Burning sensation & Knee pain

[tamlun]

Hi,
My mom is 78.  I have several questions that hope you can help to answer:
1) She has developed a burning sensation on her lower back and her stomach area for over 3 years and it gets worse. The sensation comes and goes very unpredictable. It usually lasts a few hours and it is very uncomfortable (body temp is ok). I wonder if it is related to the Coumadin (for irregular heart beat) she is taking? If not, do you by any chance know what would possibly cause this.

2) She also has terrible knee pain due to lack of lubricant. She tried synvisc one time but it didn't help and is scared going through surgery. Is there anything she can try to reduce the pain? She has been taking Move Free

3) Since Coumadin has too many side effects, do you know of any alternative?

Your help is greatly appreciated!



This discussion is related to Plavix vs Coumadin.

[dixter]

Coumadin is one of the all-time worst "hangovers" from the "heyday" of patent medications: No matter how many alternatives there are for it, it just won't go away. It certainly thins the blood, but it does so by "poisoning and killing off" the vitamin K in your body. Over enough time, the near-total lack of vitamin K will (not "could" -- WILL) cause osteoporosis, arterial calcification, cognitive malfunction, and many, many other problems.

Unfortunately, clinical studies are expensive ventures, and unless there's a patented substance that has enormous profit potential on the other end of all that pricey research, no one is willing to fork over the money to conduct one. And since vitamins, minerals, and nutrients can't be patented, there just aren't any double-blind, placebo-controlled studies to "prove" how well they can work to replace patent medications (like Coumadin) -- without all the negative side effects associated with those patented substances.
But even without the clinical studies to "back it up," there is a very good alternative to Coumadin.

Cod liver and other fish oils work by making platelets (the very small element in your blood essential to the clotting process) so slippery that they can't stick together easily to form a clot.

There is a test (called the "platelet aggregation test") that can measure how well your blood is responding to all the natural anti-clotting measures you're already taking, and help you and your doctor determine exactly how much cod liver (or other fish) oil to take. But, unfortunately, it's hard to find and expensive--usually $200-$400 each time. That's why no one taking aspirin as a blood thinner is ever tested to see if the aspirin is actually doing its job. However, 2 to 3 tablespoonfuls of cod liver oil daily were always enough -- and not too much -- to do the job.
Remember: Whenever you take supplemental oils or essential fatty acids, always take extra vitamin E, as mixed tocopherols, to prevent the oils from oxidizing too rapidly in your body. Take 800-1,000 IU of vitamin E with 2 to 3 tablespoons of cod liver oil each day. And to minimize any gastrointestinal upset, split the cod liver oil into two or three doses. I take Carlson fish oil (lemon flavor)
As for the knee I've had one knee replaced and will have the other replaced
this Aug. it's the best thing. I don't know your location but i'm in N.J.
and the Dr. that did my knee has been on CBS news a few times he invented
this knee and he travels around the world teaching other Dr.
dixter