Re: Fw: A MUST READ ARTICLE

[Guest guest]

Elisa ... thanks for the info. As for me personally, I have a flu shot every year (age 70) and will continue to do so as long as my Dr recommends it.

I find it so confusing sometimes, what to do, what not to do. Especially with my health.

I did not take this as you recommending "no shots". It is an interesting article and we can always use information!

Hope you are having a good day today.

Our weather is C O O L and a slight breeze. I absolutely thrive during these days. Deep breaths...more energy. Ahhhhh.

MamaSher, age 70. IPF 3-06, OR. NasturtiumsDon't fret about tomorrow, God is already there!

Fw: A MUST READ ARTICLE

This article came to me from a retired MD (psychiatry and neurology) age 66, who is now practicing alternative medicine. He has huge knowledge of vitiamins and herbs. He is very against me taking immunosuppressants, as his first wife died from an infection while on these for systemic scleroderma. He is pretty radical in some of his ideas, but I wonder sometimes if in 20 years these ideas wil be mainstream. This is an interesting article, but of course we as lung patients must make our own informed decisions. The last part of the article tells good info on avoiding the flu.

Happy Saturday!

Elisa

Don't Get a Flu Shot!Take Vitamin D instead, says Don , MD.

[Guest guest]

MB

Two points from my perspective.

First, as in many papers like this you can read, it all makes perfect

sense if you accept the assumptions made initially. In this case, I

believe the traditional theories that flu is a virus and don't accept it

being a Vitamin D deficiency disease.

However, my second point is more important to my thoughts. I might

consider alternative medicine as an addition or adjunct to my

traditional medicine. For instance, flu shot plus Vitamin D or something

suggested for acid reflux in addition to the Nexium I'm taking or

something like NAC in addition to other items. However, when there is an

implication of not doing the traditional treatment at all, I become very

hesitant. So, in addition to the shot, I take steps in my activities to

avoid flu.

As to Vitamin D, i find that interesting as my nephrologist was the only

doctor to check it in me. She immediately prescribed 50,000 i.u. of

Vitamin D per week. There are also risks associated with two much

Vitamin D. So, one more thing to monitor I guess.

>

> Elisa,

> Thanks for sharing this article. It was interesting reading but it

didn't change my mind. I already got my flu shot this year and I have no

regret. I have to admit alot this Dr's reasoning just doesn't sit well

with me. His analysis of the statistics of relative risk vs absolute

risk of contracting the flu after being vaccinated is, in my view,

completely flawed. He talks about how it's proven that the flu vaccine

does not prevent pneumonia. Huh? No one claimed that it does. The flu

shot helps prevent us from getting sick with the FLU! But what I

thought was great, as you pointed out, were his tips at the very end for

avoiding the flu.

>

> As you pointed out, we all have to make our own informed decisions on

these types of issues. As someone with a severely reduced lung capacity

and impaired lung function, I will absolutely get my flu shot every

single year and I will also get the pneumovax (pneumonia vaccine) every

5 years. Both of these will improve my odds of avoiding contracting of

these illnesses and living through them should I catch them anyway.

>

> You know it's funny I was much more willing to entertain alternative

medical thought before I became ill. I still think there's alot of

value in many alternative modalities and I think the best medicine

utilizes an integrative approach embracing mainstream along with other

healing traditions.

>

> Thanks again for sharing this!! How are you doing these days?

>

>

> Beth-Moderator

> Fibrotic NSIP 06/06 UCTD 06/08

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> Fw: A MUST READ ARTICLE

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> This article came to me from a retired MD (psychiatry and neurology)

age 66, who is now practicing alternative medicine. He has huge

knowledge of vitiamins and herbs. He is very against me taking

immunosuppressants, as his first wife died from an infection while on

these for systemic scleroderma. He is pretty radical in some of his

ideas, but I wonder sometimes if in 20 years these ideas wil be

mainstream. This is an interesting article, but of course we as lung

patients must make our own informed decisions. The last part of the

article tells good info on avoiding the flu.

>

> Happy Saturday!

> Elisa

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> Don't Get a Flu Shot!

> Take Vitamin D instead, says Don , MD.

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