Umbilical hernia after pregnancy

After I had my first baby, I developed a small umbilical hernia. Eight months later it is still present. Do I need surgery?

Umbilical hernias in adults usually require surgery. These hernias are common after pregnancy and usually resolve after delivery, but if they persist surgery is recommended. Umbilical hernias are notorious for trapping bowel and causing a surgical emergency. I would highly recommend surgery. The surgery is not difficult at all. If the hernia is small, just go with an open procedure. Some surgeons recommend a laparoscopic approach, but this is only because they can make a lot more money. Laparoscopic procedure is ideal if you have a large or a recurrent hernia. The open procedure usually takes an hour. If the hernia is large, some surgeons use a mesh or a net-like cloth to prevent tension and recurrence. Mind you surgery on the umbilicus is painful and you may need prescription strength pills for a few days

Surgery for Achilles tendon tear

I recently injured my left ankle and was found to have a partial tear in my Achilles tendon. The surgeon recommends surgery to repair the tendon. What do you suggest?

The Achilles tendon is very strong but sometimes in athletes or after a traumatic injury it can rupture. This tendon is easy to repair surgically, but the results are not great. Orthopedic surgeons always rush patients with partial Achilles tendon tear to surgery, but now evidence indicates that non-surgical methods may be as effective as surgery. In addition, non-surgical method are cheaper and generally free of complications. Unless it is life threatening or you are a professional athlete, I do not recommend any procedure by orthopedic surgeons. Most have poor surgical skills and are notorious for performing unnecessary surgical procedures. The surgery for Achilles tendon repair will easily costs you several thousand dollars. The non-surgical method will cost you less than $100 but it may take a little longer for the healing process. The choice then is simple- surgery which is expensive with f..kups or no surgery and you go on holiday instead of the surgeon!!!!

Is there a treatment for spitting?

I have a terrible habit of spitting. Is there something I can do to stop this habit?
Yes, go on a one way trip to the moon and you can spit all you want. No one will see you and no one will hassle you. On this planet, spitting is a very common distasteful habit. It is an obnoxious behavior and there is no magical drug to cure the habit. You need to undergo some type of behavior therapy-. I am not much of a fan of chitchat B.S psychotherapy so I can’t advise you on that topic. Just stop spitting and this will cost you nothing; going to professionals is going to cost you a lot of money with no guarantee that these treatments work. Just be aware of what you are doing and resist the urge to spit. In time, you will stop spitting. Some people do benefit from short term use of the latest SSRIs. People who spit also tend to have terrible personalities and for that-there is no cure. People notorious for spitting are indians and chinese.

Suglat for my diabetes

Is the new drug ipragliflozin (suglat) effective for type 2 diabetes?

Suglat is a very new drug approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is taken once a day and acts by blocking absorption of sugar from the kidneys, which leads to more excretion of blood sugars. The clinical trials showed that it did many wonderful things. Not only did it lower blood sugars but it also reduced body weight. The drug can be used safely even in the presence of mild renal dysfunction. However, I should mention that many of the investigators who conducted the trials on this drug worked for the drug company- and so there is always a conflict of interest. Data can be fudged and adverse reactions may not be reported. 

Do you think any doctor who is paid many thousands of dollars by the pharmaceutical company is ever going to say anything bad about the company's product? Plus, you can bet your life the drug is prohibitively expensive. I highly recommend not taking this drug. 

If you have type 2 diabetes, the first drug of choice should always be metformin or Glucophage. There is no better drug than Glucophage; not only is it cheap, it has minimal adverse reactions and induces weight loss. It has been around for over 70 years and works. If your doctor does not prescribe you metformin, then he or she does not give a crap about your welfare. Only seek treatment from a doctor who is willing to give you metformin. Many new diabetic drugs have been discovered in the past decade and all of them are only mildly effective for diabetes but they all are very expensive.

orthotic shoes and plantar fasciitis

Should i buy orthotic shoes for my plantar fasciitis?
There is ZERO evidence that shoes sold by podiatrists resolve plantar fasciitis any faster. The only thing extra you may need is shoe cushioning; such shoes inserts can be bought from any shoe store. Everything you buy from the podiatrist’s office is a rip off and intended to scam you and/or the insurance company. The pain of plantar fasciitis often takes a few weeks to subside. If your pain is still persistent, a shot of corticosteroids may help. Remember, corticosteroid injections cost hundreds of dollars and only work in a few people- on the other hand, doing nothing is free and will also resolve the condition within a few weeks.
Over the years, many more treatments for plantar fasciitis have been developed but all are simply designed to scam patients off their hard earned money. Shock wave therapy, ultrasound, acupuncture, and other procedures should be considered bogus therapies for plantar fasciitis and you should keep away from people who offer such treatments, unless you have money to waste.

I am on furosemide and each month my potassium is low. Is there any other pill I can take instead?

Drugs like furosemide and thiazides can lower your potassium. Therefore, if you have low potassium, you may ask your doctor to switch you to the potassium sparing diuretic- like spironolactone.  However, you will still need to get your blood work checked regularly because spironolactone can increase body potassium- which can be dangerous. If you have good follow up, spironolactone is an excellent drug and also protects the heart.

Is there a generic version of Flovent?

Flovent is a steroidal inhaler used to treat both asthma and a variety of other allergic disorders. Unfortunately, there is no generic yet. However, there is budesonide, which is the generic version of Pulmicort. It also works in the same way and is a lot cheaper. Speak to your doctor about it.