Doc, I want to debate on who has better hair, you or me? I'm going with you and I'll tell you why! I hate my hair. I've had the same hair-do since about Freshman year in college, around '82. I just can't pull of any other...Now, you tell me why MINE is better! That how it works?!

In all seriousness, I see a Gauntlet laid down. Let's see whom is unafraid to answer the call. Dr. Amyyyyyyyyyyy...Dr. Amyyyyy?

Get out your JAMA's and Grey's Anatomy! (No, not the TV show.)

RATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ginger during pregancy in relation to morning sickness. Do the German Monographs apply?

Who is responsible for ensuring doctors practice proper hygiene?

She Who Could Not Be Wrong™ is on the record repeatedly saying it is not doctors, but hospital admin who are responsible for doctor's not washing up and passing infections around hospitals.

What are your thoughts?

Doc. What herbal remedies to you recommend for nausea? Or supplements? Also, what are your thoughts on DHEA for lowered testosterone levels for males?

Thanks,
G

I have nothing to debate just appreciate your sense of humor ;0)

Doc. Regardless of debate or no debate. Your approach, is much more professional and more greatly appreciated. It's much less "school yard". NOT to put words in your mouth or on your intentions.

There are no rules on the internet which is why the very concept of debate is nonsensical.

I believe a debate on whether Pharmaceutical Companies in the world are part of the "Axis of Evil". Along with big tobacco, oil and insurance. I consider these four, along with banking to be the reason's for a lot of the world's problems. Just my opinion.

I would like you to address a few statements that I just left on your "vitamin" post.

1) The FDA does not suppress information in the scientific literature. Rather, they regulate the product claims that can be made using that literature. It seems you think they should not do that.

2) There is already a standard FDA process by which companies can make "qualified health claims" for their products. This involves a comprehensive review of the relevant literature. Based on that review qualified health claims are developed. A large number of products have already successfully gone through that process. But, it seems that this is not sufficient for you.

3) It seems to me that you would prefer a "system" in which companies could simply market products, saying whatever they want to about the products, based on whatever studies they chose to select (or neglect), in the name of the First Amendment, as you suggest in your "cherry" post -- "Freedom of speech is a personal liberty protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution."

I suggest to you that such a "system" would lead to utter chaos and potentially dangerous misunderstandings among the public about what these products actually do or don't do.

Question: Is my description in 3) above an adequate statement of your position. If not, what is your position?

Your turn.

My mom always taught me that just because someone calls me to wrestle with them in crap all I'll end up doing is getting their crap all over me. I understand the great desire of some to watch the great debate but I can't imagine that your ego needs it.

I would debate just for the hell of it, but my doctorate doesn't count. I am trained to cure souls, not bodies.

Merry Christmas,

Monte

Are there any natural ways to improve sperm quality, or is it all genetics?

A man who does not come out in the street when called for a gunfight remains neither a killer or a dead man. - Me

I applaud you for reciprocating the "blatant" call out by Dr. Amy. She won't show. She can't leave her own blog long enough to know you've posted... ;-)

Kudos

Debate question 1: Should a government entity be allowed to regulate the conditons under which a company can make health claims for a product?

Debate question 2: If the answer to question 1 is yes, then what are the necessary and sufficient conditions that the government should expect a company to meet in order to make health claims for a product?

Really great to have you on this site. I'm a person who always explore alternative/Chinese medicine before I go to Western. I'm thankful for all of them.

I would like your thoughts on Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Thanks doc.

Okay, here's my debate ... really strong antibiotics for the ear infection of the Kid which the doctor confesses will go away on its own anyway OR some kind of drop with some antibacterials in it? (like garlic or something) Thoughts?

Boxers or briefs?

Dr. Dach,
This could be a new one for OS. Always interested in different activities we can do here.
Debates are usually on neutral territory. So it could be hosted by someone whom you both (I assume you and Dr. Amy) trust.
The issue should be well-defined so that you stay on topic. Only the debators comment.
Might be of real interest.

I'm interested in the photo choice to illustrate this post. Carter is probably the most reviled Democratic president, including Clinton, since FDR. He may have been a less than able executive, but on many of the meta issues and challenges of his day he had a perspective and policy vision which, had they been allowed to carry the day, would likely have placed the country on a more secure long-term footing than the one Reagan and the Republicans have left us with today.

As to the "debate" between She Who Could Not Be Wrong™ and Dr. Dach, I think o'stephanie's comment speaks to a minimum scenario for keeping the idea from going off the rails entirely. As many of the other comments suggest, quite a few people seem less interested in a debate than in having Dr. Dach address their particular inquiries, which is all fine, but still.

I also think Greg is likely correct that we'll not see SWCNBW™ enter this venue.

All that said, Dr. Dach, you're to be commended for your professional and civil manner, in general, as well as for your sense of humor.

Mishima666 has a well laid out question that would seem to call for a response should you be interested in taking up at least part of the challenge.

There's an educational website that gives suggestions for how to carry out a (student) internet debate. The guidelines are here:

http://www.idebate.org/standards/rulesinternetdebates.php

A lot of the stuff deals with judging of students, which could be completely ignored (let the readers judge), but the guidelines do give a reasonable format/structure. The key is that a "motion" is the driving issue to be debated.

The motion could be something broad, like, "Resolved, alternative medicines have the power to produce desired effects in the treatment of disease." Of course, then we'd really need a good, specific definition of "alternative medicine" that everyone could agree on. Maybe something like "all medical treatments not approved by the FDA, or the AMA" or some such "traditional" body.

Or, something very specific (where definitions are less fuzzy), like, "Resolved, cherry juice producers should be allowed to make health claims when marketing their products without interference from government authorities."

A policy debate? "Resolved, regulation of labeling and marketing claims made by corporate entities is unnecessary."

So the next steps would be to obtain agreement on the structure of the debate and on the motion to be debated.

Do those latex gloves come in Day-Glo colors?

Monique -- definitely boxers.

Doc-

Two suggested topics:

Off-label use of pharmaceuticals as a form of alternative medicine?

Drug interactions, pharma to pharma, herbal to herbal, and mixed: how to track and mitigate.

I live in SF Chinatown, with the world's most amazing herbalists- own to a 2000 year head start, I suppose- so I find it amusing that y'all are even debating in re efficacy.

Be kind: Watch out for the plate in her head.

Dr. Dash...give me one specific alternative medicine (product or supplement) that you think has outstanding value and that would stand up to any scrutiny Dr. Amy might bring to bear on it. Pick the number 1 product in your estimation.

I’ll initiate a blog directed toward debating the merits of that product or supplement…and invite both you and Dr. Amy to do the debating.

We’ll limit it to just that one item for now.

But at least, we will get things started.

I’m going to post this over in Dr. Amy’s blog also…so that she knows I’ve issued this invitation.

After you two have debated and responded to each other fully…I’ll ask others in OS to give opinions about how the debate went in their estimation.

So as not to have you two interrupted, any comments made by anyone other than you two that I think do not move the debate along will be deleted until you both indicate that you have said all you have to say on the matter.

Kudos to Doc Dach for posting and commenting like a caring, friendly, warm-blooded human-being. I appreciate that greatly. I agree with what you said about DHEA. I meant to actually say "female" and not male. I already knew about for males, but I wondered what it would do for females, or if it were dangerous. I've read varying reports.

Merry Christmas Everyone.

Dr.Dash: Not sure how this happened…but I read your post marked 9:31 am BEFORE POSTING my post marked 9:05 am. I know I read it BEFORE posting my post, because it was significant to me that you seemed to be signing off for Christmas Day…and I thought that my post might not be read until tomorrow.

Now I see that your post is positioned in the blog after my post.

Like I said, I do not understand how that happened, but somehow it did.

In any case, just in case we cross-posted…I want to call your attention to my post (the one marked 9:05) which appears in the blog BEFORE your last post.

Jeez…things sure do get complicated here at time. Anyway…just wanted to provide a neutral (and I promise, impartial) site for debate. Hope you provide me with a product I can use to start the blog.

Hey, Doc, thanks for answering my query. :D It was a sincere question, this Miko doesn't resort to tricks.

Happy Holidays!

Dr. Dach writes: "The Constitution is an important document which forms the foundation of our democracy and protects our liberties. I suggest we all follow it."

I'm aware of only two cases dealing with the FDA and First Amendment rights. Basically the courts have held that in regulating the claims of drug and supplement manufacturers the FDA has to regulate in such a manner as to impose the least restrictions possible while still accomplishing the agency's mission. But those rulings were very limited and there is no indication from any court that the concept of regulating such claims is not constitutional.

I promise in all future posts to use Dr. Dach rather than Dr. Dash.

I hate when I make stupid mistakes. But I hate even more when I make careless ones.

Cross-posted to both blogs. Feel free to comment on both questions if you wish.

Question for Dr. Jeff:

It’s been in the news that estrogen replacement therapy for menopause can increase risk of breast cancer, and possibly other ailments. Soy is touted as a “natura estrogen replacement”, because of its estrogen-like properties. Question: if soy ACTS LIKE estrogen, then wouldn’t it also increase the risk of breast cancer? Why or why not? Have studies been done to show the effect or non-effect of soy on breast cancer?

Question for Dr. Amy:
Are there any alternative treatments that you feel show promise as future acceptable medical treatments if only someone would formally test the claims? Possibly examples – glucosamine for arthritis, chiropractic for back and neck trouble, whatever. If not, can you name any alternative treatments that had been recently accepted as effective that you used in your own practice? Possible example acupuncture, cranberry juice for urinary tract infections, whatever.

Hi Doc Dach,

I'm not interested in participating in a debate of the issues proposed. I really wouldn't have a clue. Nor do I think that comments to/from you and mishimi666 in this post amount to "debating" in a formal sense.

I'm interested in reading a formally constructed debate on these or some such issues. One that follows a procedure such as the one proposed here:

http://open.salon.com/content.php?cid=69193

Does such a format, where the debate was between you and Doc Amy or some other volunteer debater, seem viable to you?

A third volunteer would need to be identified to act as moderator.

I've had great success with ginger. As some of you may know , I travel a lot. I also tend towards motion sickness, so I always carry dried candied ginger in my bag. It works in nearly every instance.

But the most persuasive example happened several years back. A dear friend and coworker began experiencing horrible nausea as a side effect of her pregnancy during the annual summer arts camp that we taught together. Reluctantly she took the ginger that I foisted upon her (she was so sick the mere thought of putting anything in her stomach sent her running to the bathroom). About 15 minutes later she came rushing back , eyes wide & begging for my full supply. After that time she didn't experience any nausea whatsoever.

JL - my fav is Reed's ginger brew - extra
Or, drop some fresh ginger in a blender with some water and then simmer the watery puree. Strain and use the concentrate to make ginger tea.

OR, an M.D. can prescribe Phenegran and get to go on the next Pfizer paid pharma excursion to Colorado or Nevada. Either/or. ;-)

Hi Doc Dach,

I'm interested in reading a formally constructed debate on these or some such issues. One that follows a procedure such as the one proposed here:

http://open.salon.com/content.php?cid=69193

Does such a format seem viable to you?

Hi,

In case anyone is interested, I have posted a call for volunteers to have a formal debate about cherry juice. The post is here: http://open.salon.com/content.php?cid=69833

Rats. I was hoping for something before the tubes in the ears, which is most certainly coming, as this will be her seventh ear infection this year. But, I appreciate your response in any case. Perhaps my question is too worrisomely personal in reference ... If I could go back and restate it, I might ask about the use of antibacterials for minor infections as opposed to synthetically created forms (called antibiotics). Which has had more success and the least amount of resulting mutation by the corresponding germ? that kind of thing.

"Dr. Dash...give me one specific alternative medicine (product or supplement) that you think has outstanding value and that would stand up to any scrutiny Dr. Amy might bring to bear on it. Pick the number 1 product in your estimation."

Frank A., if I can butt in, one of the cooler (and tastier!) research topics I heard about while at OSU was the use of black raspberry extract in oral cancer, as done in the lab of Dr. Gary Stoner. There are a bunch of high-impact recent journal publications about it. Two of the most recent highlighted the ability of black raspberry extract to reduce genetic instability that inactivates tumor suppressor genes, to enhance regression of oral squamous cell carcinoma precursors, and to decrease COX-2 expression that enhances tumor vascularization.

Thank you for considering my question. However, neither of the links you provided adequately address it. The first link is all about soy infant formula, by a group that is trying to get it outlawed. The second has some scary stuff about "monster hormones", which admittedly make it easy to read. But there was no mention of the names of the good, bioidentical hormones, and none of the linked articles, as far as I could get through, addressed soy and breast cancer.