Heart Patients- Medical (not emotional)

Tammy says on Jan 17, 2007, 05:08:

??? Is this to personal or is everyone in good health here? I hope the latter.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

aztec says on Jan 17, 2007, 05:48:

Many of the people here... ...are too young to ever think of heart health. As you know the youth feel immortal. However, there are indeed some of us here who can hear the footsteps and understand your concern.

There is a hospital in Bogotá that specializes in cardio problems of children. It also provides for adults in that you can get a complete work up there. It is similar to an "executive" type of complete examinations given in many hospitals here. The cost of what you will receive is unbelievable when you consider what the examination delivers.

If I thought I needed a complete cardio vascular examination I would not hesitate in going to this hospital. Some of the best physicians in Colombia will be found here. In fact, on my next trip to Bogotá I may have the examination.

The site is in Spanish. If you use the Foxfire browser simply add an extensions for translation. There are several add-ons that will translate the whole url.

http://www.cardioinfantil.org/html/i_portals/index.php

http://www.usafriendsfci.org/friendsfci/sections/content16_ip.html

0 funny, 0 helpful.

aztec says on Jan 17, 2007, 07:50:

pow wow if your brother is truely ... ...clinically depressed St. John's wort will not help.

Trust me, we have a very close relative who has been in the institution twice before the depression was brought under control. Yes, we used St. Johns wort but that just delayed getting professional help needed. This disease is treatable but may be incurables similar to heart disease or diabetics.

We learned that in Colombia it is still one of those diseases people don't talk about in public. They are too embarrassed to admit one of their loved ones is sick. Even in the States there is still much misunderstanding about the disease and its treatment.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

blogota.com says on Jan 17, 2007, 08:36:

You want the Clinica Shaio. Number 1 in Colombia for cardiology. Google it.

blogota.com

0 funny, 0 helpful.

miamimike says on Jan 17, 2007, 10:29:

On The Fundacion Cardio Infantil,,, http://www.heartcenter.info/Choose_your_Region/South_and_Middle_America/South_America/Colombia/Bogota/bogota.html


Clinica Shaio:

http://www.shaio.com/corazon_colombia.php

Avatar Legend: Bush "If any of you Reporters are wondering, it was a Size 10"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

aztec says on Jan 17, 2007, 12:15:

blogota.com, are you sure? My wife was taken there when she was a child about two years after she was diagnosed with a heart murmur. It is a small clinic that treats only heart problems.

There is some gossip about it being in bankruptcy. Like many clinics and hospitals it seems to be having financial difficulties.

It is located near the Shopping Center Boulevard Niza? It is close by, relatively close to Club de Los Lagartos.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

aztec says on Jan 17, 2007, 14:01:

I didn't say St. Johns wort was useless... ...and I wouldn't recommend Prozac unless the patients life is in danger. Neither did I say the use was madness. Darn, for goodness sake, read before you go off the deep end.

Incidentally, your phrase "SHORT SPELL OF TAKING AN ANTI DEPRESSANT" is ridiculous. You are going to get someone killed. A little knowledge here is very dangerous. No one but a trained physician/psychologist should be diagnosing and treating clinical depression.

You do know that the use of all caps is the equivalent of shouting?

0 funny, 0 helpful.

aztec says on Jan 17, 2007, 16:09:

pow wow, much of what you are saying is true. However, Let me retreat from this discussion by saying my family has spent the last ten years intimately dealing with this illness. We have tried everthing one can possibly think of to get a handle on the problem.

Finally now after many years of psychoanalysis along with the new pharmacology there is relief for this person. The dark abyss of clinical depression is so horrible for the sick person that they see suicide as the only solution. When a person is this sick they must be constantly watched until the effects of the medication takes effect which is normally from six to eight weeks.

I have taken the liberty of assisting you with your research in this area. Sites listed provide additional readings about the illness. As someone who has seen first hand the destruction of this disease please let me offer my sympathy to you and your family as you continue to combat the problem.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Depressionmenu.cfm

http://www.ndmda.org/

http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9339/9801.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression/DS00175

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Tammy says on Jan 17, 2007, 17:36:

Thanks I´ll look at the website. That is what I'm looking for.
I´m in Medellin right now (but will be leaving in a few days for Quindo. I saw the govt. list of best hosp. in Colombia, and the top 2 are here. I was surprised they weren't in Bogota.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

miamimike says on Jan 17, 2007, 22:30:

What is the Active Pharmacodynamic Agent(chemical) In that St John's Wort that makes it effective in the treament of Cardiac deficiencies? What exactly did they find in those clinical trials? Some time tested and proven Cardiac drugs(and others also like Penicillin, Cascara-laxative) were devolped first as natural remedies but they have a chemical ingredient(s)that is an active agent.

Wikipedia on St John's Wort: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John's_Wort



"Evidence against efficacy for Major Depressive Disorder
A major study funded by the NIH in the United States, found a St John's wort product to be "ineffective in treating major depression of moderate severity". (Hypericum Depression Trial Study Group, 2002) This study involved 340 patients, diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder based on DSM-IV criteria and assessed using Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scores. The trial was a multi-centre randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial, comparing one preparation of St John's wort (Li 160) to sertraline and placebo. Li 160 proved no more effective than placebo in alleviating moderately severe major depression. Sertraline was also no better than placebo in this study, based on the primary outcome measure (HAM-D).[14] Further studies on the herb's efficacy in alleviating mild depression are planned by the NIH.


[edit] Pharmacology
"The exact mechanism by which St. John's wort — and even conventional antidepressants — function is unclear and subject to much conjecture."

The St. John's wort mechanism is believed to involve inhibition of Serotonin (5-HT) reuptake, much like the conventional SSRI antidepressants. As such, it may be useful to review that information before using, particularly the complications. The link to the PROZAC Product/Prescribing Information is provided below

Avatar Legend: Bush "If any of you Reporters are wondering, it was a Size 10"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Man Tequila says on Jan 21, 2007, 19:15:

There are a couple good articles in the 2005 BMJ (British Medical Journal) showing St. Johns Wort to be useful in the treatment of depression. As are many of the "medical" antidepressants. If you think "alternatives" cannot have side effects, drug interactions or that alternative medicines are never sold by companies without proof of benefit, corruption, lack of the claimed natural ingredient or grossly inflated prices... you are free to believe what you wish. I know many doctors who share some of your criticisms about drug companies -- but their medicines do generally go through clinical trials and undergo some evaluation.

As for the original question, I understand medical care in Colombia is of a pretty high standard and that the above mentioned hospitals have a decent reputation. Some heart diseases are much easier to treat and diagnose than others -- if you have a specific cardiology question I will try to answer it in general terms; but Internet advice should be taken with a grain of salt. I am not your doctor.

Man Tequila, MD

Aunque no me creas/ si me lo propongo/ lograre olvidarte/ porque a fin de cuentas/ no soy tan cobarde./ Y termino todo una de estas tardes/ no sera dificil buscar algún sitio donde refugiarme/ donde nunca mas vuelvas a encontrarme. (Polo Montañez)

0 funny, 0 helpful.