Bill Sardi
See book keywords and concepts |
 Anti-cancer drugs have been used to treat organ transplant recipients by suppressing their immune system to prevent organ rejection. The development of lymphomas in kidney transplant patients were first reported in the 1970s.
Many patients succumb to their primary tumor so it makes it difficult to assess the risk for secondary tumors. Among 6,514 patients treated with chemo or radiation therapy for Hodgkin's disease, their risk for solid tumors after treatment more than doubled. |
David Winston, RH(AHG), and Steven Maimes
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 John's wort with warfarin (Coumadin), digoxin, protease inhibitors, organ transplant antirejection drugs such as cyclosporin, or chemotherapy agents such as irinotecan. Use caution when taking this herb with contraceptive pills. Only use St. John's wort with antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) under a physician's supervision.
St. John's wort is available in a low-hyperforin extract that shows little, if any, ability to increase drug metabolism. |
Hyla Cass, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Corticosteroids may also be needed for severe asthma, to keep the airway open; for allergic rashes such as poison ivy, poison oak, or for a rash that comes from exposure to an irritating chemical; after organ transplant recipients to prevent rejection of the new organ; for adrenal insufficiency, where the adrenal glands are not producing enough hormones; or in cancer patients to reduce pain caused caused by swelling of tumors.
Action: Just like the corticosteroids made in the adrenal glands, they act as anti-inflammatories. |
| It can reduce the potency of digoxin (a heart medication, see Chapter 8), protease inhibitors (taken as treatment for AIDS, see Chapter 8) or cyclosporin (an immunosuppressant taken by organ transplant patients), or even birth control pills (see also, Chapter 8). Not recommended for use during pregnancy or nursing. If combined with an SSRI or 5-HTP, there's the (very slight) possibility of serotonin syndrome—headache, an increase in body temperature, and heavy sweating. Stop the St. John's wort and seek medical help if this occurs. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
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 John's Wort as concomitant use has resulted in significantly decreased cyclosporine levels, organ transplant rejection, and graft loss. If concurrent use is warranted, monitor cyclosporine blood levels and adjust cyclosporine dose as necessary (Prod Info NEORAL® soft gelatin oral capsules, oral solution, 2006; Prod Info SANDIMMUNE® oral capsules, oral solution, IV injection, 2006).
Darunavir: Concurrent use may result in decreased darunavir plasma concentrations and potential loss of darunavir effica: cy. Clinical Management: Coadministration of darunavir/ ritonavir and St. |
Andreas Moritz
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 If a patient undergoes an organ transplant, he will receive steroids and other drugs that prevent his immune system from rejecting the new organ. Many organ recipients have to take these drugs for the rest of their lives, but since these drugs suppress overall immunity, they often die from "unrelated" problems within a very short time. The treating doctors rarely attribute these deaths, though, to the side effects of the drugs, and tell the deceased's relatives that they tried everything they could to save their loved ones. |
Bill Sardi
See book keywords and concepts |
| Cancer 1-5, 1985]
There is evidence that cancer risk increases when a person receives an organ transplant. Immune-suppressing drugs may be responsible. [Annals Surgery 202:9-20, 1985] Oddly, when doctors at Wayne State University School of Medicine studied a rare case of spontaneous remission from kidney cancer, they found no enhancement of natural killer cells or other white blood cell activity. [Journal Urology 152: 156-57, 1994]
It is possible that prescription or non-prescription drugs, used for conditions other than cancer, may induce tumors. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
See book keywords and concepts |
| John's Wort
(May result in reduced chyclophophamide effectiveness)
CYCLOSPORINE
Alfalfa
(May precipitate organ transplant rejection) St. John's Wort (May result in decreased cyclosporine levels and acute transplant rejection)
CYPROHEPTADINE HYDROCHLORIDE
Mangosteen (G. mangostana may possibly be unsafe when used by patients taking antihistamines)
CYTISUS SCOPARIUS
(See under Scotch Broom)
DALTEPARIN SODIUM
Mangosteen (G. mangostana may possibly be unsafe when used by patients taking anticoagulants)
DANAPAROID SODIUM
Mangosteen (G. |
| AZATHIOPRINE
Alfalfa
(May precipitate organ transplant rejection)
BAOBAB
(None cited in PDR database)
BARBITURATES
Hops
(May increase sedative action) Kava Kava
(May increase CNS depression) Marijuana
(Excessive CNS depression) Rauwolfia
(Synergistic effect) St. |
J. Douglas Bremner
See book keywords and concepts |
 John's-wort can also interact with a number of medications, including digoxin (heart medication), theophylline (asthma medication), protease inhibitors (IHV medications), and cyclosporine (used for organ transplant patients), and for that reason should not be used or should only be used with caution and under a doctor's supervision by patients taking these meds.
SAMe
S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe), a molecule that is found in all human cells, is promoted as a supplement for the treatment of depression. |
Melody Petersen
See book keywords and concepts |
 And the drugmaker Sandoz was sending checks for a hundred dollars to physicians who agreed to read a two-page article on how its organ transplant drug Sandimmune could treat psoriasis, a skin disease. Sandimmune had not been approved to treat psoriasis. In fact, it was so toxic that almost half the psoriasis patients taking it experimentally in one trial dropped out after it harmed their kidneys or caused their blood pressure to rise. |
Hyla Cass
See book keywords and concepts |
| It can reduce the potency of digoxin (a heart medication, see Chapter 8), protease inhibitors (taken as treatment for AIDS, see Chapter 8) or cyclosporin (an immunosuppressant taken by organ transplant patients), or even birth control pills (see also, Chapter 8). Not recommended for use during pregnancy or nursing. If combined with an SSRI or 5-HTP, there's the (very slight) possibility of serotonin syndrome—headache, an increase in body temperature, and heavy sweating. Stop the St. John's wort and seek medical help if this occurs. |
| Corticosteroids may also be needed for severe asthma, to keep the airway open; for allergic rashes such as poison ivy, poison oak, or for a rash that comes from exposure to an irritating chemical; after organ transplant recipients to prevent rejection of the new organ; for adrenal insufficiency, where the adrenal glands are not producing enough hormones; or in cancer patients to reduce pain caused caused by swelling of tumors.
Action: Just like the corticosteroids made in the adrenal glands, they act as anti-inflammatories. |
David Winston, RH(AHG), and Steven Maimes
See book keywords and concepts |
| Herb/Drug Interactions: Some books recommend that cordyceps should be avoided by people who are taking immunosuppressive drugs such as cyclosporine (used to prevent organ transplant rejection) because it might interfere with the drugs' effects. In a 1995 placebo-controlled study, sixty-nine people who had received kidney transplants were given cordyceps along with the pharmaceutical drug cyclosporine. Not only did cordyceps not interfere with cyclosporine but it also helped to prevent nephrotoxic (toxic to kidney cells) side effects of the drug. |
Gerald E. Markle and Frances B. McCrea
See book keywords and concepts |
 And what of those, perhaps ones dear to us, who have received an organ transplant which improved the quality and quantity of their lives? What about emergency surgery? Were a loved one battered in an automobile wreck, we would not question the need for immediate surgery. Such surgery is the subject of the following chapter.
In this chapter, we have what is probably a sampling problem. Though we have examined the most frequently performed surgeries, we have nonetheless ignored the vast bulk of routine surgery. Are these myriad procedures effective? It is difficult to say. |
Leslie Taylor, ND
See book keywords and concepts |
 Due to its immune-stimulant effects, cat's claw should not be used with medications intended to suppress the immune system, such as cyclosporin or other medications prescribed following an organ transplant. (This theory has not been proven scientifically.)
Traditional Preparation
Drug Interactions
Region
Colombia
French Guiana
Peru
Suriname
United States
Based upon in vivo rat studies, cat's claw may protect against gastrointestinal damage associated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen.
Cat's claw may potentiate Coumadin and blood-thinning drugs. |
Mark Blumenthal
See book keywords and concepts |
 UT-POA: Based on the belief that cat's claw is an immunostimulant, it is not advised for patients awaiting bone marrow or organ transplant, persons with medically-induced immunosuppression (e.g., patients with organ transplants), autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis, or tuberculosis. HIV/AIDS patients should proceed with caution when introducing any new therapeutic agent. Cat's claw is not for use in children under 3 years.
Pregnancy and Lactation: Not recommended due to lack of data. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
See article keywords and concepts |
 And then, when your heart starts failing, they'll line you up for an organ transplant to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars that really adds nothing to the quality of life of the patient, but greatly enriches the surgeons of hospitals handling that procedure. This is what we have in this country -- this is the state of the nation, right now.
And yet the answers are so simple, they're right in front of us -- these healing foods that are affordable, that are readily available, that anyone can pick up and eat, and that are absolutely delicious. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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 If the immune system is weakened due to an organ transplant, HIV/AIDS, or other viruses, the mononucleosis symptoms can be serious and chronic.
A diagnosis of mono is made through a blood test called a mononucleosis spot test. This reveals the presence of specific viral antibodies and confirms the presence of mono. A liver function test may aid in diagnosis.
Unless otherwise specified, the dosages recommended here are for adults. For child between the ages of twelve and seventeen, reduce the dose to three-quarters of the recommended amount. |
Dr. Paula Baillie-Hamilton
See book keywords and concepts |
 For example, steroids possess such powerful immunosuppressive actions that they are deliberately used in organ transplant patients to prevent tissue rejection. Problems arise when steroids are used to treat other conditions, such as cancer, due to the accompanying suppression of the immune system, which can increase the risk of life-threatening infections.
Allergies:
An Overactive Immune System
If contact with certain substances makes your skin red, inflamed, and lumpy, or rapidly affects your ability to breathe, you are not alone. |
Mark Blumenthal
See book keywords and concepts |
| Contraindications
Cat's claw has been contraindicated for leukemia patients awaiting bone marrow transplant, any patient awaiting organ transplant, persons with iatrically-induced immunosuppression (e.g., organ transplants), autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis, or tuberculosis (CAMR, 1999). These contraindications are based on the belief that cat's claw is an immunostimulant. However, some researchers disagree with this view (Miller, 2001b; Sandoval-Chacon etal, 1998; Sandoval etal, 2000, 2002) and suggest that cat's claw may be helpful for transplant patients (Miller, 2001a). |
Frederic Vagnini, M.D. and Barry Fox, Ph.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 This works to your advantage, unless you deliberately put "not-me" tissue inside your body, as is the case with an organ transplant. Doctors will match the organ carefully, trying to ensure its compatibility. But even if the organ was donated by your brother or sister, your body will most likely recognize it as foreign and mount an attack (a process called rejection). You may suffer from fatigue, changes in blood pressure, fever, chills, and other problems as your body tries to destroy the transplanted organ.
Doctors have no way of informing your body that the new organ is acceptable. |
Mark Blumenthal
See book keywords and concepts |
| UT-POA: Based on the belief that cat's claw is an immunostimu-lant, the herb has been contraindicated for leukemia patients awaiting bone marrow or organ transplant and persons with iatri-cally-induced immunosuppression (e.g., organ transplants), autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis, or tuberculosis. However, some researchers disagree with this view and suggest that cat's claw may be helpful for transplant patients. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
See article keywords and concepts |
 If you happen to be unconscious from a car crash, though, you'd better hope your heart doesn't skip a beat, or the medical crazies in the organ transplant industry might just lunge right in and start harvesting even before you're actually dead. (It's harsh criticism, yes, but when there are profits to be had, when has conventional medicine ever put patients' lives first anyway?)
In China, they harvest organs from executed prisoners, but Canada appears to be upping the ante on that human rights abuse by potentially harvesting organs from EVERYONE. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
See article keywords and concepts |
 It is a lot cheaper just to eat all that garbage, and spend half a million dollars on medical bills in your last 14 days of life because you need heart bypass surgery, chemotherapy, some kind of organ transplant, and lots of intensive medical care before you pass away. Yeah, you're right. That's a cheaper way to do it. No need to spend an extra dollar on real food from nature instead of a discounted 2-liter bottle of soda. |
Gary E. Schwartz and Linda G. S. Russek
See book keywords and concepts |
 We logically dismiss emerging reports from certain organ transplant patients that their memories and values have changed in surprising ways since receiving their new organs (e.g.,
Sylvia with Novack, 1997), and explain their post surgical symptoms as side effects of immunosuppressant dtugs or stress, because our theories lead us to hypothesize that the donor's personal history is only stored in his or her central nervous system, and not in his or her donated organs (for example, the heart or the lungs). |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
See article keywords and concepts |
| Isn't this the exact kind of activity the organ transplant industry engages in all the time? In recent revelations, in fact, it has been discovered that organs used for transplants right here in the USA have been ripped from the bodies of presumably unwilling cadavers. Search for "Mastromarino body parts" on Google to see for yourself.
That's different, you might say. Organs for transplants are carried on ice in a medical cooler. Okay, so what if this Haitian woman had her human head good luck charm buried in a picnic cooler under a ham sandwich? |
H. Winter Griffith, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Before you start, consult your doctor:
If you have had a recent organ transplant.
Over age 60:
Adverse reactions and side effects may be more frequent and severe than in younger persons. You may need smaller doses for shorter periods of time.
Pregnancy:
Decide with your doctor if drug benefits justify risk to unborn child. Risk category C (see page xviii).
Breast-feeding:
Unknown effect. Consult doctor.
Infants & children:
Use only under medical supervision for children younger than 4 or 5 years.
Prolonged use:
No problems expected.
Skin & sunlight:
No problems expected. |
Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele
See book keywords and concepts |
 Then there are thousands of special interests, from the American Cancer Society to the American Medical Association, from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) to the American organ transplant Association, each with its own agenda. Each wages an individual campaign to shape health care policy by manipulating public opinion through TV, newspapers, magazines, and radio. Each seeks to grab a piece of the health care pie. Out of all these thousands of self-interested entities, not one speaks for what's best for American health care overall.
And that explains why U.S. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
See book keywords and concepts |
 Various chemotherapy agents and organ transplant antirejection drugs are also used. Again, these medications have their own problematic ot dangerous side effects. Therefore, thoughtful consideration of a treatment plan coordinated by the patient's physician is required. All aspects of the treatment plan must be effectively communicated to the patient. Antidiarrheal agents may be taken for mild bouts of diarrhea, as well as antispasmodics for cramping. When patients have arthritislike symptoms, antiarthritis medications may also be taken. |
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