WOMEN HEART ATTACKS & PARAMEDICS

Ladies,


What's the first thing you should do if you're having a heart attack? Call 911...yet a large number of you don't with disastrous consequences. The reason why women don't call will shock you.

Women, heart attacks and what to do on Dr. Chambers On Call on KFWB News Talk 980 4-5 PM today.

THE SHOW TODAY Sunday February 19th

This is a show you won't want to miss...things that people do that cost them their life...e.g. why women having heart attacks don't call the paramedics for desperately needed help...you just won't believe why.  

                     All on Dr. Chambers On Call today 4-5 PM on KFWB News Talk 980.

                     The number to call with your medical question is 888 539 2980

                              OR email anytime drchambersoncall@gmail.com

WHITNEY HOUSTON - ALCOHOL, DRIVING & FALL PRECAUTIONS

When I prescribe restricted drugs like vicodin or xanax or any drug that can mess up your consciousness, I always tell my patients that restricted drugs don't play well together, don't mix with driving and never with alcohol. Some patients are receptive to the advice; some aren't. Often if they've used the drug before they know nothing can go wrong...yes really, that's what they think and that brings me to Whitney Houston. The investigation into her death is focusing on the concoction of prescription drugs she was using. Illustrating again how deadly prescription drugs are in combo. And remember these drugs aren't elitist. They'll kill you just as quick as a world famous, mega rich, pop icon. Alcohol, driving, fall precautions reviewed isn't just boiler plate, medico legal advice. It's said so you don't end up doing a Whitney Houston. 

 

 

SALLY ASPIRIN & THE MORNING AFTER

Sally aka Acetylsalicylic acid aka aspirin is a wonderful drug and despite being around for hundreds of years, new uses are being found for it everyday. Check out Foster Freiss' suggestion below. He deems it a modern day chastity belt. I kid you not! My take, it's a morning after pill...for your hangover!!! 

WHITNEY HOUSTON, ENABLERS & FAT IS CONTAGIOUS

Whitney Houston was 48 when she was found dead last Saturday. Her actual cause of death isn't known at this point but youngish women like her simply don’t drop dead. Has to be a reason. Most speculate on drugs. Some want a culprit to blame. Prescription drugs found in her hotel room? Quick, investigate her doctors. Family, where were they? And what about her friends? Couldn't they see the obvious?

The sad truth is Ms. Houston was an addict. A serious addict that flunked rehab many times. Medically speaking there’s a simple reality to drug addiction. Addicts die young. They do not get their allotted eighty plus years. Ms. Houston's death is awful even tragic but entirely predictable. Undoubtedly she had enablers. Iconic, mega rich stars always do but we all do. Every single one of us and they can be just as ruthlessly destructive in our lives as hers.

Don’t believe me? Recently on my radio show, Dr. Chambers On Call on KFWB News Talk 980, I was joking about a study that claimed you're more likely to be fat if your friends are fat. In other words being fat is contagious. Sounds crazy but it’s true. If your friends are fat, they're more likely to binge eat, not exercise and spend their free time in cahoots with you. Get the picture? In many ways your fat friends are enablers to you as you are to them.

My point is, let’s not get distracted looking for someone to blame for Whitney’s death. I’d suggest, you want to honor her untimely death reconsider what addiction is and isn't. It’s not a choice. Addiction is a disease that victimizes the sufferer just like diabetes or asthma or hypertension. It’s a disease like any other that deserves our compassion, help and resources. Time to remove the stigma of addiction. Time to help patients who suffer with addiction. Time to stop locking them up.   

AIM FOR A HEALTHY WEIGHT

As we chatted on yesterday's show here's a link to the NIH site - aim for a healthy weight. This is a great authoritative site. Here you can calculate your BMI and get excellent advice on managing the food in your life. Remember as vital as exercise is, you are what you eat. 80% of what you look like is what you eat. BTW, the first step in achieving a healthy weight is portion control. 

EVER DONE A DWF, DATING WHILE FAT?

I'll be talking to Austin Andrews from NBCs The Biggest Loser on the ups and downs of dating when you're a big guy. And I don't mean big in the locker room sense.  Tune in to Dr. Chambers On Call 4-5 PM today on KFWB News Talk 980 for the full story. 

Dr. Chambers On Call KFWB News Talk 980 4-5 pm, 888 539 2980.

The SHOW TODAY SUNDAY FEB 12

On the show today... Ken & Austin Andrews, the father and son team from NBC's The Biggest Loser.  We'll ask them for tips on how to lose weight of course and as father and son does Ken think he bears some responsibility for Austin's obesity....and as it's Valentine's week Andrew will tell us what it's like to date when you're obese and the difference when you lose a whopping 174 lbs...you may even get engaged!

All this and as always your calls.  Remember Dr. Chambers On Call is all about you and your health.  So if you have a health related question call KFWB News Talk 980 at 888 539 2980 4-5 PM today OR email anytime drchambersoncall@gmail.com

IS SITTING THE NEW SMOKING?

Is sitting a lethal activity? It is according to some. We all lead sedentary lives either through choice, necessity or both - resulting in the obvious, obesity, heart disease and on and on. Simply put, our bodies aren't designed to do nothing. In medicine we've known forever, a quick way to kill someone is simply confine them to bed. Blood clots, pneumonia and bed sores follow quickly. Years ago, you broke your hip it was tantamount to a death sentence. The "cure" was six weeks bed rest while the fracture healed. You can guess what happened. Pneumonias and clots took an horrendous toll. Thankfully modern orthopedics has perfected the hip-fix getting you up and on your feet within a day or two of surgery.  

Sitting at a desk for eight hours without moving is silly but it's not the new smoking. Not by a long shot. Smoking has killed and will kill more of us than sitting at a desk ever can. Get up and move. Get up and stretch. You owe it to your body. You owe it to yourself but hear this, hyperboles like sitting is the new smoking are silly. They won't make us healthier and may just obfuscate the still and ever present lethality and morbidity of smoking. In case you've forgotten, smoking kills the smoker and those around them. As it did yesterday, does today and will tomorrow. Sitting isn't smoking. Smoking is smoking.  

AMERICANS, PAIN & NARCOTICS

Last week I read that even though Americans are only 5% of the world's population we use 80% of the world's legally prescribed narcotics. You think this could be be true? Really, we use that much? Then along comes this story. The DEA charges that two CVS pharmacies in Florida violated their licenses by ordering 3 million oxycodone pills in 2011- more than twenty times the national average. WOW! Either these two pharmacies are smack in the middle of a war zone or I suspect someone's partying hard.     

When I was training there was a big push to treat pain more aggressively. No question, no patient should be left in pain but we've overshot. Now some patients even with minor injuries demand narcotics. Sometimes even demanding the above highly addictive oxycodone for a minor injury. An injury mind you with no swelling, bruising or other objective evidence of injury. Physicians who prescribe narcotics in this scenario are doing their patients no favors. It's beyond time to rethink our management of everyday pain. This is something I hope to explore on an up coming show on Dr. Chambers On Call on KFWB News Talk 980 Sundays 4-5 PM. I'll give you a head's up when the show is scheduled.       

BREAST CANCER RESEARCH & DONATIONS

These days virtually every time I go into a supermarket someone tries to guilt me into donating to charity. One gal recently was beyond horrified that I wouldn't give. Did I not care? What kind of man!?! Well...it's simple really. When I give to charity I actually like the money, minus a modest overhead, to go to where it's suppose to go. No easy task, let me tell you. Take the the Susan G Komen foundation. No question they are a well run and respected charity even if some of their senior execs fly first class. And forget the Planned Parenthood side of the controversy for the moment. What do they actually spend their money, your donations, on? Turns out a mere 17-20%, depending on the year, goes to breast cancer research and a whopping 37% on breast cancer awareness. Tell me who's not aware that breast cancer is nasty? They're also suing other charities for copy right infringement on the use of the word cure and the use of pink. What!?! I thought we were all in this together.  I thought we all have the same goal, cure breast cancer. Regular listeners to my radio show will be familiar with Dr. Susan Love. Check out this article. If you're thinking of donating to breast cancer research. Her group might be a better bet.

THE SHOW TODAY

Yes we are LIVE today on KFWB News Talk 980 4-5 PM!  Topics include when you say no to treatment does that mean the doctor abandons you?  Emails from Miguel & Jerry on hydroceles and finasteride.  And as always your calls.

Dr. Chambers On Call 4-5 PM today on KFWB News Talk 980.  The number to call is 888 539 2980 OR email anytime drchambersoncall@gmail.com

When no doesn't mean no - your right to treatment on your terms.

This is a fascinating story about your rights as a patient.  Kudos to Dr Lill.  My take and my experience in the same vein this Sunday on the show.

Dr. Chambers On Call, KFWB News Talk 980, Sunday 4-5 PM.  The number to call is 888 539 2980 or email anytime drchambersoncall@gmail.com.