A very good friend of mine is a psycho-therapist. She serves people individually and in groups as a life coach. Over the years she has worked with a large number of people and she's become quite astute at connecting hormone imbalance issues with emotional and behavioral problems. Together, we have offered hormone imbalance solutions. Most commonly, small doses of progesterone are helpful at moderating the problems. Sometimes, her clients' difficulties have other underlying causes. Still, we first recommend progesterone if nothing else is obvious.

Here's an abbreviated version of a series of emails regarding one of her recent clients.

Mr. X is very intelligent, well spoken, thoughtful; but, has been diagnosed with short term memory loss. He is able to drive, read, work on computer--everything but remember recent details.

I suggested he look into Vitamin D3 supplements and B12 supplements--perhaps first request a blood test first for both. I suppose I could add fish oil supplements to the recommendation. Do you have other suggestions I might offer him? .....

During my conversation with my friend I learned that the memory issues started recently and seem to be escalating. I asked about other drugs and was told that he was basically fit and the therapist didn't think he was using anything in particular. I concluded, however, that something significant had to be at the root of a sudden change in mental capacity and suggested that the client be asked directly about measures to lower cholesterol. Here's an excerpt from an email I received from the therapist last evening;

Guess what? I followed your advice and asked the older client experiencing short term memory loss if he is taking a cholesterol lowering drug. The answer: Lipitor!!!! So, went on the internet and......... (you know the rest of the story)  BINGO!

The worse part is that he mentioned to the doctor that his cholesterol is fine and why should he take it. The doctor said: "Well, it's working, so stay with it." He told me that he told his wife right after he started taking it was when these memory problems started. He's also dizzy.

...Also, due to his "diagnosis" [memory loss] they put him on Aricept. Good grief. I just read about that.

I've already published an article about a study in 2006 that clearly demonstrated that Statins Can Make You Dumb . I'm now beginning to see that the negative impact of statin drugs is not only observed in the person who is taking them. It seems that the prescribers can also be impacted. If the above story is true - and I have no reason to believe otherwise - that elderly patient is being treated by some sort of mentally incompetent person posing as a physician. I know that a lot of "modern" doctors refuse to take the Hippocratic Oath, but that doesn't relieve them of the responsibility to NOT HARM their patients. A drug - or any treatment - that impairs a person's mental capacity is doing harm to that person. In addition, the prescriber continues to insist the drug be used even after learning that the cholesterol levels are ok and the drug might be responsible for memory loss. Someone ought to look into that prescribers credentials - not only as a doctor, but as a compassionate human being.

To make a bad situation even worse, the prescriber (notice that I can't bring myself top write "doctor" or "physician") has ADDED yet another drug to compensate for the problems CAUSED BY the first one. I wonder what problems this NEW drug will cause. Here's a brief list of the published side effects from Aricept.

• Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Stop using Aricept and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects: black, bloody, or tarry stools; coughing up blood or vomit that looks like blood or coffee grounds; painful or difficult urination; seizure (black-out or convulsions).
• Less serious side effects may include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea; loss of appetite; muscle cramps; tired feeling; sleep problems (insomnia)

From my perspective, ADDING Aricept is likely to make matters worse on many levels. But, as one doctor already told me, I ought to "...keep my damn mouth shut and just dispense what was ordered". I don't listen to advice from idiots.

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Here's an ideal that is no longer being met in the 21st century.
A physician [is a] medical practitioner or medical doctor who practices medicine, and is concerned with maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease and injury. (Wikipedia)

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I'm old enough to remember when doctors actually cared more about my health and wellness than in lab tests and prescribing drugs. I remember when THREE DRUGS was referred to as "poly-pharmacy" and was discouraged because the risks of side effects increased dramatically when a person used more than 3. Today, it is NOT UNCOMMON to find people taking 10, 15, and more different drugs on a regular basis.

I don't care one whit how much money the government claims we can save by implementing some new kind of universal health coverage. It won't fix the fact that American citizens are having their health seriously compromised by the very people we expect to keep us healthy. Easier access to drugs, and payment for them, will just make matters a whole lot worse. My Dad's Uncle John died when he was about 100 years old (if my memory serves me right, he was lawn bowling a day or two before dying). He mentioned to me that "I went to see a doctor once...". Most Americans, far younger, visit their doctors much more frequently. That saddens me.