Shawn Ryan’s Memorial Day Message 2023

A Succession of Vaccine Dictators, Wanna-be Dictators, Liars, and Sycophants

Watch it before the Deep State censors it.

Congestive Heart Failure: You May Be Cutting Out TOO MUCH Salt

From DailyMail:

Salt has long been seen as enemy number one for people with heart problems, with doctors telling patients to cut down on the amount of sodium they consume.

But new research suggests that restricting salt too much may actually raise the risk of an early death in heart failure patients.

Their work builds upon a growing body of research that posits the benefits of cutting out salt to this subset of patients may be overblown. 

And the findings could mean a more exciting diet for the more than six million Americans with heart failure.


Compared to those CHF patients consuming over 2.5 grams of sodium daily, those eating below that limit were 80% more likely to die during the observation period. The Daily Mail article shares the sodium content of some common foods and will convince you that keeping sodium under 3 grams/day requires meticulous attention. If you have CHF, consult your personal physician before making significant dietary changes.

Steve Parker, M.D.

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

h/t Bustednuckles

Nuff said.

Steve Parker, M.D.

How to Manage GERD Without Proton Pump Inhibitors

I have nothing against Prilosec in particular. It can be very helpful. It’s one of several PPIs on the market.

I’ve written several blog posts on the risks of chronic use of PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) for gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). By “chronic use” I mean daily or several days every week. In order to avoid the risks of PPI usage, a recent commenter asked me about non-PPI management options.

I’ll assume that occasional use of antacids, H2 blockers (histamine 2 receptor agonists like famotidine), and proton pump inhibitors is not an adequate remedy. At some point (sooner rather than later), you’ll also want to be sure the diagnosis truly is GERD and not something else. This may well require a consultation with a gastroenterologist.

BTW, having to pop a couple Tums antacids for heartburn once every 2-3 months is not a disease. It’s not GERD. It’s occasional heartburn. Untreated GERD symptoms are much more frequent and may be more intense or more prolonged.

So here are some non-PPI options for management of GERD in adults. Some of these will help one person but not the next, and experimentation may be in order.

  • Lose excess weight. Even common overweight can aggravate the condition.
  • Elevate head of bed on 6-8 inch bricks.
  • Avoid supine posture after meals.
  • No eating for 2-3 hours prior to bedtime.
  • Avoid tobacco and alcohol.
  • Low-carb diet.
  • Avoid tight-fitting garments over the abdomen.
  • Avoid common triggers: spicy food, carbonated beverages, onions (especially raw), chocolate, high-fat foods, caffeine. If you’re sure these don’t trigger your own GERD, then no particular need to avoid. A spicy meal one week ago doesn’t cause your GERD today. Your triggers will typically be ingested 30 minutes to 8 hours prior to symptom onset.

Medication alternatives to PPIs and H2 blockers (histamine 2 receptor agonists like famotidine):

  • Sucralfate if pregnant.
  • Metoclopramide if gastroparesis is present (delayed gastric emptying).
  • Sodium alginate.

Bothersome symptoms that are refractory to all usual treatment? Get EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy) and ambulatory esophageal pH-metry from a gastroenterologist.


Final options for refractory GERD:

  • Anti-reflux surgery
  • Transoral incisionless fundoplication

There are probably other options for GERD suppression that I haven’t mentioned.

Finally, I’m not your doctor and don’t know any of the details of your situation. For all you know, I may not even be a real doctor. Work with your personal physician!

Steve Parker, M.D.

COVID-19 Link Dump: Vax Damage Prevention, Fauci Created the Virus, Metformin Prevents Long Covid, Kirsch: mRNA Vax Neither Safe Nor Effective (But Outright Dangerous), COVID Response Violated Medical Ethics

FLCCC Alliance has published a protocol to prevent damage from the mRNA vaccines. If you’re a year out from your last vax, maybe you don’t need it:

Most serious adverse events following vaccination occur in the two weeks immediately following a dose of the vaccine. However, evolving data suggest that some patients who otherwise had no adverse events from the vaccine appear to have delayed acute cardiac events (often leading to sudden death). This appears to peak between 4 to 6 months after the vaccine but may extend for at least one year. There has also been evidence of an emergence of “turbo” and relapsed cancers in the months following vaccination. We have developed this document to attempt to limit these complications and reassure those who have been vaccinated. Essentially, both cardiac and cancer-related complications are related to the persistence of spike protein. Therefore, any intervention that reduces the persistence and the ‘load’ of spike protein will likely be beneficial.


Paul Craig Roberts reports that Fauci funded the virus’s gain of function research:

Folks, this is a big deal. In Congressional testimony (March 8-9) Dr Robert Redfield, who was director of the Centers for Disease Control during the Covid pandemic, told Congress that Dr. Fauci financed the gain-of-function research that made the virus so contagious, that the virus was not natural and was engineered in a lab, and that Fauci excluded him from meetings and decisions because he, Redfield, was disturbed about what was going on.


Ivermectin and fluvoxamine didn’t prevent Long COVID, but metformin did. A preprint at The Lancet:

Interpretations: A 42% relative decrease and 4.3% absolute decrease in the Long COVID incidence occurred in participants who received early outpatient COVID-19 treatment with metformin compared to exact-matching placebo.


Here are some other direct quotes from the paper:

Steve Kirsch reported on a scientific analysis of the Australian vaccination experience. The journal he quotes is Clinical & Experimental Immunology, a peer-reviewed medical journal covering clinical and translational immunology. The editor-in-chief is Leonie Taams. It is published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Immunology, of which it is the official journal. Some direct quotes from the journal:

  1. COVID-19 vaccines cause more side effects than any other vaccine
  2. Not only does spike protein produce unwanted side effects, but mRNA and nanoparticles do as well.
  3. Never in vaccine history have we seen 1011 case studies showing side effects of a vaccine (https://www.saveusnow.org.uk/covid-vaccine-scientific-proof-lethal).
  4. Again, it is inconceivable why it would be impossible to go through the study data in a few months, when it took the CDC less than 4 weeks to give the injections emergency use authorization – unless you want to entertain the idea that the study data were never actually read and scrutinised, a frightening perspective.
  5. The official public message is that the mRNA vaccines are safe. However, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the medicine and therapeutic regulatory agency of the Australian Government, states quite clearly on their website that the large-scale trials are still progressing and no full data package has been received from any company
  6. The mRNA vaccines were supposed to remain at the injection site and be taken up by the lymphatic system. This assumption proved to be wrong. During an autopsy of a vaccinated person that had died after mRNA vaccination it was found that the vaccine disperses rapidly from the injection site and can be found in nearly all parts of the body [1]. … Research has shown that such nanoparticles can cross the blood-brain barrier and the blood-placenta barrier.
  7. Despite not being able to prove a causal link with vaccines, as no autopsies were performed, they still believed that a link with vaccination is possible and further analysis is warranted.
  8. In summary, it is unknown where exactly the vaccine travels once it is injected, and how much spike protein is produced in which (and how many) cells.
  9. The S1 subunit of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein when injected into transgenic mice overexpressing human ACE-2 caused a COVID-19 like response. It was further shown that the spike protein S1 subunit, when added to red blood cells in vitro, could induce clotting.
  10. The authors found consistent alteration of gene expression following vaccinationin many different immune cell types.
  11. Seneff et al (2022) describe another mechanism by which the mRNA vaccines could interfere with DNA repair.
  12. It is an amazing fact that natural immunity is completely disregarded by health authorities around the world. We know from SARSCoV-1 that natural immunity is durable and persists for at least 12-17 years [17]. Immunologists have suggested that immunity to SARS-Cov-2 is no different
  13. Immunity induced by COVID infection is robust and long lasting.
  14. mRNA vaccines seem to suppress interferon responses. A literature review by Cardozo and Veazev [26] concluded that COVID-19 vaccines could potentially worsen COVID-19 disease.
  15. Natural immunity is still not accepted as proof of immunity in Australia.
  16. A study at the University of California followed up on infections in the workforce after 76% had been fully vaccinated with mRNA vaccines by March 2021 and 86.7% by July 2021. In July 2021 75.2% of the fully vaccinated workforce had symptomatic COVID.
  17. Acharya et al. (2021) and Riemersma et al. (2021) both showed that the vaccinated have very high viral loads similar to the unvaccinated and are therefore as infectious.
  18. Brown et al. (2021) and Servelitta et al (2021) suggested that vaccinated people with symptomatic infection by variants, such as Delta, are as infectious as symptomatic unvaccinated cases and will contribute to the spread of COVID even in highly vaccinated communities.
  19. Countries with higher vaccination rates have also higher caseloads. It was shown that the median of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people was largely similar to the percent of the fully vaccinated population.
  20. Multiple recent studies have indicated that the vaccinated are more likely to be infected with Omicron than the unvaccinated. A study by Kirsch (2021) from Denmark suggests that people who received the mRNA vaccines are up to eight times more likely to develop Omicron than those who did not [40]. This and a later study by Kirsch (2022a) conclude that the more one vaccinates, the more one becomes susceptible to COVID-19 infection [41].
  21. This has to be seen in context with the small risk of dying from COVID-19… The chances of someone under 18 years old dying from COVID is near 0%. Those that die usually have severe underlying medical conditions. It is estimated that children are seven times more at risk to die from influenza than from COVID-19. [Editor’s note: so why do colleges mandate the COVID vaccine instead of the influenza vaccine?]

——

More quotes from the journal article, not Kirsch:

Excerpts from the conclusion

  1. Never in Vaccine history have 57 leading scientists and policy experts released a report questioning the safety and efficacy of a vaccine. They not only questioned the safety of the current Covid-19 injections, but were calling for an immediate end to all vaccination. Many doctors and scientists around the world have voiced similar misgivings and warned of consequences due to long-term side effects. Yet there is no discussion or even mention of studies that do not follow the narrativeon safety and efficacy of Covid-19 vaccination.
  2. Medical experts that have questioned the safety of these vaccines have been attacked and demonized, called conspiracy theorists and have been threatened to be de-registered if they go against the narrative. Alternative treatments were prohibited and people who never practised medicine are telling experienced doctors how to do their job. AHPRA is doing the same here in Australia to the detriment and in ignorance of science.

The final paragraph sums it up

As scientists we put up hypotheses and test them using experiments. If a hypothesis is proven to be true according to current knowledge it might still change over time when new evidence comes to light. Hence, sharing and accumulating knowledge is the most important part of science. The question arises when and why this process of science has been changed. No discussion of new knowledge disputing the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines is allowed. Who gave bureaucrats the means to destroy the fundaments of science and tell scientists not to argue the science?


From Clayton J. Baker, M.D.:

Though it may be difficult to believe in the aftermath of COVID, the medical profession does possess a Code of Ethics. The four fundamental concepts of Medical Ethics – its 4 Pillars – are Autonomy, Beneficence, Non-maleficence, and Justice.

Autonomy, Beneficence, Non-maleficence, and Justice

These ethical concepts are thoroughly established in the profession of medicine. I learned them as a medical student, much as a young Catholic learns the Apostle’s Creed. As a medical professor, I taught them to my students, and I made sure my students knew them. I believed then (and still do) that physicians must know the ethical tenets of their profession, because if they do not know them, they cannot follow them.

These ethical concepts are indeed well-established, but they are more than that. They are also valid, legitimate, and sound. They are based on historical lessons, learned the hard way from past abuses foisted upon unsuspecting and defenseless patients by governments, health care systems, corporations, and doctors. Those painful, shameful lessons arose not only from the actions of rogue states like Nazi Germany, but also from our own United States: witness Project MK-Ultra and the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment.

The 4 Pillars of Medical Ethics protect patients from abuse. They also allow physicians the moral framework to follow their consciences and exercise their individual judgment – provided, of course, that physicians possess the character to do so. However, like human decency itself, the 4 Pillars were completely disregarded by those in authority during COVID.

The demolition of these core principles was deliberate. It originated at the highest levels of COVID policymaking, which itself had been effectively converted from a public health initiative to a national security/military operation in the United States in March 2020, producing the concomitant shift in ethical standards one would expect from such a change. As we examine the machinations leading to the demise of each of the 4 Pillars of Medical Ethics during COVID, we will define each of these four fundamental tenets, and then discuss how each was abused.


Steve Parker, M.D.

Life Expectancy Falling in U.S.

From NPR:

The average life expectancy for Americans shortened by over seven months [in 2021], according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That decrease follows an already big decline of 1.8 years in 2020. As a result, the expected life span of someone born in the U.S. is now 76.4 years — the shortest it has been in nearly two decades.

But we still have the best healthcare system in the world, right? Not if you judge it by life expectancy. From Health System Tracker:

Life expectancy in the U.S. and peer countries generally increased from 1980-2019, but decreased in most countries in 2020 due to COVID-19. From 2020 to 2021, life expectancy at birth began to rebound in most comparable countries while it continued to decline in the U.S. The CDC estimates life expectancy at birth in the U.S. decreased to 76.1 years in 2021, down 2.7 years from 78.8 years in 2019 and down 0.9 years from 2020. The average life expectancy at birth among comparable countries was 82.4 years in 2021, down 0.2 years from 2019 and up 0.4 years from 2020. 

Click the article links for potential explanations.

Steve Parker, M.D.

PS: Healthy diet, exercise, and weight management improve longevity. Let me help you.

Paul Ingraham on Hiccup Cures

I’ve written previously about how Paul Ingraham helped cure my patello-femoral pain syndrome.

More recently, Paul looked into hiccup cures because his father had an intractable case. What finally worked for dad? Breathing into a plastic bag.

Boosting blood CO2 (hypercapnia) by breathing in a PLASTIC bag. This one is quite plausible and is easy and safe to try. Hypercapnia definitely affects some kinds of hiccups. The story (from a smart source, a good “friend of PainSci”): “There’s an even easier way out of hiccups — at zero cost. Learned it from my uncle, who studied medicine in Brazil in the 50s. Anesthetized patients with hiccups were a pain, so they needed to get rid of it ASAP. Method: breathing in a PLASTIC bag, small enough for you to get to hypercapnia (get higher blood levels of CO2). You have to hold the bag REALLY tight around nose and mouth to prevent air from escaping, and if you have troubles with dizziness, it’s advisable to sit down for it. As soon as it gets uncomfortable, mostly after 4-6 breaths, you can stop, the hiccup will be gone. I don’t know what this does to the phrenic nerve, but it works 100%.”

Safety Note: Obviously there could be some danger with this method. If he’d had low O2 or was struggling for breath, we likely wouldn’t have dared. (On the other hand, if he’d been in that state, he would’ve been at the hospital.) But he was supervised, with no possibility of getting stuck, and a matter of only just a few breaths. Perhaps there was still some risk… but I think not treating those hiccups was also a risk.

I’ve never tried that method for my hiccups. My personal favorite home remedy is “drinking from the far side of the glass.” AKA, drinking water upside down. Watch this video of a good ol’ boy demonstrating the technique although I would aim for drinking at least 6-8 fl oz of water before quitting. Don’t ask me how it works; it may have something to do with the soft palate or diaphragm.

Steve Parker, M.D.

ANFSCD: You Wont’ See THIS on CNN or Fox News!

Early Intervention Prevents Nearsightedness Complications

Steve Parker MD, paleobetic diet,
Should have spent more time outdoors

Myopia, aka nearsightedness, is extremely common and can start in childhood or young adults. Over time it can lead to early-onset cataract, retinal detachment, and glaucoma. MedPageToday has an eye-opening article on treatments that can prevent myopia progression and complications. For example:

Common evidence-based treatments that offer both statistically significant and clinically meaningful efficacies include daytime multifocal soft contact lenses (MFSCL), overnight orthokeratology (ortho-k), and topical low dose atropine (LDA). Novel spectacle lenses also showed a promising myopia-inhibiting effect, albeit with limited availability in U.S. at the current moment. On average, these options slow myopia progression by 30-70%compared to conventional single vision glasses or contacts. With properly selected early interventions, not only the development of myopia stabilizes at younger ages, the endpoint of the progression is also much lower, resulting in significantly lower risk of complications. Furthermore, with lower level of myopia at stabilization, many myopic patients could be good candidates for refractive surgery with given corneal thickness.

I get the impression from the article than treatments need to be started in childhood.

Steve Parker, M.D.