Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/10130
Thursday, May 6, 2010 – Daily News – 5A FEATURES Compounding pharmacies aid Armour Thyroid users DEAR DR. GOTT: Recently, your column addressed the dif- ficulty of obtain- ing Armour Thy- roid. I would like to tell your readers that they can still get porcine thy- roid capsules. Have them made up by a compounding pharmacy. Unfortunately, the cost is about three times higher (about $1 a day), but for those of us who choose a more natur- al way, it is worth it. DEAR READER: You bring up a point I neglect- ed to mention in my origi- nal article. Becoming more and more popular, compounding is a method by which physicians can prescribe and pharmacists can produce tried-and-true medications. I congratu- late you for thinking out- side the box on this mat- ter. As a point of informa- tion, Armour Thyroid in 1 grain (60 mg) and 1/2 grain (30 mg) doses has been manufactured and shipped since February 2010, according to the manufacturer. They appar- ently selected these two doses because up to 70 percent of all people take the medication in one dose or the other, or through a combination of both. As I previously indicat- ed, Armour Thyroid underwent reformulation. There was a decrease in the amount of dextrose and an increase in the amount of cellulose, and cornstarch was added. As you might imagine, some users have reported prob- lems with the new formu- la. Because the tablets are taken by many people sublingually, they don’t appear to dissolve as easi- ly (perhaps because of the cornstarch), and they aren’t as sweet as before, making them unpleasant to taste. Other users report palpitations, fatigue, weight gain, hair loss and more. Readers experiencing any unusual side effects not present prior to the reformulation should speak with their physi- cians to determine whether compounding or conversion to an alterna- tive is the correct way to proceed. Dr. Peter Gott To provide related informa- tion, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Thyroid Disor- ders.” Other read- ers who would like a copy should send a self- addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092- 0167. Be sure to mention the title or print an order form off my website at www.AskDrGottMD.com . DEAR DR. GOTT: I have a friend who has MS. She has a new problem that the many tests she has taken have shed no light on for the cause or reme- dy. Everything she eats tastes salty, and she has a salty taste in her mouth all the time. Needless to say, this has affected her appetite and is causing her much anxiety. She only takes medication for high blood pressure, as well as a monthly vitamin B12 shot and a recently added weekly vitamin D shot. Do you have any idea what would cause the new symptom? What can she do to get rid of it? DEAR READER: Multiple sclerosis is gen- erally considered to be an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. From your brief note, it is my guess that your friend has had the condition for some time. Therefore, I must interpret her symptoms are related to one of the following: dehydration with inade- quate daily fluid intake; antithyroid medications; neurological disorders; or sinusitis and postnasal drip. Saving the most like- ly cause for last, I feel she is, in a sense of the word, “overdosing” on B12, because many supple- ments contain a recom- mended daily value of 200 percent. Dr. Peter H. Gott is a retired physician and the author of several books, including “Live Longer, Live Better,” “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet” and “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook,” which are available at most bookstores or online. His website is www.AskDrGottMD.com. Memorial Day events • Redding Memorial Park - 77th Annual Memorial Day Tribute includes a skydiver, jet flyover, veterans honors and musical salutes at noon, 1201 Continental St., Redding. Event is free. Information call 241-1626 • Lawncrest Memorial Park - Annual Memorial Day Tribute. Includes veterans honors, musical salutes, pow/mia missing soldiers table, flag folding ceremony, Navy 2 bell ceremony and precision drill team to honor veterans at 10 a.m., 1522 E. Cypress Ave., Redding. Free admission. Information call 222-1587. Sister feels like afterthought on vacations Dear Annie: My sister ‘‘Justine’’ has invited me to go on vacation with her three times. The problem is, she consults with my other two sisters and their husbands to come up with the date and place without any input from me. She just phones with the informa- tion and expects an imme- diate reply. Given the short notice, my husband and I have not been able to go. I don’t understand why Justine can’t give me a little more choice in the matter. Last time, she called on my cell phone and expect- ed a ‘‘yes’’ or ‘‘no’’ answer while I was in the car. She had airline infor- mation up on her computer screen and was ready to book the flight. Annie, I have seven grandchildren that I help take care of. I needed to consult with my daughters and check my calendar at home. I feel like an afterthought. Or maybe she doesn’t want me to go and is hoping that the short notice and lack of options will make me decline. I am the youngest of four sisters. We also have three brothers, who are never asked to go. Some- times I think that might be less hurt- ful. There have been other occasions when Justine has said derogatory things to me in front of others. I am so taken by surprise that I never have a good comeback. I don’t want to cause any family turmoil, but would like to be treated with some respect. How do I do that without causing hard feelings? — Left Out Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar Dear Left Out: Justine is accustomed to bossing her baby sister around. Talk to her, as well as to your other sisters, and explain the vaca- tion problem. Ask if they could please give you more options when selecting a date because you would love to go. And when Justine insults you, call her on it. You don’t have to be clever. Practice the phrase, ‘‘Why would you say such a hurtful thing?’’ and repeat as needed. Dear Annie: My stepdaughter, ‘‘Hannah,’’ is getting married soon. The problem is, her mother is push- ing Hannah to let her stepfather walk her halfway down the aisle. Her father will then walk her from there to the altar. My husband is devastated that when people turn around to see the bride, they will see her with the stepfather first. What are the guidelines for such a situation? My heart breaks to see my husband try to deal with this without sharing his thoughts with Hannah. — Sad on a Happy Day Dear Sad: It is not uncommon for stepfathers to walk the bride partway down the aisle. It is how a bride can show gratitude to some- one who helped raise her. And Dad still gets to take Hannah to the altar. Mom, however, should not be pres- suring Hannah one way or the other, and neither should Dad. Brides are under enough stress. Support your husband by helping him accept Hannah’s decision, whatever it is, and by assuring him that it does not detract from his importance in his daughter’s life. We hope Hannah will tell him this, as well. Dear Annie: I read the respons- es to ‘‘Still the Mom,’’ but I guess I’m in the minority. I wish I had never met my biological mother. She was quite pretty but terribly vain, and believed a woman was defined by how many men she could attract. She was a gossip and a troublemaker with a sordid past, which took years for me to detach from my own identity. Despite it all, I tried to have a friendship with her, but she wasn’t interested. I was rejected all over again. Worse, I was 18 when I found her, and my adopted mother blew a gasket. She thought I didn’t love her and made my life miserable. — Not Always Greener Dear Greener: Doing a search for a birth parent is always a risk because not every situation works out as anticipated. What is truly sad, however, is your adopted mother’s inability to be supportive when you needed her. We hope things are bet- ter now. Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. You owe taxes on cancelled debt, car debt Q: I managed to negoti- ate with the bank to lower my credit card balance by $9,000, and then I paid off the remaining amount last year. Now I just received some kind of income tax form sent by the card company. Does this mean I owe taxes? A: These tough economic times have brought with them an array of tax benefits -- and some tax burdens that most people haven't faced before. I'm afraid you've fallen into one of the pitfalls: the tax on "canceled debt." The form you received is form 1099-C (for cancella- tion of debt). And yes, the amount of consumer debt that was forgiven is consid- ered "income" for purposes of taxation. You'll have to add that amount to any other income (or unemploy- ment benefits) you received in 2009, in order to deter- mine your tax liability. Depending on your total income, you could owe as much as one third of this amount in income taxes. It doesn't seem "fair" -- but that's the law. And you're not alone. According to the IRS, more than 2.5 million people will be receiving similar forms, informing them they owe income taxes on forgiven debt. These forms apply to consumer debt such as cred- it cards and car loans that were forgiven. But there's a bright spot. This tax is no longer applic- Does your business depend on revenue from Tehama County visitors? Tehama County Visitor Guide Proudly announcing the 2010-2011 A special magazine publication from The Daily News Handy 4.5” x 10” size Glossy Cover and Inside Pages 9,000 distribution Hotels – Restaurants Visitor Information Centers Chambers of Commerce In and out-of County! Interactive “Page-turn” online version posted on The Daily News’ Website through Spring, 2011 Advertising Reservations Deadline: Friday, May 7, 2010 To make sure your business is represented, contact your Daily News advertising representative today at (530) 527-2151 or email D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY nsouza@redbluffdailynews.com for a full fact sheet in .jpg or .pdf file format PICK UP TIME 10:45 AM 11:20 AM 11:40 AM We Shoot Ya Photography Shuttle space is limited, so please contact Janet at North Valley Service Transit to make your reservation today 530.528.1083! PICK-UP AND DROP OFF LOCATION Anderson Safeway Parking Lot Red Bluff Community Center Corning Safeway Parking Lot LEAVE FROM ROLLING HILLS 4:00 PM or 8:00 PM 4:00 PM or 8:00 PM 4:00 PM or 8:00 PM Photo: able to those who have resi- dential real estate debt that was either restructured or written off by the bank dur- ing a foreclosure. The Mort- gage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 specif ically exempts up to $2 million of debt that is dis- charged or forgiven on a primary resi- dence. The exclusion applies only if the mortgage debt was written off because of a decline in the value of the home, or in the taxpayer's "financial condi- tion." And that is especially good news, because Bank of America has just announced an aggressive program to restructure mortgages and lower the principal balance for those who owe more than 120 percent of the home's cur- rent value. If B of A can get this program up and running, other financial institu- tions may be tempted to follow suit. Forgiveness of principal is not an ideal resolution for mortgage lenders or holders of mortgage- backed securities. But taking write- offs and allowing homeowners to remain in place with more afford- able monthly payments may be less costly overall than the current high level of foreclosures that has left banks owning empty properties. By the way, if you're interested in this debt for- Terry Savage The Savage Truth on Money giveness issue, you might be interested in some other tax tips for the unem- ployed and those in financial trou- ble Taxation of unemployment benefits. Hardship IRA or 40l(k) with- drawals. Job-hunting expenses. Look on the bright side. These tax deductions don't seem so helpful now. But by next year at this time, your efforts to find a job are like- ly to be rewarded -- and you'll be glad to have some write-offs against your new- found income. COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES Smog Check starting at $ (most cars and pick-ups) 2995 + cert. Pass or FREE retest 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. DOWNTOWN RED BLUFF Sidewalk Sale!!! For bargains you won’t believe. Friday, May 7th Saturday. 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