Next morning, I woke up as usual and went to work. The noise still did not subside,  I assumed it was normal as the “minor surgery” was not a David Copperfield show, it could not heal like magic. I took the medicine as instructed, breakfast 3 tablets, noon time 3 tablets and at night 3 tablets.  I felt very energetic for the whole day, even came to the bedtime, my energy seemed never end. I tried to sleep but unfortunately, I was like having Insomnia. It was a torture to me for the whole night, by the time I started to feel sleepy, I looked at the clock, it was 4.20am !

My wake up call was 5.45am, I could hardly pull myself up. I suspected it was due to the medicine that I took and the first thing I did was turn on the computer, search Internet to see what exactly was the medicine.

Guys, it ain’t good news !

The medicine that I have been taking was Prednisolone and it is one type of steroids. It is used in a wide variety of inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, colitis, asthma, bronchitis, certain skin rashes, and allergic or inflammatory conditions of the nose and eyes. There are side-effects for taking this medicine, one of them is difficulty sleeping, which is what I was experiencing.  The more I got to know about the side-effects of Prednisolone, the more I convinced myself not to take it anymore. Finally, I decided to stop taking this medicine.

I went to bed very early at night, I still could hear the buzzing sound but I did not bother it much as I was damned tiring after a sleepless night.

The next day when I woke up, my ear started to feel itchy and could feel a bit of water flow out with the buzzing sound around.  I did not care much because it was only 2 days and thought that it was normal.

On the 4th day, I woke up in the middle of the night because more water was flowing out from my ear compared to the previous night and I have to use tissue paper to dry it. In order not to let the water flowed out, I got to sleep with my left ear facing up, it was difficult and I could not sleep comfortably. During day time, the condition was not that serious but my voice was abnormal, just like flem was in my throat.

I waited until the 7th day when my condition did not show any improvement. I could not wait until my next appointment with the “surgeon”, which was  fixed on the 11th day.  I called the “surgeon” to find out why. He asked me to go over that day as he was in the clinic or else I have to wait on the 11th day. I took time-off from my work and drove there.

We met and I explained to the “surgeon” what happened to my ear for the past few days. He examined me with the otoscope and said there were water inside and he needed to suck them out. It was so painful when he inserted a small tube into my ear, as a result he only managed to suck out a bit of water only. Mean time, he told me the small tube that he had inserted into my ear during the “surgery” still there and told me again it was to let the water flows out and the tube would drop by itself in few weeks time but if it did not, then I have to see him again and he would pull it out for me.

The very strange and funny thing was that he asked me this question : ” Did I give your any medicine after the surgery ?” What ? Excuse me Doctor, I thought you should know better than me whether you have given me any medicine ? I said inside my heart. When I told him he prescribed me a total of 63 tables of medicine and I have to take 9 tablets a day. His face reaction was something like ” Really ? ”

I also told him I was having difficulty to speak and felt like there was flem inside my throat and asked him why there was still water flowing from my ear after the surgery. He said it was because I was having flu. I told him I did not have any flu and I was not coughing either. He then asked me to stop to take the medicine that he prescribed to me early and he would prescribed me another type of medicine. One is oral and one is to spray inside my nose.

Atarax 25 mg

Afrin Nasal Spray

I was given 4 tablets of Atarax 25mg and Afrin Nasal Spray and paid RM22 for the two. Is this considered cheap ? I do not know. Anyway, this time before taking the medicine. I search the Internet to find out what the medicines were used for. Again, the information that I got did not convince me to consume the medicine !

Atarax is used to relieve the symptoms of common anxiety and tension. Why was I needed to take this ?

Afrin Nasal Spray is used for temporary relief of congestion in the nose caused by various conditions including the common cold, sinusitis, hay fever and allergies. Again, hey do I need this ? It has side effects as well !

Okay, do you think I still can trust this so called “surgeon” again ? Okay, I know what to do next……………

We do not need to run for a Marathon to be healthy. In fact, not all of us has the ability to run Marathon. I remembered when I injured my knee few years ago, I consulted a sport doctor, he told me I am not that type of long distance runner. That was what he told me after looking at the shape of my pair of legs. To run marathon, we need special training, not the ordinary 10 minutes or 20 minutes jog, but we have to train to run for up to 30km. This is what I heard from those who took part in the marathon before, true or not is not important here because my aim to run is run for health and there is a limitation for everyone, including me.

Many experts have keep saying that running can help to improve blood circulation, control weight and strengthen our bones and muscles. It also helps to improve high blood pressure.

The other benefit that most of us will feel excited when you read this, especially men . Regular exercise can spice up your sex life. Wow….ins’t this great ? For men, research shows that men who exercise 3-5 hours a week have 30% less risk of having erectile dysfunction or impotence.

So men, why wait ? Start running now. Run for health, run for the one who loves you !

I woke up early in the morning and still wondering…. am I having Tinnitus ?  Together with my wife, we went for my favorite Pan-Mee breakfast before heading to the hospital. We arrived around 8.30am and went to the admission counter to do the necessary documentations, including the RM1,000 as deposit.

I waited in an admission waiting room and then later guided by a nurse to first floor. There, another nurse took over and I was informed to change my cloths and wear those that they prepared for surgery uses. She also informed my wife to come back after 2 hours. The nurse was very polite and shared with me some information regarding the ear illnesses. I had to sleep on a movable bed while waiting for the surgery. I had no watch but it was quite a long waiting time before the “surgeon” arrived. He greeted me from far and said the surgery would start in a short while. He also asked me how many days medical leave I wanted, I told him one day, guess what ? He was so kind to ask me, “Are you sure one day is enough ? You don’t want 2 days ?” My answer to him was “No”.

A nurse pushed me into the surgical room and transferred me onto a surgical bed. The “surgeon” came and explained to me that he would put some liquid into my left ear so that I would not feel pain but it was not guaranteed that my ear would be 100% felt numb. He then left and said the liquid has to be inside for about 10 minutes to take effect. Time passed, he came back and they used a cloth to cover my head, with an opened-hole so that my ear could be seen. Then, he started to insert a tube into my ear and suck out the water, I could hear the sucking sound and felt a bit of stinging pain. The process was pretty fast, then almost come to the end, he told me he would insert a small tube into my ear so that the water could flow out easily. I felt extremely pain when he pushed it deep inside my ear and I almost moved my whole body up, he knew I was in pain and apologized to me and said “ok, it’s done” ! While I am writing this, I still can imagine the pain that I was suffering. The “surgeon” told me he would not give me any antibiotic medicine, I listened without saying or asking since he is a doctor cum ENT surgeon, he should know what was good for me.

I was then transferred back to a the previous movable bed and push into another room for observation. They put one small clip onto one of my fingers. There was one monitor showing my heart beat, blood pressure reading and etc. I laid there for about 35 minutes before a nurse moved me to another room for me to change back my cloths. She then told me to wait outside and a nurse would bring me to the discharge counter and gave me a queue number. I waited about 20 minutes and when it was my turn, I went to the counter. Guess how much was the bill ?

It was RM1,498.75 !!!

Only the consultant fee alone, I was charged RM750 for surgery and RM100 for ward review !!!

I paid the amount, the staff told me to take the medicine at the pharmacy. I thought the “surgeon” said there was no medicine for me ? Or was I misunderstood his sentence…. no antibiotic but would prescribed other “take home drug” for me ? I took the medicine and went home with my wife.  That night, after dinner, I took the medicine according to the instruction printed on the pack.  The irritating sound still there during bed time but I was able to sleep.

To continue…..

Well, based on the above sentence, I think I am having Tinnitus but for every consequence, there must be a cause and I believe it started about one month ago. I suppose you understand that when we want to answer our cellphone with hands free, there is a set of earphone for us to pluck into our ear. This earphone normally has a piece of “protector” attached on it.  I lost them for about a week but did not buy a new set to replace. Soon after that, my ear started to feel itch for few days. I took it easy and subsequently, it became swollen. By now, most of us would go to consult a doctor to have some antibiotic medicines but I still did not do so. Another few days passed, the swell subsided. I thought everything was back to normal but it was not !

Soon, I could hear buzzing noise inside my ear, I thought it was due to the water that have flow inside when I took my shower the other night. Again, I was wrong, the buzz did not disappear and I felt very irritating. Then only I went to consult a GP.

She examined my ear using an otoscope and later prescribed me an ear drops and1 pack of  C-Flox 500 that contained 10 tablets.

I took the medicine until I found out that this C-Flox actually is used to treat infection for lungs, skin, bones and joints, kidney and bladder, prostate and bowel and it does not work against infection caused by virus such as flu, colds or fungi. By that time, I have taken 9 tablets and my ear conditions did not show any improvement.

Less than a week after consulting the GP, I started to have fever and went back to the same GP again. She checked my temperature and it was 37.4 Celsius. I also told her my ear condition and she wrote a letter to refer me to a specialist of my choice, I chose one private hospital that is near to my house, the one where my mother had admitted before she passed away in 1996. In addition, she also prescribed me FEDAC and Carinox tablets.

Fedac                                                                   Carinox

I got a medical leave on the same day and I went to the hospital while on my way home to see one of the ENT specialist there. Upon examining my ear with otoscope, he said there was water inside and he needed to suck it out. Using a tiny metal tube, he slowly inserted it into my ear and guys, I can tell you, this is no good ! It was painful when the tube reached deep inside my ear, yet he could not do the suction due to my pain.

You know what next ? Immediately, he asked me to do a minor surgery to suck out the water tomorrow morning and he also wanted me to stay in hospital for a night but I rejected because the medical bill would definitely be high and I did not see any reason for me to be admitted since he said it was only a minor surgey, which took only about 1 or 2 hours. He also asked me to sign something like “consent letter” on the spot, explaining it was a standard procedure prior surgery.

Can I say it was my ignorance or my stupidity that I did not seek second opinion before I went to the so called “minor surgery” ? The “surgeon” has repeatedly told me to come on time because he would put me as first patient in his list on that D-day.  He also emphasized to me that my condition was not very bad and need not be worried. I took it for granted, thinking to end all this quick so that my life would go back to normal. It really affected my daily life for having such an irritating noise inside my ear.  To continue …………..

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting consumers nationwide not to purchase or consume more than 25 different products marketed for weight loss because they contain undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients that may put consumers’ health at risk.

The weight loss products highlighted in the FDA warning include:

2 Day Diet
3x Slimming Power
Fatloss Slimming
5x Imelda Perfect Slimming
Lida DaiDaihua
3 Day Diet Japan Lingzhi
7 Diet Day/Night Formula
999 Fitness Essence
24 Hours Diet
GMP
Imelda Perfect Slim
Miaozi Slim Capsules
Perfect Slim 5x
Perfect Slim
ProSlim Plus
Phyto Shape
7 Day Herbal Slim
Slim 3 in 1
Slim Express 360
Slimtech
Superslim
TripleSlim
Somotrin
8 Factor Diet
Royal Slimming Formula
Zhen de Shou
Extrim Plus
Venom Hyperdrive 3.0.

An FDA analysis found that the undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients in some of these products include sibutramine (a controlled substance), rimonabant (a drug not approved for marketing in the United States), phenytoin (an anti-seizure medication), and phenolphthalein (a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer causing agent). Some of the amounts of active pharmaceutical ingredients far exceeded the FDA-recommended levels, putting consumers’ health at risk.

These weight loss products, some of which are marketed as “dietary supplements,” are promoted and sold on various Web sites and in some retail stores. Some of the products claim to be “natural” or to contain only “herbal” ingredients, but actually contain potentially harmful ingredients not listed on the product labels or in promotional advertisements. These products have not been approved by the FDA, are illegal and may be potentially harmful to unsuspecting consumers.

The FDA advises consumers who have used any of these products to stop taking them and consult their healthcare professional immediately. The FDA encourages consumers to seek guidance from a healthcare professional before purchasing weight loss products.

“These tainted weight loss products pose a great risk to public health because they contain undeclared ingredients and, in some cases, contain prescription drugs in amounts that greatly exceed their maximum recommended dosages,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA. “Consumers have no way of knowing that these products contain powerful drugs that could cause serious health consequences. Therefore FDA is taking this action to protect the health of the American public.”

The FDA has inspected a number of companies associated with the sale of these illegal products, and is currently seeking product recalls. Based on the FDA’s inspections and the companies’ inadequate responses to recall requests, the FDA may take additional enforcement steps, such as issuing warning letters or initiating seizures, injunctions, or criminal charges.

The health risks posed by these products can be serious; for example, sibutramine, which was found in many of the products, can cause high blood pressure, seizures, tachycardia, palpitations, heart attack or stroke. This drug can also interact with other medications that patients may be taking and increase their risk of adverse drug events. The safety of sibutramine has also not been established in pregnant and lactating women, or in children younger than 16 years of age.

Rimonabant, another ingredient found in these products, was evaluated, but not approved by the FDA for marketing in the United States. The drug, which is approved in Europe, has been associated with increased risk of depression and suicidal thoughts and has been linked to five deaths and 720 adverse reactions in Europe over the last two years.

Source : FDA

Other information :

Dietary Supplement Enforcement Report

Dietary Supplements: How To Know What Is Safe