2012

An interesting film, predicting the end of the world on 21st December 2012, not a wise film to be watching 1 month before the date.  However, a good film.

.

An epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors.

The Bucket List

Edward Cole (Nicholson) is a corporate billionaire who is currently sharing a hospital room with blue-collar mechanic Carter Chambers (Freeman). Though initially the pair seems to have nothing in common, conversation gradually reveals that both men have a long list of goals they wish to accomplish before they 'kick the bucket'. But one can't accomplish such lofty objectives from the confines of a hospital bed, so now in order to live their lives to the absolute fullest Edward and Carter will have to make a break for it!

Steven heard from Papworth

Steven had a call from Papworth today from a member of Dr West's team.

He asked questions about how he was feeling, when did he have his operation, and other information.

He expressed concern that the valve could be too small, and is going to track down all Stevens record from Great Ormond Street and Queen Elizabeth, and will keep monitoring which is good.

Why lack of sleep may trigger arthritis - but treating insomnia may improve the condition

Published in the Daily Mail

Anyone who suffers from it knows that joint pain can have a significant effect on your life, restricting mobility and making it harder to complete even everyday tasks.
But it’s not just during the day that it can cause problems — sleep can be affected, too.
Persistent, aching pain in the back, hip, arms and legs can lead to disrupted, restless sleep.

Until recently restless nights were viewed as a secondary and almost inevitable problem for people with arthritis

Experts say insomnia is common among the ten million arthritis sufferers in Britain, with some estimates suggesting that nearly two in three experience trouble sleeping.
However, until recently restless nights were viewed as a secondary and almost inevitable problem for people with arthritis.
But now scientists are realising that this problem is a two-way street: not only does joint pain cause sleep loss, but sleep deprivation makes joint pain worse, and can even accelerate joint damage.
There is growing concern that sleep disturbance exacerbates osteoarthritis (wear-and-tear arthritis) and rheumatoid arthritis (where the immune system attacks the joints), and experts believe that treating insomnia could lead to an improvement in the condition.
‘There’s a correlation between lack of sleep and pain and it’s a vicious circle.
'Pain induces lack of sleep and lack of sleep induces pain,’ says Professor Alan Silman, medical director of Arthritis Research UK.
Osteoarthritis develops when cartilage that protects the surface of bones becomes damaged and starts to break down.
The exact causes remain unknown, but genes, weight and age are all thought to be involved.
Much of the pain and swelling is caused by inflammatory molecules in the body travelling to the joint.
For reasons that are not fully understood, disrupted sleep leads to increased numbers of these inflammatory markers, which further aggravates sore joints.
One of these markers is called interleukin-1 (IL-1), which is made by white blood cells.
One expert thinks IL-1 is the ‘primary trigger’ of osteoarthritis.
Professor Peter Wehling, an orthopaedic surgeon whose Dusseldorf clinic has become a pilgrimage site for sports stars seeking to prolong their careers, says even a limited amount of sleep disruption can cause the immune system to ‘go into overdrive’.
It then begins to ‘flood the body with white blood cells in a vain attempt to address exhaustion-related distress’, as he puts it in his book The End Of Pain.

Osteoarthritis develops when cartilage that protects the surface of bones becomes damaged and starts to break down

Many of the IL-1 producing white blood cells lodge in the joints and cause ‘discomfort and gradual erosion of cartilage’, he says.
Professor Wehling warns that even one bad night’s sleep can set this in motion.
Professor Silman from Arthritis UK agrees that inflammatory compounds play a role in arthritis. ‘Sleep disturbance can change the body’s natural cycle of hormones as well as possibly adversely affecting the underlying levels of inflammation,’ he says.
He agrees that IL-1 is ‘an important player’ in the development of inflammatory arthritis, but says other cytokines — inflammation-causing chemicals — may also be involved.
He adds that some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis, especially in its early stages, may be a direct consequence of inflammation.
And while loss of sleep may release damaging inflammatory chemicals, it also means the joints miss out on the healing benefits of sleep.
Sleep is the longest time during which the body has low levels of inflammation and opportunity to heal.
Around 15 to 25 per cent of it should be deep sleep — this equates to around 1½ to two hours every night.
During this time, energy levels are restored and the immune system strengthened.
But it can take up to 45 minutes of sleeping to enter deep sleep — and these deep phases seem to occur only in the first half of the night, for reasons not understood.
This means that if someone is tossing and turning they may have very little deep sleep.
This not only increases the number of inflammatory markers in the body, but it can also disrupt the workings of hormones vital for joint healing, says Professor Wehling.
Perhaps most notably it lowers production of human growth hormone, sometimes called the ‘master hormone’ because it is vital to many processes in the body including tissue repair, weight management and continuing replacement of bone and collagen.
Though human growth hormone is produced in small surges during the day, by far the biggest burst comes 60 to 90 minutes after falling asleep as we enter deep sleep.
Inflammation suppresses human growth hormone — and so deep sleep causes levels to surge.
But without much deep sleep we may not produce enough growth hormone, speeding the decline of tissue and bone, causing it to become worn in joint areas.
Furthermore, weariness makes people more sensitive to pain, and can lead to them becoming even more immobile.
Professor Kevin Morgan, director of the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University, explains: ‘Moving involuntarily in the night can wake you up with a lightning shaft of pain and a cracking sensation.
'This sleep disruption makes pain worse the next day, and makes a person less inclined to want to move around.
‘However, movement and activity makes joints hurt less.’
Arthritis Research UK is funding a study by King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, which aims to identify and treat the issues preventing patients with rheumatoid arthritis from being physically active and sleeping well.
Around 200 people with the disease are taking part in the research, which it is hoped will lead to new techniques to tackle inactivity, sleep disruption  and pain.
A similar study by the University of Washington in Seattle involving 375 patients with osteoarthritis is also being held and is due to report next year.
It is examining whether targeting pain and sleep problems is more beneficial than a regimen focusing on pain alone.
The researchers have hypothesised that the dual approach will have greater long-term benefits for sleep and pain, increase physical activity and lead to a reduction in healthcare costs.
Jo Cumming, head of helplines at Arthritis Care, says the charity speaks to 12,000 people a year, and 63 per cent say they don’t get a good night’s sleep.
‘It is a huge burden to bear. When GPs are considering medication or joint replacements one of the things they ask patients is whether the pain stops them sleeping,’ she says.
But Professor Morgan argues that previously GPs have considered insomnia as an unfortunate consequence of another health problem, rather than an important health problem in itself.
This has led to patients not always receiving the best treatment.
‘You have to put in a lot of work convincing clinicians that sleep problems are not just collateral damage from the main disease,’ he says.
So what can help those with joint pain achieve a good night’s sleep?
Tips include cutting out afternoon naps, using lamps rather than ceiling lights in the evening, avoiding caffeine after 3pm and not drinking alcohol after 9pm.
Professor Wehling also recommends ‘keeping a consistent bedtime and rising within an hour of sunrise’.
Avoiding midnight snacks can also help.
An estimated 50 per cent of our body weight is carried by the menisci, small pads of cartilage in the knee, so piling on the pounds adds substantially to an already considerable strain.
Excess body fat can also heighten arthritis directly because our fat cells expand and produce more cytokines, which fuel inflammation.
However, a lack of sleep can lead to weight gain, which is known to make joint pain worse.
Levels of melatonin, the key hormone in regulating our daily body cycle or circadian rhythm, are also disturbed by sleep loss, and this in turn upsets the balance of two other hormones.
The first is ghrelin, known as the ‘hunger hormone’.
Elevated levels of ghrelin at night can prompt people to raid the kitchen, craving carbohydrates in particular. It also causes extra insulin production, making the body store more fat.
The second is leptin, which usually helps regulate appetite, but may be disrupted by loss of sleep.
Studies in mice also suggest that leptin may itself have inflammatory effects.
Arthritis Care Helpline free on 0808 800 4050 or email Helplines@arthritiscare.org.uk.

I Love You

Another Cross Stitch Kit

Perfect Diet Tracker

On doing some research for a decent diet tracker i come across this link

http://www.perfect-diet-tracker.com/

You download it on your computer which makes it faster and more efficient 

to use that the usual web based ones.

It is simple and straightforward, you can add your own foods, meals and recipes. 

If the food is not in its database you can enable a web search for it.

There is a FREE 7 day trial then there is a one off charge of £13.64, which

is not bad with no monthly subscription like usual.

It has a good efficient print option unlike web based trackers. 

Miracle Drug

When i went to the Doctors the Co-codomol he prescribed was

Solpadol 30mg/500mg capsules (Codein Phosphate and Paracetamol)

I have taken this when my pain became unbearable, and the difference was extreme, the relief was incredible.

Solpadol

Main use	Active ingredient	Manufacturer
Severe pain	Paracetamol 500mg, codeine phosphate 30mg (co-codamol)	Sanofi-Aventis

How does it work?

Solpadol caplets, capsules and effervescent tablets all contain two active ingredients, paracetamol and codeine phosphate. This combination of medicines is often referred to as co-codamol. (NB. Co-codamol is also available without a brand name, ie as the generic medicine.)
Paracetamol is a simple painkilling medicine used to relieve mild to moderate pain. Despite its widespread use for over 100 years, we still don't fully understand how paracetamol works to relieve pain. However, it is now thought that it works by reducing the production of prostaglandins in the brain and spinal cord.
The body produces prostaglandins in response to injury and certain diseases. One of the effects of prostaglandins is to sensitise nerve endings, causing pain (presumably to prevent us from causing further harm to the area). As paracetamol reduces the production of these nerve sensitising prostaglandins it is thought it may increase our pain threshold, so that although the cause of the pain remains, we can feel it less.
Codeine is a stronger painkiller known as an opioid. Opioid painkillers work by mimicking the action of naturally occurring pain-reducing chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins are found in the brain and spinal cord and reduce pain by combining with opioid receptors.
Codeine mimicks the action of natural endorphins by combining with the opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord. This blocks the transmission of pain signals sent by the nerves to the brain. Therefore, even though the cause of the pain may remain, less pain is actually felt.
Solpadol caplets, capsules and effervescent tablets contain 30mg of codeine, which in combination with the paracetamol, is effective at relieving severe pain.

What is it used for?

• Severe pain.

Warning!

• This medication may cause drowsiness. If affected do not drive or operate machinery. Avoid alcoholic drink.
• Do not take this medicine with any other products that contain paracetamol. Many over-the-counter painkillers and cold and flu remedies contain paracetamol. It is important to check the ingredients of any medicines you buy without a prescription before taking them in combination with this medicine. Seek further advice from your pharmacist.
• An overdose of paracetamol is dangerous and capable of causing serious damage to the liver and kidneys. You should never exceed the dose stated in the information leaflet supplied with this medicine. Immediate medical advice should be sought in the event of an overdose with this medicine, even if you feel well, because of the risk of delayed, serious liver damage.
• Alcohol increases the risk of liver damage that can occur if an overdose of paracetamol is taken. The hazards of paracetamol overdose are greater in persistant heavy drinkers and in people with alcoholic liver disease.
• If this medicine is taken regularly for long periods of time, the body can become tolerant to it and it may become less effective at relieving pain. With prolonged use, the body may also become dependent on the codeine. As a result, withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness and irritability may occur if the medicine is then stopped suddenly. If you find you need to use this medicine all the time you should consult your doctor for advice.
• Consult your doctor if your symptoms persist despite taking this medicine.
• Taking a painkiller for headaches too often or for too long can actually make the headaches worse.

Use with caution in

• Elderly people
• Weak or debilitated people
• Decreased kidney function
• Decreased liver function
• Asthma
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Epilepsy
• Underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism)
• Low blood pressure (hypotension)
• Narrowing of the urethra, causing difficulty passing urine
• Enlarged prostate gland (prostatic hypertrophy)
• People at risk of bowel obstruction, eg due to constipation
• Inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease
• Biliary tract disorders, eg recent surgery on the biliary tract
• Underproduction of natural steroid hormones by the adrenal glands (Addison's disease)
• Myasthenia gravis.
• Solpadol effervescent tablets contain sodium. They should be avoided in people with kidney problems and those on a low sodium diet.

Not to be used in

• Children under 12 years of age
• Slow, shallow breathing (respiratory depression)
• People having an asthma attack
• Alcohol intoxication (acute alcoholism)
• People with a head injury or raised pressure inside the skull (raised intracranial pressure)
• Paralysis or inactivity in the intestines that prevents material moving through the gut (paralytic ileus).
• Solpadol effervescent tablets contain sorbitol and are not suitable for people with rare hereditary problems of fructose intolerance.

This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.

If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.

Label warnings

• Do not take more than 2 at any one time. Do not take more than 8 in 24 hours.
• Do not take this medication with any other products containing paracetamol.
• This medication may cause drowsiness. If affected do not drive or operate machinery. Avoid alcoholic drink.

Side effects

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

• Constipation.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Dizziness.
• Lightheadedness.
• Drowsiness.
• Shortness of breath.
• Confusion.
• Mood changes.
• Difficulty in passing urine (urinary retention).
• Skin rash.
• Dry mouth.
• Slowed heart rate.
• Contraction of the pupils.

The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer.

For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.

How can this medicine affect other medicines?

It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while taking this one, to ensure that the combination is safe.
You should not take other medicines that contain paracetamol in combination with this medicine, as this can easily result in exceeding the maximum recommended daily dose of paracetamol. Many cold and flu remedies and over-the-counter painkillers contain paracetamol, so be sure to check the ingredients of any other medicines before taking them with this one.
This medicine should not be taken at the same time as, or within 14 days of taking a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), for example the antidepressants phenelzine, tranylcypromine or isocarboxacid.
There may be an increased risk of drowsiness and sedation if this medicine is taken with any of the following (which can also cause drowsiness):

• alcohol
• antipsychotics, eg haloperidol
• barbiturates, eg phenobarbital, amobarbital
• benzodiazepines, eg diazepam, temazepam
• other opioid painkillers, eg morphine, dihydrocodeine
• sedating antihistamines, eg chlorphenamine, hydroxyzine
• sleeping tablets, eg zopiclone
• tricyclic antidepressants, eg amitriptyline.

Cholestyramine reduces the absorption of paracetamol from the gut. It should not be taken within an hour of taking paracetamol or the effect of the paracetamol will be reduced.
Metoclopramide and domperidone may increase the absorption of paracetamol from the gut.
Long-term or regular use of paracetamol may increase the anti-blood-clotting effect of warfarin and other anticoagulant medicines, leading to an increased risk of bleeding. This effect does not occur with occasional pain-killing doses. If you are taking an anticoagulant medicine and you are also taking co-codamol regularly, your blood clotting time (INR) should be regularly monitored.