February 7, 2000
Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 22:11:08 -0800 (PST)
From: "drDrew.com" mail@drDrew.com
To: "drDrew.com Newsletter" mailinglist@drDrew.com
Subject: drDrew.coms Weekly Dose -- February 7, 2000
THE OFFICIAL DRDREW.COM NEWSLETTER
February 7, 2000
drDrew.com. . . . Get it every day
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IN THIS WEEK'S NEWSLETTER:
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* Be part of the drDrew.com "Street Team"
* Getting the Love You Need on Valentines Day
* Talk to Us: Staff Chats at drDrew.com
* What's New on drDrew.com
* The drDrew.com Show
* Bonus Q&A With Drew
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BRINGING YOU THE LOVE
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* Just in time for Valentines Day--drDrew.com brings you new advice
about sex and relationships. Each week, we bring you tips on love and sex in
HealthBriefs, featured on the drDrew.com home page (http://www.drdrew.com).
* This Thursday: Aphrodisiacs. A Valentine's Day guide to recipes for
love.
You can also search Dr. Drews answers to questions about sex and
relationships at http://www.drdrew.com/office/faq_index.html, or read tips on these topics and more at http://www.drdrew.com/office/healtharchive.html.
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Get all your questions answered from clitoris quirks to crying spells
by our expanding expert staff at drDrew.com. All chats are held in the
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* Tuesday: Dr. Tim Cruz will answer your questions at 6 p.m. PST in the
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* Wednesday: Chat with Dr. Drew before the drDrew.com Show, from 7 p.m.
until 7:30 p.m. PST in the Abuse chat room.
* Wednesday: Eating Disorder rap with Linda Sherman, Psy.D., MFCC, RD,
at 8:30 p.m. PST in the Diet-Fitness chat room.
* Thursday: Talk to Elizabeth Kozitza, MPH, RD, at 7 p.m. PST in the
Diet-Fitness chat room.
* Friday: Ask Jenny Stallcup, RN, your questions at 5 p.m. PST in the
Relationships chat room.
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THIS WEEK WITH DR. DREW:
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THE DRDREW.COM SHOW
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* Tonight: No show because Drew will be speaking at the Rochester
Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY.
* Wednesday: Watch Drew and his guests on the drDrew.com Show at 7:30
p.m. PST.
* Chat with Dr. Drew before the drDrew.com Show!
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* Call in toll-free at 1-888-4DR-DREW during this half-hour show to ask
Dr. Drew your questions.
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HEALTHBRIEFS: HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE ISSUES THAT MATTER
http://www.drdrew.com/office/index.html
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* Tuesday: Pelvic pains. The female guide to pain "down there."
* Thurs(its-all-about-the-love)day: Aphrodisiacs. A Valentine's Day
guide
to recipes for love.
* Saturday: Eating disorders. How to know if you have one.
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QUESTION OF THE DAY (http://www.drdrew.com/office/qotd.html)
ASK DR. DREW YOUR QUESTION at http://www.drdrew.com/office/askqotd.html
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* Today: What causes my night sweats?
* Tuesday: I seem to have little fat, so why does my BMI (Body Mass
Index) calculation tell me otherwise?
* Wednesday: How do I stop my parents from fighting?
* Thursday: Am I destined to end up with a guy whos abusive?
* Friday: Why am I obsessed with celebrities?
* Saturday: Why does my girlfriend pass out after she has an orgasm?
Scroll down for more Q & A!
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PERSONALITIES: STRAIGHT TALK FROM THE STARS
http://www.drdrew.com/profiles/index.html
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* Today: Rock queen Joan Jett
* Wednesday: Superfreak Weird Al
* Friday: Virginie Ledoyen, Leonardo DiCaprios costar in "The Beach"
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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QUESTION:
I am curious about the affect opium has on your mind and body. What are
the side effects of the drug?
DR. DREW:
Opium (like heroin, morphine and codeine) is an opiate--a medication
that controls pain. When these compounds were first made available, they
were considered one of the greatest advances in the history of medicine
because doctors were able to take away a patient's pain and suffering.
Unfortunately, it didn't take long for doctors to realize the side
effects of opiates--namely addiction.
Opiates cause one of the most severe forms of addiction, and treatment
is difficult (opiate addiction has the lowest probability of being
successfully treated). However, the most serious complications
associated with opiate abuse have more to do with the behaviors associated with
the drug than with the impact it has on your body. Opiates are generally
administered intravenously, and using needles puts you at risk for all
sorts of diseases and problems. Opiates essentially hijack a part of
the brain and reprogram it to think that the drug is necessary for
survival. Once addicted, people will go to any length to get the drug. Opiates
also act directly on the respiratory center in the brainstem, and cause a
slowdown in activity. This means excessive amounts of an opiate, like
heroin, can shut down breathing altogether.
QUESTION:
I am a 20-year-old female and have been dating my boyfriend for almost
two years. About six months ago, we started having anal sex. I have noticed
though, that within 48 hours after having anal sex, I experience severe
stomachaches, especially around my bellybutton. What could cause this
type of pain?
DR. DREW:
There are a variety of things that might be causing this pain. I
suspect that this is merely a spastic colon triggered by the stimulation of
anal intercourse. However, you will need to be evaluated by a doctor to
ensure that this is the explanation for your pain. You're too young to be
having problems like diverticulosis or diverticulitis, which are little
outpouchings of the colon that can become infected. This pain around
the bellybutton is not typical of the pelvic pain caused by inflammation or
infection in your female organs. It tends to be more of a bowel
symptom.
Unless there are some changes in your bowel pattern, such as
constipation, mucous, or bloody discharge, I would not be concerned about these
symptoms. To be safe though, get checked out by a physician to rule out
anything serious.
QUESTION:
My girlfriend works at a clinic and she accidentally stuck herself with
a needle. Can she get genital herpes from this?
DR. DREW:
No, she cannot get genital herpes from poking herself with a needle.
But she certainly can get other blood-borne "sexually transmitted
diseases," such as hepatitis. Viral hepatitis is a disease that has the potential
to turn into a chronic liver disease. Since your girlfriend works in a
clinic, I would hope that she's been vaccinated for certain types of
hepatitis, which would diminish this risk.
There's also the risk of contracting HIV. If there is any chance that
she was exposed to HIV, she should begin immediate treatment with antiviral
therapy, which decreases or at least delays HIV exposure evolving into
HIV infection.
QUESTION:
I'm an otherwise healthy guy, and I have small white bumps around the
outside of my right nipple. I was investigating one day and a clear
fluid came out of the bumps. What is this?
DR. DREW:
It could be something simple such as an inflamed sebaceous gland
(acne). However, any liquid coming from around the nipple has to be considered
breast milk unless proven otherwise. And yes, men can produce milk.
It's usually a side effect from medication, but it can also be caused by a
thyroid condition or abnormalities or growths in the pituitary gland.
This is something you should have checked out by your doctor or an
endocrinologist (a doctor specializing in hormone problems).
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IMPORTANT NOTE
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The content presented in this newsletter is not intended to take the
place of professional medical treatment. For specific medical concerns, you
should seek the advice of a qualified health provider.
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