Side Effects vs. Allergies

When you take a new medicine and it causes an upset stomach that's a side effect. When you take a medicine and you have an anaphylactic reaction or a rash, that's an allergy. It's important because it makes a big difference the next time you might need that same class of medication.

When you tell your doctor you're allergic to penicillin, that wipes out a lot of options because there are 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation penicillins. Add to that the fact that the cephalosporins are a close cousin to the penicillins so those are often off the table as well. Again, 4 generations of drugs that you may not be able to use.

The same goes for sulfa (a fairly common allergen) which is found in antibiotics and a common anti-hypertensive drug. Check out this longer list from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfonamide_(medicine).

The same is true for many pain medications, i.e. Vicodin, Percocet, morphine, etc. All these drugs are in the opioid class so an actual allergy to one makes doctors wary about giving you the others. If you go to the doctor in severe pain, you'll probably get an opioid and opioids are one of the most common drugs that cause stomach upset. There are drugs to prevent nausea so tell your doctor about your symptoms but please understand stomach upset and nausea are side effects, not allergies.

Lastly, know the details of your medical history. It's not so important to know if you were 5 or 6 when you had your appendix out but if you had any reaction to drugs, know exactly what it was. Ask your mom about things like this and get the facts right. Many patients will report I had "Drug A" as a kid and had a reaction to it. That's not very helpful for the same reasons described above.

End of the Day Medicine

A little tip about seeking medical care... For those of you inclined to go just before closing, don't.

Doctors are tired at the end of the day and offices that close usually have limited resources. You're better off going somewhere which has 24 hour service, usually an ER or 24 hour urgent care center. Don't be fooled into thinking that your visit will be quicker because the place closes and everyone wants to go home. If that's the case, you're probably not sick enough to even need a doctor appointment.

By the end of the day in most offices, there is paperwork to catch up on. Most doctors will do their best to keep up with charting as they see patients throughout the day. However, most inevitably get behind. So not only are you dealing with tired staff, you're dealing with people who are behind in their work before you even get there. Have you ever interrupted someone who was already behind in their work? How did that work out for you? Did you get what you wanted?

Medicine is not better practiced in a rush. Things get missed by both the patient and the doctor. Patients forget important details which would help their doctor make a diagnosis. Doctors forget to give that extra piece of education that would have made you satisfied with your visit if you both weren't in a rush.

Safe or Paranoid?

The local 6 o'clock TV news advertises on the radio that they report the latest, up to date and up to the minute crime information so I know exactly where crime is happening, even right in my neighborhood. According to the ad, this is supposed to keep me safe. Apparently this is in my best interest and that's what the news folks are most concerned about, my best interests.

The best this can do is make me paranoid if I actually watched it. Please explain to me how hearing about crime will make me safe. Am I going to lock my doors and be alert when I'm outside just because I saw their newscast compared to the rest of the time when I hang out alone in dark alleys and leave my doors open? Hardly. Appropriate vigilance is a wise habit but it doesn't vary based on some newscast.

Let's call this what it is...another gimmick to get you to watch the news. Drama, i.e. CSI, Law & Order, everything "ripped from the headlines" sells and that's all this is. For a real perspective on fear and how to not be paranoid, check out Gavin de Becker's books starting with "The Gift of Fear".

CrossFit and Church

I'm a CrossFit fan because nothing else has ever changed my level of fitness so convincingly in 15 years of working out. I'm also a Christian or as my church describes it, Christ-follower. My faith is the most important thing in my life and strongly influences all the choices I make.

A common argument for not starting CF is that "I'll start when I'm in better shape." A common argument for not turning to God and going to church is "I'll go when I get my life straightened out."

The argument is virtually the same and absolutely baseless. CF is universally scalable to any activity level so with a little knowledge, anyone can start anytime. Much more importantly, God didn't come to call only saints to himself. He came to save sinners. That's you and me and everyone else on earth. There is no need to "clean up your act" before you seek God. He'll meet you where you're at.

For more details about elite fitness, check out crossfit.com.

For proof that God is interested in you (as you are), check out Matthew chapter 9.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%209:9-13;&version=31;