Archive for July, 2009

Dick: Dr. Phillips, because it is always such a basic question for patients and for families, could you talk to us briefly about the current research looking at what may cause MS? "Nobody knows what causes MS. It seems to be most likely caused by not a ... Full story

Siobhan: My 6-year-old son and I both use Rhinocort, and I'm concerned about the side-effects. I've read conflicting reports about it affecting the growth of children. I'm also wondering about weight gain for adults and children. Andrew: We've had so many questions about sort of an alphabet soup of drugs. Is Rhinocort one of these inhaled? ... Full story

Cynthia: I have been taking steroids, between 60-120 mg a day, for the last four years. I just wanted to know what the side effects or the results would be? Andrew: We all have the image of weight-lifters who take those anabolic steroids, and then we hear that they have problems, I guess, to their liver? Dr. Shapiro: Yes. Andrew: ... Full story

Gina: What can a parent do about their child's environment in order to help them if they've got asthma? Dr. Redding: Environmental preventive measures should be considered in two ways. The first is to reduce irritants, and tobacco smoke, woodburning ... Full story

Gina: As a lung specialist, what do you tell people about smoking? Dr. Redding: There are two lines of responses to tobacco use in homes of children who have asthma. The first is to say remove the irritant from the ... Full story

Dick: What do we know, Doctor, about the factors that can determine the severity of MS? I look at factors like the age at onset, gender, early symptoms, MRI status, and other factors that perhaps you would choose to mention. Dr. Phillips: We always wish ... Full story

Andrew: Dr. Ayars, what about the potency of inhaled corticosteroids? Dr. Ayars: Well, that's a great question and a very difficult one to answer, even for the experts, so I won't even try to explain it here. There certainly is some differences in potency and some require much higher doses to get equivalent effects. ... Full story

Andrew: We have another question that's been e-mailed to us from Marilyn who is in Everett, Washington. And she writes, "My 3-year-old daughter has had asthma for a year now, and right now she's been two weeks on, two weeks off Prelone. Are there side effects of Prelone?" Dr. Shapiro: Prelone is an oral steroid medication, and it's the most potent. It's like ... Full story

Gina: We've talked about smoking triggering asthma attacks. Does smoking cause asthma? Dr. Redding: First of all, very few people are allergic to smoke. That's the first response. The second is that smoking clearly has adverse effects in ... Full story

Dick: Our question is from Carl in California. Carl asks, "Does the number of lesions and their locations - brain or spinal cord - seem to predict the course of MS? What if many of these lesions haven't caused any symptoms that I'm aware of?" Dr. Phillips: ... Full story