Preface and Introduction-Conflicts of Interest. Bureaucracy and obstacles to effective PCOS cure

Hi there! I'm writing a casual yet somewhat thorough blog on Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome with the goal of helping other girls and women see this disease for what it is. My format won't be perfect at first, I'm prioritizing real information and citing my sources. So it won't look professional. I'm not a doctor, a journalist, or trained in medicine. So for any treatment, please run it past your trusted doctor first.

I'm just a woman who has suffered from PCOS who is not yet trying to conceive. I'm not a biochemist or an endocrinologist, but after dealing with this you may be too familiar with both fields.

As far as choosing a doctor, right now I'm seeking recommendations from other women with PCOS, I have my own. Good doctors are probably our biggest asset with this disorder, and from what I've learned it might be worth our while to see the endocrinologist instead of relying on just an OBGYN.

I would also like to address a few issues surrounding it, a few (5) myths, mis-perceptions of "girl problems" and even a few hints on how to address this problem to peers and so forth.

MYTH#1

"Girls whine about cramps."
PCOS is a symptom of an endocrine or immune disorder. It's not just a condition "below the belt".

Nobody "asked" for it. Contrary to confused perceptions: nobody practiced reckless behavior, nobody has a "disease", nobody caught this, this is not caused by obesity and "lazy lifestyle". Blaming the patient isn't going to fix it. Nobody deserves to be this sick.

PCOS happens to any women of reproductive age.

The reason why I feel obligated to chat on this is because I do live a healthy lifestyle. My entire life I've always been healthy. I took my vitamins as a kid, I was rarely sick, I eat well, I've been athletic my entire life, my vitals are healthy and I'm lean. A former supervisor (who just recently died of a brain tumor) used to criticize me for my health habits. He had to live a healthy lifestyle to deal with his cancer and he still passed on in his 30's. He was an asset to the company, his coworkers and the community. What he was insinuating is that NOBODY DESERVES TO BE SICK.

The punishment does not fit the crime.

People have got to stop thinking like that.

Myth#2-obesity causes PCOS

FALSE!

OBESITY DOES NOT CAUSE PCOS!
OBESITY DOES NOT CAUSE PCOS!
OBESITY DOES NOT CAUSE PCOS!

PCOS is an auto-immune disorder characterized by hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism causes people to gain weight. Easily.
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/a/autoimmune_thyroid_diseases/intro.htm



This is my most recent cholesterol reading. I have a BMI less than 20. I'm nowhere near obese. My LDL is 97. My HDL is 57. My triglycerides are 105. My TSH reading is .880 but I do show symptoms of hypothyroidism (dry skin, hair loss, difficulty losing weight) and I get joint problems similar to rhumatoid arthritis. Why am I thin? I really work at it. I know how to eat. But I still came down with PCOS.

So it's time to stop judging people. It breaks my heart that "top doctors" throughout the world are known to do this. Losing weight can help, but it won't cure the symptoms.

I've taken precautions and got myself healthy habits, I'm actually feeling as if the medical community didn't step it up.

Not only does this "blame the victim" mentality impress negative thinking, it distracts people from figuring out what caused the disorder and the cure. Yes there is probably a cure for PCOS, I have a solid hunch about this.

But beyond it, like with any other medical issue; it is a painful problem which makes women and girls suffer and creates a real unnecessary demand for the next "miracle cure" or fix. Don't you love it when big pharm, the medical community, nutritionists, holistic healers and such EXPLOIT a quite painful situation?

• If you're like me, you've already spent at least a grand to get the condition diagnosed.
• If you're like me, you might have drank barium sulfite for an x-ray in the ER while being tested for appendicitis- only to find out it was that stupid cyst.
• If you're like me, you've paid for birth control pills that gave you adverse side effects so bad you couldn't continue the treatment.

We have already paid enough money with feeble attempt to fix this condition! Greedy people are annoying and insufferable at a time like this.

The oral contraceptive market is worth $23 billion annually. I still have to find the link for that.

Is there a financial incentive for the medical community to find a cure for PCOS when
you can buy pills to deal with the symptoms?

"...Yasmin also continues to grow steadily wherever it is available. It grew 105% worldwide in the first quarter and further double-digit growth is expected in the U.S. JP Morgan analyst Rikin Patel estimates 2003 sales at about $280 million worldwide. "Schering has a strong brand with Yasmin," he said. The entire U.S. hormonal contraceptive market is worth about $2.5 billion.

The company knows that. And because Yasmin's U.S. patent could theoretically be challenged as early as 2004, Schering is already planning for a new dosage of the drug, Yasmin 20, which will contain only 20 mcg of estrogen and could be available in the U.S. in 2004. The new pill's effectiveness is 99%, the same as other oral contraceptives, if used correctly. The company expects sales of Yasmin 20 to reach about $230 million during its first year....

...Another successful launch recently has been Ortho Evra, Johnson and Johnson's (nyse: JNJ - news - people ) weekly patch. It is the favorite non-oral contraceptive method in the U.S. with a 3.8% market share for the 12-month period ended in April, according to IMS health, a supplier of market research to the pharmaceutical industry. Johnson and Johnson also owns the leading pill on the US market, Ortho Tri Cyclen, which registered $665 million in sales in 2002 and holds a 22% market share."
http://www.forbes.com/2003/07/11/cx_ad_0710shr.html

Myth#3 "There's no cure for PCOS" is not an acceptable answer.

It's also not true. It can go as easily as it came. In many women, it's caused by an iodine deficiency.

Here's a neat little test to see if you're iodine deficient.

‎

1. Dip a cotton ball into USP Tincture of Iodine.

2. Paint a 2 inch circle of iodine on your soft skin, like the inner part of your thigh or upper arm.

3. Wait. -- If the yellowish stain disappears in less than 1hr; it means your body is lacking crucial iodine and has soaked it up. If the stain remains for more than 4hrs, you iodine levels are fine.
http://altmedangel.com/iodine.htm

Now, if PCOS were cured, who would be on the birth control pill for anything other than birth control? Birth control hormones, as of now are synthetic. They're not entirely good for the body and they produce migraines. Were they tested before they were handed to the public? I heard they were not.

Also, doctors are not very good at identifying which pill works best for the body. They don't bother when they're shuffling gyno patients in and out of their office like cattle.

Personally, measuring LH/FSH levels without any estrogen/androgen/progesterone reading doesn't give doctors good enough info to choose the right oral contraceptive for us. Especially since oral contraceptives are pushing synthetic replicas of those exact hormones. And it doesn't do anything for the thyroid disruptors either.

As for me, I got migraines from taking Alesse so I stopped taking birth control pills.

The doctor was so lousy that she wouldn't let me ask questions about it. They just threw the pill at you and rushed me out of their office-while you deal with a lot of pain. Then charge a lot of money. I feel rather uncomfortable about that.

My background is in finance and economics and I've learned through experience to look for the financial incentives if something doesn't look right.

We should all be aware that the PHARMACEUTICALS DO BRIBE DOCTORS TO PUSH THEIR PILLS.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/226716/doctors_taking_bribes_from_drug_companies.html?cat=70

Pfizer Gives Details on Payments to Doctors

By DUFF WILSON
Published: March 31, 2010

Pfizer, the world’s largest drug maker, said Wednesday that it paid about $20 million to 4,500 doctors and other medical professionals for consulting and speaking on its behalf in the last six months of 2009, its first public accounting of payments to the people who decide which drugs to recommend.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/business/01payments.html?ref=health

It's too bad that many "safer" drugs are required by the FDA to be handed out as prescriptions when they're sold OTC in other countries such as Australia, Germany and Canada. So many doctors are in violation here of the Hippocratic Oath

link to the Hippocratic Oath: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath

Here is a list of the Conflict of Interest guidelines for the Medical community.

What laws are already on the books? Let's see:

Opinion 8.03 - Conflicts of Interest: Guidelines

• Under no circumstances may physicians place their own financial interests above the welfare of their patients. The primary objective of the medical profession is to render service to humanity; reward or financial gain is a subordinate consideration. For a physician to unnecessarily hospitalize a patient, prescribe a drug, or conduct diagnostic tests for the physician’s financial benefit is unethical. If a conflict develops between the physician’s financial interest and the physician’s responsibilities to the patient, the conflict must be resolved to the patient’s benefit. (II)http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-ethics/code-medical-ethics/opinion803.shtml

Opinion 8.031 - Conflicts of Interest: Biomedical Research

• Avoidance of real or perceived conflicts of interest in clinical research is imperative if the medical community is to ensure objectivity and maintain individual and institutional integrity. All medical centers should develop specific guidelines for their clinical staff on conflicts of interest. These guidelines should include the following rules:
• (1) Once a clinical investigator becomes involved in a research project for a company or knows that he or she might become involved, she or he, as an individual, cannot ethically buy or sell the company’s stock until the involvement ends and the results of the research are published or otherwise disseminated to the public;
• (2) Any remuneration received by the researcher from the company whose product is being studied must be commensurate with the efforts of the researcher on behalf of the company; and
• (3) Clinical investigators should disclose any material ties to companies whose products they are investigating, including financial ties, participation in educational activities supported by the companies, participation in other research projects funded by the companies, consulting arrangements, and any other ties. The disclosures should be made in writing to the medical center where the research is conducted, organizations that are funding the research, and journals that publish the results of the research. An explanatory statement that discloses conflicts of interest should accompany all published research. Other types of publications, such as a letters to the editor, should also include an explanatory statement that discloses any potential conflict of interest.
• In addition, medical centers should form review committees to examine disclosures by clinical staff about financial associations with commercial corporations. (II, IV)

"Fundamental Elements of the Patient-Physician Relationship

• From ancient times, physicians have recognized that the health and well-being of patients depends upon a collaborative effort between physician and patient. Patients share with physicians the responsibility for their own health care. The patient-physician relationship is of greatest benefit to patients when they bring medical problems to the attention of their physicians in a timely fashion, provide information about their medical condition to the best of their ability, and work with their physicians in a mutually respectful alliance. Physicians can best contribute to this alliance by serving as their patients’ advocate and by fostering these rights:
• (1) The patient has the right to receive information from physicians and to discuss the benefits, risks, and costs of appropriate treatment alternatives. Patients should receive guidance from their physicians as to the optimal course of action. Patients are also entitled to obtain copies or summaries of their medical records, to have their questions answered, to be advised of potential conflicts of interest that their physicians might have, and to receive independent professional opinions."http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-ethics/code-medical-ethics/opinion1001.shtml

Opinion 9.095 - The Use of Patents and Other Means to Limit Availability of Medical Procedures

• Physicians have ethical responsibilities not only to learn from but also, when possible, to contribute to the total store of scientific knowledge. Physicians should strive to advance medical science and make their achievements known through publication or other means of disseminating such information. This encourages physicians to innovate and to share ensuing advances.
• The use of patents, trade secrets, confidentiality agreements, or other means to limit the availability of medical procedures places significant limitation on the dissemination of medical knowledge, and is therefore unethical. (V, VII)http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-ethics/code-medical-ethics/opinion9095.shtml

"greater safeguards against conflicts of interest are needed to ensure the integrity of the research and to protect the welfare of human subjects."http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-ethics/code-medical-ethics/opinion80315.shtml

• Unethical conduct that threatens patient care or welfare should be reported to the appropriate authority for a particular clinical service.http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-ethics/code-medical-ethics/opinion9031.shtml

When dealing with PCOS or any other disease, be your own advocate. If you have a wife, friend, mother, sister or daughter with PCOS, be their advocate.

Don't leave the doctors' office with just a prescription for birth control pills, that's a bandaid for this syndrome. It may be better to get an endocrinologist instead of a gynecologist to deal with the long term treatment of PCOS and a gyno if you need immediate treatment on your reproductive organs.

(updated 9/7/2011)
MORE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

If a doctor was trying to err on the side of safety with healthy skepticm, why would the medical community need to libel, defame and maliciously infringe on his rights?

BMJ had secret financial ties to Merck during publication of articles attacking Wakefield

Wednesday, September 07, 2011 by: PF Louis

"...For more on Brian Deer's nasty aggressive manner against the Wakefield 12 children's parents, who speak their version of events, see the short version of the documentary "Selective Hearing" here:http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=B04E6...

The full documentary is viewable from the sources section below. It is compelling.

So how does one sociopath vaccine industry shill hack journalist manage to pull this off? He was supported by friends in high places.

Big Pharma's Vaccine Hit List

The pharmaceutical industry has hit lists, and apparently Brian is one of their hit men to stir up trouble with the help of vaccine industry supporting medical journals and public media publications. A lawyer in an Australian class action suit against Merck's Vioxx spoke of threats from Merck to intimidate critics or cut off research funding.

The attorney read the following from a Merck internal memo: "We may need to seek them out and destroy them where they live." There was also memo content that mentioned "neutralizing or discrediting" doctors who spoke out against them. Merck is a major provider of MMR vaccines in the UK and USA.

Following the Money

High Court Judge Sir Nigel Davis wouldn't permit parents who wanted to testify on Wakefield's behalf. Nigel's brother is a board member of the publishers of theLancetwho is also on the Board of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). GSK is a pharmaceutical giant also heavily involved in vaccine manufacturing.

GSK now has James Murdoch on its Board. He's the son of Rupert Murdoch and editor of theSunday Times. This was Deer's first platform to launch attacks on Wakefield. The Murdoch family has strong financial interests with GSK.

Deer used Medico-Legal Investigations to gather information for his evil spin. This private company seems to be a front group for Big Pharma, since their only source of funding is the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry.

Reuters is a news agency rivaling the Associated Press (AP). The head of Reuters is a Merck Board member. Miriam Stoppared's husband, Christopher Hogg, was Chairman of GSK in 2004. Miriam is feature writer for theDaily Mirror.

Dr. Kumar, the chairman of the GMC Fitness to Practice Panel that ruled against Wakefield would not answer questions about his known GSK holdings. He declared that there is no such thing as vaccine damage and parents who claimed such should be treated with scorn. (although the financial holdings violate the code of ethics).

There have been allegations of financial connections between Merck and BMJ and its editor Dr. Fiona Godlee. It's certain Merck funds award to BMJ's selected MDs and researchers. Both the BMJ andLancetjournals serve as advertising forums for Merck and GlaxoSmithKline...."

http://www.naturalnews.com/033516_BMJ_financial_ties.html#ixzz1XH6vKulH

Here is another conflict of interest...not directly related to PCOS but it only proves that "appeal to authority" is a serious falsehood in today's society due to a conflict of interest-FINANCE.

Not only that, but because the courts were corrupted, they're also guilty of Obstruction of Justice, Title 18, USC 1701=1725 and possibly racketeering charges.

"Why is a Monsanto lobbyist serving as the FDA's Food Safety Czar?

Why is a former Monsanto lobbyist currently serving as the FDA's food safety czar waging war on small dairy farms that produce fresh milk?

While factory farm operators are getting away with serious food safety violations, raw milk dairy farmers and distributors across the country have been subjected to armed raids and hauled away in handcuffs.

The Food and Drug Administration is running sting operations followed by "guns-drawn raids usually reserved for terrorists and drug lords" as part of a crackdown on unpasteurized milk.¹ Meanwhile, the FDA is letting the highly consolidated industrial meat and factory farm industry off the hook despite growing problems.

Not surprisingly, the person responsible for prioritizing armed raids on small dairies over holding agribusiness accountable is a former Monsanto attorney and chief super lobbyist. Monsanto's Michael Taylor is the second highest-ranking official at the FDA, and as Food Safety Czar is responsible for implementing the day-to-day policies that govern the food safety laws for the U.S. ^2"

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/fire_michael_taylor/index.html?rc=fb_share2

PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE HELPS!!!

1. ALWAYS get your Pap smear by a trusted doctor. Get it done once a year. Planned Parenthood isn't the most reliable care for anything but a family planning resource. You want them to find any cyst or endometriosis on your system if they exist. Experience and knowledge; as well as ethics and attitude will play into the quality of your doctor.

Quality doctors will save you a lot of money and pain.

2. If they find a cyst, ALWAYS ask for them to do a biopsy. Or whatever it takes to pop the cyst, or remove it before it becomes a problem.

A TRIP TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM IS A FAILURE OF YOUR DOCTOR! A good doctor will offer it. If not, get another opinion. I had a wonderful doctor at Scripps who offered to pop my cyst for just a mere $20 copay. HE saved me a lot of pain and suffering, which I am eternally grateful for. And he saved me an expensive trip to the ER. That's over a few grand right there! That's a good doctor! Not all doctors will offer this.
All the ER does is dope the women up on either Ibuprofin or Morphine and send them home with a big bill. It's not care, it's extortion.
DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO PREVENT A CYST RUPTURE.

3. So through my experiences, the other main survival lesson is to remain positive. About coping, about surviving, about everything. And stop taking "NO" for an answer, from anyone about your body. Even if they have you trapped in the doctors' office signing away your last two weeks of pay.

Anxieties come from not knowing what's going on with your body, the unpleasant surprises, the stereotypes, potential embarrassment, incompetant doctors (or physician's assistants), family members, friends, etc. And the pain! The symptoms are not fun. The victims of PCOS have to make it a priority to cope with the symptoms. Thinking good thoughts, about things that make you happy...any kind of good mindset is critical. If you have a loved one dealing with this, you have to give her room to find that "good spot" so she can better deal with the complications of PCOS.

MYTH#4- "There is no known cause for PCOS and Endometriosis".

Baloney!

WHAT CAUSED ENDOMETRIOSIS?

Monkey study proves that dioxins (dioxin, furans, and PCB) in environment results in higher percentage of endo cases. Again, significant results suggested that endometriosis in these animals was associated with immune dysfunction.
http://www.obgyn.net/women/women.asp?page=/endo/marylou/ml004
http://toxsci.oxfordjournals.org/content/70/2/161.full
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/17685.php

WHAT CAUSED POLY-CYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME?

Iodine deficiency may cause the ovaries to develop cysts , nodules and scar tissue. At its worse this ovarian pathology is very similar to that of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). As of the writing of this article I have five PCOS patients. The patients have successfully been brought under control with the use of 50 mg of iodine per day. Control with these patients meaning cysts are gone, periods every 28 days and type 2 diabetes mellitus under control.
http://www.optimox.com/pics/Iodine/IOD-10/IOD_10.htm

"A study of female mice is suggesting that ovarian cysts may at least partially be the result of an immune system dysfunction. The gland involved is the thymus gland, which is responsible for the management of major aspects of your immune system. One of the functions of the thymus gland is to produce T-cells, which are white blood cells that help protect you from infection and also perform other important activities.

The researchers reported that ovarian cysts in the female mice did not develop unless there was an absence of regulatory T-cells."

http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/news81.html

"Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are highly reactive molecules, formed by nonenzymatic glycation of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, which may induce structural and vascular change" (fast food-precooked foods)

"In conclusion, it is demonstrated that excess dietary glycotoxins in experimental animals appeared to be accumulated in the ovarian tissues and are also associated with metabolic and hormonal alterations.”
http://www.springerlink.com/content/g872k677v1114520/
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169805.php

PCOS IS AN IMMUNE/ENDOCRINE DISORDER!
Why are you so complacent with your own body?

After $50 billion in cancer research, it's sad that we don't have endocrinology cures before the improved Viagra came out onto the market. Who can hook up when we're doubled over in cramps? Seriously.

-In Economics, we learn that necessity is the mother of invention.
-In Economics, we learn that demand creates supply.
-In Economics, we KNOW that the market determines demand.

The "market" would be us! Do we demand band-aids or a cure? Is that good enough for us?

That's OUR choice. All we need is good information.

It never hurts to ask nicely. How else are the doctors going to know what we want?

There's a few marketing tricks that one could be weary of. The first is to convince the market that they "need" something when they really don't. The next is FUD-"fear, uncertainty and doubt". Keep your head on straight. WE are the market. Tactics prey on uncertainties, fears, anxieties and insecurities. You're the one who has to decide if the market caters a real cure for PCOS or not.

and the last line of bullsh*t regarding PCOS:

MYTH#5 (*drumroll*)-"Pregnancy is a treatment for PCOS".

Are these doctors of Medicine out of their minds?!!! This is so not true. Worse yet, you're putting the baby at a great risk for anything from miscarriages and mental handicaps due to iodine deficiencies.

Look, if your body is in pain- it's trying to tell you that something is wrong. If you're not menstruating, something is wrong. Listen to your body. If your reproductive organs are causing that pain, they're crying for help. Common sense says that you're probably not the best candidate to bear children until this syndrome is fixed.

There is a rate of miscarriages due to complications in PCOS patients.

If the PCOS patient is iodine deficient, she risks bearing a baby with mental handicaps. Why would you want to do that to your children?

Sure Clomid and Metformin (and weight loss) helps with the fertility issue. But if you're risking your baby's life? What kind of ethics are being applied here?

Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent. ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Put your future in good hands - your own. ~Author Unknown

You have brains in your head.You have feet in your shoes.You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.You're on your own.And you know what you know.You are the woman who'll decide where to go.~Dr. Seuss

Here are a few links to other sites specifically dealing with PCOS:
http://www.soulcysters.net/
http://pcosinconnection.com/
http://issuu.com/pcosinct/docs/pcos_ekit_by_pcosinct?mode=a_p