Sometimes a good psychosis or delusion, is less harmful than medication — especially in a person who has previously been compromised by illness.
The first I saw was a veteran many years ago. Curiously enough, he was the kind of “old salt” you see plenty in San Diego street clinics but I saw him back at the Wichita V.A.
Then as now I enjoy the older veterans, The kind of folks who, although they were members of a nameless hoard of uniformed youth, have assimilated the serviceman’s identity into their own. Read more on When A Doctor Decides Not To Treat The Hallucinations…
Filed under depression, Diagnosis, Doctors, Education, life, medicine, News, Psychology by on Jan 17th, 2020. Comment. 
I am eating a low-carbohydrate, “ketogenic” diet. I have lost a considerable amount of weight, increased my energy, and have done a pretty good (almost-perfect) job of reversing diabetes along with the gazillion supplements I take.
There are an awfully lot of folks publishing research on an awful lot of things, with the overwhelming amount of those publishing in “traditional” medical journals (like Lancet) being professional “academics,” or university professors. Read more on You Gotta Handle It When The Truth Changes…
Filed under eating disorders, Education, News, Research, weight by on Sep 27th, 2018. Comment.
One of the hardest things to do as a psychiatrist is to get patients to tell the truth. The absolute hardest thing to do is to get patients to ask the questions that they really find on their mind but are scared of asking.
Me, I do everything I can to break down the communication barriers that exist between me and my patients.
For one thing, I do not even own a doctor’s white coat. Read more on FAQ: Antidepressants…
Filed under medicine, News, prescription drugs by on Jan 22nd, 2018. Comment.
I’ve met a lot of people since I moved to California over 20 years ago, but one who has endured as a close and dear friend is Christelle Tachon.
I sat down for an intimate chat with her last month and fortunately had the cameras rolling. What we captured is funny, intimate and emotional — a testament to a pair of friends who care deeply for one another. Read more on Blog…
Filed under Doctors, Education, News by on Nov 13th, 2017. Comment.
Everyday health advice. If I read any more “health advice,” mental or physical, that is supposed to be practical advice but is totally wrong and built on mythology, I might explode. Given the “mainstream” unproven drivel that gets reproduced in popular magazines, I think it is pretty amazing any Americans are still alive at all. A little relaxation (deep breathing and focused meditation) — I am doing a lot better. After all, we still have freedom of speech, although it sometimes gets fragile and needs loving protection. And you have me, the Renegade Doctor, to tell you what is truthful and right. I didn’t start out to trash “Reader’s Digest” (RD). My parents of blessed memory had some kind of lifetime subscription, and kept it with a very few cherished books by their bedside, on top of my mother’s premarital “Hope Chest,” which she told me contained clothes she could only “hope” she would fit into again one day. She never did. Read more on Everyday health advice drives me nuts!…
Filed under Alternative Medicine, Disease, Doctors, medicine, News, Nutrition, prescription drugs, weight by on Oct 27th, 2016. Comment.
I was chatting with an M.D. woman friend, and told her my medications and my natural supplements and herbs and my “numbers” — my blood sugar and my blood pressure — when I still was convinced that I had those things.
My blood sugar was 120 mg/dL. My blood pressure with medications was around 140/85.
She surprised me with her reaction. Read more on What The Heck Has Happened To Medicine?…
To paraphrase some recent political campaigns, the FDA was against Qnexa before they were for it.
I’ve written about this diet drug compound before — HERE And HERE.
Last time I wrote about this “drug,” I thought it was down for the count. Aauugghh!!!!
Like a scene from “Night Of The Living Diet Drugs” – it is back from the grave.
You bet your life! (Literally if you take this) – our protective government watchdogs at the FDA originally said this was too dangerous to unleash on the public. Then – as the politicians say – they did a “Flip Flop.” This No-Vowel remedy QNEXA (ok, it has a couple of vowels, but not enough) is not actually a drug — it is a combination of two drugs.
This is of course, the cheapest way to get a new product on the market and eliminate R&D costs as well as testing for safety and efficacy. The company takes two separate FDA-approved agents and combines – kind of like making Frankenstein out of left-over body parts.
(This is turning into a Halloween column, isn’t it? Sorry.) Read more on They’re Ba-a-a-a-ck!!! Zombie Diet Drugs!!!…
Filed under eating disorders, medicine, News, Nutrition, prescription drugs, weight by on Feb 28th, 2012. Comment.
It’s been a while since I stated my core beliefs and give my reasons for taking up this patch of real estate on the Internet. Here is one that I produced just this very morning.
Filed under Doctors by on Aug 23rd, 2011. Comment.
Cute but deadly E. Coli
Subscribers to my newsletter got to read my inside information and some exclusive insights on the E. Coli disaster that is devastating Germany.
But you can read this and other special material that isn’t included in my blog just by signing up for my free newsletter.
The nice Internet Fairies drop it into your email box approximately once a week and they jealously guard your personal information so no mean old spammers will get it.
Of course, as with all ethical and reputable newsletters, it’s easy to unsubscribe any time you get bored with piercing insights into hot topics, interesting oddities of the medical-legal world and the unique opinions of a Renegade Doctor.
I use my brain to give your brain a treat, so if it sounds like something you can wrap your neurons around, go sign up.
PS — there are links to all the back issues you’ve missed. You can find out what I advised about taking Omega-3 Fish Oil supplements, or the puzzling celiac disease that causes so many symptoms and is so easy to treat, or how you can be your own shrink with EFT.
Here’s a handy link to opt-in. Please do it today — I’d love to see your eyes scanning my newsletter next week!
Estelle Toby Goldstein, MD
The Renegade Doctor
Filed under Disease by on Jun 12th, 2011. Comment.
The place was Billings, Montana. I was living with my husband in a posh downtown hotel. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?
Oh yeah – I forgot to mention that it was the dead of winter.
You are probably wondering why the original “California Dreaming” girl would take off from a winter haven like Palm Springs to frost over in Montana – and the answer is the only one that would account for these circumstances: Somebody needed help.
Like the Lone Ranger, I could not refuse – and besides, it was a heck of a challenge.
The twist is –- I was helping out a managed care insurance company. A huge one.
So now we have the makings of a first class mystery. Renegade Doctor rushing to help out managed care corporation in the coldest part of the country when she could be warming her tootsies in the balmy desert oasis.
Let me go back and set this in perspective. Read more on Cheap And Accessible Medicine Is Worthless If It Is Shoddy…
Filed under medicine by on Mar 16th, 2010. Comment.