Customer Reviews

The Good Doctor's Guide to Colds and Flu

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4 star:		(1)
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A very informative and well-written book describing colds, flu, sinusitis, pneumonia and other common winter ailments. Dr. Schachter tells you what's happening with the ailment, how to treat it, and best of all, how to prevent it for the future.

We find this book helpful in our household as parents of young children (and we've had plenty of colds in our house) and recommend it to other parents.

The practical advice (and the clearly defined science behind it) makes The Good Doctor's Guide a very worthhile read for you and your health. A great buy!

I am not really ready to review this book quite yet having just read through it quickly and at this moment, being sick with a cold. But I thought it was urgent to say one thing and then return to edit this review later:

In the chapter called "Treatment" the author recommends (among other things) Zinc nasal spray, using it every two hours. Well I purchased Zicam yesterday for the first time and it seemed to really help... But then I read up about it and learned that there are several lawsuits claiming it caused people to permanently lose their sense of smell and taste after just one use. I believe those people (their stories were very compelling), and will never use a Zinc nasal spray (or gel) again. The reports are not limited only to Zicam, by the way.

To learn more, try looking up the following article from The Los Angeles Times online: "Zinc for colds losing its luster Users of some products reporting loss of smell, taste" By Jane E. Allen Tuesday, March 30, 2004...or "Federal Lawsuit Refocuses Attention on Serious Risks Posed by Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel" dated December 21, 2005...or just do a general search.

To be continued when I'm feeling better.

June 16, 2009:

I just wanted to update the following article from today's Bloomberg report - see how long this has been going on before anything is done to protect anyone?

Zicam Cold Remedy Gets FDA Warning; Matrixx Dives (Update1)

By Shannon Pettypiece

June 16 (Bloomberg) -- Zicam nasal sprays and swabs may cause permanent loss of smell and taste and consumers should stop using them, U.S. regulators warned today, sending shares of manufacturer Matrixx Initiatives Inc. down the most ever.

Matrixx, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, fell $10.68, or 56 percent, to $8.56 before Nasdaq Stock Market trading was halted. That's the biggest intraday decline since its 1996 initial public offering.

The Food and Drug Administration has received more than 130 reports of people losing their sense of smell after using zinc- based Zicam nasal spray and swabs, and Matrixx has an additional 800 reports it hasn't made available to the agency, Deborah M. Autor, director of the FDA's Office of Compliance, said today in a conference call with reporters. The agency sent a warning letter to Matrixx telling the company to stop selling three Zicam products.

This is a very readable book that gives you the information your doctor often does not take the time to tell you. The Good Doctor's Guide to Colds and Flu is smart, practical and well researched. Not only does Dr.Schachter explain how to prevent and treat colds, he explains the science behind his advice. I also really liked the way he combined natural and traditional remedies. Excellent job!

Few books written by health professionals can bridge the gap between providing comprehensive advice and information on a health issue and doing so in an interesting, readable and practically applicable manner. Dr. Schachter has achieved this and more. This book is "colds and Flu" for Dummies without treating the reader as one. There is a ton of good, common sense advice for cold and flu prevention through modifying activities of daily living. In addition, he informs the reader about the powerful alternative and nutritional approaches to maintaining everyday health that are available to everyone. This is a book I am happy to have in my reference library.

We humans make vitamin D when our skin is exposed to enough sunlight. Most Americans have access to enough sunlight in the summer months to make healthy amounts of vitamin D. But, unfortunately -- except in the deep south -- most Americans do not make enough vitamin D in the fall and winter months. Since vitamin D is necessary to help prevent colds and flu, it should not be surprising that colds and flu commonly occur in the winter when most of us are deficient in vitamin D. But we don't have to be deficient in vitamin D in the fall and winter because this essential vitamin is readily available as a nutritional supplement. If everyone were to take 2,000 I.U. or more of vitamin D3 daily during the fall and winter months we would have a lot fewer colds and bouts of flu.

The essential nutrient Vitamin C also helps protect against colds and flu. Taking 2,000 mg or more of vitamin C daily plus vitamin D3 can significantly reduce your risk of ever getting a cold or flu again. As noted in this book zinc can also help prevent colds and flu and help heal them if they occur.

This book was very helpful. It was a good guide to what I can do to help myself when I get a cold or the flu and included ways to protect against contracting it (which I wasn't aware of until I had read it).

I picked up 3 copies for my brothers and sister because they have kids and I think this book can help them understand how to keep their households healthy.

And because of the great timing, I was able to stay healthier this cold and flu season!