning and can make the upper lip and nose raw. The patient may start sneezing on entering a warm room. All symptoms are much better for fresh air and worse in a warm room, and towards the evening.

Arsenicum Album
A streaming cold with burning discharge from eyes and nose. Patient is restless and anxious and very chilly with apparent difficulty in keeping warm. Eyes and nose have a watery discharge. There is sneezing, without relief, and the nose feels stuffed up. Symptoms are worse for cold, during the night and better for warmth.

Calc Carb
Stuffy colds, with offensive smell in the nose and unpleasant smelling yellow mucus. Dry, sore, ulcerated nostrils. Individuals that catch colds easily at every change of weather and babies with snuffles.

Euphrasia
The opposite symptoms to Allium cepa. The eyes are constantly streaming with a burning discharge, whereas the nasal discharge is bland and does not cause rawness of the nose or upper lip. The eyelids are swollen, burning and the cheeks are red from the burning tears. Sensitive to light, the patient is better in the open air and worse inside.

Ferrum phosp
Colds come on slowly and may be heading for the ears or chest. Ferrum phos is particularly suited to the sore throat or that chesty stage before the cold develops into bronchitis. The patient may be flushed in the face and complain of feeling weak or lethargic. Eyes red and inflamed with burning sensation. Frequent colds with tendency to nosebleed.

Gelsemium
A cold with flu-like symptoms, such as aching, trembling, a heavy, dull head.

Hepar Sulph
The later stage of a cold, with thick offensive nasal discharge. There is extreme sensitivity  to cold, in any form – even a cold wind provokes sneexing and streaming. This will thicken up later to yield discharges that smell like old cheese and are yellow to green in colour.

Kali Bich
Tough stringy catarrh is the guiding symptom. Violent sneezing with stubborn congestion and a ropy, stringy or sticky discharge. Eyelids swollen and burning. Good for snuffles in children, especially fat, chubby babies. All symptoms are better for heat.

Mercurius Sol
Patient is sensitive to both heat and cold. There is a great deal of sneezing, especially in sunshine and warm conditions, and this will provoke a profuse burning discharge form the eyes. The nostrils are raw from the burning, profuse discharge, which is likely to be blood-streaked. As the cold progresses, the discharge becomes greenish, fould tasting and he breath offensive.

Nat Mur
Streaming eyes and nose with much sneezing. Eyes may be burning, but the discharge form eyes and nose is bland. The copious discharge is clear, like egg-white, for the early stage, but after about three days is superseded by congestion. During the cold, the patient typically loses all sense of taste and smell with tiredness and weakness. They may resent being fussed over and be easily irritated by silly little things. Worse in the morning, from exertion, heat and better for fresh air.

Nux Vom
These are irritable people, who don’t suffer fools gladly and everything upsets them- light, noise, draughts, etc. They get stuffy colds after exposure to dry cold conditions and are congested with a dry nose. There is a peculiar picture of being stuffed up in fresh air and at night, although they have streaming noses when inside.

Phosphorus
These are outgoing, expressive people who require reassurance. The anxiety about their health is easily placated unlike the Arsen alb patient who will worry endlessly, even after much reassurance. The Phosphorus patient is very prone to nosebleeds and symptoms arise through a change in weather or from moving from heat to cold or vice-versa. Colds which result from being run down.

Pulsatilla
Colds that thicken up leaving one nostril blocked, with a loss of smell and offensive breath. One sided symptoms are common. The eyes may be itching and burning or stuck together, with profuse yellow-green mucus in the morning and the nose congested at night. All symptoms are much worse in a warm room and relieved by fresh air. The patient will either be weepy and clingy or crave sympathy and attention.

Friday 13 February 2015

Health Freedom, Patient Choice. Why does our media not discuss this issue?

Thomas Jefferson once wrote this about Health Freedom. 

          "If the people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny".

So did he foresee, over 200 years ago, what is now happening today, throughout the world?

Did he foresee the pharmaceutical medical establishment set on imposing drugs and vaccines on us, whether we want them or not?

Most people will assume that, as patients, we are able to freely choose what treatment we accept, and what treatment we decline?

Most people may assume that the conventional medical establishment respects our rights to Health Freedom, and to Patient Choice, and are interested only in our health and well-being.

But is health freedom actually and seriously under threat? And is it under threat, most of all, in the USA, the land of freedom, the country Thomas Jefferson did so much to establish?

Below I am attaching a number of articles about Health Freedom, 
and the threats that now exist to Patient Choice.
These are not isolated examples of forced medication.
It is happening throughout the world.


Medical Mafia calling for gunpoint quarantines of citizens who refuse vaccinations.

Parent get $800k over warrantless search and removal of homeschool kids who were not vaccinated.

National media wages psychological terror campaign against Americans to set stage for government destruction of medical choice.

You won't believe which big-name groups are opposed to flu vaccine mandates

Is mandatory pediatric chemo institutionalized child abuse?

Forcing chemo on a 17-year old is deadly, research reveals.

Doctors who question vaccination are being forced out of medicine.

Vaccine pusher trying to revoke all religious and philosophical exemptions to vaccination.

Back to school vaccine. Know the risks and failures

Changes need for US vaccine policy to protect human and civil rights

Canadian parents outraged after school official vaccinate their children without consent.

New petition announced to close 2 loopholes allowing forced medication and quarantine.

Australia. Health Freedom outlawed. Health Fascism warning. A taste of future for citizens of other nations?

New South Wales government seeks unprecedented power to censor and punish health activists and practitioners.

Bloomberg unleashes mandatory vaccination of children.

HPV Vaccine debate. Don't ask! Don't tell!

Children in danger as an easy target for forced medication

Children taken away from parents to receive forced vaccinations.

And there are many, many more articles on the internet outlining the attempt of the conventional medical establishment, led by the Pharmaceutical industry, to force us to accept their treatments.

Yet, our mainstream media, quick enough to protect their own freedom, is steadfastly refusing to engage in this important health debate. 

They would rather, it would seem, allow conventional medicine to have an exclusive right to our bodies, and dominate the medical debate. And because conventional doctors believe that 'they know best' what is 'right for us', they insist that all drugs and vaccines are safe, and that we should all be taking them.

The silence of the so-called 'Free Press' demonstrates not only that they have been siding with the powerful conventional medical establishment, but also willing to stand to one side whilst our health freedoms are taken away from us.


SO MUCH FOR THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS!