If our LEADERS have their way, compounders will be banned.

Personally, I don't want that to happen. I'm a compounder after all, and I'd prefer to remain working. I would certainly appreciate all the support we can garner to throw out the baby with the bathwater (metaphor alert! I'm the baby and the dirty guys are the bathwater).

I also received this note yesterday and wanted to share it with all of you:

Larry, I imagine you're aware of this but thought you might want to let your readers know.

Caroline is 67 years old. She’s had a few health issues over the years, including a bout with cancer that she overcame. A couple of months ago she noticed she was short of breath when she brought a basket of clothes up from the basement. It passed quickly and she didn’t give it a thought. It happened a few more times and she began to notice discomfort in her chest. It wasn’t pain, but it felt “funny”. Then, her teeth hurt, the back ones on her right side. It lasted a little while then passed. Caroline did a number of searches online and determined she was probably having some mild angina discomfort.

Regardless of her search results, Caroline told her doctor, three of them in fact – a rheumatologist, a neurologist, and another “ologist.” None of them suggested she do anything about the mild symptoms. Then came a visit to the general practitioner who arranged for Caroline to visit a cardiologist. He performed some tests and sent her directly to the hospital, where she underwent open heart surgery three days later. Caroline had several blockages and came through the long surgery very well. Three days after the open heart work, Caroline is in a chair, eating regular food, attending to her own personal needs, and planning to go home a mere four days after surgery.

Psoriasis is sometimes referred to as an autoimmune disease, which suggests that somehow a person develops an immune response to his/her own body. In reality, it seems psoriasis is like many chronic conditions. The condition is the manner in which an individual manifests internal (systemic) inflammation. This is where the belief originates that certain diseases/conditions are genetically linked. The genetic part is HOW an individual responds to an assault on their immune system.

Psoriasis is commonly treated with potent drugs, often applied to the affected area. If nothing else, topical preparations can help alleviate some symptoms. The real work is done internally when the person improves the immune system and stops doing things that damage it or cause inflammation.

Ask Larry:

Your Question: Hi Larry, I'm on BHRT (Biest, Progesterone, and Testosterone pills formulated by my local compounding pharmacy) and started having night sweats and stress incontinence again. My MD increased the estrogen component and the incontinence is better, but the night sweats continue.
If I go off the BHRT and start using just progesterone cream, do you think the night sweats will stop? What is the answer for keeping the incontinence under control.

Larry's Response: Vast numbers of people - patients, doctors, pharmacists included - BELIEVE that women generally NEED estrogen after menopause.

I'm not one of them.

A customer sent us a website link to an out-of-date promotion for tallow.

Regardless of the dating on the article, the piece made a number of claims about the benefits of tallow and our customer wanted to know what I thought of using it.

What is tallow? It's animal fat that conforms to certain technical criteria, including its melting point. It is rendered from of beef or mutton fat, processed from suet (raw fat, directly from the animal). It is solid at room temperature. Because it is rendered (which means melting and then extracting the components based on its melting point), tallow can be stored for extended periods without the need for refrigeration to prevent decomposition. It must be kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation. The referenced article also recommends freezing.