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In This
Issue:
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- A new blog
- Wakefield trial ending
- Product Resources page
- FDA recalls several meds
- FDA warning on Zicam
- Update on Ritalin
- What about Vyvanse?
- It's Census time
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Valentine's Day is
coming!
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New Blog
Beth George, from Spelt Right Baking, has started a blog which will focus on diet and behavior along with information on spelt.
She hopes many of you will follow the blog and share your experiences, and has asked us to pass this link on to you.
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Product Resources Page
Take a look at our Product Resources from time to time. At the moment, 145 companies are listed - they have requested to be on our list because some or all of their products are acceptable on the Feingold Program.
Some of these companies specialize in gluten-free, casein-free, or organic food, personal care or cleaning products. Some are sold by mail-order, while others have store locators on their websites. New companies are posted frequently.
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Time to
Renew?
If you have not been receiving Pure Facts, you may have let your subscription lapse. Renew your subscription to Pure Facts + the Foodlist now, you will also get the new Supplement Guide, Fast Food Guide, and Mail Order Guide at no extra cost.
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If your family has benefited from the Feingold Program, please remember us when it is time to give to charity.
As a nonprofit organization, all donations to the Feingold Association are
tax deductible,
and your donation will be helping us to help other families.
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Wakefield Trial Ending
For those of you following the trial of Dr. Andrew Wakefield
and Professors Simon Murch and John Walker-Smith
in the UK, the conclusion is expected to be
posted on the website CryShame
on January 28, 2010.
Dr. Wakefield is the gastroenterologist who
found vaccine-type measles virus inflaming the
intestines of children with autism. He named
the disorder autistic enterocolitis, but his
efforts to help these children has taken a
severe toll on his own life. If you don't
know about him now, read about him on the
CryShame website or on the Autism Research
Institute website (put
"Wakefield" into the search at upper left of
their home page).
FDA Recalls Several Medications
January 15, after talking with the FDA,
McNeil announced it is recalling certain over-the-counter (OTC) products due to a moldy, musty,
or mildew-like odor that caused nausea, stomach
pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. McNeil says the
smell was caused by a chemical called
2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA) formed by the breakdown
of an antifungal chemical sometimes applied to
wooden pallets used for transporting materials.
McNeil is no longer buying ingredients from companies
that use the treated pallets.
The medications affected - some of which are included
in our Foodlist - are certain lot numbers of the following medications:
- Children's Motrin
- Children's Tylenol
- Benadryl
- Extra Strength Tylenol
- Motrin IB
- Regular Strength Tylenol
- Rolaids
- Simply Sleep
- St. Joseph Aspirin
- Tylenol 8 Hour
- Tylenol Arthritis
- Tylenol PM
See photos and lot numbers of the medications being recalled.
FDA Warning on Zicam
The FDA has warned the public not to use the
following Zicam products:
- Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel
- Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs
- Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, kids size
Use of these products can damage your olfactory
nerves, causing you to lose your sense of smell.
This damage can be permanent.
While Zicam products are not listed in our Foodlist,
their ingredients don't contain any of the prohibited
additives, so we thought it prudent to let you know
that they are not safe to use.
Update on Ritalin
A recent FDA-funded study by the National Institutes
of Mental Health claims that drugs such as Ritalin -
widely used to treat ADHD - increase the risk of
sudden death by 500% among children and teens.
"The irony of Ritalin," said Etta Brown, the psychologist
quoted in the article, "is that it actually damages the
neural connections needed for learning."
Another irony is that right alongside and surrounding the
article are those ubiquitous advertisements for Concerta,
a long-acting form of ... well ... Ritalin.
See the article.
What About Vyvanse?
Consumer advocate Public Citizen's latest "Worst Pills Best
Pills" newsletter has put a DO NOT USE sign on
their article about Vyvanse, promoted as the "future
of ADHD treatment."
According to Public Citizen, Vyvanse is actually a combination of dextroamphetamine (in use since 1942) and the amino acid L-lysine. The combination is thus classified as a new patented drug, and can be sold at higher prices.
The Vyvanse representatives at
the 2008 San Diego U.S. Psychiatric Conference, however,
told me that Vyvanse is special because it "is not active
until it is swallowed." Yes - I was there, and
that is what they told me, with a straight face.
I eventually understood that the advantage they
claim is that the amino acid prevents drug abusers from
snorting or injecting it. Only after it is swallowed,
does the stomach acid separate the
two parts of the drug.
The Food & Drug Administration's approval of Vyvanse is based on only two studies on children and one on adults. The studies showed that the drug works as well as - but no better than - the older, cheaper, stimulants.
Being a stimulant, of course, it has all the same
side effects and must carry a Black Box Warning.
I visited the Vyvanse website, whose manufacturer, Shire, calls itself "Your ADHD Support Company." In their
Important Safety Information, below the pictures, they have a long list of warnings about which symptoms to "tell your doctor about before starting the drug," and when to "call your doctor immediately." Like all stimulants, Vyvanse raises heart rate and blood pressure, and has a variety of physical and psychiatric
side effects. Shockingly, among the symptoms which should be reported to the doctor before prescribing it were sadness, mood swings, aggression, and hostility - the very symptoms one associates with ADHD. Not only that, but symptoms that can be triggered or worsened by the drug include aggression, abnormal thinking, and mania (aka hyperactivity).
Shire assures readers that Vyvanse is
generally well tolerated in clinical studies, but
remember that there have been only TWO clinical studies
on children, as they acknowledge on their website.
Public Citizen advises that the older and
cheaper drugs with better established dosages and
safety records are preferred. Unfortunately, they
do not mention that there are other, safer, nondrug
treatments such as the Feingold Program which does
not require a Black Box warning.
It's Census Time
Every ten years the US Government conducts a census. You will receive a form to fill out and mail back to the Census Bureau.
If you don't mail in a form, a census worker will come to your home and ask how many people live at that address. Representatives of the Census Bureau might also contact you via telephone, but never by email.
This is an opportunity for scam artists to pose as census workers and try to get your personal and financial information. Remember that no valid census worker will try to enter your home, nor will they ask for any banking information or your social security number.
Visit the U.S. Census Website for details on the process and tips to avoid being defrauded by a con-artist.
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Next Month in PURE FACTS:
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- Information about acetaminophen (Tylenol), its link to autism and other health problems, and how to find alternatives
- Tics and Temper Tantrums - a success story
- Help for Troubled Tummies - a beverage to soothe a sick child
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