When the subject of yeast first arose in common conversation in the early 1980s, most doctors denied yeast could cause systemic problems in their patients and referred to practitioners who addressed this growing problem as quacks—even while acknowledging the existence of vaginal yeast infections in women and jock itch in men, as well as diaper rash and thrush in babies, all of which involve a type of yeast called Candida albicans. With the growing number of dying AIDS patients in that era, those same naysaying doctors conceded that yeast and other fungi could indeed pose a systemic problem after seeing … Continue reading
Category Archives: Medicine
The high-pitched scream coming from the kitchen pierced my early morning slumber. Within a nanosecond, I sat up wide-eyed and breathless, knowing I was in big trouble. During my adolescence, my family lived for almost two years in a small town in Virginia, called Phoebus. My mother barely coped, singlehandedly managing all of her rambunctious children while my father served in Korea as secretary of the United Nations peacekeeping force. In her chronic state of overwhelm, my mother forgot my birthday when I turned thirteen. I reminded her at the end of the day, after dinner. She wished me a … Continue reading
Loretta asked me why she had gotten breast cancer since there was no one in her family who had this kind of cancer. She didn’t realize that up to 85 percent of all cancers are related to environmental factors. Epidemiological studies, which look at health outcomes and disease prevalence in different groups of people, have shown that people who move to the US from countries with low cancer rates end up with the same high rates of cancer as found in the US. The statistics on cancer rates are sobering and point the finger directly at the environment. One hundred … Continue reading
Along with the shrinking tumor in her breast, Loretta began experiencing a significant rise in her energy, with a heightened sense of wellbeing and optimism, thanks to the alterations she made to her diet. Now she was ready to take on a few more changes to her lifestyle. To her relief, they weren’t nearly as difficult as the dietary changes had been. Below are a few of the supplements I recommended: –Vitamin D with Vitamin K at high doses, so that blood levels reach 70-100 ng/ml. Vitamin D has many health-enhancing properties, one of which is protection against cancer, especially … Continue reading
The phone message said, “Hi. My name is Loretta. I have breast cancer and I also have chemical sensitivities. I get bad side effects from most medications and would not be able to tolerate the standard cancer protocol. The treatment itself would probably kill me. Would you be willing to take me on as your patient? I live in Albuquerque. Please call me back.” The year was 1995, two years after I left mainstream medicine. Before returning her call, I took a few moments for reflection. Any time doctors in the US deviate significantly from the “standard of care,” they … Continue reading
Do you ever feel like you’re sick after airplane travel and chalk it up to a virus caught while on board? You may be reacting to the pesticides that are now used in most airplanes. The symptoms can include sinus pressure, headaches, hoarseness, difficulty breathing, prolonged fatigue, aching muscles and joints, and heightened sensitivity to chemicals. Recently I was on a trip to Thailand. When I got back I felt exhausted—beyond the usual fatigue attributed to jet-lag. Even after many days passed, I continued to feel tired, brain-fogged, and uncharacteristically irritable. Then I remembered the pesticides that are used in … Continue reading
Medical mysteries intrigue me and bring out the detective part of my nature, fueled by a strong desire to relieve suffering. Merely quelling symptoms with potentially harmful pharmaceutical drugs offers much less gratification than searching for the underlying causes of the presenting symptoms. Sometimes patients present with puzzling symptoms that require brainstorming for answers only found outside the box, in unlikely places. James came to my practice as a last resort in the late 1990s after having been to four cardiologists, three of them outside of New Mexico. In his early 50s, James had developed a persistently rapid heart rate, … Continue reading
After a long day seeing patients, I plopped down on the couch and decided to watch CNN news for a few minutes before getting up and making myself dinner. I had no TV guide since I rarely turn on the television, but I assumed it was the news hour I would be watching. Instead, I saw Sanja Gupta, neurosurgeon and medical consultant for CNN, earnestly apologizing to the American people for his outspoken stand against medical marijuana. From that moment, I stayed glued to the TV for the entire hour. Here is the link to watch Dr. Gupta talking about … Continue reading
“Dr. Elliott, would you be willing to manage my epilepsy without medication?” Lesley, a 26-year-old artist, had recently moved to Santa Fe from the East Coast and needed to find a new doctor. As you can imagine, my first response was reluctance to even consider taking on a patient who refused to take medication for grand mal seizures. The idea seemed too dangerous to even consider. As I spoke to her on the phone, I shuddered as I imagined her having convulsions while driving. Seizures occur when the brain’s electrical signaling discharges excessively, all at once. The best-known type of … Continue reading
I often hear my friends and patients ask, “How is it that you’re exposed to so many germs from your sick patients who cough all over you when you’re checking their lungs, but you never seem to get sick? What’s your secret?” It’s true that I’ve never gotten the flu in spite of the many sick people I treat, and in spite of never having received the flu vaccine. My secret—besides leading a healthy lifestyle—is peppermint oil, sniffed deeply into both nostrils after each encounter with a sick patient. The peppermint oil is an aromatic compound that disinfects the airways. … Continue reading