About CMDodgeND

Christian Dodge, ND

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• Comment on CMDodgeND's answer…

  0 0 Interesting. If nothing grew out on the culture then they probably weren't UTIs. This mystery certainly warrants further work-up. Other possible causes of UTI-like symptoms include STIs (gonorrhea, chlamydia, and/or herpes), vaginal infections, schistosomiasis (a parasite you might pick up with foreign travel), and interstitial cystitis (non-infectious inflammation of the urinary tract). You're on the right track in consulting with the urologist. Until the diagnosis is known, any discussion of treatment - conventional, naturopathic, or otherwise - is premature. CMDodgeND commented about 1 year ago

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  Do you have any advice for dealing with chronic UTIs?

  3 0 I have a few thoughts: Have the UTI's been confirmed with a culture? That would settle the question about whether each episode indeed was an infection and might help guide your efforts toward prevention. If the bacteria is E.coli, for example, there have been studies showing that d-mannose powder can be effective as a treatment and plausibly might help in prevention if you were motivated to take it proactively. A deeper question worthy of exploration might be "why is this happening to you right now?" Has there been a change in your behavior, lifestyle, diet, etc in the last 5 months that might be affecting your immune system negatively making you more susceptible to these infections? High stress, dietary protein deficiency, over-consumption of sugar or alcohol, and/or lack or sleep are some of the many possible factors that can bring our defenses down. CMDodgeND answered in Alt Medicine about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 4 more answers »

• Comment on CMDodgeND's answer…

  0 0 I see. A difficult trade-off. Still, probably better to look for a different approach. CMDodgeND commented about 1 year ago

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  Are my night sweats related to my vitatmin D supplement?

  2 0 Night sweats that only occur at home would certainly seem to implicate something about the sleeping environment at your apartment or some other situational variable that changes when you're traveling. Personally, I've never seen vitamin D cause night sweats, but that doesn't mean it isn't possible. You might try going off of it for a week while you're at home to test this hypothesis. Similarly, it would be interesting to know if you get the sweats when your boyfriend isn't in bed with you. Other possible causes of situational night sweats include anxiety (perhaps you're less stressed when traveling?), hormonal imbalances (more common in menopausal women), and stimulant use. And not to be too alarmist, but I would be remiss to not mention that night sweats can be a harbinger of some pretty serious health issues as well including chronic infections (TB, HIV, etc), hyperactive thyroid, and cancers. Generally night sweats from these problems wouldn't change when you sleep in a different place, but it still would be a good idea to get checked out just to be sure. CMDodgeND answered in Alt Medicine about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 5 more answers »

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  Aluminum Foil Tongue

  3 0 This one can be tricky and certainly warrants a doctor's visit (and possibly and trip to the dentist as well) to be sure you don't have an oral infection like thrush or deteriorating amalgams. Other possibilities: - over-consumption of artificial sweeteners. In some people these sweeteners have a unusual effect on the receptors in the tongue and cause weird tastes. - over-dosing on minerals. Zinc is one that seems to be the most notorious here. I've seen more people unknowingly taking high doses of zinc now that so many cold and cough remedies are zinc-based. - heavy metal toxicities. Mercury, lead, etc. It might be a good idea to evaluate your exposure risks. - In the course of your work-up, your doctor will probably also screen for diabetes, anemia, iron deficiency or overload, and other systemic problems. CMDodgeND answered in Alt Medicine about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 5 more answers »

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  Sleep troubles....

  4 0 Yes, it's frustrating when your body's clock is out of phase with your employer's clock. First I'd look at what's happening in the evening that may be interrupting the normal progression toward sleepiness. A gradual decrease in our exposure to light is a big factor in triggering the release of melatonin in the brain - normally the setting of the sun does this for us. In the modern world, however, we've got all these cool and compelling light-emitting machines (TV's, computers, iPhones, etc) that suppress the natural release of melatonin and the urge to sleep. If you can limit your screen-exposure and gradually dim the lights in your living space after 8pm, you'll increase the production of melatonin and increase the likelihood of feeling sleepy by 10. In addition to light exposure, physiologic arousal can suppress the urge to sleep. Exercise and/or stressful activities late in the day can lead to an increase in adrenal activity that can make you feel less tired. If you can keep your evening activities more on the mellow side, you're less likely to fall into this trap. If you try all these things and you still have difficulty shifting your circadian rhythm, supplemental melatonin on a short-term basis can be useful in resetting your clock. Usual doses fall in the 1-3mg range taken about 30 minutes prior to the time you want to try to fall asleep. Don't get discouraged during the process, it takes time and persistence. Over the course of a few weeks, the mornings will gradually get much easier. CMDodgeND answered in Alt Medicine about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 3 more answers »

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  What holistic treatments should I try to stop the swelling in my ankles?

  1 0 Sometimes after a foot has been in a cast or boot for a while, I've seen joint restriction develop in the talo-tibial joint that can cause pain and impair normal drainage of the foot (causing swelling). In cases like this it can generally be treated with simple ankle manipulation. You might consider seeing an ND, DO, or DC that does ankle adjustments to have them evaluate you for this. CMDodgeND answered in Alt Medicine about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 4 more answers »

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  What herbs like Milk Thistle or other remedies are most effective and safe for healthy liver function for someone who has Hep C?

  0 0 Here is a paper that examined the effects of several dietary, herbal, and nutrient therapies on liver function in Hep C patients. It gives a nice summary of each intervention as well as the theory and evidence that supports the use of each. Hepatitis C: A Retrospective Study, Literature Review, and Naturopathic Protocol CMDodgeND answered in Alt Medicine about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 3 more answers »

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  Will a visit to a naturopathic doctor be something that could be covered under the new health care reform bill?

  0 0 No one really knows exactly how the elements of the health care reform bill will be implemented. There are some very promising components to the bill that could increase the accessibility of naturopathic medicine to people in your situation, but the final policy has yet to be written. For one, the bill emphasizes the importance of primary care and preventive medicine and will bring millions more patients back into the ranks of the insured -- this will strain a system that already has a shortage of primary care providers and will force plans to look for well trained providers to fill this void, potentially opening up plans like DSHS to NDs. Also, the bill has non-discrimination language in it which may make it harder for insurance plans to discriminate against NDs in their coverage policies. These are just a few areas that may open doors for more ND accessibility in the future. CMDodgeND answered in Alt Medicine about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 2 more answers »

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  I have lots of acne-like bumps on my forehead that don't respond to topical medications. Someone suggested this is candida. What can you suggest?

  0 0 The diagnosis is critical to this question. Acne is one possibility, but it could also be seborrheic dermatitis or keratosis pilaris (as Jeanna suggests below). I'm not sure about candida in this case, but there could be a fungal connection to the symptom in cases of seborrheic dermatitis. If you were up for an experiment, try washing your forehead with some dandruff shampoo for a week or two to see if it helps. Leave the soap on there for a few minutes before you rinse. if the bumps get better, then it was seborrhea and you have a solution. If there is no change, I would have your doctor take a look. CMDodgeND answered in Alt Medicine about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 6 more answers »

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