Hepatitis Prevention and Treatment. Hepatitis A, B, and C are the most common types of this liver disease. They are caused by viruses. Hepatitis A is transmitted primarily through fecal contamination. Hepatitis B is transmitted through infected blood products or sexual contact. Hepatitis B accounts for 50% of viral cases in the US. The virus is shed in saliva, semen, vaginal secretions and blood. Hepatitis C, formerly know as non-A, non-B, is most often passed through IV drug use but often the source of infection is unclear. In the past, about 10% of people receiving blood transfusions developed Hepatitis C, but that has been reduced to about 4% now. The death rate for Hepatitis C is much higher, up to 12%, than for other forms. Other viral causes of hepatitis include D, E, and G, Herpes Simplex, cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus. Hepatitis can also be caused by drugs and toxic chemicals. Acute viral hepatitis can be severely debilitating, often requiring 2 to 16 weeks of bed rest for recovery. About 1% of patients will die of acute viral hepatitis. Chronic hepatitis will develop in about 10% of Hepatitis B and up to 40% of Hepatitis C cases. Nearly 4 million Americans are currently infected with Hepatitis C virus (HCV). Complications of HCV are the leading cause for liver transplantation in the US. The symptoms of chronic hepatitis vary from nonexistent to chronic fatigue, serious liver damage, and death.

Hepatitis A and B can be prevented by vaccination. Hepatitis B vaccination is important for those in high-risk occupations such as the medical and dental fields and those who are regularly exposed to blood and body fluids. Hepatitis B vaccination is a 3-shot series over a 6-month period. Hepatitis A vaccination is important for those traveling to areas of high risk. Hepatitis A vaccination is a 2-shot series over a 6-12 month period. Diet and natural products can help support liver function and have been studied as actual treatments for hepatitis. A diet low in saturated fats, simple carbohydrates (i.e., sugars), fried oils and animal products and high in fiber has been shown to be helpful. Large doses of Vitamin C, liver extracts, thymus extracts and milk thistle extracts have also been helpful in treating chronic hepatitis. Milk thistle standardized to provide 140 mg to 210 mg of silymarin 3 times daily or 100 mg to 120 mg of silymarin phytosome daily have great benefit in returning liver function enzymes back to normal. You can be vaccinated for Hepatitis A and B at Taos Pharmacy upon your doctor's order. We also carry PhytoPharmica's Sil-150 and Super Thistle X formulations of silymarin to support healthy liver function.

Good Health Starts With Plenty of Good Water. Adequate amounts of water are vital to good health. Water makes up over 60% of our body weight. Each day our bodies require over 2 quarts of water to function properly. About 1 quart is provided in the foods we eat. This means we need to drink at least 1 quart of water daily. In high, dry climates like Taos we need to drink more than the minimum to maintain good water balance. Not drinking enough water puts a great deal of stress on the body. Kidney function can be affected, kidney stones and gallstones are more likely to form, respiratory tract membranes dry out making it easier to catch cold or flu, and your immune system does not function as efficiently.

Unfortunately, it is becoming harder to find pure water. Chemicals such as pesticides, PCBs, nitrates and heavy metals find their way into our water supply. There are many home water-filtration units available. The most popular use carbon filters to remove impurities. Carbon filters do not remove some impurities, including lead. Others use reverse osmosis filters to more effectively remove contaminants. At Taos Pharmacy we use a reverse osmosis system by Nutripure called the Fillmaster to produce purified water as defined by the United States Pharmacopeia. We use this purified water, USP to reconstitute our antibiotics and to compound our solutions, creams, tinctures, etc. Home versions of this system are available through Taos Pharmacy, just ask Jake for information on the Nutripure water purification system.

One of the water chemical levels of interest to families with young children should be fluoride content. Well location and depth, water system age and in-home water filters can all lead to varying fluoride levels within a community. Broad assumptions of community-wide fluoride levels cannot be used to determine the need for fluoride supplementation. Fluoride has been prescribed to help harden tooth enamel and prevent tooth decay. However, the level of fluoride in the water supply, supplementation in toothpaste, mouth rinses and food can lead to higher than desired levels of fluoride which can cause fluorosis, a discoloring of tooth enamel. Until recently, home testing for fluoride has been unpredictable and inconvenient. Now available is the FluoriCheck Water Analysis service that addresses these problems. Taos Pharmacy carries the FluoriCheck system that can determine your water fluoride levels. We can help your doctor or dentist determine the need for supplementation based on the recommendation of the 1994 dosing schedule by the American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Do You Miss a Favorite Old Product? Ask us to Compound it For You! There have been a number of products discontinued over the past few years for a variety of reasons. Products that have been used for years were not required to submit clinical trial data to the FDA when they were introduced. These manufacturers have been faced with the extraordinary expense of this process to keep their products on the market. Many have decided to reformulate or discontinue these products instead. Often people feel that the new products or the alternatives available to the old products do not work as well for them. Taos Pharmacy, being a compounding pharmacy dedicated to problem solving, can help you with this problem.

We belong to a network of compounding pharmacies called the Professional Compounding Centers of America. We also belong to a professional society of compounding pharmacists known as the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists. With these excellent support networks at our disposal, we are able to acquire formulas and ingredients to compound products that are no longer commercially available. We take seriously our role as problem solvers; this is one more way that we can help you with your health care problems.

Examples of prescription products no longer available that we can compound include products that were available for years to treat diarrhea. Examples of over-the-counter products no longer available include products used as liniments for sore muscles and joint pains.

In addition to discontinued products, we can compound unique combinations that are unavailable commercially. For example, if you need a concentrated calcium and magnesium liquid formulation or a high-dose sublingual vitamin or mineral formula, we can help you with your needs.

Taos is a very creative community with strong interests in alternatives to available treatments. We strive to match the creativity of our patients with creative solutions to their problems. Call us if you have an unusual problem to solve, we can help!

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