HDL (high density lipoproteins)  have always been known as the good cholesterol as they can pull “bad cholesterol” away from the blood vessel wall. At the 2017 North American Menopause Society Meeting held last month in Philadelphia, research was presented that shed a new light on HDL.

After menopause a rise in HDL may not be so beneficial.  It appears that higher levels are due to HDL becoming dysfunctional and picking up more cholesterol which is subsequently redeposited in blood vessels.  This phenomenon also exists with inflammatory diseases where elevated HDL is associated with high inflammation and actually leads to greater cardiovascular risk.  Stay tuned as we learn more about different facets of HDL and it’s different types of particle sizes and effects.

Our pharmacist Carolyn Whiskin is not only a specialist in the field of biologic medication but is also a certified menopause practitioner with the North American Menopause Society (NAMS).  She recently returned from the annual NAMS meeting in Philadelphia. Over the next several weeks we will be sharing some of the key learnings from this meeting. Be sure to follow our weekly blog and Facebook page for this information.

Dr. Neil Binkley is part of the Osteoporosis Clinical Research Program at the University of Wisconsin. He was very passionate about preventing fractures as the consequences of breaking a weakened bone are significant and greatly affect a person’s ability to live independently.  It is now the opinion that anyone who has a fracture over the age of 50 should be investigated for future fracture risk.  Many factors contribute to fracture risk; one of the biggest being the risk of falling. Poor balance, instability in walking, neuropathy and impaired vision all increase falls.  Maintaining strong muscles is also vital to stability and preventing falls.  Not enough importance is placed on muscle strength and preventing fracture. The greatest risk of breaking a bone is having low bone density and low muscle mass.  It is a myth that excess fat acts as a cushion and prevents fracture.  In fact, obesity increases the risk of fracture especially ankle and upper leg fractures.  Beyond our current great treatments for osteoporosis which strengthen bone, new therapies are being investigated to improve muscle mass.

Our pharmacist Carolyn Whiskin is not only a specialist in the field of biologic medication but is also a certified menopause practitioner with the North American Menopause Society (NAMS).  She recently returned from the annual NAMS meeting in Philadelphia. Over the next several weeks we will be sharing some of the key learnings from this meeting. Be sure to follow our weekly blog and Facebook page for this information.

This week, we’re pleased to be bringing you information on an upcoming FREE forum that our pharmacist, Carolyn Whiskin, will be speaking at. The Ontario Pain Foundation regularly hosts these sorts of forums on a wide range of topics surrounding pain management.

Carolyn Whiskin will be speaking on “Integrating Natural and Traditional Medicine for Treating Pain.”

Please see the attached flyer for more information.

“Pain and the Opioid Crisis… Toward the conquest of pain…”

Location: Burlington Seniors’ Centre, 2285 New Street (in Central Park), Burlington

Time: 2:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Date: Sunday,  5 November, 2017

Photo from: http://diabetestimes.co.uk/special-baby-formula-does-not-affect-type-1-diabetes/

Healthy mom equals healthy baby. This was the clear message from an educational forum on the treament of autoimmune diseases during pregnancy. Many of the medications used for autoimmune conditions such as inflammatory arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and psoriasis can be safely given during pregnancy.

The greatest risk to the baby is to have the mom have a flare of her disease during pregnancy. Family planning is important to ensure a safe treatment plan is in place and any medications deemed unsafe are stopped prior to becoming pregnant. Being in low disease activity, if not remission, increases the success of the pregnancy and increases fertility.

Biologic medications are composed of protein and cannot cross the placenta until late in the second trimester. One particular biologic medication doesn’t cross the placenta at any time during pregnancy. Therefore, some women will continue a biologic throughout their pregnancy while others may stop by the third trimester.

Each woman’s treatment regimen must be individually assessed, so start the dialogue early if family planning is in your future.

Carolyn Whiskin is the Pharmacy Manager for Charlton Health.  Carolyn specializes in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, pharmaceutical compounding, women’s health, pain and smoking cessation. Carolyn has won provincial and national awards for her commitment to patient care and public service.

The GLA:D program is an education and exercise program developed by researchers in Denmark for individuals with hip or knee osteoarthritis symptoms. Research from the GLA:D program in Denmark has shown a reduction in progression of symptoms by 27%. Other outcomes include a reduction in pain intensity, reduced use of joint related pain killers, and fewer individuals on sick leave. Program participants also reported high levels of satisfaction with the program and increased levels of physical activity 12 months after starting the program. (Information from gladcanada.ca)

There are now several centres within Ontario that offer the GLA:D program. Visit their website to find the centre closest to you.  I have spoken with physiotherapists involved with GLA:D and am very impressed with the results the program provides.

Carolyn Whiskin is the Pharmacy Manager for Charlton Health.  Carolyn specializes in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, pharmaceutical compounding, women’s health, pain and smoking cessation. Carolyn has won provincial and national awards for her commitment to patient care and public service.

Uveitis occurs when then middle layer of the lining of the eye called the uvea becomes inflammed.  This condition can happen without any known underlying cause but can also occur in people with rhuematic conditions such as, ankylosing spondylitis, juvenille rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and sarcoidosis. Eye pain, redness and light sensitivity are the most common symptoms. Severe pain and vision change requires emergency attention. Steroidal eye drops which reduce inflammation are commonly used but sometimes they are not adequate and swallowed immunosuppressive treatments or injectable biologic treatment is required.

If you have an autoimmune condition and notice redness and pain in your eye, know that prompt attention is needed and your specialist and/or an opthamologist should be seen.

Carolyn Whiskin is the Pharmacy Manager for Charlton Health.  Carolyn specializes in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, pharmaceutical compounding, women’s health, pain and smoking cessation. Carolyn has won provincial and national awards for her commitment to patient care and public service.

This question is commonly asked by patients. No one likes to take a medication unneccessarily and once a person feels well, it a not uncommon to want to see if they can stop their medication.  In the case of an autoimmune disease, the body is genetically programmed to want to overproduce inflammatory chemicals and therefore stopping treatment will likely result in a return to active disease. Some patients will not be able to achieve the same level of effectiveness when they try to return to treatment. There is a small group of patients however, who when treated with a biologic and methotrexate at very beginning of their diagnosis could achieve a remission state.

The issue is that in Canada, in order to receive an advanced and expensive therapy such as a biologic, you need to try several less expensive medications first and so biologics being used immediatley at diagnosis does not happen. Some specialists are looking at reducing the frequency of a pateint’s medication once they have been symptom free for a year on their treatment regimen. In rheumatoid arthritis patients, reducing the dose may be more practical when rheumatoid factor is not present and in patients who have shown a quick response to biologic treatment and have had minimal joint dammage. When the rheumatoid factor is found to be positive in the blood, reducing the dose will likely not provide the same benefit.

The main message is to not stop your treatment when you are feeling well, but rather ask if you are a candidate to reduce your dosage. Not everyone will be able to manage on a reduced dose and this should only be done gradually and only with physician consult.

Carolyn Whiskin is the Pharmacy Manager for Charlton Health.  Carolyn specializes in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, pharmaceutical compounding, women’s health, pain and smoking cessation. Carolyn has won provincial and national awards for her commitment to patient care and public service.

This form of inflammation is found in the blood vessels in the area of your temple, head and neck;  so it can also be called temporal arteritis.  It usually occurs with a significant headache in people over the age of 50 often in the temporal area and there may be vision changes and jaw pain with chewing.  It is usually a result of the immune system being triggered to inapproriately generate infllmation in areas where the lining of blood vessels could have some damage. There is an immediate need to be seen in the emergency department, where the steroid prednisone is commonly given to quickly reduce inflammation and to preserve blood flow – especially to the eyes.  If left untreated, permanent vison loss could occur.  MRI and biopsies of the area can also be done to confirm the diagnosis.  Sometimes the headache can be accompanied by a generalized sudden arthritis occuring simulatneously in multiple joints.  This sydrome called polymyalgia rheumatica is not uncommon in older people and is also treated with prednisione even without the involvement of arteries in the temple.

Ultimately, if you ever experience severe sudden headache, esecially pain in the temple and if vision changes occur or you have jaw pain, this is a medical emergency. If you have a sudden unexplained onset of arthritis in multiple joints with severe stiffness and pain you must also seek medical attention.  It is always best to be on the side of caution!

I write this #WiseWordsWednesday blog entry with my mother-in-law in ICU on life support due to pneumonia. She is 81 and had a fracture from osteoporosis about 5 months ago.  Healing a weakened bone is a major stress to the body and makes people more vulnerable to pneumonia.  In fact, many conditions make you more vulnerable, such as: diabetes, lung disease, asthma, heart disease, inflammatory arthritis, being on immunosuppressant therapy and more.  At any time, about one third of the patients in ICU are there because of pneumonia.

I urge you to receive Prevnar 13, the pneumonia vaccine, which lasts a minimum of 20 years and protects you from 13 of the most common strains of pneumonia. After eight weeks or more, a dose of Pneumovax is given which protects against another 10 strains. The pneumonia vaccines are not ‘live’ vaccines and therefore can be given while on a biologic treatment. Prevnar 13 is approved for age 18 years and older.  Everyone over 65 is recommended to get this vaccine regardless of their health  status.  It is available at no charge if you are over 50 and on immunosuppressive treatment but certainly worth paying for regardless.

I wish my mother-in-law had taken my advice and been vaccinated!

Carolyn Whiskin is the Pharmacy Manager for Charlton Health.  Carolyn specializes in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, pharmaceutical compounding, women’s health, pain and smoking cessation. Carolyn has won provincial and national awards for her commitment to patient care and public service.

This week, we’re excited to share more information this week about Camp Got2Go.

Camp Got2Go is a camp for kids with Crohn’s and Colitis that “let’s kids be kids”. Campers can expect to do classic camp activities, like canoeing, swimming, wilderness skills, arts, and more! While youth are taking part in these activities, they’re doing so alongside others who are living with similar challenges. This year’s camp takes place in Richmond Hill from October 13-15^th, 2017.

To be eligible for the Ontario weekend camp, you must fit the following criteria:

• Are between the ages of 9-17 (prior to the start of camp);
• Diagnosed with either Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis; and
• Reside in Ontario

If interested, apply quickly! The deadline for applications is September 15th, 2017.

For more information on this great camp, visit their website.