Re: Hydroxytryptophan (5HT)

[Guest guest]

Dear Mr. Plissner

My humble apologies. I mistakenly assumed that when you asked whether

anyone had information about hydroxytryptophan, you were asking for

assistance. I never dreamed that you were an expert in this area. I had

no idea that 35 deaths and over 1500 cases of EMS from tryptophan was a

" he says-she says " situation. I also was not aware of the collusion

between the FDA, pharmaceutical houses, legal and medical professions to

keep tryptophan off the market. I did know, however, that the single

Japanese manufacturer of trytophan was the major supplier for the entire

United States and Canada. I also knew that Legionnaire's Disease is

harbored within water and not air. Do you really think that the sales of

tryptophan in the U.S. are a major concern of the pharmaceutical

industry? What if the FDA didn't stop the sales of the contaminated

trytophan and more people got sick and died? I can imagine who would be

leading the fight to lynch the FDA. Since you are so well informed about

this subject, allow me to change my advice to you about 5-HT. Don't

throw it into the nearest landfill. Take it on a daily basis. You'll

show the conspirators who is right. Oh, and when you get sick, don't go

to a hospital where all of those nasty crooks are, go to the guy who

gave you the drug. I'm sure that he will be glad to help you.

Mr. Hyatt, the above is for you also. Watch out for those people in the

AMA who are plotting against the citizens of these United States. Sorry

to inform you that I am not a member.

L. Levin, M.D.

[Guest guest]

Dear Dr. Levin,

My apologies, sir. I am NOT an expert in things medical. I guess I was

just venting my frustration (and that which I'm sure many of us feel)

with having been bounced from pillar to post over this thing. It is

VERY frustrating to us all when the experts to whom we look for our

health disagree. It is also very frustrating to us all dealing haggling

with insurance companies and constantly reeling from the astronomical

cost of medical care and pharmaceuticals these days. I have a decent

white-collar job, but our household budget for the month can be wiped

out in an instant by a trip to the neurologist and one scrip for

Neurontin.

That there is antipathy (or at least sharp dissension) between the

naturopathic and traditional medical/pharmaceutical community cannot be

denied. I don't believe any of us *LIKE* the idea of becoming dependent

(I'm not talking addicted, just dependent in order to function normally)

on pharmaceuticals. Especially when we must fork over hundreds of

dollars for these medications...it is natural to feel like the large

pharmaceutical companies are " cashing in " on our misery. To me, it is

natural to feel like there is some kind of " conspiracy " (real or

imagined) when I see physicians' fees and drug prices escalating at 2 or

3 times (or more) the inflation rate. It is natural for me to suspect

that (say) that the cost of malpractice insurance (and other costs)

drive up medical costs, and that pharmaceutical companies drive up

prices which cause insurance companies to cut back coverage etc.

Obviously the dynamics of all this are too complex for the simplistic

mind who just wants a decent night's sleep.

I guess it is useless to " take sides " in the ongoing debate between

traditional and " alternative " medicine. Ya pays yer money and ya takes

yer chances.

Also, I didn't mean that there is collusion between the various

institutions concerning tryptophan.

I asked for your medical opinion and you gave it. I apologize for

castigating the medical community. It is better, I guess to stick to

facts, information and experiences on this list, and to refrain as much

as is possible from venting.

Sincerely,

Jeff P.

L. Levin, M.D. wrote:

>

> Dear Mr. Plissner

>

> My humble apologies. I mistakenly assumed that when you asked whether

> anyone had information about hydroxytryptophan, you were asking for

> assistance. I never dreamed that you were an expert in this area. I had

> no idea that 35 deaths and over 1500 cases of EMS from tryptophan was a

> " he says-she says " situation. I also was not aware of the collusion

> between the FDA, pharmaceutical houses, legal and medical professions to

> keep tryptophan off the market. I did know, however, that the single

> Japanese manufacturer of trytophan was the major supplier for the entire

> United States and Canada. I also knew that Legionnaire's Disease is

> harbored within water and not air. Do you really think that the sales of

> tryptophan in the U.S. are a major concern of the pharmaceutical

> industry? What if the FDA didn't stop the sales of the contaminated

> trytophan and more people got sick and died? I can imagine who would be

> leading the fight to lynch the FDA. Since you are so well informed about

> this subject, allow me to change my advice to you about 5-HT. Don't

> throw it into the nearest landfill. Take it on a daily basis. You'll

> show the conspirators who is right. Oh, and when you get sick, don't go

> to a hospital where all of those nasty crooks are, go to the guy who

> gave you the drug. I'm sure that he will be glad to help you.

>

> Mr. Hyatt, the above is for you also. Watch out for those people in the

> AMA who are plotting against the citizens of these United States. Sorry

> to inform you that I am not a member.

>

> L. Levin, M.D.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 98-10-27 09:37:50 EST, you write:

<< I have a decent

white-collar job, but our household budget for the month can be wiped

out in an instant by a trip to the neurologist and one scrip for

Neurontin. >>

You know, I have done the vitamin/herbal thing in the past. I was taking this

for that and that for this..........before long, I had a bathroom counter of

vitamins/herbs and I was swallowing a cupful of pills in the morning for every

imaginable ill and a cupful of pills in the evening so as to sleep. One day I

got to thinking about this " silly " predicament I had created for myself and I

realized that I was spending a good bit of money on this " stuff " that I was

not even sure if it was helping or not. I got out the ole' calculator and

started adding up my " herbal " costs and viola, my pharmacy/doctor bill started

looking like a pretty good deal! Now, I don't complain about my $93.92

monthly Permax habit. At least it works and I don't have to swallow all those

doggone pills. IMHO

, 43 or 34, homeless but not planetless

RAINBOWPED@...

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 98-10-28 13:02:43 EST, you write:

<< I merely believe that we should

be bl---y careful of anything we ingest making dead sure of ANY thing we

introduce into our bodies before swallowing! >>

Uh, is bloody such a bad word? Oh well, back to the issue at hand.

One reason that many health care professionals are hesitant about herbal

remedies is their well-intentioned concern about patients/people

" experimenting " on themselves. It is a " free " world and here in the US, we do

have a " buyer beware " free market economy; however, it is amazing what we,

adults, can & will do to our bodies in our search for freedom, truth and the

pursuit of happiness.

, 43 months, Home of the NASA Space Station

RAINBOWPED@...

[Guest guest]

I'd like to refer you all to Page 15 in the November issue of Let's Live

magazine regarding 5-HTP. I won't try to quote it here but it makes for

very interesting reading. I have no quarrel with either prescription

remedies of alternative methods for relief. I merely believe that we should

be bl---y careful of anything we ingest making dead sure of ANY thing we

introduce into our bodies before swallowing!

CHEERS!

Jeanne and Mr. Biggles (who's chewing on a brand new pair of slippers!!) in

Poultney, VT

[Guest guest]

Yep, that is a truly BAD word in our family. As a child I remember my

Grandma smacking my Uncle (a grown man at the time) across the face because

he uttered that word out of the usual context. Grandma was Australian from

the old school.

Jeanne and Mr. Biggles in Poultney, VT